UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Inclusive education seeks to ensure that learners with diverse abilities and needs can participate meaningfully in mainstream classrooms. ICT-based assistive technologies remove barriers by presenting content in alternative formats such as audio, Braille or subtitles. This aligns with the goal of inclusion rather than separation. Hence the tools described in the stem serve inclusive education.

Option A:
Option A is correct because international conventions and educational policies define inclusive education as adapting environments and resources so that all learners are accommodated. Assistive ICT devices are central to this adaptation.

Option B:
Option B, punitive, suggests punishment and is entirely opposed to the supportive philosophy behind assistive technologies. Such tools are designed to empower, not discipline, learners.

Option C:
Option C, competitive, may occur within educational settings but does not specifically relate to addressing disability or access barriers.

Option D:
Option D, segregated, implies educating learners with disabilities in separate institutions, whereas the technologies in the stem help integrate them into regular classrooms.

Statements A, B and C present realistic advantages of ICT for teacher professional development, while D is an overstatement. Teachers can access updated content, participate in online communities and enrol in MOOCs for flexible learning. However, face-to-face interaction, mentoring and collaborative planning still have value, so ICT does not make in-person contact unnecessary. Thus, the combination A, B and C only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes all three true statements and excludes D, which exaggerates the impact of ICT. It reflects the blended nature of many professional development programmes that combine online and face-to-face components.

Option B:
Option B is incomplete because it lists only A and B and omits C. MOOCs are now a major channel for large-scale online professional development, and ignoring them leaves the account of ICT-based opportunities incomplete.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it combines B and C with D and treats all three as correct. D incorrectly claims that ICT removes any need for face-to-face interaction, which does not match the reality of professional learning ecosystems.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it assumes that all four statements are correct and hence accepts D. Since D devalues the role of direct collaboration and mentoring, this combination cannot be accepted.