Union Public Service Commission will conduct examination for Indian Forest Service for the effective management of forests starting 14 July 2012.
Indian Forest Services Examination (IFS) Exam Pattern
The pattern or the scheme of the written exam for Indian Forest Services Exam (IFS) conducted by UPSC is as explained below:
Written Examination of Indian Forest Service Exam (IFS) is of a conventional essay / descriptive type generally has six papers to be appeared as given under.
Subject
Max. Marks
Compulsory Papers
Paper I: General English
300 Marks
Paper II: General Knowledge
300 Marks
Optional Papers
Paper III, IV, V & VI (Any Two):
Any two subjects to be selected from the list of optional subjects set out below.
Each subject will have two papers
800 Marks
(200 Marks for each paper)
Total marks for written examination
1400 Marks
Indian Forest Services Exam (IFS) Syllabus
General English
Candidates will be required to write an essay in English. Other questions will be designed to test their understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. Passages will usually be set for summary or precise.
General Knowledge
General Knowledge, including knowledge of current events and of such matters of every day observation and experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. The paper will also include questions on Indian Polity including the political system and the Constitution of India, History of India and Geography of a nature which candidate should be able to answer without special study.
Agriculture
Agricultural Engineering
Animal Husbandary & Veterinary Science
Botany
Chemistry
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Forestry
Geology
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Physics
Statistics
Zoology
Indian Forest Services Exam (IFS): Agriculture Syllabus
Candidates will be required to answer questions from Sections (A) and (B) or Sections (A) and (C) below:
Section A: Agricultural Economics
Meaning and scope of agricultural economics, significance of study and its relationship with other sciences, importance of agriculture in Indian Economy, contribution to national income, comparison with other countries, study of significant economic problems in Indian agricultural production, marketing, Labour, credit, etc. Nature of study of farm management, its meaning and scope, relation to other physical and social sciences, concepts and basic principles in farm management. Types and systems of farming; determining factors. Planning for profitable use of land, water, labour and equipment, methods of measuring farm efficiency, nature and purpose of farm book-keeping, farm records and accounts, financial accounting; enterprise accounting and complete cost accounting.
Section B: Agronomy
Crop Production-Detailed study of KHARIF crops; Paddy, Maize, Jowar, Bajra, Groundnut, Til, Cotton, Sunhemp, Moong, Urd with reference to their introduction, distribution, seedbed preparation, improved varieties; sowing and seed-rate inter-culture, harvesting and physical inputs of production of crops.
Detailed study of important RABI crops
Wheat, Barley, Gram, Mustard, Sugarcane, Tobacco, Berseem with reference to their origin, history, distribution, soil and climate requirements, seedbed preparation, improved varieties, sowing and seed-rate inter-culture, harvesting, storing physical inputs of crops.
Weeds and Weed Control-Classification of weeds
habitat and characteristics of important weeds of India. Injurious effects and losses caused by weeds, chief agencies of weed dissemination, cultural, biological and chemical control of weeds.
Principles of Irrigation and Drainage-Necessity and sources of irrigation water, water requirements of crops, common water lifts, duty of water, prevention of wastage of irrigation water, system and methods of irrigation, advantages and limitations of each method. Measurement of irrigation of water.
Soil moisture, different forms of soil moisture and their importance. Drainage and its necessity, harm caused by excessive water, methods of drainage.
Section C: Soil Science and Soil Conservation
Definition of soil, its main components, soil profile, soil-mineral colloids, cation exchange capacity, base-saturation percentage ion exchange, essential nutrients for plant growth, their forms in the soil and their role in plant nutrition.
Soil organic matter, its decomposition and its effects on soil fertility. Acid and alkali soils, their formation and reclamation. Effects of organic manures, green manures and fertilizers on soil properties, properties of common nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic fertilizers.
Mechanical composition and soil texture, soil pore space, soil structure, soil water, types of soil water; its retention, movement, availability and measurement of soil water. Soil temperature, soil air and its importance. Soil structure, its forms and their effects on the physio-chemical properties of soil.
Soil Morphology and Soil Surveying-Earth's crust; soil forming rocks and minerals; their composition and importance in soil formation. Weathering of rocks and minerals, factors, and processes of soil formation, great soil groups of the World and their agricultural importance. Study of Indian soil. Soil survey and classification.
Principles of Soil Conservation-Soil Erosion, factors effecting erosion, soil conservation, soil properties in relation to agronomic and engineering practices, land drainage, needs and practices for agricultural lands, land use classification, soil conservation, planning and program.
