Railway
India's first metro train service was introduced in Kolkata on:
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Answer: Option B — 24 October 1984
Detailed Solution
India's first metro rail service began in Kolkata (then Calcutta) on 24 October 1984. The first section ran between Esplanade and Bhowanipur (now Netaji Bhavan), a distance of about 3.4 km with five stations. It was the first underground metro railway in India and in South Asia.
Background:
The idea of a metro for Calcutta was first suggested in the 1920s, and a plan was drawn up in the 1940s-1950s under Chief Minister B. C. Roy.
The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 29 December 1972.
Construction was slow and difficult because of the city's soft soil, high water table, crowded streets and funding problems.
The first line, now called the Blue Line (North-South Metro, Line 1), was gradually extended and now runs from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash (New Garia).
Key facts about Kolkata Metro:
It is run by Indian Railways. In December 2010, Kolkata Metro became the 17th zone of Indian Railways, the only metro in India run directly by the railways.
In March 2024, Kolkata Metro opened India's first underwater metro tunnel, under the Hooghly river, on the East-West Metro (Green Line) between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade. Howrah station is also India's deepest metro station.
Other metro "firsts":
- Delhi Metro: started on 24 December 2002 (Shahdara-Tis Hazari).
- Namma Metro (Bengaluru): the first metro in South India (2011).
- Mumbai Metro: first line in 2014 (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar), built under a public-private partnership (PPP).
- Rapid Metro Gurugram (2013): India's first fully privately financed metro.
Why not the other options?
- ✗24 December 2002 is when the first Delhi Metro section was inaugurated.
- ✗15 August 1972 is not linked with the Kolkata Metro; its foundation stone was laid on 29 December 1972.
- ✗1 June 1930 is when the Deccan Queen train started.
Quick tip
Remember: India's first metro = Kolkata, 24 October 1984 (Esplanade-Bhowanipur); 17th zone of Indian Railways (2010); first underwater metro under the Hooghly (2024); Delhi Metro = 2002.
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Industries & Transport in India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Industries & Transport in India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's major industries (iron and steel, textiles, cement, sugar, automobiles and information technology) and their locations, along with the transport network: railways, roads and national highways, ports, airports and waterways. Common questions ask where a steel plant is located and which country helped build it (Bhilai with the Soviet Union, Rourkela with Germany and Durgapur with Britain), which city is called the 'Manchester of India', and facts about major ports, railway zones and national highways. Practise the industries and transport questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.