UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Software as a Service delivers fully functional applications via the web, with providers handling servers, storage and updates. Users typically pay through subscriptions and access the software using browsers or thin clients. This model shifts responsibility for maintenance away from the user and offers scalability on demand. Thus the description in the stem matches SaaS.

Option A:
Option A, Network as a Service, focuses on providing network connectivity or virtualised network functions and is not the standard label for delivering complete applications to end-users. It operates at a different service layer.

Option B:
Option B is correct because SaaS expressly denotes cloud-hosted software that customers use without installing or managing it on local machines. Common examples include web-based email, office suites and learning platforms.

Option C:
Option C, Infrastructure as a Service, offers virtual machines, storage and networks on which customers can install their own software, meaning users still manage operating systems and applications. It does not match the application-focused description.

Option D:
Option D, Platform as a Service, provides a development and deployment environment with tools and middleware, aimed mainly at developers rather than end-users seeking finished applications.

Statements A, B and C correctly describe the three main cloud service models, while statement D is false. In SaaS, complete applications are provided over the Internet; in PaaS, developers obtain an environment to run their code; and in IaaS, virtual machines, storage and networks are offered as services. Users typically do not handle the underlying physical hardware, which is managed by the cloud provider, so D must be excluded. Therefore the correct combination is A, B and C only.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes only A and B and omits C. While SaaS and PaaS are described accurately, IaaS is also a key model that must be included for a complete answer. Excluding C makes the option incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it groups A, C and D as correct statements. Although A and C are true, D is false because cloud users rarely manage physical data centre infrastructure. Including D invalidates the combination.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it gathers the three accurate statements defining SaaS, PaaS and IaaS and leaves out the misleading claim in D. It reflects the layered nature of cloud services where physical hardware is abstracted away from end-users.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats B, C and D as correct, again accepting D. Even though B and C are true, including the incorrect description of user responsibility for hardware makes this option wrong.

Cloud computing means using shared remote resources (servers, storage, applications) on demand over the Internet. Hosting LMS and files in the cloud lets users log in from anywhere without local installation.

Option A:
This describes typical cloud use: remote servers provide applications and storage, accessed via the Internet, scalable and centrally managed.

Option B:
Purely local installation with no networking is the opposite of cloud: no shared online infrastructure or on-demand services.

Option C:
Purely printed notes with no digital component do not use any cloud resources at all.

Option D:
A single offline desktop concentrates everything in one machine and has none of the elasticity or remote access of cloud computing.

SaaS delivers applications over the Internet, with providers hosting and maintaining the software on their servers. Users access the service through thin clients such as browsers and do not manage underlying infrastructure or platform components. A hosted LMS exemplifies this model, as teachers and students simply log in to use its features.

Option A:
This option correctly illustrates outsourced application delivery and the client–server relationship central to SaaS, similar to Google Workspace or hosted LMS platforms widely used in education.

Option B:
This describes an on-premises or Infrastructure-as-a-Service style deployment where the institution manages its own servers and software, so it is not SaaS.

Option C:
Hardware assembly is concerned with building devices, not with cloud-based application delivery over the Internet.

Option D:
Physical book storage in a cupboard is unrelated to cloud computing and does not involve web-delivered software services.

Statements A, B and D correctly define IaaS, SaaS and PaaS, whereas statement C contradicts the very idea of cloud computing. In cloud models, many applications and resources are hosted remotely and accessed over networks, so local installation is not always required. IaaS offers virtual hardware, SaaS provides ready-to-use applications and PaaS supplies a development platform. Hence, the combination that includes A, B and D but excludes C is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes only A and B and omits D. While A and B are true, statement D is also correct in describing PaaS as a cloud-based development environment. Excluding a true statement means this option does not fully represent cloud computing models.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it selects A, B and D, the three accurate statements. It captures the distinctions between infrastructure, platform and software services in the cloud. By excluding the false claim in C, it reflects the essential features of cloud computing.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it lists only B and D as correct and omits A. Statement A is also valid, explaining virtualised infrastructure in IaaS. Any answer that leaves out one of the true statements fails to answer the question completely.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it assumes all four statements are correct. Accepting statement C would imply that cloud computing always depends on local installation, which is the opposite of its typical usage. Including this false statement invalidates the combination.

A public cloud is operated by a third party provider and delivers computing resources over the internet to multiple customers, making services broadly available to the general public on subscription or pay per use. Since the institution is using services open to the public via the internet, it is a public cloud.

Option A:
Option A is correct because a public cloud offers services such as storage, computing and applications to anyone over the internet on a pay per use or subscription basis. The institution is just one of many customers. Public clouds are managed by third party providers like major cloud vendors.

