UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Union Cabinet clears ₹1,264-cr. rail project

Q1. The ₹1,264-crore project for the 3rd and 4th lines on the Ballari–Guntakal rail section (cleared in July 2026) was approved by which one of the following bodies?

  • A. The Public Investment Board of the Department of Economic Affairs
  • B. The Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth
  • C. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister
  • D. The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure

Q2. The Ballari–Guntakal 3rd and 4th line multi-tracking project cleared by the CCEA will be executed by which one of the following?

  • A. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
  • B. The Ministry of Railways (Indian Railways)
  • C. The National Highways Logistics Management Limited
  • D. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

Q3. With reference to the Ballari–Guntakal 3rd and 4th line project as approved, which one of the following statements is correct?

  • A. It is being funded entirely by the Governments of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis.
  • B. It is the first railway project in the country to be brought under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
  • C. It will exclusively carry passenger traffic within the Guntakal division.
  • D. It adds the 3rd and 4th lines to the section and is targeted for completion by 2028-29.

Q4. In the context of Indian Railways, the term 'Guntakal division' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A zonal headquarters of Indian Railways with its own General Manager
  • B. An administrative division falling under the South Central Railway zone
  • C. A production unit of Indian Railways engaged in manufacturing locomotives
  • D. A section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor

Q5. Guntakal is the largest division of the South Central Railway zone as measured by which one of the following?

  • A. Route kilometres
  • B. Number of coaching (passenger) depots
  • C. Annual passenger earnings
  • D. Number of electrified stations

Q6. The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A centrally sponsored scheme providing viability-gap funding to private highway developers
  • B. A credit-guarantee fund for logistics and warehousing start-ups
  • C. A single-window portal for clearing foreign direct investment in the infrastructure sector
  • D. A dynamic GIS-based digital platform for integrated planning of multimodal infrastructure connectivity

Q7. Among the following recently approved Cabinet clearances for rail multi-tracking, which one added the largest length to the Indian Railways network?

  • A. The two-project clearance covering Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh (~601 km)
  • B. The three-project clearance covering Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (~901 km)
  • C. The two-project clearance covering Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (~318 km)
  • D. The Ballari–Guntakal 3rd and 4th line clearance (~46 km)

Q8. The Ballari–Chikjajur doubling (185 km) and the Koderma–Barkakana doubling (133 km) were cleared together by the Cabinet in which year?

  • A. 2023
  • B. 2024
  • C. 2025
  • D. 2026

Q9. Which one of the following statements about the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is correct?

  • A. It is chaired by the Prime Minister, and Cabinet committees such as it are constituted by the Prime Minister under the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961.
  • B. It is chaired by the Finance Minister and derives its authority from Article 280 of the Constitution.
  • C. It is a statutory body established under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003.
  • D. It is chaired by the Home Minister and is responsible for approving all defence acquisitions.