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UGC NET Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Syllabus

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) syllabus for UGC NET in full: 3 chapters, 12 topics and 7 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 50 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) flashcards with answers.

3Chapters
12Topics
7Sub-topics
50Flashcards

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) syllabus: all 3 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  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. 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. 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

UGC NET Information and Communication Technology (ICT) flashcards — 50 questions with 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).

Show the other 30 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) flashcards

  1. 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.

  2. 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).

  3. What is cache memory?

    A small, very fast memory between the CPU and RAM that stores frequently used data/instructions to speed up processing.

  4. Define the Internet.

    A global network of interconnected computer networks that communicate using standard protocols (TCP/IP), enabling worldwide exchange of information and services.

  5. Define an intranet.

    A private network within an organization that uses internet technologies/protocols, accessible only to authorized internal members for sharing information.

  6. Define an extranet.

    A controlled private network that allows authorized external parties (suppliers, partners, customers) limited access to an organization's intranet.

  7. Compare internet, intranet and extranet by access.

    Internet = public, open to all; Intranet = private, internal users only; Extranet = part of an intranet extended to selected external users with controlled access.

  8. What does an IP address do?

    It is a unique numerical address assigned to each device on a network that identifies it and enables data to be routed to the correct destination.

  9. What is the function of e-mail?

    Electronic mail allows users to send and receive messages, documents and files digitally over a network, asynchronously, to one or many recipients.

  10. What do CC and BCC mean in e-mail?

    CC (Carbon Copy) sends a visible copy to additional recipients; BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) sends a copy without revealing those recipients' addresses to others.

  11. What is the difference between audio conferencing and video conferencing?

    Audio conferencing connects participants using only voice/sound; video conferencing transmits both live audio and video, allowing participants to see and hear each other.

  12. Name common e-mail protocols and their roles.

    SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) sends mail; POP3 (Post Office Protocol) and IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) retrieve/receive mail.

  13. What is the World Wide Web (WWW)?

    A system of interlinked hypertext documents and resources, accessed via the internet using browsers and identified by URLs; invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989.

  14. What is a web browser? Give examples.

    A software application used to access, retrieve and display web pages from the WWW. Examples: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Opera.

  15. What is the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web?

    The Internet is the global hardware/network infrastructure; the WWW is a service that runs on the internet—a collection of web pages accessed via browsers using HTTP.

  16. What is a search engine? Give examples.

    A program that searches the web for information matching user keywords and returns relevant results. Examples: Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo.

  17. What is SWAYAM?

    An Indian digital initiative (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) offering free online MOOC courses from Class 9 to post-graduation.

  18. What is the National Digital Library of India (NDLI)?

    A digital repository project (coordinated by IIT Kharagpur, MoE) providing a single-window access to a large collection of learning resources across disciplines.

  19. What is SWAYAM PRABHA?

    A group of DTH television channels (32 channels) that broadcast high-quality educational content 24x7 across India.

  20. What are e-PG Pathshala and Shodhganga?

    e-PG Pathshala provides postgraduate e-content (gateway by UGC/INFLIBNET); Shodhganga is an online repository of Indian electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs).

  21. Define e-Governance.

    The use of ICT by government to deliver public services, exchange information and conduct transactions efficiently, transparently and accountably with citizens and stakeholders.

  22. What are the four types/interactions of e-Governance?

    G2C (Government to Citizen), G2B (Government to Business), G2G (Government to Government), and G2E (Government to Employee).

  23. What is the Digital India programme?

    A 2015 flagship Government of India initiative to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy through digital infrastructure, services and literacy.

  24. What are DigiLocker and UMANG?

    DigiLocker is a cloud platform for storing/sharing digital documents and certificates; UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) gives access to multiple government services via one app.

  25. Define cyber security.

    The practice of protecting computers, networks, programs and data from unauthorized access, attacks, damage or theft to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability.

  26. What is a digital footprint?

    The trail of data and traces a person leaves behind while using the internet — e.g., websites visited, posts, searches and online transactions. It can be active (deliberate posts) or passive (collected without intent).

  27. Differentiate a virus, worm and Trojan horse.

    A virus attaches to files and spreads when run; a worm self-replicates and spreads across networks without a host file; a Trojan horse disguises itself as legitimate software to harm or gain access.

  28. What is phishing?

    A cyber fraud where attackers send fake messages/emails or websites impersonating trusted entities to trick users into revealing sensitive data like passwords and bank details.

  29. Name four emerging technologies associated with ICT.

    Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, Big Data, Blockchain, Machine Learning, Augmented/Virtual Reality, and 5G.

  30. What is the key ethical/legal issue addressed by copyright and plagiarism rules in ICT?

    Protection of intellectual property — copyright safeguards original creators' rights, while avoiding plagiarism (using others' work without credit) ensures ethical, lawful use of digital content.

UGC NET Information and Communication Technology (ICT) FAQ

What is in the UGC NET Information and Communication Technology (ICT) syllabus?

UGC NET Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is split into 3 chapters: Fundamentals of ICT, Internet and Digital Communication and ICT and Society. Together they contain 12 topics and 7 sub-topics.

How many chapters are in UGC NET Information and Communication Technology (ICT)?

3 chapters, containing 12 topics and 7 sub-topics. The largest chapter is Fundamentals of ICT, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for UGC NET Information and Communication Technology (ICT)?

Yes — a 50-card Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.