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RRB JE General Awareness Syllabus
The General Awareness syllabus for RRB JE in full: 5 chapters and 16 topics, every one listed below, plus 50 General Awareness flashcards with answers.
General Awareness syllabus: all 5 chapters
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.
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Current Affairs
4 topics- National
- International
- Sports
- Awards
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Indian Polity
3 topics- Constitution
- Governance
- Public Policy
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History
3 topics- Ancient India
- Medieval India
- Modern India
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Geography
3 topics- Physical Geography
- Human Geography
- Economic Geography
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Economics
3 topics- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Indian Economy
RRB JE General Awareness flashcards — 50 questions with answers
What does GDP stand for, and how is it defined in economics?
Gross Domestic Product: the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country's borders in a given period (usually one year).
State the expenditure-method formula for calculating GDP.
GDP = C + I + G + (X − M), where C = consumption, I = investment, G = government spending, and (X − M) = net exports (exports minus imports).
What is the difference between GDP and GNP?
GDP measures output produced within a country's borders; GNP (Gross National Product) measures output produced by a country's residents/nationals anywhere, i.e. GNP = GDP + net factor income from abroad.
In microeconomics, what does the Law of Demand state?
Other things being equal, as the price of a good rises its quantity demanded falls, and as the price falls its quantity demanded rises (an inverse price–quantity relationship).
What is price elasticity of demand, and how is it calculated?
It measures how responsive quantity demanded is to a price change. PED = (% change in quantity demanded) / (% change in price). Demand is elastic if |PED| > 1 and inelastic if |PED| < 1.
In microeconomics, what defines the market equilibrium price?
The price at which quantity demanded equals quantity supplied, so there is no shortage or surplus and no tendency for price to change.
What is inflation, and which index commonly measures retail inflation in India?
Inflation is a sustained general rise in the price level over time, reducing the purchasing power of money. India's retail inflation is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI); wholesale inflation by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
What is fiscal policy, and which authority controls it in India?
Fiscal policy is the use of government taxation and spending to influence the economy; it is controlled by the Government (Ministry of Finance), as opposed to monetary policy controlled by the RBI.
What is the repo rate, and which institution sets it in India?
The repo rate is the interest rate at which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lends short-term funds to commercial banks against securities; it is set by the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and is a key tool to control inflation and liquidity.
What does fiscal deficit mean?
The fiscal deficit is the excess of the government's total expenditure over its total revenue (excluding borrowings); it indicates the amount the government must borrow in a year.
In the Indian economy, what are the three sectors by economic activity?
Primary (agriculture, mining, raw materials), Secondary (manufacturing/industry), and Tertiary (services such as banking, IT, trade).
What is the difference between direct and indirect taxes, with an Indian example of each?
A direct tax is levied directly on income/wealth and cannot be shifted (e.g. Income Tax); an indirect tax is levied on goods and services and can be passed on to consumers (e.g. GST).
When was GST (Goods and Services Tax) implemented in India, and what does it replace?
GST came into effect on 1 July 2017. It is a single indirect tax that subsumed multiple central and state taxes such as excise duty, service tax, and VAT.
What is the difference between economic growth and economic development?
Economic growth is a quantitative increase in a country's output/GDP; economic development is a broader, qualitative improvement in living standards, including health, education, and equality (often measured by the HDI).
In economic geography, what are the factors determining the location of an industry?
Availability of raw materials, power/energy, labour, capital, transport, market access, water, and government policy together determine where an industry is located.
In physical geography, what are the three main types of rocks?
Igneous (formed from cooled magma/lava, e.g. granite, basalt), Sedimentary (formed from compacted deposits, e.g. limestone, sandstone), and Metamorphic (formed by heat/pressure altering existing rock, e.g. marble, slate).
What causes the seasons on Earth?
The tilt of Earth's axis (about 23.5 degrees) combined with its revolution around the Sun, which changes the angle and duration of sunlight reaching different latitudes through the year.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is the short-term, day-to-day state of the atmosphere at a place; climate is the average weather conditions of a region observed over a long period (typically 30+ years).
Name the layers of the atmosphere in order from the Earth's surface upward.
Troposphere, Stratosphere (contains the ozone layer), Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere.
In human geography, what is the demographic transition's relationship to birth and death rates?
The demographic transition model describes a shift from high birth and death rates (Stage 1) through falling death rates then falling birth rates, to low birth and death rates (Stage 4) as a society industrializes.
Show the other 30 General Awareness flashcards
What is population density, and how is it calculated?
Population density is the number of people per unit area. Density = Total Population / Total Land Area (expressed as persons per square kilometre).
Which river is known as the 'Sorrow of Bihar', and why?
The Kosi River, because of its frequent and devastating floods and tendency to change its course across the plains of Bihar.
