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Q63 (IAS/2022) Science & Technology › ICT, AI, Cybersecurity & Emerging Tech › Cloud computing models Official Key

With reference to "Software as a Service (SaaS)", consider the following statements : 1. SaaS buyers can customise the user interface and can change data fields. 2. SaaS users can access their data through their mobile devices. 3. Outlook, Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail are forms of SaaS. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 4 (1, 2 and 3) because all three statements accurately describe the characteristics and examples of Software as a Service (SaaS).

  • Statement 1 is correct: While the underlying infrastructure and source code are managed by the provider, SaaS applications are highly configurable. Users can typically customize the User Interface (UI) to reflect their branding and modify data fields to suit specific business workflows.
  • Statement 2 is correct: A defining feature of SaaS is its accessibility. Since the software is hosted in the cloud, users can access their data and applications from any internet-enabled device, including smartphones and tablets, ensuring mobility.
  • Statement 3 is correct: Common web-based email services like Outlook, Hotmail, and Yahoo! Mail are classic examples of SaaS. Users access the software functionality over the internet without needing to install or manage the underlying server infrastructure.

Since all statements are technically accurate reflections of the SaaS model, Option 4 is the right choice.

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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to "Software as a Service (SaaS)", consider the following statements : 1. SaaS buyers can customise the user interface and…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 7.5/10
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This question rewards 'Digital Literacy' over rote learning. While standard Economy texts (Vivek Singh) mention SaaS in the context of 'Smart Farming', the specific features (customization, mobile access) require applying common sense from using daily tools like Gmail. The strategy is to treat software concepts not as definitions, but as functional tools you already use.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Do Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings typically allow buyers to customize the user interface?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Users can customize the application interface and control its behavior, but cannot decide which software and hardware components are used to support its execution."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states that users can customize the application interface and control its behavior.
  • Places that customization at the application/interface level, distinguishing it from control over underlying software/hardware.
  • Directly ties SaaS model to user-level interface customization capabilities.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 11: Agriculture - Part II > Smart Farming > p. 359
Strength: 5/5
“• Smart Farming represents the application of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into agriculture. Smart farming employs hardware (IoT) and software (SaaS i.e. Software as a service) to capture the data and give actionable insights to manage all the operations on the farm, both pre and post-harvest. The data is organized, accessible all the time and on every aspect of finance and field operations that can be monitored from anywhere in the world.• IoT (Internet of Things) in agriculture involves sensors, drones and robots connected through internet which function automatically and semi automatically performing operations and gathering data aimed at increasing efficiency and predictability.• Semi-automatic robots with arms can detect weeds and spray pesticides in the affected plants, saving up the plants as well as overall pesticide costs.”
Why relevant

Describes SaaS as centrally hosted software that is "accessible all the time" and provides organized, remote insights — implying a provider-controlled, centralized application.

How to extend

A student could infer that centrally hosted services tend to offer standard UIs managed by the provider and then check typical SaaS docs to see whether per-customer UI customization is offered.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 12: Understanding Markets > Aggregator: > p. 259
Strength: 4/5
“Website or mobile application that organizes and combines offers from multiple sellers and sells them to consumers at one place. 259Economic Life Around Us 12 – Understanding Markets”
Why relevant

Defines an aggregator website/app that organizes offers from multiple sellers into a single platform — an example where the platform controls presentation of varied content.

How to extend

From this, a student could reason that multi-seller platforms often enforce a consistent UI/UX across listings, so they might investigate aggregator SaaS offerings to see if per-buyer UI customization is common or limited.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > 7.12 FDI in Retail > p. 243
Strength: 4/5
“E-commerce companies can operate under two different models in India. • The first is the marketplace model where the e-commerce firm simply acts as a platform that connects buyers and sellers. 100% FDI is allowed in e-commerce companies in this model.• The second model is inventory-based where the inventory of goods sold on the portal is owned or controlled by the e-commerce company. FDI is not allowed under this model.”
Why relevant

Distinguishes two e‑commerce models (marketplace vs inventory-based) based on who controls inventory — illustrating that degree of provider control affects platform behavior.

How to extend

A student can extend this rule to software: greater provider control (analogous to inventory-based) likely means more standardized UI, whereas more open models may allow more customization by users.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 14: Service Sector > INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT SERVICES > p. 431
Strength: 3/5
“Service Sector 14.9 Source: Economic Survey 2020-21. • In order to drive innovation and technology adoption in this sector, various policies such \bullet as Startup India, National Software Products Policy and removal of issues related to Angel Tax have been introduced.• According to NASSCOM study, India has emerged as the third largest ecosystem for ø start-ups right behind China and the USA. Note: The top three start-up companies in India are Paytm (One97 Communications), Ola Cabs and OYO Industry. > Burness process put sour an”
Why relevant

Notes India's emergence as a large software/startup ecosystem, implying a diversity of software/business models and vendors.

How to extend

A student could use this to expect variation across SaaS vendors — some may offer UI customization while others provide fixed interfaces — and so should sample vendor offerings to judge prevalence.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 11: Industries > 17. The Wipro Group > p. 110
Strength: 3/5
“The doyen of sunrise industries in the country, the group functions in the areas of software development and export including the production of computer peripherals. This is one of the leading companies in the areas of business process outsourcing (BPO) and is also seriously involved in social work. This company is amongst the top names in the software around the world.”
Why relevant

Mentions firms engaged in software development and export, indicating the existence of custom software expertise in the market.

How to extend

A student might reason that because custom development capability exists, some SaaS vendors could offer customizable UI or bespoke layers, and should look for vendor customization or professional services options.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

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Statement analysis

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