GeographyCBSE Class 12 · Transport and Communication

Communication Networks in India: Personal and Mass Communication (Class 12 Geography, India: People and Economy, Chapter 7)

Updated 16 October 2026 · Fact-checked

India's communication networks are grouped into personal communication, of which the Internet is the most effective and advanced, and mass communication: radio (broadcasting began 1923, AIR 1936, Akashwani 1957), television (1959, Doordarshan 1976) and satellites (INSAT 1983, IRS-1A 1988).

Follow the arrow in time order and remember the colour groups: radio, then television, then satellites, with the Internet as the advanced personal system.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Communication Networks in India

Why this topic matters. The syllabus lists "Communication Networks: Personal and Mass Communication Systems" under Chapter 7. CBSE has asked about the Internet and about radio, television and satellites, so know the years and the roles. The chapter has no map item (the syllabus lists Nil for Chapter 7).

1. From messengers to networks.

Early messages were sent by beating drums or hollow tree trunks, smoke or fire signals and fast runners; horses, camels, dogs, birds and other animals also carried them. Initially the means of communication were also the means of transportation.
The invention of the post office, telegraph, printing press, telephone and satellite made communication faster and easier. Modes are divided by scale and quality into personal and mass communication.

2. Personal communication: the Internet.

Of all personal communication systems the Internet is the most effective and advanced; it is widely used in urban areas.
It allows direct contact by e-mail, access to the world of knowledge and information, and is increasingly used for e-commerce and money transactions. NCERT calls it a huge central warehouse of data; access is efficient at a comparatively low cost.

3. Mass communication.

Radio: broadcasting started in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay; the government took it under its control in 1930 as the Indian Broadcasting System; renamed All India Radio (AIR) in 1936 and Akashwani in 1957. AIR broadcasts programmes on information, education and entertainment, with special news bulletins on occasions such as sessions of Parliament and state legislatures. Radio made a place in every household.
Television: the most effective audio-visual medium for informing and educating the masses. It began in the National Capital in 1959 and was limited to it at first; after 1972 other centres began. In 1976 TV was delinked from AIR and became Doordarshan (DD). After INSAT-1A (National TV: DD1) became operational, Common National Programmes (CNP) were started for the whole network and its services reached backward and remote rural areas.
Satellites (discussed after television): two groups. INSAT (Indian National Satellite System), established in 1983, is a multipurpose system for telecommunication, meteorological observation and other data and programmes. IRS (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System) became operational with IRS-1A in March 1988. India has its own launch vehicle, the PSLV. The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at Hyderabad provides data acquisition and processing; the data help in managing natural resources. Satellite images serve weather forecasting, monitoring of natural calamities and surveillance of border areas.

Inference (ours, not NCERT). NCERT says the Internet is widely used in urban areas and that television and radio reached remote rural areas; it does not compare rural and urban access to each medium, so any such comparison is our inference.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

Initially, the means of communication were also the means of transportation.
NCERT, India: People and Economy, Chapter 7: Section "Communication Networks".
Links this topic to the transport sections of the same chapter.

Communication Networks in India: key facts

Radio timeline: 1923 Radio Club of Bombay
1930 Indian Broadcasting System under government
1936 All India Radio
1957 Akashwani; AIR carries information, education and entertainment.
Television timeline: 1959 National Capital
after 1972 other centres
1976 delinked from AIR, Doordarshan
after INSAT-1A DD1 and Common National Programmes; Services extended to backward and remote rural areas.
Satellite systems: INSAT: 1983, telecommunication, meteorological observation
IRS: IRS-1A in March 1988
PSLV launch vehicle
NRSC at Hyderabad; Weather, calamities, border surveillance, natural resources.
Two classes: Personal: Internet (e-mail, e-commerce, urban areas) | Mass: radio, television, satellite; Internet is the most effective and advanced personal system.

