Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: First Indian supercomputer
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
India has achieved several milestones in science and technology, from launching satellites to developing its own supercomputers. The name Param is strongly associated with a significant achievement in the field of high performance computing. This question checks whether you can correctly link the name Param to the kind of technological breakthrough it represents.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
During the nineteen nineties, after facing restrictions on importing advanced supercomputers, India decided to develop indigenous high performance computing. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing worked on this effort and produced the Param series of supercomputers. The word Param can be interpreted as supreme or ultimate, fitting the idea of powerful computing machines. It does not refer to a satellite, aeroplane, or helicopter. Therefore, the correct association is with India's early indigenous supercomputer development.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that supercomputers are extremely powerful computers used for complex scientific calculations, weather modelling, and simulations.
Step 2: Remember that India developed its own supercomputer series called Param through a dedicated governmental research centre.
Step 3: Note that famous Indian satellites usually carry names like Aryabhata, Bhaskara, INSAT, or IRS, not Param.
Step 4: Recognise that India's early aeroplanes and helicopters have different names such as Hansa, Tejas, Dhruv, or Chetak, and none of these are called Param.
Step 5: Match the name Param with the category of first indigenous supercomputer.
Step 6: Select the option stating first Indian supercomputer as the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
Technology history sources from India list the Param series as one of the earliest successful indigenous supercomputers. They mention that it was developed to overcome export controls on advanced computing systems. These sources describe its specifications, performance, and use in scientific research. No credible reference connects the name Param with an Indian satellite, aeroplane, or helicopter. This confirms that the correct classification is supercomputer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The option first Indian satellite is incorrect because that achievement is linked to Aryabhata, not Param. The first Indian aeroplane and first Indian helicopter have separate names and histories that are not connected to the Param project. Including these options simply tests whether candidates can distinguish among different types of technological milestones and not confuse aerospace achievements with computing breakthroughs.
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may loosely associate any technological sounding name with rockets or satellites because space achievements receive a lot of media attention. Others might guess aeroplane or helicopter without recalling the correct names of those machines. To avoid such mistakes, it helps to remember that Param became famous specifically in discussions of Indian supercomputers and high performance computing, not in space or aviation contexts.
Final Answer:
In Indian technology, Param is the name of the first Indian supercomputer developed indigenously.
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