UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — PM to visit West Bengal on 17-18 January
Q1. India's first Vande Bharat Sleeper trainset, flagged off in West Bengal in January 2026, was manufactured at which one of the following production units of Indian Railways?
- A. Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai
- B. Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala
- C. Modern Coach Factory (MCF), Raebareli
- D. Rail Wheel Factory (RWF), Bengaluru
Q2. With reference to the first Vande Bharat Sleeper train and the original Vande Bharat (chair-car) Express, consider the following statements:
1. Unlike the fully air-conditioned Vande Bharat chair-car, the Vande Bharat Sleeper includes non-AC sleeper coaches for affordable travel.
2. The Vande Bharat Sleeper has a higher design speed (up to 180 kmph) than the Vande Bharat chair-car (160 kmph).
3. The first Vande Bharat Sleeper rake has 16 coaches with a total capacity of about 823 passengers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Unlike the fully air-conditioned Vande Bharat chair-car, the Vande Bharat Sleeper includes non-AC sleeper coaches for affordable travel.
- The Vande Bharat Sleeper has a higher design speed (up to 180 kmph) than the Vande Bharat chair-car (160 kmph).
- The first Vande Bharat Sleeper rake has 16 coaches with a total capacity of about 823 passengers.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. Which one of the following is NOT a design feature of the Amrit Bharat Express?
1. Push-pull operation with locomotives at both ends of the train.
2. Fully non-AC configuration with General (unreserved) and Sleeper class coaches.
3. An onboard executive chair-car with reclining seats as its premium class.
4. Semi-permanent couplers to reduce jerks during starting and stopping.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- Push-pull operation with locomotives at both ends of the train.
- Fully non-AC configuration with General (unreserved) and Sleeper class coaches.
- An onboard executive chair-car with reclining seats as its premium class.
- Semi-permanent couplers to reduce jerks during starting and stopping.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 3 only
- D. 3 and 4
Q4. With reference to the Amrit Bharat Express, consider the following statements:
1. The first Amrit Bharat trains were flagged off in December 2023, along with the inauguration of the Ayodhya Dham railway station.
2. During 2025-26, Amrit Bharat services have recorded over 100% sleeper-class occupancy.
3. The maximum operating speed of the Amrit Bharat Express is 160 km/h.
4. One of the two inaugural Amrit Bharat routes was Malda Town–Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru).
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- The first Amrit Bharat trains were flagged off in December 2023, along with the inauguration of the Ayodhya Dham railway station.
- During 2025-26, Amrit Bharat services have recorded over 100% sleeper-class occupancy.
- The maximum operating speed of the Amrit Bharat Express is 160 km/h.
- One of the two inaugural Amrit Bharat routes was Malda Town–Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru).
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q5. Consider the following statements about the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), Kolkata:
1. It is India's only riverine major port.
2. The Kolkata Dock System (KDS) is one of its dock complexes.
3. The Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) is one of its dock systems.
4. The Balagarh Extended Port Gate System being developed by SMP is located in Odisha.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- It is India's only riverine major port.
- The Kolkata Dock System (KDS) is one of its dock complexes.
- The Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) is one of its dock systems.
- The Balagarh Extended Port Gate System being developed by SMP is located in Odisha.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 3 only
- D. 4 only
Q6. With reference to the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (formerly Kolkata Port) among India's major ports, consider the following statements:
1. It is the only riverine major port in India.
2. It is India's largest major port in terms of total cargo handled.
3. It is the oldest (first-established) major port in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It is the only riverine major port in India.
- It is India's largest major port in terms of total cargo handled.
- It is the oldest (first-established) major port in India.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. The Sagarmala Programme, under which the Balagarh port project is aligned, is implemented under which one of the following Union ministries?
- A. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
- B. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- C. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- D. Ministry of Jal Shakti
Q8. In the context of India's maritime sector, 'Maritime India Vision 2030' refers to which one of the following?
- A. A ten-year blueprint (2021–2030) for the development of India's ports, shipping and inland waterways sector
- B. A United Nations-backed treaty demarcating India's Indian Ocean maritime boundaries
- C. A doctrine of the Indian Navy for blue-water force expansion by 2030
- D. A World Bank-financed programme exclusively for coastal fisheries development
Q9. Consider the following statements regarding the projects dedicated by the Prime Minister in West Bengal in January 2026:
1. The Jayrambati–Barogopinathpur–Maynapur new rail line is part of the Tarakeswar–Bishnupur project.
2. The Malda projects were worth more than ₹3,250 crore.
3. The Singur (Hooghly) development projects were worth around ₹830 crore.
4. The Tarakeswar–Bishnupur line connects two districts of northern West Bengal.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- The Jayrambati–Barogopinathpur–Maynapur new rail line is part of the Tarakeswar–Bishnupur project.
- The Malda projects were worth more than ₹3,250 crore.
- The Singur (Hooghly) development projects were worth around ₹830 crore.
- The Tarakeswar–Bishnupur line connects two districts of northern West Bengal.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 3 only
- D. 4 only
Q10. Which one of the following best describes the Tarakeswar–Bishnupur rail project, a section of which was commissioned during the Prime Minister's January 2026 West Bengal visit?
- A. A new broad-gauge rail line connecting the Hooghly and Bankura districts, of which the Jayrambati–Barogopinathpur–Maynapur section has been commissioned
- B. A gauge-conversion project on the Kolkata–Asansol trunk route
- C. A dedicated freight corridor segment running parallel to National Waterway-1
- D. A metro rail extension within the Kolkata Metropolitan Area
Q11. In the context of Indian Railways, the term 'Train 18' refers to which one of the following?
- A. The development name of the Vande Bharat Express, India's first indigenously designed semi-high-speed trainset
- B. The mandatory 18-coach configuration prescribed for all Rajdhani Express trains
- C. The 2018 India–Japan agreement for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail
- D. The prototype designation of the Amrit Bharat Express push-pull train
Q12. Which one of the following correctly describes National Waterway-1 (NW-1), on which the Balagarh terminal of the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port lies?
- A. The Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly river system from Prayagraj (Allahabad) to Haldia
- B. The Brahmaputra river from Sadiya to Dhubri
- C. The West Coast Canal from Kollam to Kottapuram in Kerala
- D. The Krishna–Godavari river stretch in Andhra Pradesh