UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Indian Railways Approves ₹1,364.45 Crore for Kavach Deployment and Signalling Modernisation Across Multiple Zones

Q1. Under the April 2026 sanction, on-board Kavach Version 4.0 equipment was approved for how many locomotives of the Southern Railway?

  • A. 190
  • B. 232
  • C. 296
  • D. 738

Q2. With reference to Kavach Version 4.0 compared with earlier versions, consider the following statements: 1. It conforms to Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4), the highest internationally recognised safety assurance level. 2. It introduces a station-to-station Kavach interface over Optical Fibre Cable and a direct interface with existing Electronic Interlocking systems. 3. Kavach was adopted as the National ATP System only after Version 4.0 received RDSO approval. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It conforms to Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4), the highest internationally recognised safety assurance level.
  2. It introduces a station-to-station Kavach interface over Optical Fibre Cable and a direct interface with existing Electronic Interlocking systems.
  3. Kavach was adopted as the National ATP System only after Version 4.0 received RDSO approval.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. The technical specification for Kavach Version 4.0 was approved by which organisation, and in which year?

  • A. RDSO, in 2020
  • B. RDSO, in 2024
  • C. Ministry of Railways, in 2024
  • D. Commissioner of Railway Safety, in 2016

Q4. In which year was Kavach first adopted by the Ministry of Railways as India's National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System?

  • A. 2016
  • B. 2018
  • C. 2020
  • D. 2024

Q5. The bundle of projects worth ₹1,364.45 crore for Kavach deployment and signalling modernisation across multiple zones was approved under which authority?

  • A. Ministry of Railways
  • B. Ministry of Heavy Industries
  • C. NITI Aayog
  • D. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

Q6. Within the ₹1,364.45 crore sanction, which zone received the single largest allocation, tied to the replacement of panel interlocking with Electronic Interlocking?

  • A. Southern Railway
  • B. Northern Railway
  • C. North Central Railway
  • D. South Central Railway

Q7. With reference to 'Mission Zero Accident' and Kavach, consider the following statements: 1. Mission Zero Accident was announced in the Railway Budget 2016-17. 2. Its two sub-missions were the elimination of unmanned level crossings and the Train Collision Avoidance System. 3. Kavach was originally developed under the name 'Anti-Collision Device (ACD)' before being renamed. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Mission Zero Accident was announced in the Railway Budget 2016-17.
  2. Its two sub-missions were the elimination of unmanned level crossings and the Train Collision Avoidance System.
  3. Kavach was originally developed under the name 'Anti-Collision Device (ACD)' before being renamed.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. In the context of railway safety, 'SPAD' — an event that the Kavach system is specifically designed to prevent — refers to:

  • A. A train passing a signal at danger (stop) without authority
  • B. A sudden proportional automatic deceleration of the train
  • C. A signal phase adjustment delay at a junction
  • D. A speed-proportional acceleration default in the loco unit

Q9. The 190 route-kilometre Prayagraj–Kanpur section, on which Kavach was commissioned in March 2026, lies within the operational jurisdiction of which railway zone?

  • A. North Central Railway
  • B. Northern Railway
  • C. North Eastern Railway
  • D. Eastern Railway

Q10. Consider the following railway zone–headquarters pairs: 1. Southern Railway – Chennai 2. North Central Railway – Prayagraj 3. South Central Railway – Bhopal 4. Northern Railway – New Delhi Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

  1. Southern Railway – Chennai
  2. North Central Railway – Prayagraj
  3. South Central Railway – Bhopal
  4. Northern Railway – New Delhi
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q11. Consider the following statements about railway signalling and Kavach components: 1. Electronic Interlocking replaces relay/panel-based interlocking with computer-based interlocking. 2. RFID tags placed along the track enable Kavach to determine train position. 3. Optical Fibre Cable provides the communication backbone for data transmission between stations, trackside equipment and locomotives. 4. Electronic Interlocking eliminates the need for RFID tags in the Kavach system. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Electronic Interlocking replaces relay/panel-based interlocking with computer-based interlocking.
  2. RFID tags placed along the track enable Kavach to determine train position.
  3. Optical Fibre Cable provides the communication backbone for data transmission between stations, trackside equipment and locomotives.
  4. Electronic Interlocking eliminates the need for RFID tags in the Kavach system.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q12. Which organisation is responsible for developing Kavach and issuing its technical specifications and standards?

  • A. Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO)
  • B. Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)
  • C. Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE)
  • D. Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS)