The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme has approved sputum microscopy, X-ray Chest, Solid and Liquid Culture methods and Rapid molecular for diagnosis of Tuberculosis .

Earlier in July 2012, as per the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation, the government had imposed a ban on the manufacture, sale, distribution, use and import of serological diagnostic tests for TB.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha , the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury said, the programme has already approved newer rapid molecular diagnostic test for timely and accurate diagnosis of TB in the country.

AIR correspondent reports, the WHO has suggested that the widely available commercial serological tests provide inconsistent and imprecise estimates of sensitivity and specificity.
Therefore it should not be used for the diagnosis of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB.