UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates, lays foundation stone of multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth more than ₹3,250 crore at Malda, West Bengal

Q1. With reference to India's first Vande Bharat Sleeper train flagged off in January 2026, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. It has been indigenously designed and manufactured by BEML.
2. Its rake is composed of sixteen air-conditioned coaches.
3. It commenced commercial service from Kamakhya on 22 January 2026.
4. Its coaching composition is made up entirely of AC Chair Car coaches, like the original Vande Bharat variant.

• A. 1 and 2
• B. 2 and 3
• C. 3 and 4
• D. 4 only

Q2. The commercial operation of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train on the Howrah–Kamakhya (Guwahati) route is undertaken by which one of the following Union ministries?

• A. Ministry of Railways
• B. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
• C. Ministry of Heavy Industries
• D. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

Q3. The LHB coaches of the Amrit Bharat Express trains are manufactured by which one of the following production units of Indian Railways?

• A. Integral Coach Factory, Chennai
• B. BEML Limited, Bengaluru
• C. Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala
• D. Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi

Q4. With reference to the Amrit Bharat Express, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. It is a non-AC train operated in a push-pull configuration with locomotives at both ends.
2. It is built using LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) coaches.
3. Its first pair of services was flagged off in December 2023.
4. It is a semi-high-speed, Chair-Car-only intercity service.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1, 2 and 3
• C. 2, 3 and 4
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. The first (inaugural) Vande Bharat Express, flagged off in February 2019, operated on which one of the following routes?

• A. New Delhi – Varanasi
• B. New Delhi – Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra
• C. Mumbai Central – Gandhinagar Capital
• D. Chennai – Mysuru

Q6. In the context of Indian Railways, the term 'Train 18' refers to which one of the following?

• A. The developmental designation of the Vande Bharat Express trainset, indicating its year of manufacture
• B. An 18-coach premium Rajdhani rake introduced for metro-to-metro service
• C. The 18th dedicated freight corridor sanctioned under the National Rail Plan
• D. A high-speed bullet train prototype developed jointly with Japan

Q7. With reference to the physical geography of Malda district, West Bengal, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The Mahananda river divides the district into two regions.
2. The river Ganga makes its first entry into West Bengal in this district.
3. The district shares its entire eastern boundary with the State of Bihar.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. The four-laning of the Dhupguri–Falakata section of National Highway-31D, whose foundation stone was laid at the January 2026 Malda event, is implemented by which one of the following ministries?

• A. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
• B. Ministry of Railways
• C. Ministry of Rural Development
• D. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Q9. Under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which one of the following is the nodal department that hosts the Network Planning Group (NPG) and leads inter-ministerial coordination?

• A. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
• B. NITI Aayog
• C. Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance
• D. Ministry of Railways

Q10. With reference to the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. It was launched in October 2021 as a digital platform for integrated infrastructure planning.
2. It uses a dynamic GIS-based platform developed by BISAG-N to integrate infrastructure ministries.
3. Unlike a normal budgetary scheme, it functions primarily as a fund-allocation mechanism that disburses money directly to infrastructure projects.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. All surface (rail and road) connectivity between the North Eastern Region and the rest of India passes through the narrow Siliguri Corridor, which lies within which one of the following States?

• A. West Bengal
• B. Assam
• C. Bihar
• D. Sikkim

Q12. Which one of the following trains was flagged off from Malda in January 2026 as India's first-ever Vande Bharat Sleeper service?

• A. Howrah – Kamakhya (Guwahati)
• B. New Jalpaiguri – Nagercoil
• C. Alipurduar – SMVT Bengaluru
• D. Alipurduar – Mumbai (Panvel)