Organisation : Odisha Public Service Commission
Announcement : Syllabus
Name of Examination : Odisha Civil Services Examination
Download Syllabus : http://www.syllabus.gen.in/uploads/38-ocs-2015-syllabus.pdf
Home Page : https://www.opsc.gov.in/Public/OPSC/Default.aspx
SYLLABUS FOR ODISHA CIVIL SERVICES (MAIN) EXAMINATION
ODIA LANGUAGE :
The aim of the paper is to test the candidate’s ability to understand serious discursive prose and express his ideas clearly and correctly in Odia language. The pattern of questions would broadly be as follows:-
Comprehension of a given passage .. 30 Marks
Precis writing with a passage of around 1000 words .. 40 Marks
Translation from English to Odia .. 30 Marks
Grammar, usage and vocabulary .. 80 Marks
Short Essay of around 1000 words .. 100 Marks
Expansion of an idea .. 20 Marks
Total .. 300 Marks
ENGLISH :
The aim of the paper is to test the candidate’s ability to understand serious discursive prose and express his ideas clearly and correctly in English language. The pattern of questions would broadly be as follows :-
Comprehension of a given passage .. 30 Marks
Precis writing with a passage of around 1000 words .. 40 Marks
Translation from Odia to English .. 30 Marks
Grammar, usage and vocabulary .. 80 Marks
Short Essay of around 1000 words .. 100 Marks
Expansion of an idea .. 20 Marks
Total .. 300 Marks
ENGLISH ESSAY :
GENERAL INSTRUCTION :
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 be given for effective and exact expression.
GENERAL STUDIES :
The nature and standard of questions in this paper 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 variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services.
Paper-I
(a) History of Modern India and Indian Culture-
1) The History of Modern India will cover the following :
* History of India since 1857
* Important personalities who shaped the Freedom Movements in Odisha and India
* Social Reform Movements
2) Indian culture will cover the following;
* Indian culture from ancient times to modern times
* Temple architecture of Odisha.
* Socio-cultural developments in Odisha
(b) Geography of India will cover the following-
* Physical, economic and social geography of India.
* Odisha’s Physiography and Drainage system
* Odisha’s Natural Resources – Water, forest and minerals.
(c) Indian Polity will include the following-
* Constitution of India
* Political system of India
* Government and politics in Odisha
* Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in Odisha.
(d) 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 the present day India such as;
1. Demography & Human Resource Development
2. Behavioural & Social issues and Social Welfare problems : Child labour, gender inequality, adult literacy, rehabilitation of the handicapped and other deprived segments of society, drug abuse, public health, education and unemployment.
(e) Legal and environmental issues –
1. Human Rights
2. Corruption in public life
3. Communal harmony
4. Protection of minorities
5. Internal security and related issues
6. Environment and ecological issues; ecological preservation, conservation of natural resources and national heritage.
7. Role of national institutions, their relevance and need for change
Paper-II
(a) India and the World :
This part is intended to test candidate’s awareness of India’s relationship with the world in various spheres, such as the following;
1. Foreign Affairs
2. External security and related matters
3. Nuclear policy
4. Indians abroad
(b) Indian Economy :
1. This part will include the following;
I Planning, economic development, economic reforms and
development of the Corporate Sector in India
II Economic and Trade issues
III Foreign trade
IV Role and functions of IMF, World Bank and WTO V Reserve
Bank of India – its role and functions
2. I. Odishan Economy : Development during the post Reform Period.
II. Regional disparity
(c) International Affairs & Institutions :
This part will include the following;
1 . Important events in world affairs
2. International institutions like UN, ILO, EU, SAARC, WHO, ICJ
(d) Developments in the field of science & technology, communications and space : In this part questions will test the candidate’s awareness of the developments in the field of science and techonology, communications and space and also on basic ideas of computer;
(e) Statistical Analysis, Graphs & Diagrams : This part will include exercises to test the candidates ability to draw common sense conclusions from information presented in graphical, statistical or diagrammatical form and to point out deficiencies, limitations or inconsistencies therein. The candidates should also be aware of techniques of counting and elementary probability.
AGRICULTURE :
PAPER – I
Section – A
Cropping pattern in different agro -climatic zones of the country. Crop diversification. Impact of high-yielding and short-duration varieties on shifts in cropping pattern. Concepts of multiple cropping, multistorey, relay and inter-cropping, and their importance in relation to food production. Package of practices of cereals, pulses, oil seeds, fibres, sugar, tuber and fodder crops grown during Kharif and Rabi seasons in different regions of the country. Organic farming – principles and practices. Water-use efficiency in relation to crop production, criteria for scheduling irrigation, ways and means of reducing run-off losses of irrigation water. Drip and sprinkler irrigation. Drainage of water-logged soils, quality of irrigation water, effect of industrial effluents on soil and water pollution.
