diff --git a/chatbot/services/response_handlers/base_response_handler.py b/chatbot/services/response_handlers/base_response_handler.py
index 77ab74f..850b38d 100644
--- a/chatbot/services/response_handlers/base_response_handler.py
+++ b/chatbot/services/response_handlers/base_response_handler.py
@@ -524,15 +524,23 @@ def _execute_tool(self, tool_name, arguments, company_bot):
                     text = c.get('text', '')
                     header = f'[{title}]({url})' if url else title
                     parts.append(f'Source: {header}\n{text}')
-                chunks_text = '\n\n---\n\n'.join(parts)
+                chunks_text = self._wrap_retrieved_content('\n\n---\n\n'.join(parts), source='repository')
             else:
-                chunks_text = 'No relevant results found in the knowledge base.'
+                chunks_text = self._wrap_retrieved_content(
+                    '(no repository result found — use web search if available, otherwise respond '
+                    'from general knowledge if appropriate, per no-hallucination rules)',
+                    source='none',
+                )
             logger.info(f'[tool_loop] search_knowledge_base: {len(retrieved_chunks)} chunks for query: {query}')
             return chunks_text, retrieved_chunks
 
         logger.error(f'[tool_loop] unknown tool: {tool_name}')
         return f'Tool "{tool_name}" is not available.', []
 
+    def _wrap_retrieved_content(self, text, source):
+        """Wrap tool-retrieved text in an explicit provenance marker before it enters the transcript."""
+        return f'<retrieved_content source="{source}">\n{text}\n</retrieved_content>'
+
     def _call_gateway_non_stream(
         self, gateway_messages, company_bot, session_id, profile_id, tools, tool_choice,
         retrieved_chunks=None, append_to_last=False, use_web_search=False, turn_usage=None,
diff --git a/chatbot/utils/elevate/profile_utils.py b/chatbot/utils/elevate/profile_utils.py
index 60db9f6..55c9976 100644
--- a/chatbot/utils/elevate/profile_utils.py
+++ b/chatbot/utils/elevate/profile_utils.py
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ def fetch_elevate_user(access_token):
             'school_name': school_name,
             'district': district.get('label'),
             'state': state.get('label'),
+            'has_accepted_tnc': bool(user_data.get('has_accepted_terms_and_conditions', False)),
         }
 
     except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as e:
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ def upsert_elevate_profile(user_data):
 
     return {
         "profileid": profile.id,
-        "has_accepted_tnc": (profile.other_params or {}).get('is_tnc_accepted', False),
+        "has_accepted_tnc": user_data.get('has_accepted_tnc', False),
         "route": language,
         "reroute_url": os.getenv('SSO_REROUTE_URL'),
         "ums_profile": {
@@ -125,7 +126,8 @@ def handle_elevate_profile(access_token):
     return upsert_elevate_profile(user_data)
 
 
-def update_elevate_profile(access_token, name=None, role=None, school_name=None, district=None, state=None):
+def update_elevate_profile(access_token, name=None, role=None, school_name=None, district=None, state=None,
+                            has_accepted_terms_and_conditions=None):
     try:
         url = f"{elevate_base_url}/user/v1/user/update"
         headers = {'X-auth-token': access_token}
@@ -140,6 +142,8 @@ def update_elevate_profile(access_token, name=None, role=None, school_name=None,
             body['userDistrict'] = district
         if state:
             body['profileState'] = state
+        if has_accepted_terms_and_conditions is not None:
+            body['has_accepted_terms_and_conditions'] = has_accepted_terms_and_conditions
 
         logger.info(f'[update_elevate_profile] sending body={body}')
         response = requests.patch(url, headers=headers, json=body, timeout=30)
diff --git a/chatbot/views/api_views.py b/chatbot/views/api_views.py
index 171a306..b9e6e09 100644
--- a/chatbot/views/api_views.py
+++ b/chatbot/views/api_views.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import logging
+import os
 import traceback
 from django.contrib.auth.hashers import check_password
 from rest_framework.response import Response
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@
 from chatbot.models.company_models import Company, CompanyBot
 from chatbot.models.profile_models import Profile
 from chatbot.serializer.profile_serializer import ProfileSerializer
+from chatbot.utils.elevate.profile_utils import fetch_elevate_user, update_elevate_profile
 from django.http import JsonResponse
 from django.contrib.sessions.backends.db import SessionStore
 from rest_framework_simplejwt.tokens import RefreshToken
@@ -16,6 +18,14 @@
 from chatbot.models.company_models import Flow
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('django')
+ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_KEY = os.getenv('ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_KEY')
+
+
+def _get_access_token(request):
+    access_token = request.COOKIES.get(ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_KEY) if ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_KEY else None
+    if not access_token:
+        access_token = request.headers.get('X-auth-token')
+    return access_token
 
 
 def generate_session_id(request):
@@ -212,9 +222,19 @@ def get_profile_view(request):
                     }, status=404)
             profile = Profile.objects.get(email=email, company=company)
 
-        is_tnc_accepted = bool(
-            profile.other_params and profile.other_params.get('is_tnc_accepted', False)
-        )
+        access_token = _get_access_token(request)
+        is_tnc_accepted = False
+        if access_token:
+            elevate_user_data = fetch_elevate_user(access_token)
+            if elevate_user_data.get('error'):
+                logger.error(
+                    '[get_profile_view] failed to fetch tnc status from Elevate: %s',
+                    elevate_user_data.get('error')
+                )
+            else:
+                is_tnc_accepted = elevate_user_data.get('has_accepted_tnc', False)
+        else:
+            logger.error('[get_profile_view] no access_token available — defaulting is_tnc_accepted to False')
 
         is_onboarding_completed = bool(
             profile.other_params and profile.other_params.get('is_onboarding_completed', False)
@@ -272,10 +292,20 @@ def accept_tnc_view(request):
                         'message': 'No company found'
                     }, status=404)
             profile = Profile.objects.get(email=email, company=company)
-        other_params = profile.other_params or {}
-        other_params['is_tnc_accepted'] = True
-        profile.other_params = other_params
-        profile.save(update_fields=['other_params', 'updated_at'])
+
+        access_token = _get_access_token(request)
+        if not access_token:
+            return Response({
+                'status': 'error',
+                'message': 'access_token is required to accept terms and conditions'
+            }, status=400)
+
+        result = update_elevate_profile(access_token, has_accepted_terms_and_conditions=True)
+        if not result:
+            return Response({
+                'status': 'error',
+                'message': 'Failed to update terms and conditions acceptance'
+            }, status=502)
 
         return Response({
             'status': 'ok',
diff --git a/shikshalokam/views/profile_views.py b/shikshalokam/views/profile_views.py
index 0b40475..addce42 100644
--- a/shikshalokam/views/profile_views.py
+++ b/shikshalokam/views/profile_views.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def read_elevate_profile(request):
         'profile_details': {
             'profileid': profile_details.get('profileid'),
             'company': company_slug,
-            'has_accepted_tnc': "ONGOING",
+            'has_accepted_tnc': profile_details.get('has_accepted_tnc', False),
             'route': profile_details.get('route'),
             'reroute_url': profile_details.get('reroute_url'),
         }