Indian Forest Services Exam (IFS): Agriculture Engineering Syllabus
Candidates will be required to answer questions from Sections (A) and (B) or Sections (A) and (C) below:
Soil and Water Conservation
Definition and scope of soil conservation; Mechanics and types of erosion, their causes; Hydrologic cycle, rainfall and runoff-factors affecting them and their measurements, stream gauging-Evaluation of runoff from rainfall. Erosion control measures-Biological and Engineering.
Basic open channel hydraulics, Design of soil conservation, structures-terraces, bunds, outlets and grassed waterways. Principles of flood control. Flood routing. Design of farm ponds and earth dams. Stream bank erosion and its control. Wind erosion and its control. Principles of watershed management. Investigation and Planning in River Valley Projects.
Irrigation and Drainage
Soil-water-plant relationships. Sources and types of irrigation. Planning and design of minor, irrigation projects. Techniques of measuring soil moisture.
Duty of water-consumptive use. Water requirements of crops. Measurements and cost of irrigation water. Measuring devices-flow through orifices, weirs and flumes. Leveling and layout of irrigation systems. Design and construction of canals, field channels, pipelines, head-gates, diversion boxes structures and road crossing. Occurrence of ground water. Hydraulics of wells. Types of wells, their construction, drilling methods. Well development. Testing of wells.
Drainage-Definition-causes of water logging. Methods of drainage. Drainage of irrigated lands. Design of surface and sub-surface systems.
Building Materials
Kinds of building materials-their properties, Timber, brickwork and R.C. construction, design of columns, beams, roof trusses, joints. Layout of a farm stead. Design of farm houses, animal shelters and storage structures. Rural water supply and sanitation.
Farm power and Machinery
Construction of different types of internal combustion engines. ignition, fuel lubricating, cooling and governing systems of IC engines. Different types of tractors. Chassis transmission and steering. Farm machinery for primary and secondary tillage, seeding machinery, interculture tools and machinery. Plant protection equipment. Harvesting and threshing equipment. Machinery for land development. Pumps and pumping machinery.
Electricity and rural Electrification
Power generation and transmission. Distribution of electricity for rural electrification: AC and DC circuits. Uses of electric energy on the farm. Electric motors used in agriculture-types, selection, installation and maintenance.
Indian Forest Services Exam (IFS): Animal Husbandary & Veterinary Science Syllabus
General
Role of livestock and their products in Indian economy and human health; livestock farming systems; economics of dairy, sheep, goat, poultry, pig and rabbit farming; livestock development programs-objectives and achievements; national and international agencies in livestock development programs, their contribution; constraints to the livestock development programs.
Livestock Management
Livestock and poultry breeds and breed characters; housing systems, and requirements space, ventilation, water, sanitation and waste disposal. Management of milk, meat, egg and wool producing livestock, breeding bulls and draft animals and wild animals in captivity, farm records and their maintenance; systems and strategies for livestock improvement for enhancing productivity.
Livestock Nutrition
Role of nutrition in health and production; classification and composition of feeds and fodders including forest grasses; anti-nutritional factors and toxins in feeds and fodders; feeding standards and nutrient requirements of different categories of livestock and computation of rations.
Nutritional deficiency and its influence on livestock performance; feed supplements and additives; conservation and preservation of feeds and fodders; economic utilization of agro by-products for feeding livestock.
Livestock Breeding and Genetics
Breeding livestock for high performance and disease resistance; principles of genetics; nature of DNA and RNA-their models and functions; applications of recombinant DNA technology, cloning and role of gene actions and cytogenetics.
Veterinary Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry
Comparative gross and microscopic anatomy of different species of livestock. General functions of various body systems, physio-chemical laws as operative for vital physiological phenomena; biochemistry of cellular and sub-cellular components, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Veterinary Microbiology, Pathology, Parasitology and Pharmacology
Concept and causes of diseases in animals; general principles and procedures of necropsy; collection, preservation and dispatch of morbid materials for laboratory diagnosis, disease investigation; common pathological conditions seen in wild; zoo and laboratory animals and birds.
Immune system organs, tissues and cells; infection and immunity, serological reactions and modern diagnostic techniques.
Parasites and parasitism in animals
Important morphological features, life-cycles, mode of transmission, pathogenesis, diagnosis, chemotherapy and general control measures of parasites associated with disease in animals.
Veterinary Epidemiology, Medicine and Public Health
Environmental hygiene; role of veterinarian in public health; zoonoses including food-borne diseases: concept, scope, objectives and uses of epidemiology.
Infections including major contagious diseases and noninfectious diseases affecting livestock, birds and wild animals aetiology, clinical examination symptoms, pathogenesity, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment and control, establishment of Animal Healthcare Centres.
General knowledge of pharmacology, therapeutics and chemotherapy. Toxicity and environmental pollutants.
