UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

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.

Data centres are specialised facilities designed to provide secure, controlled environments for computing and storage infrastructure. They include power backup, cooling systems and physical security controls to ensure continuous operation. Universities and large organisations rely on data centres to host websites, databases and cloud services. Thus, the facility described in the stem is a data centre.

Option A:
Option A is correct because the term data centre is universally used for such server-focused facilities whose primary purpose is to run ICT services reliably.

Option B:
Option B, social hubs, might host events and gatherings but do not primarily contain ICT infrastructure.

Option C:
Option C, seminar halls, are spaces for lectures and conferences and lack the dedicated equipment and environmental controls typical of data centres.

Option D:
Option D, hostel complexes, provide accommodation and are not defined by computing hardware installations.

Intranets are internal networks of organisations (like a university campus network) accessible only to authorised users, while the Internet links networks worldwide and is publicly reachable.

Option A:
This option correctly contrasts scope (local vs global) and access (restricted vs public), which is the key distinction.

Option B:
Intranets are typically much smaller; the Internet includes countless intranets and other networks.

Option C:
A global mobile network is not what “intranet” means and may or may not connect to the Internet.

Option D:
The Web is a service over the Internet; an intranet is a private network that may host internal web services but is not simply “the Web”.

A Metropolitan Area Network spans a geographic region larger than a single building but smaller than a country, such as a city or a university campus. It often acts as a backbone that interconnects several local area networks. MANs can be implemented using high capacity fibre links and are sometimes managed by telecom providers. Therefore, the network described in the stem is a MAN.

Option A:
Option A is correct because MANs are defined in networking literature as covering metropolitan scale areas and linking multiple LANs, which matches the scope mentioned.

Option B:
Option B, LAN, is limited to smaller areas like offices or buildings and does not typically connect widely separated sites across a city.

Option C:
Option C, WAN, covers much larger geographic areas, often internationally, and would go beyond the scale indicated in the question.

Option D:
Option D, PAN, refers to very short range personal networks around an individual and is much smaller in scope than a MAN.

A local area network is designed to cover a relatively small physical area like a lab, building or campus using high speed communication links. It enables sharing of resources such as printers and files among connected devices. In ICT classifications, LANs are contrasted with wider networks like WANs and MANs based on coverage area. Therefore, the appropriate term for the blank is local area network.

Option A:
Option A is correct because the description of a limited geographical area directly matches the standard definition of a local area network in networking textbooks and UGC NET syllabi. LANs are the primary example used for networks within institutions.

Option B:
Option B, wide area network, covers large geographical regions such as countries or continents and uses long distance links, so it is broader than the scenario described.

Option C:
Option C, metropolitan network, or MAN, usually spans a city and is thus larger in scale than a single campus or building. It does not fit the limited area mentioned in the question.

Option D:
Option D, personal hotspot, refers to a feature of a device that shares its internet connection and is not itself a full class of network covering an entire building or campus.

Statements A, B and D accurately compare cloud and local storage options. Cloud storage relies on remote servers and authenticated multi-device access, while local disks can be used without Internet connectivity. Statement C is incorrect because no system can absolutely guarantee zero risk of data loss or security breaches. Hence, the combination that includes A, B and D but excludes C is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it lists only A and B as correct statements and omits D. Statement D is also true, since local disks can be accessed offline, so leaving it out underrepresents the correct information about storage types.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it groups A, B and D, which together provide a balanced view of cloud and local storage. It acknowledges the benefits of remote access and the independence of local drives while not overstating security guarantees. By excluding C, it remains conceptually accurate.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes only B and D as correct and omits A. Statement A is fundamental in defining cloud storage as use of remote servers. Excluding it results in an incomplete description.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it accepts A, C and D together and treats C as true. Statement C overclaims the safety of cloud storage, ignoring potential vulnerabilities and failures, so any option including it cannot be correct.

Statements A, B and C correctly describe typical campus network infrastructure, whereas statement D is false. LANs connect devices within limited areas, often using both wired and wireless links; WANs span larger distances between locations; and switches interconnect devices inside a LAN. Saying that LANs use only wireless technology ignores widespread use of Ethernet cables. Hence the correct combination is A, B and C only.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it lists only A and B as correct and omits C. While LAN and WAN descriptions are accurate, switches are also fundamental to LAN design, so excluding C makes the answer incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes A, B and D as correct statements and thus accepts D. Since LANs in practice can be wired, wireless or mixed, D does not hold and cannot be part of the correct set.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it groups B and C only and leaves out A. A provides the basic definition of a LAN and must be included to present a full picture of campus networking.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it brings together A, B and C, which together portray how campus networks are structured, while rejecting D, which misrepresents available technologies.

Star topology links each node directly to a central connecting device, so all communication passes through that central point. This layout simplifies fault isolation because a problem in one cable usually affects only one node. It is widely used in modern local area networks with switches. Hence, the topology described in the stem is star topology.

Option A:
Option A, ring, connects devices in a circular fashion where each node has exactly two neighbours, and data travels around the ring rather than through a central node.

Option B:
Option B, bus, uses a single backbone cable to which all devices are attached, and it does not rely on a central connection point.

Option C:
Option C, mesh, involves nodes being interconnected with many redundant paths, which increases reliability but does not match the centralised structure described.

Option D:
Option D is correct because star topology is defined specifically by all nodes connecting to a central device such as a hub or switch.

Statements A, B and D correctly characterise typical roles of firewalls and IDS in network security, whereas C is an unrealistic claim. Firewalls enforce access control policies and IDS tools generate alerts, but no single device can guarantee perfect security. Defence-in-depth recognises the need for multiple layers of protection, procedures and monitoring. Consequently, the combination that includes A, B and D but not C is the only accurate choice.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it lists only A and B and omits D. Without mentioning defence-in-depth, one might wrongly assume that firewalls and IDS alone are sufficient, ignoring the multi-layered strategies recommended in practice.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes A, B and C and thereby accepts C. The assertion that a firewall always guarantees safety ignores new threats, misconfigurations and insider risks, so this combination cannot be accepted.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it captures the complementary functions of firewalls and IDS and acknowledges that they must be part of a broader security architecture. By excluding C, it rejects the mistaken belief in absolute protection through a single device.

Option D:
Option D is incomplete because it groups B and D only and leaves out A. Statement A provides the basic definition of what a firewall does, and its omission makes the combination conceptually incomplete.