RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT 1 2024 PYQs

Concept: RRBs are being merged on the principle 'One State – One RRB'.

1. In the fourth phase, 26 RRBs were amalgamated (effective 1 May 2025).
2. This reduced the number of RRBs from 43 to 28 across 26 States and 2 UTs.

Yaad rakhein: 4th phase: 43 → 28 RRBs.

Answer: (B) 28

Concept: 'Samudra Pradakshina' is the first tri-services all-women circumnavigation expedition.

1. The crew of Army, Navy and Air Force women officers sails the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni around the globe.
2. The expedition was flagged off from the Gateway of India, Mumbai.

Yaad rakhein: Sailing expeditions usually start from Mumbai (Gateway of India) or Goa.

Answer: (D) Mumbai

Concept: Rock-cut architecture means carving a structure out of solid natural rock.

1. The Kailasa Temple (Cave 16, Ellora) was carved from a single basalt rock, top-down, under Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (8th century).
2. It is the largest monolithic rock-cut structure in the world.

Yaad rakhein: Ellora Kailasa = Rashtrakuta Krishna I = monolithic rock-cut.

Answer: (B) Rock-cut architecture

Concept: Electric lighting came to Calcutta in the 1890s.

1. The Government of Bengal passed the Calcutta Electric Lighting Act in 1895.
2. Under it, the licence went to Kilburn & Co. (later the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation), and electric supply began in 1899.

Yaad rakhein: Act 1895 → supply 1899 → CESC.

Answer: (A) 1895

Concept: The Europe-Africa Forum brings together leaders and civil society of the two continents.

1. The 4th Europe-Africa Forum was held in Marseille, France, in May 2025.
2. Marseille, a Mediterranean port, is a traditional bridge between Europe and Africa.

Yaad rakhein: Europe–Africa link city = Marseille (Mediterranean port).

Answer: (B) Marseille

Concept: e-NAM (National Agriculture Market), launched in April 2016, is a pan-India electronic trading portal.

1. It links existing APMC mandis so that farmers can sell produce online to buyers anywhere, with transparent price discovery.
2. Crop insurance is PMFBY; fertiliser subsidy and minimum wage are separate schemes.

Yaad rakhein: e-NAM = 'one nation, one market' – online mandi.

Answer: (C) Online trading of agricultural produce

Concept: The RTI Act, 2005 lets citizens request information from 'public authorities'.

1. Public authorities = government departments and bodies established, owned, controlled or substantially financed by government.
2. Private companies and foreign embassies are not covered directly; NGOs only if substantially government-funded.

Yaad rakhein: RTI → public authority → reply within 30 days (48 hours if life/liberty is involved).

Answer: (D) Government departments

Concept: The Community Development Programme (1952) needed a lighter, wider version.

1. The National Extension Service (NES) was launched on 2 October 1953 to extend rural development to more blocks at lower cost.
2. Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (1989), TRYSEM (1979) and Bharat Nirman (2005) came much later.

Yaad rakhein: CDP 1952 → NES 1953 (both on 2 October).

Answer: (A) National Extension Service (NES)

Concept: Synthesis of organic compounds from inorganic materials disproved the 'vital force' theory.

1. Wöhler made urea from ammonium cyanate in 1828.
2. Hermann Kolbe synthesised acetic acid from inorganic starting materials (carbon disulphide route) in 1845.

Yaad rakhein: Wöhler – urea (1828); Kolbe – acetic acid (1845); Berthelot – methane (1856).

Answer: (D) Acetic Acid

Concept: Western disturbances are low-pressure systems that originate over the Mediterranean region and move east with the westerly jet stream.

1. They bring winter rain and snowfall to North-West India – Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, J&K, Himachal.
2. This winter rain helps the rabi (wheat) crop.

Yaad rakhein: Winter rain in Punjab–Haryana = western disturbance; winter rain in Tamil Nadu = north-east monsoon.

Answer: (A) North-West India

Concept: British transport policy aimed at moving raw materials to ports and British goods inland.

