Infrastructure MCQs for UPSC Prelims
Q1. The proposed Hebbal–Central Silk Board tunnel road is reported to require approximately how many acres of Lalbagh land on a temporary basis during construction?
- A. Two
- B. Four
- C. Six
- D. Nine
Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the parameters announced for the Ken-Betwa Link Project at its launch with those assessed at the time of its approval by the Union Cabinet:
1. The irrigation potential of about 11 lakh hectares projected for the Daudhan Dam at the launch is close to the annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectares assessed at the time of Cabinet approval.
2. The project was launched on the birth centenary of a former Prime Minister, and it is the country's first river interlinking project under the National Perspective Plan.
3. The construction period announced at the launch was eight years, a downward revision of the schedule originally approved by the Cabinet.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The irrigation potential of about 11 lakh hectares projected for the Daudhan Dam at the launch is close to the annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectares assessed at the time of Cabinet approval.
- The project was launched on the birth centenary of a former Prime Minister, and it is the country's first river interlinking project under the National Perspective Plan.
- The construction period announced at the launch was eight years, a downward revision of the schedule originally approved by the Cabinet.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. At the Khajuraho event at which the Ken-Betwa River Linking National Project was launched, the Prime Minister also inaugurated a solar facility that is India's largest floating solar park. Which one of the following is that facility?
- A. The Shajapur solar power project in Shajapur district of Madhya Pradesh
- B. The Omkareshwar solar park on the Narmada reservoir in Khandwa district
- C. The Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Park of 750 MW capacity in Rewa district
- D. The Neemuch solar power project in Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh
Q4. With reference to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' report 'Road Accidents in India, 2024', consider the following matchings:
1. Total road accidents in the country during 2024 — about 4.88 lakh
2. Total road accident fatalities in the country during 2024 — about 1.77 lakh
3. Deaths on National Highways during 2024 — about 64,800
4. Share of National Highways in total road accident deaths — about 31 per cent
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?
- Total road accidents in the country during 2024 — about 4.88 lakh
- Total road accident fatalities in the country during 2024 — about 1.77 lakh
- Deaths on National Highways during 2024 — about 64,800
- Share of National Highways in total road accident deaths — about 31 per cent
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 3 only
- D. 4 only
Q5. 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?
Q6. 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
Q7. 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
Q8. 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
Q9. 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
Q10. 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
Q11. 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
Q12. 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
Q13. The MRTS takeover adds to a metro rail footprint that crossed the 1,000 route-km mark in 2025, making India's network the third largest in the world. At that milestone, metro rail services were operational in how many cities in India?
- A. 15 cities
- B. 23 cities
- C. 29 cities
- D. 35 cities
Q14. Tamil Nadu has sought an external loan of about ₹4,000 crore to upgrade the MRTS corridor to Metro standards and integrate it with the Chennai Metro network. This assistance is being sought from which one of the following institutions?
- A. The World Bank
- B. The Japan International Cooperation Agency
- C. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- D. The New Development Bank of the BRICS grouping
Q15. Consider the following statements about Chennai Metro Phase-II:
1. It has an approved length of about 118.9 km with 128 stations.
2. Its approved project completion cost is about ₹36,000 crore.
3. Once it is fully operational, Chennai will have a total metro rail network of about 173 km.
4. It is financed entirely through an external loan, with no equity contribution from the Union Government.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- It has an approved length of about 118.9 km with 128 stations.
- Its approved project completion cost is about ₹36,000 crore.
- Once it is fully operational, Chennai will have a total metro rail network of about 173 km.
- It is financed entirely through an external loan, with no equity contribution from the Union Government.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 2 only
- D. 3 and 4
Q16. Which of the following are correctly identified as corridors of Chennai Metro Phase-II, along with their approved length and number of stations?
1. Madhavaram to SIPCOT — 45.8 km with 50 stations
2. Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass — 26.1 km with 30 stations
3. Madhavaram to Sholinganallur — 47 km with 48 stations
4. Chennai Beach to Velachery — 24 km with 21 stations
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Madhavaram to SIPCOT — 45.8 km with 50 stations
- Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass — 26.1 km with 30 stations
- Madhavaram to Sholinganallur — 47 km with 48 stations
- Chennai Beach to Velachery — 24 km with 21 stations
- A. 1, 2 and 4
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1 and 4 only
Q17. Consider the following statements about the institutional and funding structure of metro rail in India:
1. Chennai Metro Rail Limited is a joint venture of the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu.
2. Chennai Metro Phase-II has been sanctioned as a Central Sector project, with the Union Government financing about 65 per cent of the estimated cost.
3. Under the grant route of the Metro Rail Policy, lump sum central assistance amounts to 10 per cent of the project cost.
4. Under the equity-sharing route of the Metro Rail Policy, the Centre and the State contribute equity in the ratio of 65:35.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Chennai Metro Rail Limited is a joint venture of the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu.
- Chennai Metro Phase-II has been sanctioned as a Central Sector project, with the Union Government financing about 65 per cent of the estimated cost.
- Under the grant route of the Metro Rail Policy, lump sum central assistance amounts to 10 per cent of the project cost.
- Under the equity-sharing route of the Metro Rail Policy, the Centre and the State contribute equity in the ratio of 65:35.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1 and 4 only
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q18. Consider the following statements regarding the Metro Rail Policy under which metro projects in India seek central assistance:
1. It makes private sector participation through public-private partnership mandatory for availing central assistance for new metro projects.
2. One of the routes for central assistance is a public-private partnership with support under the Viability Gap Funding scheme of the Ministry of Finance.
3. A project must demonstrate a minimum Financial Internal Rate of Return of 14 per cent to qualify for central assistance.
