Current Affairs
Key Concepts & Formulas
| # | Concept | Quick Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Last 6-Month Rule | RRB asks 80% questions from last 180 days—focus on Jan-Jun 2024 for Jul 2024 exams |
| 2 | BOLT Formula | Budget → Olympics/major games → Launches (space/infra) → Toppers/awards = 60% CA weightage |
| 3 | 3-2-1 Rule | Remember 3 facts per scheme (launch month, budget, target group), 2 per award (winner + field), 1 per index (India’s rank) |
| 4 | Railway-Tag Trick | Any CA news containing “rail”, “train”, “station”, “track” is 99% exam-bound (e.g., India’s 1st hydrogen train, Vande Bharat route) |
| 5 | e-Remember | e-_____ schemes (e-Shram, e-RUPI, e-Sanjeevani) are favourites—note launch month & ministry |
| 6 | CJ-PM-PADMA | Chief Justice, PM foreign visits, Padma awards = at least 1 question every shift |
| 7 | Index Cheat | Indices released Jan-Jun 2024: IFPRI-GHI, WEF-GCR, Transparency-CPI; remember India’s rank & 1st rank country |
10 Practice MCQs
Q1. Who was the chief guest at India’s 75th Republic Day parade on 26 Jan 2024? A) Emmanuel Macron B) Rishi Sunak C) Joe Biden D) Fumio Kishida
Answer: A) Emmanuel Macron
Solution: France President Macron was invited; India-France strategic partnership 25-year celebration.
Shortcut: “Republic-French connection” – 2024 marks 25 years of strategic partnership.
Concept: Current Affairs – National Events & Foreign Dignitaries
Q2. The world’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ was flagged off from which city in Jan 2023? A) Patna B) Kolkata C) Varanasi D) Prayagraj
Answer: C) Varanasi
Solution: PM Modi virtually flagged off the 3,200 km cruise Varasi-Dibrugarh on 13 Jan 2023.
Shortcut: “Longest cruise starts from PM’s constituency.”
Concept: Current Affairs – Transport/Railway-linked tourism
Q3. India’s first semi-high-speed rail corridor dedicated to freight, announced in Budget 2024, is called A) Bharat Freight B) PM Gati Shakti Express C) Diamond Quadrilateral Freight D) Amrit Bharat
Answer: D) Amrit Bharat
Solution: FM announced 3 new corridors under Amrit Bharat—one exclusively for freight (Delhi-Kolkata).
Shortcut: “Amrit = Infrastructure gift @100-year Azadi.”
Concept: Current Affairs – Railway schemes
Q4. Which Indian won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of Year 2024 award? A) Mirabai Chanu B) Nikhat Zareen C) PV Sindhu D) Avani Lekhara
Answer: B) Nikhat Zareen
Solution: Nikhat Zareen (boxing, Telangana) won for 2023 achievements; announced Feb 2024.
Shortcut: “BBC-Boxing Nikhat” (alliteration).
Concept: Current Affairs – Awards & Sports
Q5. Under PM-Awas Yojana-Urban 2.0 (Budget 2024), how many houses are targeted in next 5 years? A) 1 crore B) 2 crore C) 3 crore D) 5 crore
Answer: C) 3 crore
Solution: Budget 2024 allocated ₹10 lakh cr; 1 cr already done, hence 3 cr new urban houses.
Shortcut: “3 crore = 30 million = 30-lakh-crore rupee headline.”
Concept: Current Affairs – Government schemes & numbers
Q6. India’s rank in World Press Freedom Index 2024 released by Reporters Without Borders is A) 149 B) 159 C) 161 D) 171
Answer: B) 159
Solution: Slipped from 150 in 2023; Norway 1st, Eritrea 180th.
Shortcut: “159 = 15-9 = 24 (year 2024).”
Concept: Current Affairs – International indices
Q7. India’s first hydrogen-powered heritage train trial run was conducted in March 2024 on which section? A) Kalka-Shimla B) Darjeeling Himalayan C) Nilgiri Mountain D) Matheran Hill
Answer: A) Kalka-Shimla
Solution: 96 km UNESCO route; converted 700 hp diesel-hydrogen hybrid; by RDSO & IOCL.
Shortcut: “Kalka-Shimla = K-S = K for ‘Klean’ hydrogen.”
Concept: Current Affairs – Railway innovation
Q8. The joint military exercise ‘Exercise Khanjar’ held in March 2024 was between India and A) Kazakhstan B) Kyrgyzstan C) Uzbekistan D) Tajikistan
Answer: B) Kyrgyzstan
Solution: 10th edition at Bishkek; special forces exercise; ends 23 Mar 2024.
Shortcut: “Khanjar-Kyrgyzstan (both start with ‘Ky’ sound).”
Concept: Current Affairs – Defence & bilateral
Q9. Who became the first woman Chief Justice of a High Court in India in 2024? A) Justice Gita Mittal B) Justice Hima Kohli C) Justice Ritu Bahri D) Justice Surekha Shitole
Answer: C) Justice Ritu Bahri
Solution: Took oath as CJ of Uttarakhand HC on 8 Jan 2024; earlier acting CJ of Punjab & Haryana.
