The Department of Consumer Affairs, under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has added how many new districts to the existing network of 288 districts where the mandatory BIS hallmarking laws for gold are in force?

### Concept & Consumer Protection The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) hallmarking is a government-mandated certification that guarantees the purity and fineness of gold jewelry. The mandate has been implemented in progressive phases across Indian districts. ### Step-by-Step Solution * In the first two phases, the mandatory hallmarking of gold was enforced in 288 districts across India. * In its third phase of expansion, the Department of Consumer Affairs notified an addition to this network. * An additional 56 districts were brought under the mandatory hallmarking regime, increasing the total count significantly. * This step was taken to ensure wider consumer protection and standardise jewelry markets in semi-urban and rural areas. ### Exam Strategy & Shortcut Memorize government scheme rollout numbers by associating them with their phase (Phase 1+2 = 288 districts; Phase 3 = 56 added). These specific figures are frequently tested in banking and regulatory exams. ### Common Pitfall Students often misremember the added district figure as a round number like 50 or 100, which are standard distractors. It is important to recall the exact notified number of 56. ### Final Answer Therefore, the correct answer is **56**.