⚡ Quick quiz

Test yourself in under a minute: RRB NTPC General Awareness Practice Test

Six fresh checks spanning History, Polity, Science and the Railways-specific block, to see how quickly both kinds of GK on this page come back to you.

1. 1. In which year did India gain independence from British rule?

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2. 2. Which is the smallest state in India by area?

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3. 3. How many Schedules does the Indian Constitution currently have?

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4. 4. Which part of the human body produces insulin?

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5. 5. Indian Railways was first reorganised into six operating zones in which year?

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6. 6. The Arjuna Award recognises which kind of achievement in India?

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History, Geography and Constitutional Basics

Covers key milestones across Ancient, Medieval, Modern and Post-Independence Indian History, core physical geography facts about India and the world, and an introduction to Fundamental Rights and constitutional framers.

1. 1. Who founded the Maurya Empire in ancient India, guided by his mentor and strategist Chanakya?

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   Chandragupta Maurya🔊

   Chandragupta Maurya established the Maurya Empire around 322 BCE after overthrowing the Nanda dynasty, with strategic guidance from Chanakya (Kautilya), author of the Arthashastra. The empire later reached its peak under his grandson Ashoka.

2. 2. In which year was the First Battle of Panipat fought, which laid the foundation of Mughal rule in India?

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   1526🔊

   Fought in 1526, Babur defeated the much larger army of Ibrahim Lodi, the last Delhi Sultanate ruler, using superior cannon and cavalry tactics. This victory marked the founding of the Mughal Empire in India.

3. 3. In which year did Mahatma Gandhi launch the Non-Cooperation Movement?

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   1920🔊

   Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920 in response to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Rowlatt Act, urging Indians to boycott British goods, schools, and institutions. It was called off in 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident.

4. 4. In which year was Goa liberated from Portuguese rule and integrated into the Indian Union?

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   1961🔊

   Goa was freed from over 450 years of Portuguese colonial rule in December 1961 through 'Operation Vijay', a military action by the Indian Armed Forces. It became a full-fledged state of India only later, in 1987.

5. 5. Which river is the longest in India, originating in the Himalayas and flowing into the Bay of Bengal?

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   Ganga🔊

   The Ganga, originating from the Gangotri glacier in the Himalayas, flows about 2,525 km through northern India before draining into the Bay of Bengal. It supports one of the most densely populated river basins in the world.

6. 6. Which is the highest mountain peak located entirely within Indian territory?

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   Kangchenjunga🔊

   Located in Sikkim on the India-Nepal border, Kangchenjunga stands at 8,586 metres and is the third-highest peak in the world. It is the highest peak lying entirely within Indian territory, since Everest and K2 are outside India's borders.

7. 7. Which is the largest continent in the world by area?

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   Asia🔊

   Asia covers roughly 30% of the Earth's total land area, making it the largest continent, and it is also the most populous. It hosts diverse geography ranging from the Himalayas to the Siberian tundra and the Arabian deserts.

8. 8. Which Indian state has the longest coastline among all states?

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   Gujarat🔊

   Gujarat has a coastline stretching about 1,600 km along the Arabian Sea, the longest of any Indian state. This extensive coast supports major ports such as Kandla and Mundra, key to India's maritime trade.

9. 9. How many Fundamental Rights are currently guaranteed under the Indian Constitution?

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   Six🔊

   The Constitution originally guaranteed seven Fundamental Rights, but the Right to Property was removed by the 44th Constitutional Amendment in 1978 and made a legal right instead. The remaining six include the Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, and Right to Constitutional Remedies.

10. 10. Who is regarded as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution for chairing its Drafting Committee?

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    Dr. B.R. Ambedkar🔊

    Dr. B.R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly and played the central role in framing the Constitution, adopted on 26 November 1949. He is honoured annually on Constitution Day, observed on that date.

Polity, Economy, Science and Early Railways

Rounds out Constitution basics on the President and Directive Principles, traces India's shift from Five-Year Plans to NITI Aayog, and tests everyday Physics, Chemistry and Biology facts alongside a first Railways zone question.

1. 1. What is the minimum age prescribed for a person to become President of India?

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   35 years🔊

   Article 58 of the Constitution requires a presidential candidate to be at least 35 years old and eligible for election as a member of the Lok Sabha. The President is elected indirectly by an electoral college of MPs and MLAs.

2. 2. Under which Part of the Indian Constitution are the Directive Principles of State Policy contained?

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   Part IV🔊

   The Directive Principles of State Policy are laid out in Part IV, covering Articles 36 to 51, and are inspired by the Irish Constitution. Unlike Fundamental Rights, they are non-justiciable but guide the state in policy-making.

3. 3. Which Five-Year Plan of India is popularly known as the "Gadgil Yojana"?

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   Third Five-Year Plan (1961-66)🔊

   The Third Five-Year Plan is called the Gadgil Yojana after economist D.R. Gadgil, who helped shape its framework emphasising self-reliant growth. Its targets were badly disrupted by the 1962 war with China, the 1965 war with Pakistan, and successive droughts.

4. 4. Which body replaced the Planning Commission in 2015 to guide India's development strategy?