Weeds, their characteristics, dissemination and association with various crops; their multiplication; cultural, biological and chemical control of weeds. Important features, scope and propagation of various types of forestry plantations such as extension, social forestry, agro-forestry, and natural forests.
Soil-physical, chemical and biological properties. Processes and factors of soil formation. Modern classification of Indian soils. 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 and its evaluation for judicious fertiliser use. Integrated nutrient management. Losses of nitrogen in soil, nitrogen-use efficiency in submerged rice soils, nitrogen fixation in soils. Fixation of phosphorus and potassium in soils and the scope for their efficient use. Problem soils and their management.
Soil conservation planning on watershed basis. Erosion and run-off management in hilly, foot hills, and valley lands; processes and factors affecting them. Dryland agriculture and its problems. Technology for stabilising agricultural production in rainfed areas.
Section – B
Ecology and its relevance to man. Biodiversity – natural resources, their sustainable management and conservation. Physical and social environment as factors of crop distribution and production. Climatic elements as factors of crop growth. Impact of changing environment on cropping pattern as indicators of environments. Environmental pollution and associated hazards to crops, animals, and humans.
Farm management, scope, importance and characteristics, farm planning and budgetting. Economics of different types of farming systems and factors affecting it. Marketing and pricing of agricultural inputs and outputs, price fluctuation and their cost; role of co-operatives in agricultural economy. Agriculture export zone. World Trade Organisation, General Agreement on Trade and Tariff, Intellectual Property Rights in relation to agriculture.
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; farm mechanization and i t s role in agricultural production and rural employment. Training programmes for extension workers. Institution village linkage programme.
PAPER – II :
Section – A
Cell theory, structure, organells and their function. Cell division, nucleic acidsstructure and function, gene structure and function. Laws of heredity, their significance in plant breeding. Chromosome structure, chromosomal aberrations, linkage and cross-over, and their significance in recombination breeding. Polyploidy-euploid and aneuploids. Induction of mutation – micro- and macro-mutation and their role in crop improvement. Variation, components of variation, heritability, sterility and incompatibility and their application in crop improvement. Cytoplasmic inheritance, sex-linked, sex-influenced and sex-limited characters.
History of plant breeding. Modes of reproduction, selfing and crossing techniques. Origin and evolution of crop plants, centre of origin, law of homologous series. Plant biodiversity – crop genetic resources conservation and utilization. Application of principles of plant breeding to the improvement of major field crops.
Pureline, pedigree, mass and recurrent selections. Combining ability, its significance in plant breeding. Hybrid vigour and its exploitation, backcross method of breeding, breeding for disease and pest resistance, role of interspecific and intergeneric hybridization. Role of biotechnology in plant breeding-tissue culture and molecular approach. Improved varieties, hybrids, composites of various crop plants. Seed technology, its importance. Different kinds of seeds. Seed production and processing techniques. Role of public and private sectors in seed production, processing and marketing in India.
Plant physiology and its significance in agriculture. Imbibition, surface tension, diffusion and osmosis. Absorption and translocation of water, transpiration and water economy. 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 vernalization. Auxins, hormones, and other plant regulators and their mode of action and importance in agriculture. Physiology of seed development and germination; dormancy.
Section – B
Climatic requirement and cultivation of major fruits, vegetable crops and flower and ornamental plants. Dryland and Hightech horticulture. Handling and marketing problems of fruit and vegetables. Methods of preservation of important fruits and vegetable products, processing techniques and equipment. Role of fruits and vegetables in human nutriton. Land scaping – design and layout of lawns and gardens.
Diseases and pests of field crops, vegetables, orchard and plantation crops of India. Causes and classification of plant pests and diseases. Principles of control of plant pests and diseases. Biological control of pests and diseases. Integrated pest and disease management. Epidemiology and forecasting of diseases and pest. Pesticides, their formulations and mode of action. Compatibility with rhizobial inoculants. Microbial toxins. Storage pests and diseases of cereals, oilseeds and pulses and their control. Commercial cultivation of mushroom and bee keeping.
Food production and consumption trends in India. National and international food policies. Production, procurement, distribution and processing constraints. Relation of food production to national dietary pattern. Protein – calorie malnutrition.