UGC NET Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Syllabus

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in UGC NET, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Fundamentals of ICT

   4 topics

   • Meaning, advantages and disadvantages of ICT
   • General abbreviations and terminology
     • Hardware and software terms
     • Networking abbreviations
   • Generations of computers and components
   • Memory and storage units
2. 2

   Internet and Digital Communication

   4 topics

   • Basics of internet, intranet and extranet
   • E-mail, audio and video conferencing
   • World Wide Web and web browsers
   • Digital initiatives in higher education
     • SWAYAM and NPTEL
     • e-PG Pathshala and Shodhganga
     • National Digital Library and INFLIBNET
3. 3

   ICT and Society

   4 topics

   • Digital governance and e-Governance initiatives
   • Cyber security and digital footprint
   • ICT and emerging technologies
     • Artificial intelligence basics
     • Cloud computing
   • Ethical and legal issues in ICT use

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) flashcards for UGC NET

22 of 50 cards from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What does ICT stand for?

   Information and Communication Technology — technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications, including the internet, computers, mobile phones and other communication media.

2. State two key advantages of ICT in education.

   Enhanced access to information/resources and improved interactivity; plus faster communication, flexibility (anytime/anywhere learning), cost-effective storage and individualized/self-paced learning.

3. State two key disadvantages of ICT.

   Digital divide (unequal access) and over-dependence on technology; also data security/privacy risks, health issues (eye strain, posture), distraction, and high initial cost.

4. Expand the abbreviations: CPU, RAM, ROM.

   CPU = Central Processing Unit; RAM = Random Access Memory; ROM = Read Only Memory.

5. Expand: HTTP, HTTPS, HTML, URL.

   HTTP = HyperText Transfer Protocol; HTTPS = HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure; HTML = HyperText Markup Language; URL = Uniform Resource Locator.

6. Expand: LAN, MAN, WAN.

   LAN = Local Area Network; MAN = Metropolitan Area Network; WAN = Wide Area Network.

7. Expand: ISP, IP, TCP, FTP.

   ISP = Internet Service Provider; IP = Internet Protocol; TCP = Transmission Control Protocol; FTP = File Transfer Protocol.

8. Expand: PDF, GUI, OCR, OS.

   PDF = Portable Document Format; GUI = Graphical User Interface; OCR = Optical Character Recognition; OS = Operating System.

9. Expand: GPS, GSM, SIM, SMS.

   GPS = Global Positioning System; GSM = Global System for Mobile communication; SIM = Subscriber Identity Module; SMS = Short Message Service.

10. What was the main electronic component of the First Generation of computers (1940–1956)?

    Vacuum tubes. These computers were huge, consumed much power, generated heat, and used machine language (e.g., ENIAC, UNIVAC).

11. What component defined the Second Generation of computers (1956–1963)?

    Transistors, which replaced vacuum tubes — making computers smaller, faster, cheaper and more energy-efficient; they used assembly and early high-level languages.

12. What component defined the Third Generation of computers (1964–1971)?

    Integrated Circuits (ICs) — many transistors on a single silicon chip; introduced keyboards, monitors and operating systems.

13. What component defined the Fourth Generation of computers (1971–present)?

    Microprocessors (VLSI — Very Large Scale Integration), placing the entire CPU on a single chip; led to personal computers and GUIs.

14. What technology characterizes the Fifth Generation of computers?

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) based on ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration), parallel processing and natural language processing; still under development.

15. Name the three core functional units (components) of a computer system.

    Input unit, Central Processing Unit (CPU — comprising the ALU and Control Unit), and Output unit, supported by memory/storage.

16. What are the two main parts of the CPU and their functions?

    ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) performs arithmetic and logical operations; Control Unit (CU) directs and coordinates all operations of the computer.

17. List units of digital storage from smallest to largest up to gigabyte.

    Bit → Nibble (4 bits) → Byte (8 bits) → Kilobyte (KB) → Megabyte (MB) → Gigabyte (GB).

18. How many bits are in a byte, and what is a nibble?

    1 byte = 8 bits; a nibble = 4 bits (half a byte).

19. Order these storage units from largest to smallest: TB, PB, GB, EB.

    EB (Exabyte) > PB (Petabyte) > TB (Terabyte) > GB (Gigabyte). Each is ~1024 times the next smaller.

20. How many kilobytes in a megabyte, and megabytes in a gigabyte (binary)?

    1 MB = 1024 KB; 1 GB = 1024 MB (binary system, where 1 K = 1024).

21. What is the difference between primary memory and secondary memory?

    Primary memory (RAM/ROM) is fast, directly accessible by the CPU and mostly volatile (RAM); secondary memory (HDD, SSD, USB) is slower, non-volatile and used for permanent storage.

22. What is the key difference between RAM and ROM?

    RAM is volatile read/write memory that loses data when power is off; ROM is non-volatile, mainly read-only and retains data without power (stores firmware/BIOS).

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