Who founded the Maurya dynasty, and with whose guidance?
Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya dynasty (around 322 BCE) with the guidance of his mentor Chanakya (Kautilya), author of the Arthashastra.
Which Mauryan emperor adopted Buddhism after the Kalinga War, and in which year was the war fought?
Emperor Ashoka adopted Buddhism after the Kalinga War, fought around 261 BCE, whose bloodshed led to his conversion to non-violence (Dhamma).
The Indus Valley Civilization is also known by what name, and name two of its major sites.
It is also called the Harappan Civilization. Major sites include Harappa and Mohenjo-daro (others: Lothal, Dholavira, Kalibangan).
Who founded the Mughal Empire in India, and after which battle?
Babur founded the Mughal Empire after defeating Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526.
Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal, and in whose memory?
Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal at Agra in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Who introduced the Mansabdari system in Mughal administration?
Emperor Akbar introduced the Mansabdari system, a ranking framework that organized military and civil officers (mansabdars) by numerical grades.
In which year and at which session did the Indian National Congress pass the 'Purna Swaraj' (complete independence) resolution?
At the Lahore Session of 1929, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru; 26 January 1930 was observed as the first Independence Day (Purna Swaraj Day).
Who led the Dandi Salt March in 1930, and what movement did it launch?
Mahatma Gandhi led the Dandi (Salt) March in March 1930, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement against the British salt tax.
In which year did the Revolt of 1857 begin, and where did it start?
The Revolt of 1857 (India's First War of Independence) began on 10 May 1857 at Meerut.
Who was the first Governor-General of independent India, and the first Indian Governor-General?
Lord Mountbatten was the first Governor-General of independent India; C. Rajagopalachari was the first (and only) Indian Governor-General.
When did the Constitution of India come into force, and how is that day commemorated?
The Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, commemorated annually as Republic Day.
Who is known as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution?
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who chaired the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly.
How many Fundamental Rights are currently guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, and name them.
Six: Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights, and Right to Constitutional Remedies. (The Right to Property was removed in 1978.)
What is the difference between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy?
Fundamental Rights (Part III) are justiciable (enforceable in court); Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV) are non-justiciable guidelines for the State to promote social and economic welfare.
Which part of the Indian Constitution deals with Fundamental Duties, and how many are there?
Fundamental Duties are in Part IV-A (Article 51A); there are 11 Fundamental Duties, added by the 42nd Amendment (1976), with the 11th added by the 86th Amendment (2002).
What is the term of office of the President of India, and who elects the President?
The President holds office for a term of 5 years and is elected indirectly by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies.
Name the two Houses of the Indian Parliament and their respective maximum strengths.
Lok Sabha (House of the People), maximum 552 members; and Rajya Sabha (Council of States), maximum 250 members.
What is the difference between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in terms of dissolution?
The Lok Sabha is a temporary house dissolved every 5 years (or earlier); the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house that is never dissolved, with one-third of its members retiring every two years.
In Indian governance, what is the '73rd Constitutional Amendment' known for?
The 73rd Amendment (1992) gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions, establishing a three-tier system of local self-government in rural areas.
What is the difference between a public policy and a law?
A public policy is a government's proposed plan or course of action to address an issue; a law is a binding rule enacted by the legislature, often as a formal instrument to implement a policy.
Under which scheme does India guarantee 100 days of wage employment to rural households?
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), enacted in 2005, guarantees 100 days of paid manual work per year to rural households.
Who was the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, and in which category?
Rabindranath Tagore, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for 'Gitanjali'.
What is India's highest civilian award, and which is the highest military gallantry award?
The Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award; the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is the highest military gallantry award.
In sports, how many players are there in a team on the field in cricket and in field hockey respectively?
Cricket has 11 players per team; field hockey also has 11 players per team (10 outfield players plus 1 goalkeeper).
Which trophy is associated with international (men's) football's premier tournament, and how often is it held?
The FIFA World Cup, held every four years; the winners receive the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
What is the headquarters of the United Nations, and in which year was the UN founded?
The United Nations is headquartered in New York City, USA, and was founded on 24 October 1945.
Name the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China are the five permanent members (P5) with veto power.
Where is the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) located, and what is its primary mandate?
The WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland; it is the UN's specialized agency responsible for international public health.
RRB JE General Awareness FAQ
What is in the RRB JE General Awareness syllabus?
RRB JE General Awareness is split into 5 chapters: Current Affairs, Indian Polity, History, Geography and Economics. Together they contain 16 topics.
How many chapters are in RRB JE General Awareness?
5 chapters, containing 16 topics. The largest chapter is Current Affairs, with 4 topics.
Are there flashcards for RRB JE General Awareness?
Yes — a 50-card General Awareness deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.