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   NITI Aayog🔊

   NITI Aayog was set up on 1 January 2015 to replace the Planning Commission, shifting India's planning approach from centralised five-year plans to a more flexible, cooperative-federalism model. It acts as the government's premier policy think tank.

5. 5. What is the full form of NITI Aayog?

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   National Institution for Transforming India🔊

   NITI Aayog stands for the National Institution for Transforming India, established to foster cooperative federalism by involving states more actively in economic policy-making. It replaced the older, more centralised Planning Commission structure.

6. 6. What is the SI unit of electric current?

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   Ampere🔊

   The ampere, named after French physicist Andre-Marie Ampere, is the SI base unit used to measure electric current. One ampere corresponds to a flow of one coulomb of charge per second through a conductor.

7. 7. Exposure of the skin to sunlight helps the human body synthesize which vitamin?

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   Vitamin D🔊

   Ultraviolet rays from sunlight trigger a chemical reaction in the skin that produces Vitamin D, essential for calcium absorption and bone health. Deficiency of this vitamin can lead to weakened bones and conditions like rickets in children.

8. 8. What is the chemical symbol for the element gold?

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   Au🔊

   Gold's chemical symbol, Au, comes from its Latin name 'aurum', meaning shining dawn. It is a dense, highly malleable metal prized for jewellery and valued for its resistance to corrosion.

9. 9. Which gas is commonly filled in fire extinguishers to douse flames?

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   Carbon dioxide🔊

   Carbon dioxide (CO2) is widely used in fire extinguishers because it displaces oxygen around the flame, smothering the fire without leaving residue. It is especially effective for electrical fires since it does not conduct electricity.

10. 10. Which city is the headquarters of the Northern Railway zone?

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    New Delhi🔊

    Northern Railway, one of the oldest and largest zones of Indian Railways, was formed in 1952 and is headquartered in New Delhi. It covers a vast network across northern states including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Indian Railways, Sports/Awards and Current Affairs

Focuses heavily on railway-specific trivia unique to RRB exams (bullet trains, historic firsts, zones and safety bodies) before closing with major sporting honours and evergreen recent national milestones.

1. 1. What is the approximate length of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor, India's first bullet train project?

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   About 508 km🔊

   The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor spans roughly 508 km and is being built with Japanese Shinkansen technology under technical and financial cooperation with Japan. It is India's first bullet train project, designed for speeds up to 320 km/h.

2. 2. Between which two stations did India's first electric train run in 1925?

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   Bombay VT (now CSMT) to Kurla, on the Harbour Line🔊

   India's first electric train ran on 3 February 1925 between Bombay VT and Kurla on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway's Harbour Line. This milestone marked the beginning of railway electrification in the country, decades before most other Indian routes were converted.

3. 3. Which Indian Railways zone has the longest route length, making it the largest zone by track kilometres?

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   Northern Railway🔊

   Northern Railway is the largest of Indian Railways' zones by route kilometres, with a network spanning over 7,000 km across several northern states. It also operates some of the busiest stations in the country, including New Delhi railway station.

4. 4. What does the abbreviation "CRS" stand for in the context of Indian Railways safety oversight?

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   Commissioner of Railway Safety🔊

   The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) is responsible for inspecting and certifying the safety of railway operations, including new lines and rolling stock. Notably, the CRS organisation functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation rather than the Ministry of Railways, ensuring independent safety oversight.

5. 5. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was renamed in 2021 in honour of which hockey legend?

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   Major Dhyan Chand🔊

   In August 2021, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, honouring the legendary hockey player known as the 'Wizard of Hockey'. It remains India's highest sporting honour, recognising outstanding achievement over a period of years.

6. 6. The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic tournament associated with which sport?

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   Cricket🔊

   The Ranji Trophy is India's premier domestic first-class cricket tournament, contested between teams representing states and regions. It is named after Ranjitsinhji, a former Indian prince who played Test cricket for England in the late 19th century.

7. 7. What is the highest civilian award conferred in India?

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   Bharat Ratna🔊

   Instituted in 1954, the Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award, given for exceptional service in fields such as science, art, literature, and public service. It is awarded sparingly, with only a handful of recipients honoured in most years, and sometimes none at all.

8. 8. Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander made India the first country to achieve a soft landing near which region of the Moon?

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   The south pole region of the Moon🔊

   On 23 August 2023, Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander achieved a soft landing near the Moon's south pole, making India the first country to do so and only the fourth nation overall to land on the Moon. The anniversary of this achievement is now observed annually as National Space Day.

9. 9. In which Indian city was the G20 Summit held in September 2023?

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   New Delhi🔊

   India held the G20 presidency through 2023, culminating in the New Delhi Summit held in September 2023 under the theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - One Earth, One Family, One Future'. It was the first G20 summit hosted by India, bringing together leaders of the world's major economies.

10. 10. Which government scheme, launched in 2014, aims at financial inclusion through zero-balance bank accounts?

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    Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana🔊

    Launched on 28 August 2014, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana aimed to provide universal access to banking through zero-balance savings accounts for unbanked households. It has since become a foundational pillar of India's direct benefit transfer and digital payment ecosystem.