1923	Radio Club of Bombay
1930	Indian Broadcasting System under government
1936	All India Radio
1957	Akashwani

1959	National Capital
after 1972	other centres
1976	delinked from AIR, Doordarshan
after INSAT-1A	DD1 and Common National Programmes

How to answer Communication Networks in India questions

Communication answers need correct years and one function for each medium. Learn the radio and television timelines as short strings of dates.

1Classify first: personal (Internet) or mass (radio, television, satellite).
2For radio give 1923, 1930, 1936, 1957 in order with the name of each stage.
3For television give 1959, 1972, 1976, and then INSAT-1A and the Common National Programmes.
4For satellites separate INSAT (1983, multipurpose) from IRS (1988, remote sensing) and add the NRSC at Hyderabad.
5Mark any comparison between media that NCERT does not make as "our inference".

Communication Networks in India in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Special news bulletins

Suppose a national radio service interrupts its programmes to broadcast a special news bulletin while the national Parliament is in session.

Which NCERT service does this resemble, and what other programme types does it broadcast?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

All India Radio broadcasts special news bulletins at specific occasions like sessions of Parliament and state legislatures.
It also broadcasts a variety of programmes related to information, education and entertainment.

Answer: All India Radio (Akashwani); its programmes cover information, education and entertainment.

Memory hook: Inform, educate, entertain.

The Internet in daily life

Imagine a shopkeeper in a city who orders stock online, sends money through the same network and writes to a supplier by e-mail.

Which communication system is this, to which class does it belong, and where is it widely used?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT calls the Internet the most effective and advanced of the personal communication systems.
It enables direct contact by e-mail, is increasingly used for e-commerce and money transactions, and is widely used in urban areas.

Answer: The Internet, a personal communication system, widely used in urban areas.

Memory hook: Mail, shop, pay.

Tricks to remember Communication Networks in India

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Radio "23, 30, 36, 57"
Club 1923; government 1930; AIR 1936; Akashwani 1957.
Use it when: Radio timeline.
TV "59, 72, 76"
Capital 1959; other centres after 1972; Doordarshan 1976.
Use it when: Television timeline.
INSAT then IRS
INSAT 1983 first (multipurpose); IRS 1988 later (remote sensing).
Use it when: Satellite systems.
DD1 after INSAT-1A
Common National Programmes started only after INSAT-1A made DD1 national.
Use it when: Order of events in television.

Communication Networks in India: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Akashwani · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The All India Radio was renamed Akashwani in:
(A) 1930
(B) 1936
(C) 1957
(D) 1976

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT: the Indian Broadcasting System of 1930 was changed to All India Radio in 1936 and to Akashwani in 1957 (1 mark).

Example 2: Statements on television · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

Consider the statements:
I. Television services began in the National Capital in 1959.
II. In 1976 television was delinked from All India Radio and became Doordarshan.
III. Common National Programmes were started before INSAT-1A became operational.
Which are correct?
(A) I and II
(B) II and III
(C) I and III
(D) I, II and III

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

I and II are NCERT statements.
III is wrong: the Common National Programmes were started after INSAT-1A became operational (1 mark).

Answer: (A) I and II

Example 3: Assertion and reason on early communication · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): In early times the means of communication were also the means of transportation.
Reason (R): Messages were carried by fast runners and by animals such as horses, camels, dogs and birds.
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false but (R) is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT states both: messages were sent with fast runners and animals, and initially the means of communication were also means of transportation.
Runners and animals that carried messages are examples of a transport means being used for communication, so R explains A (1 mark).

Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Example 4: Source-based: television · 3 marks · Source-basedHarder board level

Read the passage: "Initially, the T.V. services were limited only to the National Capital where it began in 1959. After 1972, several other centres became operational. In 1976, TV was delinked from All India Radio (AIR) and got a separate identity as Doordarshan (DD). After INSAT-IA (National TV: DD1) became operational, Common National Programmes (CNP) were started for the entire network and its services were extended to the backward and remote rural areas."
(i) The place where television services began was: (1)
(A) Bombay (B) the National Capital (C) Chennai (D) Kolkata
(ii) The number of years between the start of TV and its delinking from AIR is: (1)
(A) 13 (B) 17 (C) 24 (D) 34
(iii) Which development followed INSAT-IA becoming operational? (1)
(A) Start of radio broadcasting (B) Start of Common National Programmes (C) Renaming as Akashwani (D) Launch of IRS-1A

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) The National Capital, so (B) (1 mark).
(ii) Our own calculation: 1976 - 1959 = 17 years, so (B) (1 mark).
(iii) Common National Programmes were started, so (B) (1 mark).

Answer: (i) B; (ii) B; (iii) B

Example 5: Growth of radio · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Trace the growth of radio broadcasting in India from 1923 to 1957 and state what All India Radio broadcasts. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Broadcasting started in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay; the government brought it under its control in 1930 as the Indian Broadcasting System (1 mark).
It became All India Radio in 1936 and Akashwani in 1957 (1 mark).
AIR broadcasts a variety of programmes on information, education and entertainment, and special news bulletins on occasions such as sessions of Parliament and state legislatures (1 mark).

Answer: Radio broadcasting started in India in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay and quickly made a place in every household. In 1930 the government brought it under its control as the Indian Broadcasting System; it was changed to All India Radio in 1936 and to Akashwani in 1957. AIR broadcasts a variety of programmes related to information, education and entertainment, and special news bulletins at occasions like sessions of Parliament and state legislatures.

Example 6: HOTS: reaching remote homes · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

NCERT says the Internet is widely used in urban areas, while radio made a place in every household and television services were extended to backward and remote rural areas after INSAT-1A. A planner wants to inform a remote village about a flood warning quickly. Which media suit best and why? Label inference. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT facts (2 marks): the Internet is widely used in urban areas; radio reached every household; television reached backward and remote rural areas through INSAT-1A and the Common National Programmes.
Role of satellites (1 mark): satellite images are used to monitor natural calamities, and INSAT carries meteorological observation.
Choice (2 marks): radio and television first, with AIR's special bulletins; the Internet as a supplement where available. The ranking is our inference, since NCERT does not compare access village by village.

Answer: NCERT says the Internet is widely used in urban areas, whereas radio made a place in every household and television services were extended to backward and remote rural areas once INSAT-1A made the national network operational. Satellite systems also support warning work: INSAT does meteorological observation and satellite images are used for the weather forecast and the monitoring of natural calamities.

For a remote village the planner should therefore rely first on radio, with a special news bulletin from All India Radio, and on television through Doordarshan, and use the Internet as a supplement where it is available. This ranking is our inference from NCERT's statements, because the textbook does not give figures for rural access to each medium.

Where students lose marks in Communication Networks in India

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Dating AIR and Akashwani wrongly
Four radio dates (1923, 1930, 1936, 1957) are close in sound.
Wrong working
Radio became Akashwani in 1936.
Right working
It became All India Radio in 1936 and Akashwani in 1957.
Do this: Learn 23-30-36-57.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Saying Doordarshan began in 1976
The 1976 date marks the delinking from AIR.
Wrong working
Television started in India in 1976 as Doordarshan.
Right working
Television began in the National Capital in 1959; in 1976 it was delinked from AIR and got the name Doordarshan.
Do this: 59 start; 76 separate identity.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Mixing INSAT and IRS
Both are Indian satellite systems.
Wrong working
IRS is the multipurpose system for telecommunication and meteorology.
Right working
INSAT (1983) is the multipurpose system; IRS (IRS-1A, 1988) collects remote sensing data.
Do this: INSAT = communication; IRS = remote sensing.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Saying the Internet is mostly used in rural India
The Internet is praised as the most advanced system.
Wrong working
The Internet is widely used in rural areas.
Right working
NCERT says it is widely used in urban areas.
Do this: Advanced does not mean everywhere.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Open any media answer with the class: personal (Internet) or mass (radio, television, satellite).
Write dates in a row (1923, 1930, 1936, 1957 for radio; 1959, 1972, 1976 for television) so each earns its own mark.
Use "Radio Club of Bombay", "Akashwani", "DD1" and "NRSC at Hyderabad" exactly as in NCERT.
The questions on this page are our own and are checked by meaning against the chapter page and past papers; they are not copies of board items.

