Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924-2018) was a poet-statesman, mass leader, and three-time Prime Minister who shaped India's politics, economy, and strategic posture-from the nuclear tests at Pokhran-II to the Golden Quadrilateral Highway Programme and the Kargil War leadership. This GK quiz covers key themes and question areas useful for competitive exams and academic quizzes.
Early Life and Personal Background
Q 1. When & where was Atal Bihari Vajpayee born?
He was born on 25 December 1924 in Gwalior, then in the princely state of Gwalior, to a middle-class Brahmin family.
Q2. What was Vajpayee’s educational background?
He studied at Victoria College (now Maharani Laxmi Bai Govt College of Excellence), Gwalior, and later completed his Master’s in Political Science from DAV College, Kanpur.
Q3. Which youth organisation did Vajpayee join early in life?
He had joined the RSS as a swayamsevak in his teens and later became a full-time worker, or pracharak, which shaped his ideological grounding.
MCQ Questions
Q1. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on which date?
A) 25 December 1924
B) 15 August 1924
C) 26 January 1925
D) 2 October 1924
Answer: A
Q2. Which organisation did Vajpayee join as a swayamsevak in his teens?
A) Congress Seva Dal
B) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
C) ABVP
D) Jan Sangh Yuva Morcha
Answer: B
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Political Career
Q3. In which year was Vajpayee first elected to Lok Sabha?
A) 1952
B) 1957
C) 1962
D) 1967
Answer: B (from Balrampur, UP)
Q4. Vajpayee served as India's Prime Minister for how many terms?
A) Two terms
B) Three terms
C) Four terms
D) One full term only
Answer: B (1996: 13 days; 1998-99: 13 months; 1999-2004: full term)
Q5. Which party did Vajpayee co-found in 1980?
A) Janata Dal
B) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
C) Samajwadi Janata Party
D) Shiv Sena
Answer: B
Prime Ministerial Achievements
Q6. When did India conduct Pokhran-II nuclear tests under Vajpayee's leadership?
A) May 1998
B) May 1974
C) May 1999
D) May 2000
Answer: A
Q7. Which conflict occurred during Vajpayee's tenure in 1999?
A) Operation Blue Star
B) Kargil War
C) Operation Vijay (Goa)
D) IPKF in Sri Lanka
Answer: B
Q8. The Golden Quadrilateral highway project connects which four cities?
A) Delhi-Mumbai-Chennai-Kolkata
B) Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Bangalore
C) Mumbai-Pune-Chennai-Hyderabad
D) Delhi-Ahmedabad-Bangalore-Hyderabad
Answer: A
Q9. Which scheme launched by Vajpayee aimed at rural road connectivity?
A) PMGSY
B) PMGSY
C) MNREGA
D) PMAY
Answer: A (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, 2000)
Awards & Honours
Q10. Which is India's highest civilian award conferred on Vajpayee?
A) Padma Bhushan
B) Padma Vibhushan
C) Bharat Ratna
D) Param Vir Chakra
Answer: C (2015)
Q11. In which year did Vajpayee receive the Padma Vibhushan?
A) 1992
B) 1994
C) 1999
D) 2004
Answer: A
Key Events & Legacy
Q12. What was Vajpayee's famous diplomatic initiative with Pakistan in 1999?
A) Agra Summit
B) Lahore Bus Diplomacy
C) Shimla Accord
D) Tashkent Declaration
Answer: B (February 1999)
Q13. Which economic reform is associated with Vajpayee's tenure?
A) GST Implementation
B) Telecom Revolution
C) Demonetisation
D) LPG Reforms
Answer: B
Q14. When did Atal Bihari Vajpayee pass away?
A) 16 August 2018
B) 25 December 2018
C) 15 August 2018
D) 2 October 2018
Answer: A
Q15. Where is Vajpayee's memorial located?
A) India Gate
B) Raj Ghat
C) Sadaiv Atal (near Rajghat)
D) Vijay Ghat
Answer: C
Political Journey and Terms as Prime Minister
Q6. How many times did he serve as the Prime Minister of India?
Vajpayee served three times as Prime Minister:
-
13 days in 1996 (May 16–31).
-
13 months from 1998–1999.
-
Full term from 1999–2004—the first non-Congress PM to complete a full five-year term.
Q7. What key diplomatic post did he hold in the Janata government of 1977–79?
He was the Minister of External Affairs in the cabinet of Morarji Desai between 1977 and 1979 and famously addressed the UN General Assembly in Hindi.
Major Achievements: Nuclear Tests, Kargil, and Infrastructure
Q8. Under the leadership of Vajpayee, where and when did India conduct nuclear tests?
In May 1998, India conducted Pokhran-II nuclear tests in Rajasthan, proclaiming itself a nuclear weapons state with strategic effects that have altered the balance of power in South Asia.
Q9. Which conflict tested his leadership in 1999?
Kargil War-1999: Pakistani infiltrators occupied the heights in Kargil; India launched Operation Vijay and recaptured the posts. Vajpayee balanced firm military action with diplomatic outreach, earning global support.
Q10. What was the Golden Quadrilateral Project?
It was initiated in 2001 under the National Highways Development Project with the objective of connecting Delhi-Mumbai-Chennai-Kolkata with high-quality highways so as to accelerate trade and mobility.
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