Veterinary Gynecology and Obstetrics
Reproductive physiology; hormones and reproduction; livestock fertility; artificial insemination; semen characteristics of different species of livestock and cryo-preservation. Multiple ovulation and embryo transfer technology in livestock. Reproductive disorders and their management.
Veterinary Surgery and Radiology
General surgical principles. Pre and post-operative considerations, anesthesia, asepsis and anti-sepsis and sterilization; scope, history and development of veterinary radiology; radiographic pathology of different parts of body.
Livestock Products Technology
Abattoir practices, methods of slaughtering and dressing; Meat Inspection Laws, utilization of byproducts; unsound meat and its disposal; quality control of meat and eggs and their products.
Milk
Proximate Composition, milk collection, cooling/ chilling and transportation; physio-chemical, and nutritional characters of milk and milk products; processing of raw milk and production of market milk. Condensed and dried milk, special milk and Indian Dairy Products-packaging and storage.
Cleaning and sanitization of dairy equipments and plants; role of micro-organisms in milk and milk products; legal standards and quality assessment of milk and milk products.
Indian Forest Services Exam (IFS): Botany Syllabus
Survey of the Plant Kingdom
Difference between animals and plants--Characteristics of living organisms-Unicellular and multi-cellular organisms-Viruses, basis of the division of the plant kingdom.
Morphology
Unicellular plants-Cell, its structure and contents: division and multiplication of cells.
Multi-cellular plants-Differentiation of the body of nonvascular plants and vascular plants; external and internal morphology of vascular plants.
Life History
Of at least one member of the following categories of plants; Bacteria Cyanophyceae, Cholorophyceae, Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyceae, Phycomycetes, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, liver-worts, Mosses, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.
Taxonomy
Principles of classification; Principal systems of classification of angiosperms; distinctive features and economic importance of the following families; Graminea, Scitaminae, Palmaceae, Liliaceae, Orchidaceae, Moraceae, Loranthaceae, Magnoliaceae, Lauraceae, Cruciferae, Rosaceae, Leguminosae, Rutaceae, Meliaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiaceae, Malvaceae, Apocynaceae Ascleidaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Myrtaceae, Umbeliferae, Solanaceae, Rubiceae, Cucurbitaceae, Verbanceae and Compositae.
Plant Physiology
Autotrophy, heterotrophy, intake of water and nutrients, transpirations, photosynthesis, mineral nutrition, respiration, growth reproduction; plant/animal relation; symbiosis, parasitism, enzymes, auxins, hormones, photoariodism.
Plant Pathology
Cause and cure of plant diseases; disease organisms, Viruses, deficiency disease; disease resistance.
Plant Ecology
The basic facts relating to ecology and plant geography, with special relation to Indian flora and the botanical regions of India.
General Biology
Cytology, Genetics, Plant breeding, Mendelism, Hybrid vigour, Mutation, Evolution.
Economic Botany
Economic uses of plants, especially flowering plants, in relation to human welfare, particularly with reference to such vegetable products as food grains, pulses, fruit, sugar and starches, oilseeds, spices, beverages, fibres, woods, rubber, drugs and essential oils.
History of Botany
A general familiarity with the development of knowledge relating to the Botanical Science.
Indian Forest Services Exam (IFS): Chemistry Syllabus
Inorganic Chemistry
Electronic configuration of elements, Aufbau principle, Periodic classification of elements. Atomic Number, Transition elements and their characteristics. Atomic and ionic radii, ionization potential, electron affinity and electro negativity.
Natural and artificial radioactivity. Nuclear fission and fusion.
Electronic theory of valency. Elementary ideas about sigma and pie-bonds, hybridization and directional nature of covalent bonds.
Werner's theory of coordination compounds. Electronic configurations of complexes involved in the common metallurgical and analytical operations.
Oxidation states and Oxidation number. Common oxidizing and reducing agents, Ionic equations. Lewis and Bronsted theories of acids and bases.
Chemistry of the common elements and their compounds treated especially from the point of view of periodic classification. Principles of extraction isolation (and metallurgy) of important elements. Structures of hydrogen peroxide, diborane, aluminium chloride and the important oxyacids of nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorine and sulphur.
Inert Gases:Isolation and Chemistry.
Principles of inorganic chemical analysis.
Outlines of the manufacture of: Sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, ammonia, nitric acid, sulphuric acid, cement, glass and artificial fertilizers.
Organic Chemistry
Modern concepts of covalent bonding. Electron displacements-Inductive mesomeric and hyper conjugative effects. Resonance and its applications to Organic Chemistry. Effects of structure on dissociation constants.
