Main Examination
The written examination will consist of
the following papers :
Paper I One of the Indian 300 marks
languages to be
selected by the
candidate from the
Languages included
in the Eighth Schedule
to the Constitution.
Paper II English 300 marks
Paper III Essay 200 marks
Papers IV General Studies 300 marks
and V for each paper
Papers VI Any two 300 marks
VII, VIII subjects to for each
and IX be selected from paper
Each subject will have
two papers.
List of optional subjects for Main
Examination
Agriculture
Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
Anthropology
Botany
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Commerce and Accountancy
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Geography
Geology
History
Law
Management
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Science
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science and International
Relations
Psychology
Public Administration
Sociology
Statistics
Zoology
Syllabus
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
ENGLISH AND INDIAN LANGUAGUES
The aim of the paper is to test the candidate's ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express his ideas clearly and correctly in English/Indian language concerned.The pattern of questions would be broadly
as follows :-
(i) Comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary
(iv) Short Essay
INDIAN LANGUAGES
(i) Comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essay
(v) Translation from English to the Indian
language and vice-versa.
Note 1 : The Papers on Indian Languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of qualifying nature only. The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.
Note 2 : The candidates will have to answer the English and Indian Languages papers in English and the respective Indian language (except where translationis involved).
ESSAY
Candidates will be required to write an essay on a specific topic. The choice of subjects will be given. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will begiven for effective and exact expression
GENERAL STUDIES
General Guidelines:
The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study. The questions will be such as to test a candidate’s general awareness of a varietyof subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services. The questions are likely to test the candidate’s basic understanding of all relevant issues, and ability to analyze, and take a view on conflicting socio-economic goals, objectives and demands. The candidates must give relevant, meaningful and succinct answers
PAPER - I
1. History of Modern India and Indian
Culture :
The History of Modern India will cover history
of the Country from about the middle
of nineteenth century and would also include
questions on important personalities
who shaped the freedom movement and
social reforms. The part relating to Indian
culture will cover all aspects of Indian culture
from the ancient to modern times as
well as principal features of literature, arts
and architecture.
2. Geography of India :
In this part, questions will be on the physical,
economic and social geography of India.
3. Constitution of India and Indian Polity:
This part will include questions on the Constitution
of India as well as all constitutional,
legal, administrative and other issues
emerging from the politico-administrative
system prevalent in the country.
4. Current National Issues and Topics of
Social Relevance :
This part is intended to test the candidate’s
awareness of current national issues and
topics of social relevance in present-day
India, such as the following:
(i) The Indian economy and issues relating
to planning, mobilization of resources,
growth, development and employment.
(ii) Issues arising from the social and economic
exclusion of large sections from the
benefits of development.
(iii) Other issues relating to the development
and management of human resource.
(iv) Health issues including the management
of Public Health, Health education and
ethical concerns regarding health-care,
medical research and pharmaceuticals.
(v) Law enforcement, internal security and
related issues such as the preservation of
communal harmony.
(vi) Issues relating to good governance and
accountability to the citizens including the
maintenance of human rights, and of probity
in public life.
(vii) Environmental issues, ecological preservation,
conservation of natural resources
and national heritage.
PAPER - II
1. India and the World :
This part will include questions to test
candidate’s awareness of India’s relationship
with the world in various spheres such
as the following:-
Foreign Affairs with special emphasis on
India’s relations with neighbouring countries
and in the region.
Security and defence related matters.
Nuclear policy, issues, and conflicts.
The Indian Diaspora and its contribution to
India and the world.
2. India’s Economic Interaction with the
World :
In this part, questions will be on economic
and trade issues such as foreign trade,
foreign investment; economic and diplomacy
issues relating to oil, gas and energy
flows; the role and functions of I.M.F., World
Bank, W.T.O., WIPO etc. which influence
India’s economic interaction with other
countries and international institutions.
3. Developments in the Field of Science
& Technology, IT and space :
In this part, questions will test the
candidate’s awareness of the developments
in the field of science and technology,
information technology, space and
basic ideas about computers, robotics,
nanotechnology, biotechnology and related
issues regarding intellectual property
rights.
4. International Affairs and Institutions :
This part will include questions on important
events in world affairs and on international
institutions.
5. Statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams
:
This part will test the candidate’s ability to
draw conclusions from information presented
in statistical, graphical or
diagrammatical form and to interpret them.
AGRICULTURE
PAPER - I
Ecology and its relevance to man, natural
resources, their sustainable management
and conservation. Physical and social environment
as factors of crop distribution
and production. Agro ecology; cropping
pattern as indicators of environments. Environmental
pollution and associated hazards
to crops, animals and humans. Climate
change – International conventions
and global initiatives. Green house effect
and global warming. Advance tools for ecosystem
analysis – Remote sensing (RS)
and Geographic Information Systems
(GIS).
Cropping patterns in different agro-climatic
zones of the country. Impact of high-yielding
and short-duration varieties on shifts in
cropping patterns. Concepts of various
cropping and farming systems. Organic
and Precision farming. Package of practices
for production of important cereals,
pulses, oil seeds, fibres, sugar, commercial
and fodder crops.
Important features and scope of various
types of forestry plantations such as social
forestry, agro-forestry, and natural forests.
