When the alarm of your smartphone rings in the morning, you wake up and tap it to stop the alarm which causes your geyser to be switched on automatically. The smart mirror in your bathroom shows the day's weather and also indicates the level of water in your overhead tank. After you take some groceries from your refrigerator for making breakfast, it recognises the shortage of stock in it and places an order for the supply of fresh grocery items. When you step out of your house and lock the door, all lights, fans, geysers and AC machines get switched off automatically. On your way to office, your car warns you about traffic congestion ahead and suggests an alternative route, and if you are late for a meeting, it sends a message to your office accordingly. In the context of emerging communication technologies, which one of the following terms best applies to the above scenario ?

The correct answer is **Option B: Internet of Things**.

The scenario describes Smart Farming's underlying technology - the Internet of Things (IoT) - which involves sensors, drones[1] and robots connected through internet which function automatically and semi-automatically performing operations and gathering data.[1] In the given scenario, multiple devices (smartphone, geyser, smart mirror, refrigerator, lights, fans, car) are interconnected through the internet, sensing their environment and communicating with each other to perform tasks automatically without human intervention.

IoT employs hardware and software to capture data and give actionable insights to manage operations, with data organized and accessible all the time from anywhere.[1] This perfectly matches the described scenario where devices monitor conditions (water levels, grocery stock, traffic), make decisions (switching off appliances, ordering groceries), and communicate information (sending meeting delay messages).

The other options are incorrect: Border Gateway Protocol is a routing protocol for internet backbone networks, Internet Protocol is a basic communication protocol for data transmission, and Virtual Private Network creates secure connections over public networks - none of these specifically describe the automated, interconnected smart device ecosystem presented in the question.

1. [1] Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 11: Agriculture - Part II > Smart Farming > p. 359