Alkanes, alkynes and alkenes
Petroleum as a source of organic compounds. Simple derivatives of aliphatic compounds. Alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, halides, esters and ethers and anhydrides chlorides and amides. Mono-basic hydroxy, ketonic and amino acids-Organometallic compounds and acetoacetic esters. Tartaric citric, maleic and fumaric acids. Carbohydrates, classification and general reactions. Glucose, fructose and sucrose.
Stereochemistry
Optical and geometrical isomerism concept of conformation. Benzene and its simple derivatives: Toluene, xylenes, phenols, halides, nitro and amino compounds. Benzoic, salicyclic, cinnamic, mandelic and sulphonic acids. Aromatic aldehydes and ketones. Diazo, azo and hydrazo compounds. Aromatic substitution. Naphthalene, pyridine and quinoline.
Physical Chemistry
Kinetic theory of gases and gas laws, Maxwell's law of distribution of velocities. Van der Waal's equation. Law of corresponding states, Liquefaction of gases. Specific heats of gases. Ratio of Cp/Cv.
Thermodynamics
The first law of thermodynamics. Isothermal and adiabatic expansion. Enthalpy, Heat capacities. Thermo chemistry-heats of reaction, formation solution and combustion. Calculation of bond energies. Kirchhoff equation.
Criteria for spontaneous changes. Second law of Thermodynamics. Entropy. Free Energy. Criteria of Chemical equilibrium.
Solution, Osmotic pressure, lowering of vapour pressure, depression of freezing point, elevation of boiling point. Determination of molecular weights in solution. Association, dissociation of solutes. Chemical equilibrium, Law of mass action and its applications to homogeneous and heterogeneous equilibrium. Le Chatelier's principle. Influence of temperature on chemical equilibrium.
Electrochemistry
Faraday's laws of electrolysis, conductivity of an electrolyte: equivalent conductivity and its variation with dilution; solubility of sparingly soluble salts, electrolytic dissociation. Ostwald's dilution law; anomaly of strong electrolytes; solubility product, strength of acids and bases; hydrolysis of salts; hydrogen ion concentration buffer action; theory of indicators. Reversible cells. Standard hydrogen and calomel electrodes and red-ox-potentials. Concentration cells. Determination of pH. Transport number, Ionic product of water. Potentiometric titrations.
Chemical Kinetics
Molecularity and order of a reaction. First order and second order reactions. Determination of order of a reaction, temperature coefficients and energy of activation. Collision theory of reaction rates. Activated complex theory.
Phase rule
Explanation of the terms involved. Applications to one and two component system. Distribution law.
Colloids
General nature of colloidal solutions and their classification; general methods of preparation and properties of Colloids. Coagulation, protective action, gold number. Absorption.
Catalysis
Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Promoters. Poisoning.
Photochemistry
Laws of Photochemistry. Simple numerical problems.
Indian Forest Services Exam (IFS): Chemical Engineering Syllabus
Transport phenomena (Under steady state conditions)
Momentum transfer
(i) Different patterns of flow and their criteria.
(ii) Velocity profile.
(iii) Filtration: sedimentation; centrifuge.
(iv) Flow of solids through fluids.
Heat transfer
Different modes of heat transfer; Conduction-calculation for single and composite walls of flat, cylindrical and spherical shapes.
Convection-different dimensionless groups used in force and free convection. Equivalent diameter. Determination of individual and overall heat transfer coeff.
Evaporation-Radiation-Stefan Boltzmann-law.
Emissivity and absorptivity. Geometrical shape factor. Heat load of furnaces-calculation.
Mass transfer
Diffusion in gases and liquids. Absorption, desorption, humidification, dehumidification, drying and distillation. Analogy between momentum, heat and mass and transfer.
Thermodynamics
1st, 2nd and 3rd laws of thermodynamics.
Determination of internal energy, entropy, enthalpy and free energy-Determination of chemical equilibrium constants for homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Use of thermodynamics in combustion, distillation and heat transfer. Mechanism and theory of mixing various mixers for liquid-liquid, solid-liquid and solid-solid.
Reaction Engineering
Kinetics
Homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. 1st and 2nd order reactions. Batch and flows-Reactors and their design.
Catalysis-Choice of catalyses
Preparation
Mechanics of catalysis based upon mechanism.
Transportation
Storage and transport of materials and in particular powders, resins, volatile and non-volatile liquids, emulsions and dispersions, pumps, compressors and blowers. Mixers-Mechanisms and theory of mixing various mixers for liquid-liquid, solid-liquid, solid-solid.
Material
Factors that determine choice of materials of construction in chemical industries-Metals and alloys, ceramics, plastics and rubbers. Timber and timber products, plywood laminates.
Fabrication of equipment with particular reference to production of vats, barrels, and filter presses, etc.
Instrumentation and process control: Mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal, optical, magnetic, electrical and electronic instruments. Controls and control systems. Automation.