Option B:
Option B, private, cloud is restricted to a single organisation and not open to the general public, so it contradicts the description in the stem. Private clouds are usually implemented within an organisation’s own data centre or on dedicated infrastructure. Thus, this term does not correctly fill the blank.

Option C:
Option C, community, cloud is shared by a specific group of organisations with common concerns, such as security or mission, and is not generally available to the public. This makes it unsuitable as an answer to the scenario given.

Option D:
Option D, hybrid, cloud combines two or more cloud models, typically public and private, with data and application portability between them. The question does not mention such a combination, so hybrid cloud is not the best match.

Statements A, B, C and E correctly explain major cloud service models and a key benefit of scalability, whereas D and F are false. Institutions using cloud services do not have to own on-site data centres, and cloud tools are typically accessible from various devices including mobiles. Therefore, the combination of A, B, C and E only provides an accurate overview of cloud computing in education.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it captures the essence of IaaS, PaaS and SaaS while highlighting scalability as a practical advantage. By omitting D and F, it avoids misconceptions about mandatory on-premise centres and lack of mobile access. This combination reflects how many contemporary educational platforms actually operate.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes F, which wrongly asserts that cloud tools cannot be used on mobile devices. Cloud-based LMS and collaboration tools are routinely accessed via smartphones and tablets, so accepting F undermines accuracy.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it accepts F and omits B, thereby losing the explanation of PaaS. While A, C and E are true, the presence of F makes the entire combination invalid.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes D, which insists that institutions must always own physical data centres. In reality, cloud adoption often reduces the need for in-house server infrastructure, so this statement cannot be part of the correct set.

Cloud computing describes a paradigm in which computing resources such as servers, storage and applications are delivered as services over the internet. Users can scale these resources up or down without owning the underlying infrastructure. This model supports pay as you go usage and promotes efficient utilisation of hardware. Therefore, the definition in the stem matches cloud computing.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it captures the key features of on demand network access to a shared pool of configurable resources. In cloud computing, providers manage the infrastructure while users access services through simple interfaces. This clearly aligns with the service based model described in the question.

Option B:
Option B, data mining, focuses on discovering patterns and knowledge from large datasets rather than delivering computing resources as a service. It may use cloud platforms but is a separate analytical process.

Option C:
Option C, word processing, refers to application software for creating and editing text documents and does not imply shared infrastructure on demand. It is only one type of application that could run within a cloud environment.

Option D:
Option D, virtual reality, concerns immersive simulated environments and is an application domain rather than a general model of delivering computing resources over the internet. It might use cloud support but does not define the paradigm itself.

In cloud computing, Software as a Service provides ready to use applications over the internet. Users access the software through a browser without managing installation or maintenance on local machines. Many LMS platforms are offered as SaaS to educational institutions. Therefore, the scenario described clearly fits Software as a Service.

Option A:
Option A is correct because SaaS specifically refers to using complete applications hosted by a provider and accessed online. It removes the need for local installation and updates. In educational contexts, cloud based LMS and office suites are classic examples of SaaS.

Option B:
Option B, Platform as a Service, focuses on providing development platforms and tools for building applications, not full ready to use applications for end users. PaaS targets developers rather than ordinary institutional users. Hence it does not best describe simply using an LMS online.

Option C:
Option C, Infrastructure as a Service, provides virtual machines, storage and networks, which are lower level building blocks. Institutions still need to install and manage their own software on top of IaaS. This is different from directly consuming a finished LMS via browser.

Option D:
Option D, Data as a Service, emphasises access to data through APIs and not complete application functionality. While data may be involved, the question highlights software use, so DaaS is not the most accurate fit.

Cloud computing provides scalable computing resources over networks without requiring users to manage physical servers. In education, this often appears as web based learning systems and storage services that can be reached from any connected device. The scenario described shows both applications and data residing on remote infrastructure. This is a clear example of academic cloud use.

Option A:
This option correctly reflects the on demand, network based access characteristic of cloud computing. It implies central management, easier collaboration and reduced local maintenance, which are key motivations for universities to adopt cloud services.

Option B:
Storing all data on a personal pen drive is a local and fragile solution. It lacks redundancy, collaboration features and remote accessibility that cloud services offer.

Option C:
Typewriters and filing cabinets represent purely manual processes and do not use shared virtual resources. They are the opposite of cloud based systems.

Option D:
Writing only on chalkboards creates no digital trail and cannot be accessed remotely. It does not exhibit any properties of cloud computing.