1. Railways began in 1853 (Bombay–Thane) and were laid mainly to link the interior with ports for cotton, jute, coal and other raw materials.
2. They also helped move troops; Indian welfare was secondary.

Yaad rakhein: Lines ran 'hinterland → port' – a clue to colonial purpose.

Answer: (C) Railways

Concept: Differences in burial goods and ornaments are used to infer social differences in Harappan society.

1. Jewellery of gold, silver and semi-precious stones (carnelian, faience, lapis) has been found in some places but not others – showing unequal wealth.
2. Such evidence points to social stratification (a ranked society), not equal access.

Yaad rakhein: Uneven luxury goods → social stratification.

Answer: (C) there was strong social stratification

Concept: ISRO's CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies) flew on POEM-4 of the PSLV-C60 (SpaDeX) mission.

1. In January 2025, cowpea seeds germinated in microgravity within four days, and the first leaves appeared soon after.
2. It was India's first plant-growth experiment in space.

Yaad rakhein: CROPS – PSLV-C60 – cowpea (lobia).

Answer: (C) Cowpea seeds

Concept: The Indo-Aryan migration theory explains the arrival of Vedic people.

1. Aryans (Indo-Aryan speakers) are said to have migrated from Central Asia into north-west India around 1500 BCE, after the decline of the Harappan cities.
2. They composed the Rig Veda; Shakas came much later (2nd–1st century BCE).

Yaad rakhein: Central Asia → Sapta Sindhu → Aryans → Rig Veda.

Answer: (C) Aryans

Concept: India is developing an indigenous all-electric trainer aircraft for pilot training.

1. E-HANSA, being developed by CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru, was announced in March 2025.
2. It is a two-seater electric version of the HANSA-NG trainer, aimed at low-cost, green pilot training.

Yaad rakhein: HANSA trainer + E for electric = E-HANSA.

Answer: (B) E-HANSA

Concept: COP21 of the UNFCCC was held in Paris.

1. The Paris Agreement was adopted on 12 December 2015 at COP21.
2. It aims to keep global warming well below 2°C, preferably 1.5°C; it entered into force on 4 November 2016.
3. Kyoto Protocol: adopted 1997, in force 2005.

Yaad rakhein: COP21 = Paris = 2015; Kyoto = 1997.

Answer: (D) 2015

Concept: India holds bilateral army exercises with many countries.

1. Dharma Guardian is the annual India–Japan army exercise; its 6th edition (Feb–Mar 2025) was held at East Fuji Manoeuvre Area, Japan.
2. Maitree – Thailand, Shakti – France, Indra – Russia.

Yaad rakhein: Japan army – Dharma Guardian; Japan navy – JIMEX.

Answer: (D) Dharma Guardian

Concept: 'Federal Chancellor' (Bundeskanzler) is the head of government of Austria and Germany.

1. Christian Stocker became Federal Chancellor of Austria on 3 March 2025.
2. Finland, Sweden and Norway are headed by Prime Ministers, not Chancellors.

Yaad rakhein: Chancellor → German-speaking country: Austria (Stocker), Germany (Merz).

Answer: (A) Austria

Concept: Articles 20–22 give the Right to Life and Personal Liberty group.

1. Article 20: no ex-post-facto punishment, no double jeopardy (not punished twice for the same offence), no self-incrimination.
2. Article 21 – life and personal liberty; Article 22 – arrest and detention; Article 23 – ban on trafficking and forced labour.

Yaad rakhein: Art 20 = '3 NOs': no retro law, no double punishment, no forced self-witness.

Answer: (B) Article 20

Concept: Chemical weathering changes the composition of rocks through solution, oxidation, hydration and leaching.

1. In hot, wet climates silica and other soluble minerals are leached away, leaving aluminium and iron oxides behind – forming bauxite and laterite.
2. This residual enrichment of ores is a product of chemical weathering.

Yaad rakhein: Bauxite and laterite = leaching = chemical weathering.

Answer: (D) Chemical weathering