Shortcut: “Ritu → Uttarakhand (both have ‘U’ sound).”
Concept: Current Affairs – Judiciary appointments
Q10. The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2024 (MPI) released by OPHDI & UNDP states India lifted how many people out of poverty between 2015-21? A) 100 million B) 140 million C) 175 million D) 250 million
Answer: D) 250 million
Solution: From 27% to 11%; largest reduction globally; data period NFHS-5 (2019-21).
Shortcut: “25 crore = 250 million = quarter-billion.”
Concept: Current Affairs – Poverty & indices
5 Previous Year Questions
PYQ 1. India’s rank in Global Hunger Index 2021 was RRB NTPC 2021 CBT-1
Answer: 101
Solution: Out of 116 countries; 18.9 score (serious); 2020 rank was 94.
Exam Tip: GHI always released Oct every year; remember India’s rank slipped post-94.
PYQ 2. Who won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2020 (announced 2021)? RRB Group D 2022
Answer: Neeraj Chopra (athletics), Ravi Dahiya (wrestling), Lovlina Borgohain (boxing), Mithali Raj (cricket), Sunil Chhetri (football), Pramod Bhagat (para-badminton), others
Solution: Total 12 awardees; Neeraj first track-field athlete to get Khel Ratna.
Exam Tip: RRB often asks “how many” along with names—remember 12 in 2020.
PYQ 3. The Vande Bharat Express flagged off between Delhi-Katra is numbered RRB ALP 2018 (CBT-2)
Answer: 22439/22440
Solution: First VB from Delhi to Katra (J&K); 14 Aug 2019; 8-hr journey.
Exam Tip: Train numbers: even down, odd up; 22439 Delhi→Katra.
PYQ 4. India’s first engine-less train is called RRB JE 2019
Answer: Train-18 (later named Vande Bharat Express)
Solution: 160 kmph; built by ICF Chennai; trial 2018; commercial 2019.
Exam Tip: “Engine-less = Make in India flagship = Vande Bharat.”
PYQ 5. The scheme ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ was rolled out nationwide in which year? RPF SI 2019
Answer: 2020
Solution: 100% POS machines by 30 Jun 2020; portability 83 crore beneficiaries.
Exam Tip: RRB loves “2020” pandemic year schemes—remember 20-20.
Speed Tricks & Shortcuts
| Situation | Shortcut | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Remembering G-20 summit host cities | “BALI-INDIA-BRAZIL” | 2022 Bali, 2023 India, 2024 Brazil |
| Railway budget merged year | “Rail-Bud 17” | 2017 merged with Union Budget |
| Padma Awards announced | “26 Jan Eve” | Every year on 25 Jan evening |
| Olympic host cities next 3 | “LA-28, Mil-Cort-36” | 2028 LA, 2032 Brisbane, 2036 likely Milan-Cortina |
| India’s rank in any index ≤150 | “150 minus last two digits of year” | 2024 → 150-24 = 126 (approx sanity check) |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why Students Make It | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Confusing ‘launched’ vs ‘announced’ | Budget speech = announcement, actual launch may be next year | Note both months |
| Writing old CJI/CM names | RRB choices include 1 previous name | Always verify latest appointment date |
| Index rank 1 country & India swapped | Ranks change yearly | Remember 1st & India separately |
| Scheme amount in crore vs lakh | 1 lakh cr = 100,000 cr | Write in digits immediately |
| Sports award year vs performance year | Khel Ratna 2021 given for 2020 performance | Read notification carefully |
Quick Revision Flashcards
| Front (Question/Term) | Back (Answer) |
|---|---|
| 2024 Republic Day chief guest | Emmanuel Macron, France |
| India’s 1st hydrogen train route | Kalka-Shimla (Mar 2024) |
| Budget 2024 PM-Awas Urban target | 3 crore houses, ₹10 lakh cr |
| Global Hunger Index 2023 India rank | 111 out of 125 |
| BBC Indian Sportswoman 2024 | Nikhat Zareen (boxing) |
| G-20 2024 presidency handover | Brazil (1 Dec 2023) |
| India’s 1st engine-less train name | Train-18 → Vande Bharat |
| One Nation One Ration Card nationwide | 30 Jun 2020 |
| 2024 Padma Vibhushan (posthumous) | Mulayam Singh Yadav |
| World Press Freedom 2024 India rank | 159 (slipped 9 places) |
Topic Connections
- Direct Link: Indian Polity (CJI appointments, Parliament sessions), Geography (new tiger reserves, UNESCO sites), Economics (Budget keywords)
- Combined Questions: Railway zones + newly inaugurated trains (e.g., South-Western zone + Vande Bengaluru), Schemes + state share (PMGSY 60:40 split)
- Foundation For: Static GA revision (Nobel 2023 → topic discovered in 1901), Interview stage (opinion on recent policies)
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