Union Budget, Rail Budget - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

• Set up two chairs – one C T Venugopal chair on Strategic Finance, research and policy development and another Kalpana Chawla chair on geo-spatial technology.
• Entertainment: propose to invite FM Radio stations for providing train borne entertainment; extend ‘Rail Bandhu’ to all reserved classes of travelers and in all regional languages.
• Also IR will undertake energy audits for reducing energy consumption in non-traction area by 10% to 15%.

ANSWER: Aastha Circuit train

Explanation:

Pilgrimage centres are to be taken up on priority for provision of passenger amenities and beautification on stations at pilgrimage centres including Ajmer, Amritsar, Bihar Sharif, Chengannur, Dwarka, Gaya, Haridwar, Mathura, Nagapattinam, Nanded, Nasik, Pali, Parasnath, Puri, Tirupati, Vailankanni, Varanasi and Vasco.
• IR also intends to run Aastha circuit trains to connect important pilgrim centres.

ANSWER: SMS

Explanation:

• IR is introducing ‘Clean my Coach’ service on Pan-India basis, where a passenger can request cleaning of his/her coach/toilets on demand through SMS.
• Ranking of A1 and A classes of stations based on a regular periodic third party audit and feedback from passengers.
• Setting up waste segregation and recycling centres at A1 category stations in a phased manner;
• Undertaking ‘Awareness campaigns’ to improve cleanliness at select stations, station approach roads and adjacent colonies.
• Installing additional 30,000 bio-toilets in the next financial year.
• Providing portable structures with bio-toilets at all platforms of select stations to meet the demand of senior citizens, Divyang and women travellers.

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

• Sale of tickets through hand held terminals;
• e- ticketing facility to foreign debit/credit cards;
• Bar coded tickets, scanners and access control on a pilot basis.
• The ‘Vikalp’ (Alternative Train Accommodation System) scheme introduced in October 2015 will be expanded to provide choice of accommodation in specific trains to wait-listed passengers.
• E-booking of tickets facility on the concessional passes available to journalists;
• Facility of cancellation through the 139 helpline post verification using ‘One Time Password’ sent on registered phone number,
• To improve tatkaal services there will be CCTV cameras on windows and periodic audit of PRS website.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• Humsafar - fully air-conditioned third AC service with an optional service for meals.
• Humsafar and Tejas to ensure cost recovery through tariff and non-tariff measures.
• Tejas - will showcase the future of train travel in India. Tejas will operate at speeds of 130 kmph and above. It will offer onboard services such as entertainment, local cuisine, Wi-Fi, etc. through one service provider for ensuring accountability and improved customer satisfaction.

ANSWER: 1, 3

Explanation:
For the unreserved passenger – Antyodaya Express and Deen Dayalu coaches

• IR proposes to introduce the Antyodaya Express, a long-distance, fully unreserved, superfast train service, for the common man to be operated on dense routes.
• IR will also add two to four Deen Dayalu coaches in some long distance trains for unreserved travel to enhance IR’s carrying capacity for the masses. These coaches will also have facility for potable drinking water and a higher number of mobile charging points.
• Humsafar is for reserved passengers.

ANSWER: Vadodara

Explanation:

• Rail University to be established at Indian Railway Academy at Vadodara.
• The National Academy of Indian Railways at Vadodara is the first institution which would be upgraded to a full-fledged university.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• UDAY - overnight double-decker, Utkrisht Double-Decker Air-conditioned Yatri Express on the busiest routes, has the potential to increase carrying capacity by almost 40%.
• Tejas - will showcase the future of train travel in India. Will operate at speeds of 130 kmph and above. It will offer onboard services such as entertainment, local cuisine, Wi-Fi, etc. through one service provider for ensuring accountability and improved customer satisfaction.

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:

• The country will get three new dedicated freight corridors, according to the Railway Budget 2016, in addition to the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata freight corridors that are due to be commissioned in 2019.
• The new projects are a North-South corridor, from Delhi to Chennai, an East-West corridor from Kharaghpur to Mumbai and an East Coast corridor, from Kharagpur to Vijayawada.
• Delhi-Chennai has been identified as corridor for auto transportation.
• The projects will be financed through a PPP (public private partnership) mechanism and rolled out on a high priority basis.

ANSWER: Chennai

Explanation:

• India’s first rail auto hub will be inaugurated in Chennai.
• This is to capture the automobile traffic.
• In order to complete the chain of transportation, it is proposed to develop Rail side logistics parks and warehousing.
• These logistic parks and warehouses would be created in PPP mode to bring the required efficiency and investment but also help attract greater traffic to the Railways. With the coming in of TRANSLOC, the Transport Logistics Company of India, IR will be witness to a paradigm shift in our role as a national logistics provider. The focus will be on providing last mile connectivity for freight business and significant reduction in logistic costs.
• At least 10 goods sheds will be developed by TRANSLOC in 2016-17.