UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Formal communication follows officially recognized channels and is documented for record. A principal’s circular on letterhead is authoritative, written and directed to staff members in their official capacity. It flows from a higher position in the hierarchy to lower levels, making it downward as well as formal.

Option A:
Option A, grapevine communication, is informal and unofficial, arising through personal networks rather than documented channels, so it does not fit a signed circular on letterhead.

Option B:
Option B is correct because the message originates from institutional authority and moves to subordinates through an official medium, exemplifying formal downward communication.

Option C:
Option C, mass communication, applies to messages sent to large, undifferentiated public audiences outside the institution, often via mass media, which is not the case here.

Option D:
Option D, interpersonal communication between two friends, is typically dyadic and personal, not an institutional directive issued to all teachers.