RAS question
How many total monographs does the 10th edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP 2026) contain after adding 121 new ones?
Correct answer: (C) 3,340.
The 10th edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia, IP 2026, contains 3,340 monographs after the addition of 121 new monographs.
Explanation
IP 2026 is the 10th edition of India’s official book of drug standards. The PIB release states that it incorporated 121 new monographs, which increased the total number of monographs to 3,340. That makes option C the precise answer. The same release also explains why the update matters: the new edition strengthens coverage across important therapeutic categories such as anti-tubercular, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer medicines, along with iron supplements, and it introduces blood component monographs for transfusion medicine for the first time. In exam terms, the key is not just the addition of 121, but the final total after that addition: 3,340.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 2,340 is too low and does not match the PIB-stated total after IP 2026 added 121 new monographs.
- (B) 3,121 appears to echo the figure of 121 new monographs, but the official total after their inclusion is 3,340.
- (D) 4,000 overstates the number; the cited PIB release gives the total monographs in IP 2026 as 3,340, not 4,000.
Concept
This tests current developments in Science and Technology, especially health regulation and pharmaceutical standards. RAS often asks such updates because official standards like the Indian Pharmacopoeia link public health, regulation and government institutions.