15 MCQs on India’s National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) 2025: Test Your Knowledge!"

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) on National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)

1. What is the primary goal of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)?

a) To import supercomputers from global manufacturers
b) To achieve self-reliance in high-performance computing (HPC)
c) To reduce the number of research institutions in India
d) To focus solely on commercial applications of supercomputers

Correct Answer: b) To achieve self-reliance in high-performance computing (HPC)

Explanation:
The NSM aims to empower India with indigenous supercomputing capabilities, reducing dependency on foreign technology. It focuses on building HPC infrastructure, fostering R&D, and developing human resources. The mission aligns with the government’s "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative.

2. Which organizations jointly steer the NSM?

a) ISRO and DRDO
b) DST and MeitY
c) IITs and NITs
d) C-DAC and BARC

Correct Answer: b) DST and MeitY

Explanation:
The NSM is steered by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It is implemented by C-DAC Pune and IISc Bengaluru to deploy supercomputers across academic and R&D institutions.

3. As of March 2025, how many supercomputers have been deployed under NSM?

a) 15
b) 25
c) 34
d) 50

Correct Answer: c) 34

Explanation:
As per the document, 34 supercomputers with a combined capacity of 35 Petaflops have been installed under NSM, benefiting institutions like IISc, IITs, and Tier-II/III cities.

4. What is the name of the indigenous high-speed communication network developed under NSM?

a) BharatNet
b) Trinetra
c) NICNET
d) Vidyut

Correct Answer: b) Trinetra

Explanation:
Trinetra is an indigenous network developed by C-DAC to enhance data transfer between supercomputing nodes. It has phases like Trinetra-A (100 Gbps) and Trinetra-B (200 Gbps).

5. Which supercomputer was inaugurated as NSM’s first indigenously built system?

a) PARAM Siddhi
b) PARAM Shivay
c) PARAM Pravega
d) AIRAWAT

Correct Answer: b) PARAM Shivay

Explanation:
PARAM Shivay, installed at IIT BHU in 2019, was the first indigenously built supercomputer under NSM, marking a milestone in India’s HPC journey.

6. What is the compute capacity of the AIRAWAT AI supercomputer’s PoC?

a) 100 AI Petaflops
b) 200 AI Petaflops
c) 500 AI Petaflops
d) 790 AI Petaflops

Correct Answer: b) 200 AI Petaflops

Explanation:
AIRAWAT’s Proof of Concept (PoC) has a capacity of 200 AI Petaflops, scalable to 790 AI Petaflops. It ranked 75th in the Top 500 Global Supercomputing List (2023).

7. Which phase of NSM focuses on complete indigenization of supercomputing?

a) Phase I
b) Phase II
c) Phase III
d) Phase IV

Correct Answer: c) Phase III

Explanation:
Phase III aims for full indigenization, including design, development, and manufacturing of HPC components in India, reducing reliance on imports.

8. How many researchers have been facilitated by NSM supercomputers as of 2025?

a) 5,000
b) 10,000
c) 15,000
d) 20,000

Correct Answer: b) 10,000

Explanation:
NSM has supported over 10,000 researchers, including 1,700+ PhD scholars, across 200+ institutions for projects in climate modeling, drug discovery, and more.

9. Which institution hosts the PARAM Pravega supercomputer?

a) IIT Delhi
b) IISc Bengaluru
c) C-DAC Pune
d) IIT Madras

Correct Answer: b) IISc Bengaluru

Explanation:
PARAM Pravega (3.3 Petaflops), one of India’s most powerful supercomputers, is installed at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

10. What is the role of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in NSM?

a) To export semiconductors
b) To reduce supercomputing costs by importing chips
c) To enable indigenous manufacturing of HPC components
d) To phase out supercomputers

Correct Answer: c) To enable indigenous manufacturing of HPC components

Explanation:
ISM supports NSM by developing domestic semiconductor technologies for processors and accelerators, enhancing self-reliance in supercomputing.

11. Where are the NSM’s HRD training centers located?

a) Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Guwahati, Kochi
b) Pune, Kharagpur, Chennai, Palakkad, Goa
c) Bangalore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Bhopal
d) Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam

Correct Answer: b) Pune, Kharagpur, Chennai, Palakkad, Goa

Explanation:
NSM’s five training centers (Pune, Kharagpur, Chennai, Palakkad, Goa) focus on building HPC-aware human resources. These centers train students and researchers in supercomputing applications, aligning with India’s skill development goals.

12. What percentage of value addition did Phase II of NSM achieve in indigenous manufacturing?

a) 20%
b) 40%
c) 60%
d) 80%

Correct Answer: b) 40%

Explanation:
Phase II increased India’s value addition in supercomputing to 40%, focusing on local software stacks and partial hardware manufacturing. This reduced dependency on foreign components.

13. Which supercomputer series is built using indigenously designed "Rudra" servers?

a) PARAM Siddhi
b) PARAM Rudra
c) PARAM Brahma
d) PARAM Yukti

Correct Answer: b) PARAM Rudra

Explanation:
PARAM Rudra supercomputers use India’s first indigenous HPC-class servers, "Rudra," and are deployed in Pune, Delhi, and Kolkata for advanced research in physics and cosmology.

14. What is the total allocated budget for NSM’s infrastructure and R&D?

a) ₹500 crore
b) ₹1,874 crore
c) ₹2,500 crore
d) ₹3,200 crore

Correct Answer: b) ₹1,874 crore

Explanation:
NSM has a budget of ₹1,874 crore for infrastructure, R&D, HRD, and mission management. This underscores the government’s commitment to scaling HPC capabilities.

15. Which domain is NOT explicitly mentioned as a research area supported by NSM?

a) Drug Discovery
b) Social Media Analytics
c) Climate Modeling
d) Computational Chemistry

Correct Answer: b) Social Media Analytics

Explanation:
NSM supports scientific domains like drug discovery, climate modeling, and computational chemistry (listed in the document). Social media analytics is not highlighted as a focus area.