9 min readConcept sheetSection A MCQ (1 mark) and objective (2 marks, two parts); Section B very short answer (2 marks) and short answer (3 marks)

Communication: post, telephone, radio, television, internet and newer technology

Communication carries messages. Personal communication (post, telephone) links individuals; mass communication (radio, television, newspapers) reaches millions at once. The internet does both.

Postal networkIndia's postal network is the largest in the world; it handles letters, money orders, parcels and savings schemes

RadioBroadcasting in India began in 1927 from Mumbai and Kolkata; All India Radio (AIR), also called Akashvani, is the national broadcaster

TelevisionThe national television service began in 1959; Doordarshan is the national broadcaster

E-mailThe fastest way to send letters through the internet, and almost free

Personal and mass communication

Personal communicationFrom one person to another: letters by post, the telephone and mobile phone, e-mail. The mobile phone is now the most common means.

Mass communication (media)From one source to very many people at once: radio, television, newspapers, magazines, books, cinema, traditional folk forms and satellite communication.

The choice of a means of communication depends on its purpose.

The main means

Postal service: a very old means, still important. India's network is the largest in the world, carrying letters, money orders and parcels and running savings schemes.
Telephone: quick and affordable, now one of the most used means of all.
Radio: began in 1927 from Mumbai and Kolkata to entertain, educate and inform. All India Radio now reaches almost every part of the country.
Television: the national service began in 1959. Doordarshan and many private channels offer education, news and entertainment.
Computers (information technology): used in homes, offices, shops, hospitals, banks, schools, railways and airports.
Older means such as the telegram and the fax machine also carried messages fast.

Newer communication technology

Internet: links computers across the world, giving information at the click of a button.
Video conferencing: people far apart can see and talk to each other.
E-commerce: buying and selling goods through the internet.
Internet telephony: software that lets a computer work like a telephone, cutting call costs.
E-mail: sends letters through the internet to anyone in the world in seconds.
Tele-medicine: doctors advise patients thousands of kilometres away.
Together they keep people in touch all the time, making the world a global village.

Choosing the right means

Purpose	Suitable means
Send money to family in a village	Money order at the post office
Warn the whole coast about a cyclone	Radio and television broadcasts
Talk to a doctor in a far city	Tele-medicine or a video call
Buy a book from another state	E-commerce
Send a written message abroad at once	E-mail

In real life

A farmer can check crop prices and the weather on a mobile phone, and a village patient can consult a city doctor through tele-medicine. Cyclone warnings on radio and TV give coastal families time to move to safety.

Exam angle

2 marks: “Differentiate between personal and mass communication, with one example of each.” Personal communication is from one person to another, such as a letter or a phone call. Mass communication carries one message to a very large number of people at once, such as radio or television.

3 marks: “Describe any three newer means of communication and their uses.” Internet: information from anywhere at a click. Video conferencing: distant people see and talk to each other. E-commerce: online buying and selling. Tele-medicine: doctors advise distant patients. E-mail: instant, almost free letters. Any three with uses.

1 marks: “In which year did radio broadcasting begin in India?” In 1927, from Mumbai and Kolkata.

Remember it

Personal is one to one (post, phone); mass is one to many (radio, TV, paper). Radio 1927, TV 1959.