Practice questions on Communication Networks in India

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which of the following is NOT listed by NCERT among the inventions that made communication faster and easier?
(A) Telegraph
(B) Printing press
(C) Radar
(D) Satellite
Hint
Post office, telegraph, printing press, telephone, satellite.
Answer
(C) Radar. NCERT lists the post office, telegraph, printing press, telephone and satellite.
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Find (a) the number of years between the start of radio broadcasting by the Radio Club of Bombay and the adoption of the name Akashwani, and (b) the number of years between the establishment of INSAT and the start of operations of IRS-1A. (2 marks)
Hint
Use 1923, 1957, 1983 and 1988.
Answer
(a) 1957 - 1923 = 34 years. (b) 1988 - 1983 = 5 years (our own arithmetic on the NCERT dates).
Q3 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level
Which one of the following pairs about Indian satellite systems is correct?
(A) INSAT: established 1983, multipurpose system for telecommunication and meteorological observation
(B) INSAT: operational with its first satellite in March 1988
(C) IRS: established 1983 for television
(D) IRS: data acquisition at the National Remote Sensing Centre, Delhi
Hint
IRS-1A came in March 1988; the centre is at Hyderabad.
Answer
(A). IRS-1A became operational in March 1988 and the National Remote Sensing Centre is at Hyderabad.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Explain two ways in which INSAT-1A and the Common National Programmes changed television in India. (3 marks)
Hint
National network; extension to remote areas.
Answer
After INSAT-1A (National TV: DD1) became operational, Common National Programmes were started for the entire network, so the same programmes could be seen across the country. The services were also extended to the backward and remote rural areas, which television had not reached when it began only in the National Capital in 1959.
Q5 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
State two kinds of programmes that All India Radio broadcasts and one occasion on which it broadcasts special news bulletins. (2 marks)
Hint
Information, education, entertainment; legislatures.
Answer
AIR broadcasts a variety of programmes related to information, education and entertainment. Special news bulletins are broadcast on specific occasions such as the session of Parliament and state legislatures.
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
A student says: "Now that the Internet exists, radio and television are no longer needed to inform people." Using NCERT, show why this is an overstatement. (3 marks)
Hint
Where is the Internet widely used? Who do radio and TV reach?
Answer
NCERT says the Internet is widely used in urban areas, whereas radio made a place in every household in the country and television services were extended to backward and remote rural areas after INSAT-1A. Television is called the most effective audio-visual medium for disseminating information and educating the masses, and AIR still broadcasts information and education. So the Internet adds to, rather than replaces, these media; the conclusion about rural reach is our inference from the places NCERT names.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Who started radio broadcasting in India in 1923?Show answer
The Radio Club of Bombay.
2.In which year and where did television services begin?Show answer
In 1959, in the National Capital.
3.Which satellite system was established in 1983?Show answer
The Indian National Satellite System (INSAT).
4.Where is the National Remote Sensing Centre?Show answer
Hyderabad.
5.What was National TV called after INSAT-1A became operational?Show answer
DD1.

Communication Networks in India: frequently asked questions

Which communication topics have appeared in board papers?

The Internet as the most effective personal communication system was asked as a 5-mark "support the statement" question (2026 64/3/1 Q26(b)), how the personal communication system gives direct access to knowledge and information as a 5-marker (2025 64/5/1 Q26(a) and 64/5/2 Q26(a)), and AIR has appeared in an option list (2024 64/1/1 Q11). Learn the Internet features and the radio and television timelines.

Where does NCERT discuss satellite communication?

In a separate section after television. This page uses NCERT's own grouping into INSAT and IRS and does not claim that NCERT files satellites under personal or mass communication.

Is there a map item from this chapter?

No. The 2026-27 syllabus map list shows Nil for Chapter 7.

Does the chapter give mobile phone or broadband data?

No. NCERT gives no subscriber or network figures for communication, so none are given here.