Emerging Trends — NCERT Solutions

Government-Provided Cloud Computing Platforms:

1. MeghRaj (GI Cloud) — Government of India:

• Launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Provides cloud infrastructure to various government departments and agencies.
• Aims to utilise and optimise ICT infrastructure and services in the government.
• Services include hosting of government websites, e-governance applications, and data storage.

2. NIC Cloud (National Informatics Centre Cloud):

• Provided by NIC, Government of India.
• Offers IaaS, PaaS and SaaS to central and state government departments.
• Used for hosting critical government applications.

3. DigiLocker:

• A cloud-based platform by the Government of India for storing and sharing official documents digitally (e.g., Aadhaar, driving licence, marksheets).

4. USA — FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program):

• A US government programme that provides a standardised approach to cloud security for federal agencies.

Conclusion: Government cloud platforms ensure secure, cost-effective and efficient delivery of e-governance services to citizens.

Large-Scale Private Cloud Service Providers:

Key Services Offered by These Providers:

• IaaS: Virtual machines, storage, networking (AWS EC2, Azure VMs)
• PaaS: Development platforms, databases (Google App Engine, Azure App Service)
• SaaS: Ready-to-use applications (Gmail, Microsoft 365, Salesforce CRM)
• AI/ML Services: Amazon SageMaker, Google AI Platform, IBM Watson

Conclusion: These providers offer a comprehensive range of cloud services that cater to businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises.

Correct Answer: (d) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Justification:

IaaS provides the most fundamental cloud computing resources — virtualised computing infrastructure such as:

• Virtual server provisioning (virtual machines)
• On-demand storage (block storage, object storage)
• Networking resources (firewalls, load balancers)

The company wants basic building blocks (virtual servers + storage) that can be combined and customised to deploy their own applications. This is precisely what IaaS offers — the raw infrastructure over which the company can build its own platform and run customised applications.

• PaaS would be correct if they wanted a ready-made development platform.
• SaaS would be correct if they wanted ready-to-use software.
• Application as a Service is not a standard cloud service model.

Therefore, the answer is (d) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

IoT-Enabled Smart School Implementation:

(a) e-Textbooks:

• Digital textbooks can be stored on cloud servers and accessed by students on tablets, laptops or smartphones via the internet.
• IoT-enabled devices can track which chapters a student has read, how much time was spent, and suggest personalised content.
• Updates to textbooks can be pushed automatically to all devices simultaneously.

(b) Smart Boards:

• Interactive smart boards (digital whiteboards) connected to the internet replace traditional blackboards.
• Teachers can display multimedia content, videos, simulations and real-time data.
• Smart boards can be connected to student devices so notes are automatically shared.
• IoT sensors can detect the presence of students and automatically turn on/off the board.

(c) Online Tests:

• Tests can be conducted on cloud-based platforms accessible from any device.
• IoT-enabled systems can automatically distribute question papers, set timers, collect responses and evaluate answers.
• Results can be instantly shared with students, teachers and parents.
• Anti-cheating measures like facial recognition (via IoT cameras) can be implemented.

(d) WiFi Sensors on Classroom Doors:

• Sensors installed on classroom doors can detect when a student enters or exits.
• This data is sent to a central server to automatically record attendance.
• Alerts can be sent to parents if a student is absent or leaves early.
• The system can also control lighting and air conditioning — turning them on when students enter and off when they leave, saving energy.

(e) Sensors in Buses to Monitor Their Location:

• GPS sensors installed in school buses continuously transmit the bus's real-time location to a central server.
• Parents can track the bus location on a mobile app and receive alerts when the bus is near their stop.
• School administrators can monitor bus routes and ensure student safety.
• Alerts can be sent in case of route deviation or emergency.

(f) Wearables (Watches or Smart Belts) for Attendance Monitoring:

• Students wear IoT-enabled smart watches or smart belts embedded with RFID chips or Bluetooth sensors.
• When a student enters the school premises or classroom, the wearable communicates with sensors installed at entry points.
• Attendance is automatically recorded in the school's database.
• Parents receive real-time notifications about their child's arrival and departure.
• The system eliminates manual attendance, saving time and reducing errors.

Conclusion: By integrating IoT devices across all these areas, a school can become truly smart — improving learning outcomes, enhancing safety, saving resources and keeping parents informed in real time.

Using Cloud Services to Launch a Startup with Limited Budget:

The five friends can leverage cloud computing to overcome their budget and infrastructure limitations in the following ways:

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) — Instead of buying servers:

• They can rent virtual servers and storage from providers like Amazon AWS, Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure.
• They pay only for what they use (pay-as-you-go), avoiding large upfront hardware costs.
• Example: Host their website or application on AWS EC2 instances.

2. Platform as a Service (PaaS) — For development:

• They can use platforms like Google App Engine or Heroku to develop, test and deploy their application without managing the underlying infrastructure.
• This saves time and technical effort.

