Question

Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the passage?

• A. The ISP policy was the first major initiative undertaken by the Indian Government to deregulate the entire telecom environment.
• B. India's telecom network is only just short of being up to world-class standards.
• C. The growth of India's IT software and services marketplace hinges on the development of a world-class telecom infrastructure.
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is C The growth of India's IT software and services marketplace hinges on the development of a world-class telecom infrastructure.

While option (A) is correct to the extent that the introduction of the ISP policy was a substantial step towards the liberalization of the Internet environment, it cannot be inferred that the same was the first major initiative for the entire telecom environment. Option (B) too cannot be inferred as the passage does not make it clear the extent by which India's telecom network is short of becoming world-class. The concluding sentence of the passage also states that many countries in the Asia-Pacific region are ahead of India in terms of telecom infrastructure, which suggests that India still has some ground to cover in this regard. Option (C) can be inferred from the first sentence of the passage itself that states that telecom infrastructure is 'the key to the growth of the IT software and services...' The concluding sentence of the passage again emphasizes that world-class telecom infrastructures are important for domestic IT market proliferation and software exports.

Hence, option (C) is the best answer.