4. The policy was approved by the Union Cabinet in the year 2017.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- It makes private sector participation through public-private partnership mandatory for availing central assistance for new metro projects.
- One of the routes for central assistance is a public-private partnership with support under the Viability Gap Funding scheme of the Ministry of Finance.
- A project must demonstrate a minimum Financial Internal Rate of Return of 14 per cent to qualify for central assistance.
- The policy was approved by the Union Cabinet in the year 2017.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 only
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q19. Formal approval for handing over the MRTS to Chennai Metro Rail Limited in August 2026 was accorded by which one of the following authorities?
- A. The Railway Board, the apex administrative body of the Ministry of Railways
- B. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the nodal ministry for metro rail projects
- C. The Commissioner of Railway Safety, functioning under the Ministry of Civil Aviation
- D. NITI Aayog, in exercise of its mandate over Centre–State infrastructure coordination
Q20. Under the hand-over arrangement between Southern Railway and the Tamil Nadu government, non-operational MRTS assets such as land, stations, lifts, escalators and foot-over-bridges are to be transferred within how many days?
- A. 30 days
- B. 60 days
- C. 90 days
- D. 180 days
Q21. Chennai Metro Rail Limited, the company into which the MRTS is being absorbed, was set up as a joint venture of the Union and Tamil Nadu governments in which year?
- A. 2002
- B. 2007
- C. 2011
- D. 2015
Q22. Prior to the transfer arrangement of 2026, which one of the following correctly describes the equity ownership of the Chennai MRTS?
- A. A joint arrangement in which the Tamil Nadu government held the larger share, about two-thirds, and Indian Railways the remainder
- B. An asset owned exclusively by Indian Railways, the State government having no equity whatsoever in it
- C. An asset owned entirely by Chennai Metro Rail Limited, which had operated the corridor ever since its opening in the 1990s
- D. A joint arrangement in which Indian Railways held about two-thirds of the equity and the Tamil Nadu government the remainder
Q23. Under the merger arrangement cleared in August 2026, Chennai Metro Rail Limited has been allowed a transition period of how many years to fully take over train operations on the MRTS corridor?
- A. One year
- B. Two years
- C. Three years
- D. Five years
Q24. In the context of the transfer approved by the Railway Board in August 2026, the MRTS in Chennai is best described as which one of the following?
- A. An elevated urban rail corridor operated by the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways since the 1990s
- B. An elevated urban rail corridor built and operated by Chennai Metro Rail Limited since its opening in 2015
- C. A suburban rail service run by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority along the Buckingham Canal alignment
- D. A monorail-based feeder network operated by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation to serve metro stations
Q25. Consider the following statements comparing India's wind energy position as on 31 March 2026 with earlier reference points:
1. The wind capacity added during 2025-26 was the highest ever in a single year, exceeding the previous record set in 2016-17.
2. Installed wind capacity as on 31 March 2026 was more than twice the level of March 2014.
3. India's domestic wind turbine manufacturing capacity in March 2026 remained at roughly the same level as in 2014.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The wind capacity added during 2025-26 was the highest ever in a single year, exceeding the previous record set in 2016-17.
- Installed wind capacity as on 31 March 2026 was more than twice the level of March 2014.
- India's domestic wind turbine manufacturing capacity in March 2026 remained at roughly the same level as in 2014.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q26. According to the wind resource assessment underlying India's wind capacity planning, which one of the following States has the highest gross wind power potential at 150 metre hub height?
- A. Gujarat
- B. Rajasthan
- C. Karnataka
- D. Maharashtra
Q27. Which single component constitutes the largest share of the total outlay approved by the Union Cabinet for the National Critical Mineral Mission?
- A. Expected investment by public sector undertakings and other stakeholders
- B. Direct expenditure by the Government of India through the Ministry of Mines
- C. Incentive Scheme for Recycling of critical minerals from secondary sources
- D. Support for establishing mineral processing parks and Centres of Excellence
Q28. Under the National Critical Mineral Mission, how many exploration projects is the Geological Survey of India targeted to carry out over the entire mission period from 2024-25 to 2030-31?
- A. 195 exploration projects
- B. 368 exploration projects
- C. 1,200 exploration projects
- D. 2,400 exploration projects
Q29. With reference to the funding architecture for regional airport development under the Modified UDAN scheme, consider the following statements:
1. The scheme has a total outlay of Rs 28,840 crore met through budgetary support of the Government of India, spread over FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36.
2. Viability Gap Funding of Rs 10,043 crore is provided, airlines receiving support for five years and exclusivity of operations for three years.
3. Operation and maintenance support is extended to every airport in the country for the entire scheme period, with no ceiling on the amount payable to an airport in a year.
4. Routes under the scheme are allotted to whichever eligible airline applies first, no bidding of any kind being involved at any stage.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The scheme has a total outlay of Rs 28,840 crore met through budgetary support of the Government of India, spread over FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36.
- Viability Gap Funding of Rs 10,043 crore is provided, airlines receiving support for five years and exclusivity of operations for three years.
- Operation and maintenance support is extended to every airport in the country for the entire scheme period, with no ceiling on the amount payable to an airport in a year.
- Routes under the scheme are allotted to whichever eligible airline applies first, no bidding of any kind being involved at any stage.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q30. The airside expansion at Tiruchirappalli was described as making the airport suitable for five 'Code E' and ten 'Code C' aircraft. In airport planning, this classification refers to which one of the following?
- A. The pavement strength of the runway and the taxiways expressed as a bearing-capacity rating
- B. The size category of aircraft an apron stand can accept, Code E denoting wide-body and Code C narrow-body aircraft
- C. The instrument landing category permitted at the airport under different conditions of visibility
- D. The customs and immigration clearance grade assigned to an airport handling international traffic