Current Affairs: Passage of the Day - 22 April 2024 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Indonesia has inaugurated its first high-speed railway, a $7.3bn (£5.9bn) project backed by China under its Belt and Road Initiative.
President Joko Widodo launched the service, which connects the capital Jakarta to Bandung, a top economic hub.
The railway is named Whoosh, a Bahasa Indonesia acronym that translates to time-saving and reliable.
Mr Widodo has prioritised projects like Whoosh to ease the country's severe traffic jams.
The railway was originally scheduled to open in 2019 but was delayed due to land disputes, the Covid-19 pandemic and a $1.2bn budget overrun.
Monday's inauguration was pushed back from Sunday to accommodate the president's schedule.
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Whoosh is operated by PT KCIC, a joint venture made up of four Indonesian state companies with Beijing's China Railway International.
Its name is short for "Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal", which translates to "Timesaving, Optimal Operation, Reliable System". It can reach speeds of up to 350km/h (217mph) with the journey spanning 142km.
"The name is inspired by the sound of a rushing high-speed train," Mr Widodo told reporters at the launch.
Indonesian officials say the high-speed railway is expected to improve economic productivity. They also tout the fact that the trains are powered by electricity, which will help reduce the country's carbon footprint.
Bandung, the capital of West Java province, is often called Indonesia's answer to Silicon Valley.
The bullet train's speed will mainly appeal to business travellers and tourists, according to Dedi Dinarto, lead Indonesia analyst at strategic advisory firm Global Counsel.
"It raises uncertainty about whether this substantial infrastructure investment, funded both by China and the national budget, will prove profitable for the government," he said.
While ticket prices for the train have not been finalised, the company behind the train estimates that a one-way ticket could cost between 250,000 Indonesian rupiah and 350,000 Indonesian rupiah ($16 to $22.60).
In comparison, a shuttle bus fare can cost as low as $5, which is approximately 77,685 Indonesian rupiah. And that difference can mean a lot for the average citizen.
Aninda Dewayanti, who lives in Bandung, is sceptical about how practical the train would be for ordinary Indonesians.
"It's so expensive," she told the BBC. "There are other transport options with comparable prices. I'd rather take a normal train or a bus."
Among those at the event was Amelia Rahima, a 23-year-old living in Jakarta, who was enthusiastic about the launch.
"Hopefully many would actually choose to use it, because otherwise it would be a waste after all the finances poured into it as well as the challenges faced in building it," she told BBC Indonesian.
Some critics say the sheer cost of the project may weigh on Indonesia's public finances, which are already strained by the pandemic. Mr Jokowi agreed to use state funds to help the project overcome delays.
The project is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's 10-year-old Belt and Road initiative, an ambitious plan to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through a series of land and sea networks via investments in local infrastructure.
Indonesia, South East Asia's largest economy, has been actively seeking investments from China, its largest trade partner.
[Excerpt from BBC NEWS “China Belt and Road: Indonesia opens Whoosh high-speed railway” Dated 2/10/23]
Q1: What is the name of the high-speed railway connecting Jakarta and Bandung?
(a) Zoom
(b) Whoosh
(c) Swift
(d) Rapid

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Q2: What was the original target year for the operational launch of the high-speed railway project?
(a) 2018
(b) 2019
(c) 2020
(d) 2021

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Q3: What is the maximum operating speed of the "Whoosh" high-speed train?
(a) 250 km/h
(b) 300 km/h
(c) 350 km/h
(d) 400 km/h

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Q4: When did the free trial rides on the bullet train begin?
(a) June
(b) July
(c) August
(d) September

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Q5: When are ticket prices set to be implemented for the high-speed railway?
(a) Early September
(b) Mid-September
(c) Early October
(d) Mid-October

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Q6: What disruptions were faced by the high-speed railway project?
(a) Labor strikes
(b) Natural disasters
(c) Pandemic-induced disruptions
(d) Political unrest

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Q7: What is the total length of the high-speed railway connecting Jakarta and Bandung?
(a) 100 kilometers
(b) 120 kilometers
(c) 142 kilometers
(d) 160 kilometers

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Q8: Which countries were involved in the collaborative effort to construct the high-speed railway?
(a) Indonesia and Japan
(b) Indonesia and South Korea
(c) Indonesia and China
(d) Indonesia and Singapore

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