Propagation of forest plants. Forest products.
Agro forestry and value addition. Conservation
of forest flora and fauna.
Weeds, their characteristics, dissemination
and association with various crops; their
multiplications; cultural, biological, and
chemical control of weeds.
Soil- physical, chemical and biological
properties. Processes and factors of soil
formation. Soils of India. Mineral and organic
constituents of soils and their role in
maintaining soil productivity. Essential
plant nutrients and other beneficial elements
in soils and plants. Principles of soil
fertility, soil testing and fertilizer recommendations,
integrated nutrient management.
Biofertilizers. Losses of nitrogen in soil, nitrogen-
use efficiency in submerged rice
soils, nitrogen fixation in soils. Efficient
phosphorus and potassium use. Problem
soils and their reclamation. Soil factors affecting
greenhouse gas emission.
Soil conservation, integrated watershed
management. Soil erosion and its management.
Dry land agriculture and its problems.
Technology for stabilizing agriculture production
in rain fed areas.
Water-use efficiency in relation to crop production,
criteria for scheduling irrigations,
ways and means of reducing run-off losses
of irrigation water. Rainwater harvesting.
Drip and sprinkler irrigation. Drainage of
waterlogged soils, quality of irrigation water,
effect of industrial effluents on soil and
water pollution. Irrigation projects in India.
Farm management, scope, importance and
characteristics, farm planning. Optimum
resource use and budgeting. Economics
of different types of farming systems. Marketing
management – strategies for development,
market intelligence. Price fluctuations
and their cost; role of co-operatives
in agricultural economy; types and systems
of farming and factors affecting them. Agricultural
price policy. Crop Insurance.
Agricultural extension, its importance and
role, methods of evaluation of extension
programmes, socio-economic survey and
status of big, small and marginal farmers
and landless agricultural labourers. Training
programmes for extension workers.
Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s (KVK) in
dissemination of Agricultural technologies.
Non Government Organization (NGO) and
self-help group approach for rural development.
PAPER - II
Cell structure, function and cell cycle. Synthesis,
structure and function of genetic
material. Laws of heredity. Chromosome
structure, chromosomal aberrations, linkage
and cross-over, and their significance
in recombination breeding. Polyploidy,
euploids and aneuploids. Mutations - and
their role in crop improvement. Heritability,
sterility and incompatibility, classification
and their application in crop improvement.
Cytoplasmic inheritance, sex-linked, sexinfluenced
and sex-limited characters.
History of plant breeding. Modes of reproduction,
selfing and crossing techniques.
Origin, evolution and domestication of crop
plants, center of origin, law of homologous
series, crop genetic resources- conservation
and utilization. Application of principles
of plant breeding, improvement of crop
plants. Molecular markers and their application
in plant improvement. Pure-line selection,
pedigree, mass and recurrent selections,
combining ability, its significance
in plant breeding. Heterosis and its exploitation.
Somatic hybridization. Breeding
for disease and pest resistance. Role of
interspecific and intergeneric hybridization.
Role of genetic engineering and biotechnology
in crop improvement. Genetically
modified crop plants.
Seed production and processing technologies.
Seed certification, seed testing and
storage. DNA finger printing and seed registration.
Role of public and private sectors
in seed production and marketing. Intellectual
Property Rights (IPR) issues,
WTO issues and its impact on Agriculture.
Principles of Plant Physiology with reference
to plant nutrition, absorption, translocation
and metabolism of nutrients. Soil -
water- plant relationship.
Enzymes and plant pigments; photosynthesis-
modern concepts and factors affecting
the process, aerobic and anaerobic
respiration; C3, C4 and CAM mechanisms
Carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism.
Growth and development; photoperiodism
and vernalilzation. Plant growth substances
and their role in crop production.
Physiology of seed development and germination;
dormancy. Stress physiology –
draught, salt and water stress.
Major fruits, plantation crops, vegetables,
spices and flower crops. Package practices
of major horticultural crops. Protected
cultivation and high tech horticulture. Post
harvest technology and value addition of
fruits and vegetables. Landscaping and
commercial floriculture. Medicinal and aromatic
plants. Role of fruits and vegetables
in human nutrition.
Diagnosis of pests and diseases of field
crops, vegetables, orchard and plantation
crops and their economic importance. Classification
of pests and diseases and their
management. Integrated pest and disease
management. Storage pests and their
management. Biological control of pests
and diseases. Epidemiology and forecasting
of major crop pests and diseases. Plant
quarantine measures. Pesticides, their formulation
and modes of action.
Food production and consumption trends
in India. Food security and growing population
– vision 2020. Reasons for grain
surplus. National and international food
policies. Production, procurement, distribution
constraints. Availability of food
grains, per capita expenditure on food.
Trends in poverty, Public Distribution System
and Below Poverty Line population,
Targeted Public Distribution System (PDS),
policy implementation in context to globalization.
Processing constraints. Relation of
food production to National Dietary Guidelines
and food consumption pattern. Food
based dietary approaches to eliminate
hunger. Nutrient deficiency – Micro nutrient
deficiency : Protein Energy Malnutrition
or Protein Calorie Malnutrition (PEM
or PCM), Micro nutrient deficiency and
HRD in context of work capacity of women
and children. Food grain productivity and
food security.
