The five core components of the DOTS strategy, as defined by WHO and implemented under RNTCP, are: 1) Political commitment with increased and sustained financing, 2) Case detection by quality-assured sputum smear microscopy among symptomatic patients, 3) Standardized treatment with direct observation of drug intake, 4) An effective drug supply and management system, and 5) Standardized recording and reporting system. While GeneXpert is a crucial diagnostic tool in the current National TB Elimination Program (NTEP), universal access to it was not an original core component of the *initial* DOTS strategy under RNTCP. The question specifically asks about the DOTS strategy under RNTCP.
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