We only solved the Forensic Part of the Forensics Officer Recruitment Paper by Punjab Police for Civilian Support Staff in Punjab Bureau of Investigation (PBI) 2021.
There were 100 questions in total, but only the first 70 were from Forensic Science and the rest were about general knowledge. This section only contains the first 20 MCQs; the rest can be found at:
Note: Some of the questions in the Forensic Officer of PBI 2021 Paper were in the Punjabi language (no English versions were available for those questions). So, you must know how to read and write the Punjabi language. You can download the GK part of the Forensic Officer paper from here.
1. Aspects of a person’s handwriting style that can be analysed to ascertain authorship include:
1. Letter form
2. Line form
3. Formatting
- Only 1
- 1 and 2
- 1, 2 and 3
- 1 and 3
Answer
Answer: (3) 1, 2 and 3
2. Which of the following should NOT be in the report of a firearm expert in court?
- Name of the examiner, his qualifications, and his designation
- Detailed case study along with the details of police diary
- The questionnaire
- Laboratory case and report number
Answer
Answer: (2) Detailed case study along with the details of police diary
3. IAFIS first became operational in which of the following years?
- 1998
- 2003
- 2001
- 1999
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (4) 1999
Explanation: Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), is a computerized system maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
4. GHB and Rohypnol are central nervous system depressants often used by criminals for
- Hanging
- Sexual assault
- Abortion
- Suicide
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (2) Sexual Assault
Explanation: Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), ketamine, and flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) are the most common date rape drugs (‘club drugs’).
5. The speed of a vehicle can be determined from the following factors, EXCEPT
- Glass fracture patterns
- Vehicle damage
- The radius of curved scuff marks
- The length of skid marks
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (1) Glass fracture patterns
Explanation: At a certain velocity and force glass breaks. It could be as little as 10km/h by a heavy mass or 100km/h by a light ball. And patterns (fracture types) depend majorly on the type of glass that is being used. Eg: tempered glass breaks into dice whereas laminated glasses resist shattering and fragmentation.
6. Read the given statement and answer the question that follows.
The metal below a stamped serial number is strained, making it faster to dissolve in an etching solution than the surrounding metal.’ The given statement is appropriate for:
- Examination of cartridge
- collection of trace evidence
- serial number restoration
- Side-by-side comparison of tool marks
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (3) Serial number restoration
Explanation: Check various etching chemicals used for the restoration of serial numbers over metal surfaces.
7. Portable drug detection kit for cannabis is generally based on Duquenois-Levine test. Which of the following is NOT a part of Duquenois-Levine reagent?
- Vanillin
- Hydrochloric acid
- Ethanol
- Acetaldehyde
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (2) Hydrochloric acid
Explanation: Duquenois reagent is a combination of:
-> 2 gm of vanillin
-> 2.5 ml of acetaldehyde
-> 100 ml of ethanol.
Procedure: 10 gm of suspected sample + Duquenois reagent + 10 drops of conc. HCl + 20 drops of chloroform.
Observation: two separate layers, one having purple coloration.
8. Which of the following conditions results in a positive microbiological test?
- Strychnine poisoning
- The Socratic poisoning
- Aconite poisoning
- Tetanus
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (4) Tetanus
Explanation: Positive microbiological test is seen in the case of Tetanus disease.
-> This is because of the causative agent Clostridium tetani, an anaerobic spore-forming bacterium naturally found in soil, dust, and intestinal tracts of various animals.
9. Following sketching methods are used in a crime scene recording, EXCEPT:
- Polar co-ordinate method
- Parallel co-ordinate method
- Baseline method
- Triangulation method
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (2) Parallel co-ordinate method
Explanation: Check a detailed representation of various sketching methods used in crime scene recording.
10. The date and location of the crime scene and a north heading on the diagram are the important criteria for the:
- microscopic examination of fibre
- Crime-scene sketch
- Firearm examination
- Preservation of forensic evidence
Answer
Answer: (2) Crime-scene sketch
11. Which of the following may result in inadmissibility of evidence in court?
- Chain of custody during investigation is properly maintained.
- Destruction of the sample with records that permit transparency of the testing process.
- An expert fails to prove his/her expertise in the area for which the court has asked his/her opinion.
- Scientific evidence intended to be present in court by prosecution must generally be disclosed to the accused or their representative.
Answer
Answer: (3) An expert fails to prove his/her expertise in the area for which the court has asked his/her opinion
12. Which of the following is the process of collection and packaging of firearms?
- Encase in plastic envelope, unload and detach the firearm, process for fingerprint, seal in cloth envelope
- Seal in cloth envelope, unload and detach the firearm, process for fingerprint, encase in plastic envelope
- Unload and detach the firearm, process for fingerprint, encase in plastic envelope, seal in cloth envelope
- Process for fingerprint, unload and detach the firearm, encase in plastic envelope, seal in cloth envelope
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (3) Unload and detach the firearm, process for fingerprint, encase in plastic envelope, seal in cloth envelope
Explanation: Unloading should be done before fingerprinting because in very rare cases, a loaded firearm can fire if it is a case of struck bullet or have a very sensitive trigger mechanism. This mostly happens in improvised firearms.
13. The use of restriction enzymes in DNA fingerprinting is:
- To prevent DNA from being amplified
- For DNA synthesis
- To cut DNA into fragments of varying lengths
- To repair DNA
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (3) To cut DNA into fragments of varying lengths
Explanation: In DNA fingerprinting, restriction enzymes can be used to cut DNA to obtain the banding pattern of STR.
14. Software piracy in India is an offense under which of the following Acts?
- India Copyright Act, 1957
- Software Piracy Act, 1957
- Indian Piracy Act, 1957
- Indian Evidence Act, 1872
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (1) India Copyright Act, 1957 (but added in amendment 1994)
Explanation: Under the Indian Copyright Act, 1957, software piracy is inserted in the Amendment Act of 1994.
15. The presumptive test used for semen is:
- Benzidine (Adler test)
- Phenolphthalein (Kastle-Meyer test)
- Brentamine fast blue test
- Catalytic colour test
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (3) Brentamine fast blue test
Explanation:
-> Acid phosphatase spot test is a presumptive test of seminal fluid.
-> When acid phosphatase enzyme reacts with seminal fluid, it cleaves a phosphate group from alpha-naphthyl phosphate to form naphthol, which when coupled with Brentamine Fast Blue B (ortho-dianisidine) forms a purple azo dye.
16. ‘Tailgating’ is a peculiar phenomenon observed in case of:
- A railway accident
- A motor cycle accident
- An air craft accident
- A car accident
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (X) Wrong Question
Explanation:
-> Tailgating is a fatal condition when a motorcycle enters the back of a large vehicle that is suddenly stopped.
17. When did the Indian Copyright Act come into force?
- 1960
- 1961
- 1957
- 1959
Answer
Answer: (3) 1957
18. The scientific study of death and the practices associated with it is known as:
- Cessation
- Euthanasia
- Thanatology
- Paleontology
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (3) Thanatology
Explanation:
-> Paleontology: a scientific study of the life of the geologic past (plants, animal fossils, rocks)
-> Euthanasia is the practice of ending the life of a patient to limit the patient’s suffering.
19. 3-D tool marks can be best preserved by:
- ESDA
- Casting
- Dusting
- Photography
Answer
Answer: (2) Casting
20. Which of the following is individual evidence?
- Plastic bags
- Glass pieces
- DNA
- Tyre marks
Answer and Explanation
Answer: (3) DNA
Explanation: All other three are class evidence.
Jump to Part 2 of Forensic Officer Paper by PBI Recruitment 2021: Q21 to 40