UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Cabinet approves 4 railway projects worth ₹9,450 crore
Q1. The four multi-tracking projects worth about ₹9,450 crore cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 19 August 2026 are projects of which one of the following ministries/departments?
- A. Ministry of Railways
- B. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- C. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, through the National Highways Authority of India
- D. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, through the Sagarmala Programme
Q2. Which one of the following correctly describes the body that accorded approval to the ₹9,450 crore railway multi-tracking package of August 2026, along with its chair?
- A. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister
- B. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Union Minister of Finance
- C. The Network Planning Group of PM Gati Shakti, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary
- D. The Empowered Group of Secretaries of PM Gati Shakti, chaired by the Secretary, DPIIT
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the railway multi-tracking projects approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in August 2026 and an earlier four-project multi-tracking approval:
1. Each of the four projects approved in August 2026 lies wholly within a single state.
2. The August 2026 approval adds about 410 km across 8 districts, whereas the earlier four-project approval spanning Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh added about 894 km across 18 districts.
3. Among the August 2026 projects, the Gummidipundi–Gudur section spans Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, while the Kharagpur–Bhadrak/Ranital section spans West Bengal and Odisha.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Each of the four projects approved in August 2026 lies wholly within a single state.
- The August 2026 approval adds about 410 km across 8 districts, whereas the earlier four-project approval spanning Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh added about 894 km across 18 districts.
- Among the August 2026 projects, the Gummidipundi–Gudur section spans Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, while the Kharagpur–Bhadrak/Ranital section spans West Bengal and Odisha.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q4. The Cuttack–Paradeep/Badabandha third and fourth line project is intended largely to strengthen rail access to Paradip Port. Paradip Port Authority functions under the administrative control of which one of the following?
- A. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
- B. Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade
- C. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, through the National Highways Authority of India
- D. Ministry of Jal Shakti, through the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
Q5. Consider the following statements about the institutional arrangements of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan:
1. The Empowered Group of Secretaries constituted to oversee its implementation is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and is the apex body covering 23 infrastructure and user ministries.
2. The Network Planning Group evaluates critical infrastructure projects of the Central Government at the planning stage for multimodality, inter-modality, synchronisation of efforts and last-mile connectivity.
3. The GIS-based platform underpinning the Master Plan was developed in collaboration with the National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Empowered Group of Secretaries constituted to oversee its implementation is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and is the apex body covering 23 infrastructure and user ministries.
- The Network Planning Group evaluates critical infrastructure projects of the Central Government at the planning stage for multimodality, inter-modality, synchronisation of efforts and last-mile connectivity.
- The GIS-based platform underpinning the Master Plan was developed in collaboration with the National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q6. Among the four projects cleared on 19 August 2026, which one accounts for the largest route length and is the only one that is a fourth-line work extending across two states?
- A. Bhadrak–Haridaspur fourth line
- B. Cuttack–Paradeep/Badabandha third and fourth lines
- C. Kharagpur–Bhadrak/Ranital fourth line
- D. Gummidipundi–Gudur third and fourth lines
Q7. Of the four multi-tracking projects approved on 19 August 2026, how many involve laying both a third line and a fourth line, rather than a fourth line alone?
- A. One
- B. Two
- C. Three
- D. All four
Q8. The official assessment of the August 2026 railway package puts its benefit at about 141.9 lakh human-days. In this context, the expression 'human-days' denotes which one of the following?
- A. Direct employment expected to be generated during the construction of the projects, measured in units of one person working for one day
- B. Person-days of travel time expected to be saved every year by passengers once the additional lines are commissioned
- C. Person-days of permanent operation and maintenance staff to be deployed annually on the sections after commissioning
- D. Aggregate working days lost to traffic congestion on the affected sections in the year preceding the approval
Q9. Consider the following statements comparing the socio-economic estimates of the August 2026 railway multi-tracking package with those of the earlier four-project approval covering Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh:
1. The August 2026 package is projected to enhance connectivity to about 6,448 villages with a population of about 60 lakh.
2. The earlier Maharashtra–Madhya Pradesh–Gujarat–Chhattisgarh approval was projected to enhance connectivity to about 5,652 villages with a population of about 147 lakh.
3. The additional freight traffic projected from the August 2026 package, at about 76 million tonnes per annum, is lower than that projected from the earlier approval.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The August 2026 package is projected to enhance connectivity to about 6,448 villages with a population of about 60 lakh.
- The earlier Maharashtra–Madhya Pradesh–Gujarat–Chhattisgarh approval was projected to enhance connectivity to about 5,652 villages with a population of about 147 lakh.
- The additional freight traffic projected from the August 2026 package, at about 76 million tonnes per annum, is lower than that projected from the earlier approval.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. Consider the following statements about the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and other Cabinet Committees:
1. Cabinet Committees such as the CCEA function under the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961, whose administration rests with the Cabinet Secretariat.
2. While the CCEA is chaired by the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Committee on Security is chaired by the Union Home Minister.
3. The Minister of External Affairs is not a member of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Cabinet Committees such as the CCEA function under the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961, whose administration rests with the Cabinet Secretariat.
- While the CCEA is chaired by the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Committee on Security is chaired by the Union Home Minister.
- The Minister of External Affairs is not a member of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q11. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs cleared three railway multi-tracking projects costing about ₹23,437 crore and adding about 901 km across six states in May 2026. That package covered how many districts?