UGCNET Questions

A URL begins with a protocol specification that tells the browser how to communicate with the server (e.g., http, https, ftp). In the given example, “https” indicates Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure.

Option A:
This part is the domain name, which identifies the server/website, not the communication protocol.

Option B:
This option correctly points to “https” as the protocol component at the start of the URL.

Option C:
“/result” is the path to a specific resource on the server, not the protocol.

Option D:
“.ac.in” is part of the domain structure indicating an academic institution in India, but it does not specify the protocol.

The first part of a URL before the colon indicates the protocol or scheme used for communication. HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure and adds encryption to the basic HTTP protocol. It helps protect data from eavesdropping and tampering during transmission. Therefore, “https” identifies a secure protocol in use between browser and server.

Option A:
The top-level domain, such as “.in” or “.uk”, can hint at country, not the protocol. “https” itself tells us nothing about geographical location.

Option B:
The name of the specific page is usually in the path portion of the URL, such as “/results” here, not in the protocol field. The “https” part does not identify which page on the server is being accessed.

Option C:
The file format is typically indicated by an extension such as “.html” or “.pdf”; the presence of “https” does not specify the document type.

Option D:
This option correctly links HTTPS with secure communication and protocol choice. It reflects basic web literacy, including recognition that HTTPS encrypts hypertext transfer between browser and server.