Information and Communication Technology Archives

21. Which one of the following is not a pointing device ?

Which one of the following is not a pointing device ?

Touchscreen

Trackball

Light pen

Scanner

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A pointing device is an input interface that allows the user to control a cursor or pointer on a screen or to select items. Out of the given options, a scanner is not a pointing device.

– **Touchscreen:** Allows direct pointing and interaction with the display by touch.
– **Trackball:** A stationary device where the user rolls a ball to move the pointer.
– **Light pen:** A device used to point at objects on a display screen or draw on it.
– **Scanner:** An input device that captures images or documents and converts them into digital form. It does not typically control a pointer on the screen.

Pointing devices are essential for graphical user interfaces (GUIs), enabling users to navigate, select, and manipulate objects on the screen. Scanners, while input devices, are primarily used for digitizing physical documents or images.

22. The result of binary addition of – 8 and – 2 in two’s complement form

The result of binary addition of – 8 and – 2 in two’s complement form is :

10110

0110

1110

0111

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UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2023

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To perform binary addition of -8 and -2 in two’s complement, we first need to represent these numbers in two’s complement form using a sufficient number of bits. Since the result -10 is needed, and the options suggest 4 or 5 bits, let’s use 5 bits as 4 bits is insufficient to represent -10 (-8 to +7 range for 4 bits).

– Convert positive 8 and 2 to binary (5 bits):
– 8 = 01000
– 2 = 00010
– Find two’s complement of 8 (for -8):
– Invert bits: 10111
– Add 1: 10111 + 1 = 11000 (This is -8 in 5-bit two’s complement)
– Find two’s complement of 2 (for -2):
– Invert bits: 11101
– Add 1: 11101 + 1 = 11110 (This is -2 in 5-bit two’s complement)
– Perform binary addition:
11000 (-8)
+ 11110 (-2)
——-
110110
– In 5-bit two’s complement addition, the carry-out from the most significant bit is discarded if the result is within the representable range. The result within 5 bits is 10110.
– To verify 10110, it is a negative number (starts with 1). Take two’s complement: Invert (01001), add 1 (01010). 01010 is 10 in decimal. Since it was negative, 10110 represents -10.

The sum -8 + (-2) = -10. The 5-bit two’s complement representation of -10 is 10110, which matches option A. If we had used 4 bits, -8 is 1000, -2 is 1110. 1000 + 1110 = 10110. Truncating to 4 bits gives 0110, which is +6, an incorrect result due to overflow/insufficient bits for the sum. Therefore, 5 bits is necessary and 10110 is the correct result in that format.

23. Which one of the following is not a network topology ?

Which one of the following is not a network topology ?

Bus

Star

Mesh

Peer-to-Peer

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Network topology refers to the physical or logical arrangement of connections within a computer network. Bus, Star, and Mesh are common network topologies. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) is a network model or architecture, not a topology.

– **Bus Topology:** All devices share a single communication line (bus).
– **Star Topology:** All devices are connected to a central hub or switch.
– **Mesh Topology:** Devices are interconnected with point-to-point links. Can be full mesh or partial mesh.
– **Peer-to-Peer:** In a P2P network model, devices (peers) directly share resources without a central server. This model can be implemented over different underlying network topologies.

Other network topologies include Ring topology, Tree topology, and Hybrid topology (combinations of others). Peer-to-Peer describes the relationship and communication flow between nodes, not their physical or logical arrangement.

24. Python is a :

Python is a :

High-level language

Assembly language

Machine language

Data definition language

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Python is a high-level programming language. High-level languages are designed to be more user-friendly and abstract away the complexities of hardware details.

– High-level languages use syntax that is closer to human language (like English) and require a compiler or interpreter to translate them into machine code.
– Examples include Python, Java, C++, etc.
– Assembly language and machine language are low-level languages, much closer to the hardware instructions.
– Data Definition Language (DDL) is a subset of SQL used for managing database structure, not a general programming language type.

Python is also known for being interpreted, general-purpose, dynamically-typed, and supporting multiple programming paradigms (like object-oriented, imperative, and functional). Its readability and extensive libraries make it popular for various applications, including web development, data science, AI, and automation.

25. Which one of the following protocols is used for secure communication

Which one of the following protocols is used for secure communication over a computer network ?

HTTPS

HTTP

FTP

DHCP

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UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2022

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The correct answer is HTTPS. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the protocol used for secure communication over a computer network, particularly on the internet.

– HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, where ‘S’ stands for Secure.
– It uses SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) encryption to secure the connection between a user’s browser and a server. This ensures that data transmitted is protected from eavesdropping and tampering.

– HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the standard protocol for transmitting web pages but does not provide encryption, making it insecure for sensitive data like passwords or credit card information.
– FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is used for transferring files between computers. While secure versions exist (like SFTP or FTPS), the standard FTP is not secure.
– DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a network management protocol used for dynamically assigning IP addresses and other network configuration parameters to devices on a network. It is not a communication protocol for data transfer in the same sense as HTTP or HTTPS.

26. The ISO/IEC 27001 Standard is for :

The ISO/IEC 27001 Standard is for :

Information Security Management.

Quality Management.

Risk Management.

Environmental Management.

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The ISO/IEC 27001 standard is the international standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). It provides a framework for organizations to establish, implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain, and improve their information security practices.

ISO/IEC 27001 is the leading international standard specifically focused on Information Security Management.

Other ISO standards cover different management areas: ISO 9001 is for Quality Management Systems, ISO 31000 provides guidelines for Risk Management, and the ISO 14000 family of standards deals with Environmental Management Systems. ISO/IEC 27001 is jointly published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

27. Which one of the following is not a raster image format ?

Which one of the following is not a raster image format ?

JPEG

GIF

PNG

SVG

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A raster image format stores images as a grid of pixels, where each pixel contains colour information. JPEG, GIF, and PNG are all popular file formats that store images using this pixel-based approach. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), on the other hand, is a vector image format. Vector images are composed of mathematical descriptions of geometric shapes, lines, and curves, making them scalable without loss of quality.

Raster images are pixel-based, while vector images are based on mathematical descriptions. SVG is a vector format.

Common raster formats include BMP, TIFF, and WebP in addition to JPEG, GIF, and PNG. Vector formats are often used for logos, illustrations, and graphics that need to be resized frequently because they scale smoothly without pixelation.

28. Which one of the following is a technique of dividing the physical mem

Which one of the following is a technique of dividing the physical memory space into multiple blocks ?

Fragmentation

Paging

Segmentation

Swapping

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Paging is a memory management technique that divides the physical memory (RAM) into fixed-size units called frames and the logical address space of a process into equally sized units called pages. It is a method of dividing physical memory into blocks (frames) to facilitate non-contiguous memory allocation and virtual memory implementation.

Paging divides physical memory into fixed-size frames and logical memory into same-size pages, enabling processes to be loaded into non-contiguous physical memory locations.

Fragmentation refers to wasted space in memory. Segmentation divides logical memory into variable-size segments based on the program’s structure. Swapping is a technique to move processes between memory and disk to manage limited physical memory resources, not a method of dividing physical memory into blocks for allocation.

29. The result of binary subtraction between 1001 and 101 is :

The result of binary subtraction between 1001 and 101 is :

1011

1001

001

100

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To subtract 101 (binary) from 1001 (binary), we perform binary subtraction:
1001 (which is 9 in decimal)
– 0101 (which is 5 in decimal, added a leading zero for alignment)
——-
Starting from the rightmost bit:
1 – 1 = 0
0 – 0 = 0
0 – 1: Cannot subtract. Borrow from the leftmost digit (1). The leftmost 1 becomes 0. The borrowed 1 moves to the left, making the next position 2 (in base 2). So, we have 2 – 1 = 1.
The leftmost digit is now 0.
Result: 0100 (binary), which is 100 (binary) when the leading zero is dropped.
100 (binary) is 1*2^2 + 0*2^1 + 0*2^0 = 4 (decimal). 9 – 5 = 4.

Binary subtraction follows similar principles to decimal subtraction, using borrowing when a smaller digit is being subtracted from a larger one.

Binary arithmetic is fundamental in digital electronics and computer science. Subtraction can also be performed using two’s complement representation and binary addition. In this case, direct subtraction is straightforward.

30. Debugger is a :

Debugger is a :

Software.

Hardware.

Combination of software and hardware.

None of the above

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A debugger is a software tool used by programmers to test and find errors (bugs) in other software programs. It allows developers to step through code execution, inspect variables, and analyze program behaviour to identify the root cause of issues.

Debuggers are software applications used to aid in the process of software development by helping to locate and fix errors in code.

While debugging hardware systems (like embedded systems) may involve hardware interfaces (like JTAG adapters), the debugger application running on a host computer is fundamentally a piece of software. The question asks what the debugger *is*, referring to the tool itself.