Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: 29 percent
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question examines your awareness of digital penetration and internet access in India around the year 2015. Internet usage statistics are often used in exams to highlight the progress of digital inclusion and the challenges that remain. Knowing the approximate percentage of the population with internet access in a given year helps you understand the pace at which digital connectivity is spreading in the country.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall approximate figures for internet penetration in India around 2015. Various international reports, telecom data and exam oriented materials generally show that internet users in India then accounted for a little more than one quarter of the total population. Many exam keys round this figure and provide a closest match among the given options. The value most often cited in competitive exam material for 2015 is about 29 percent, which is why 29 percent is treated as the correct option here.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that in the early 2010s, internet penetration in India was still relatively low, with figures below 20 percent.Step 2: Recognise that by 2015, mobile internet growth and cheaper data had significantly increased the share of the population with internet access.Step 3: Remember that exam oriented data often places Indian internet penetration at slightly below one third of the population for 2015.Step 4: Compare the options: 20 percent and 23 percent are closer to earlier years, whereas 26 percent and 29 percent are closer to the mid twenties to high twenties range.Step 5: Note that many compiled exam keys use 29 percent as the figure for 2015, matching the idea that about three out of ten Indians had internet access by then.Step 6: Conclude that 29 percent is the most appropriate answer among the options provided.
Verification / Alternative check:
Several reports and analyses on internet usage mention that India crossed roughly the one quarter mark in 2014 and continued to grow in 2015. Exam compendiums and banking awareness books frequently quote a figure very close to 29 percent for 2015. While slightly different statistical sources may quote figures such as 26 percent or 27 percent, in the context of this specific question and its answer key, 29 percent is the value that matches the intended solution.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to overthink minor differences between similar numerical options and to feel uncertain between 26 percent and 29 percent. Another mistake is to rely on outdated statistics from earlier years without checking how rapidly internet usage has grown. In exams, it is helpful to memorise the figures most commonly quoted in standard practice books, even if real world numbers may vary slightly due to different survey methods.
Final Answer:
29 percent is the approximate percentage of the Indian population that had access to the internet in 2015 as per the data commonly used in exam questions.
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