3. Software as a Service (SaaS) — For business tools:

• Instead of buying expensive software, they can use:
• Google Workspace / Microsoft 365 for email, documents and collaboration.
• Zoom / Google Meet for team meetings.
• Slack for team communication.
• Zoho / Salesforce for CRM (Customer Relationship Management).

4. Cloud Storage — For data management:

• Use Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive to store and share files securely without buying physical storage devices.

5. Scalability — As the startup grows:

• Cloud services allow them to scale up resources (more servers, more storage) as their user base grows, without any physical infrastructure changes.

6. Security and Backup:

• Cloud providers offer built-in security, data encryption and automatic backups, protecting the startup's data without additional investment.

Financial Benefit:

• No capital expenditure on hardware.
• Low operational costs.
• Free tiers available on AWS, Google Cloud and Azure for startups.

Conclusion: Cloud computing is ideal for startups — it provides enterprise-level infrastructure at minimal cost, allows rapid deployment, and scales with the business, enabling the five friends to focus on their product rather than IT management.

Report: Use of Blockchain Technology in Scholarship Distribution

Introduction:
Scholarship distribution by governments often suffers from problems such as corruption, delayed payments, duplicate beneficiaries, lack of transparency and middlemen siphoning funds. Blockchain technology can address all these issues effectively.

What is Blockchain?
Blockchain is a decentralised, distributed digital ledger that records transactions across a network of computers. Once a record is added, it cannot be altered or deleted, making it tamper-proof and transparent.

How Blockchain Promotes Accountability:

1. Immutable Records: Every scholarship application, approval and payment is recorded as a block in the chain. No one can alter or delete these records, ensuring complete accountability of officials.
2. Smart Contracts: Automated smart contracts can be programmed to release scholarship funds only when predefined conditions are met (e.g., student has passed the required class, income certificate is verified). This removes human discretion and reduces corruption.
3. Audit Trail: Every action taken on a scholarship application is permanently recorded with a timestamp, creating a clear audit trail for government auditors.

How Blockchain Promotes Transparency:

1. Public Ledger: All stakeholders — students, parents, schools, and auditors — can view the status of scholarship applications and disbursements on the blockchain.
2. No Middlemen: Direct transfer of funds from the government to the student's account via blockchain eliminates intermediaries who may misuse funds.
3. Verification of Documents: Student documents (income certificates, caste certificates, marksheets) can be stored on blockchain and verified instantly, preventing submission of fake documents.

How Blockchain Promotes Efficiency:

1. Faster Processing: Smart contracts automate eligibility checks and fund disbursement, reducing processing time from weeks to hours.
2. Elimination of Duplicates: Each student has a unique digital identity on the blockchain, preventing the same student from claiming multiple scholarships fraudulently.
3. Reduced Paperwork: Digital storage of all documents on blockchain eliminates physical paperwork, saving time and resources.
4. Real-Time Tracking: Students can track their application status in real time, reducing the need to visit government offices.

Example Implementation:

• Student applies online → Documents verified via blockchain → Smart contract checks eligibility → Funds automatically transferred to student's bank account → Transaction recorded permanently on blockchain → Parents/auditors can verify the transaction.

Conclusion:
Blockchain technology can revolutionise scholarship distribution by creating a system that is transparent (all transactions visible), accountable (immutable records), and efficient (automated processing). It ensures that scholarships reach the rightful beneficiaries without corruption or delay, making government welfare schemes truly effective.

Relationship between IoT and WoT:

IoT (Internet of Things):
IoT refers to a network of physical devices embedded with sensors, software and connectivity that allows them to collect and exchange data over the internet. IoT focuses on connecting devices at the network level using various communication protocols (like MQTT, Zigbee, Bluetooth, etc.).

WoT (Web of Things):
WoT (Web of Things) is an extension of IoT that focuses on integrating IoT devices with the World Wide Web using standard web technologies and protocols (such as HTTP, REST APIs, JSON, etc.).

Relationship between IoT and WoT:

In simple terms:

• IoT is the broader concept of connecting things to the internet.
• WoT is a higher-level approach that makes IoT devices accessible and interoperable through standard web technologies.
• WoT uses IoT as its underlying infrastructure.

Analogy: IoT is like building roads (connectivity infrastructure), while WoT is like building a navigation system (web-based interface) on top of those roads to make them easily usable.

Conclusion: WoT builds upon IoT by adding a web-based layer that makes IoT devices universally accessible, interoperable and easier to integrate into web applications — thus WoT is an evolution and extension of IoT.

Matching the Columns:

Justification:

1. Smart Health (D): IoT-enabled health devices (like smart pill dispensers or health monitoring apps) send reminders to patients to take their medication at the right time — this is a Smart Health application.

2. Home Automation (C): Smart door locks connected to IoT systems can detect whether the door is locked or unlocked and send SMS alerts to the homeowner — this is a Home Automation application.

3. Smart Parking (A): IoT sensors installed in parking spaces detect whether a space is occupied or vacant and send real-time alerts to drivers about available parking — this is a Smart Parking application.

4. Smart Wearable (B): A smart wristwatch connected to IoT can control home appliances like an LED TV remotely — this is a Smart Wearable application.