RAJASTHAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, AJMER

SYLLABUS FOR EXAMINATION FOR THE POST OF

LECTURER (SCHOOL EDUCATION)
AGRICULTURE

PAPER – II

PART-I Senior Secondary Level

Indian Agriculture: History, branches, scope and importance. Climate and weather.
Soil- Composition, soil texture, structure, factors affecting soil structure, soil
temperature, soil air. Problematic soils, their formation and reclamation. Soils of
Rajasthan. Nutrients and fertilizers, Irrigation and drainage. Agricultural implements
and mechanisation. Organic Farming- Definition, importance, vermicompost, green
manuring, biofertilizers, sustainable agriculture. Weed- definition, characteristics,
classification, losses, weed control methods. Dryland farming and crop rotation-
definition, importance and principles. Tillage- Definition, objectives, types, tilth.
Cultivation of important crops: cereals and millets, pulses, oilseeds, fodder,
commercial, fibre crops and seed spices.

Importance of fruits and vegetables in human diet. Crop diversification and processing
industry. Orchard- location and layout, ornamental and kitchen gardening. Planting
system, training, pruning, intercropping, protection from frost and sunburn. Tree,
shrubs, climbers, annuals, perennials- definition with examples. Propagation by seed,
cutting, layering, budding and grafting. Nursery, its objectives and raising of
seedlings. Scope and importance of medicinal crops. Cultivation practices, processing
and marketing of: fruit crops- (mango, papaya, banana, guava, citrus, grapes, brinjal,
datepalm and pomegranate) vegetables– (radish, carrot, potato, onion, cauliflower,
brinjal, tomato, spinach, okra, chilli and cabbage), flowers– (gladiolus, canna,
chrysanthemum, roses and marigold). Principles and methods of fruit and vegetable
preservation. Preparation of jellies, jams, ketchup, chips, pickles and their packaging.

Importance of livestock and poultry in national economy. Development of milk

industry in India. Important Indian and exotic breeds of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat,
camel and poultry. Different livestock development programmes of government of
India. Breeding, feeding, housing and health management of livestock and poultry.
Factors affecting milk yield and composition. Importance of dairy and poultry
products.
PART-II Graduation Level

Agro-climatic zones of India and Rajasthan, Agroecological Regions, Adaptation and

distribution of crops. Climatic variables. Basics of weather forecasting. Modern
concepts of tillage. Conservation agriculture. Straight and complex fertilizers, foliar
application. Plant nutrients: occurrence, cycling in soils and their availability. INM
concept. Cropping and farming systems. Organic farming: principles, objectives,
certification, labelling and accreditation process. Water resources of India and
Rajasthan. Methods and systems of irrigation. Water management in crops. Soil plant
water relation. Quality of irrigation water, CU, WR, drainage. Dryland agriculture in
India and Rajasthan. Watershed, Moisture Conservation, Monsoon, Contingent crop
Planning. Agronomy of important crops. Weed biology and ecology. Herbicide
selectivity. Adjuvants.

Agriculture Statistics. Measurement of Central Tendency, Correlation, Regression,

Test of Significance, F & Chi Square test, Experimental designs, CRD, RBD, SPD.
Farm power and machinery

Soil fertility evaluation, nutrient recommendation. Formation and Management of

saline, saline sodic, sodic and acid soils. Micro-organisms in soils and their role.
Physical, Chemical and Biological properties of soil. Clay minerals, Soil reaction and
buffering capacity

Ornamental gardening, Vegetables- type of farming and classification. Raising of

seedling in nursery and portray. Cultivation of important vegetables. Propagation and
cultivation of important fruits of Rajasthan. Physiological disorders of important fruit
and vegetable crops. Seed spices production technology. Post harvest management of
horticultural crops. Introduction to forestry and hi-tech horticulture

Cell and cell division. Mendelian principles of heredity, Multiple alleles and blood
groups. Linkage, crossing over mechanisms, changes in chromosome, polygenes and
continuous variations, cytoplasmic inheritance, genetic material, modes of
reproduction and pollination, apomixis, self – incompatibility and male sterility,
domestication, acclimatization, introduction; centre of origin, Plant genetic resources,
its utilization and conservation. Variation – its causes and importance. Principles and
breeding methods of self & cross pollinated crops and vegetatively propagated crops,
Breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses, heterosis and inbreeding depression,
population improvement, polyploidy, mutation and mutation breeding, release and
notification of varieties, Patenting, PPV & FR Act 2001, Plant Breeders and Farmer’s
Rights. Seed technology, seed production of important crops of Rajasthan Minimum
seed certification standards. Seeds Act, Seeds Control Order.

Chemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and plant (phyto) hormones. Chemistry of

Nucleic acids and their functions. Outlines of metabolism of carbohydrate, lipid and
protein. General account of enzymes, coenzymes and secondary metaboliets. Brief out
lines of plant tissue culture and plant biotechnology. Molecular markers and their
application in Agriculture

Photosynthesis and photorespiration. Respiration. Physiology of flowering,

Photoperiodism. Physiology of growth, PGRs and their role. Seed development,
germination and dormancy.

Classification of economically important insects and mites upto family level. Study of
ecosystems and wild life preservation. Insect dominance. Concept and principles of
IPM, Components of IPM: Physical, mechanical, cultural, chemical (including novel
insecticide molecules), biological, legal and other modern approaches. Identification,
nature of damage, bionomics and management of insect-pests and mites of agricultural
importance. Lac culture, sericulture and apiculture.

Milestones in plant pathology and nematology. Terms and concepts of Plant

Pathology. General introduction to plant pathoganic organisms (Fungi, Bacteria,
Nematodes Virus, Viroids). Causes and classification of plant diseases. Classification
of plant pathoganic fungi, bacteria and nematodes. Morphology, growth, nutrition and
reproduction of fungi and bacteria. Phanerogamic parasites. Symptoms, etiology and
management of important diseases of major cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits,
vegetables, spices & cash crops. Fungicides and antibiotics for plant disease
management.

Meaning and definition of extension education, philosophy of extension, process of

extension education, basic concepts in extension (need, knowledge, attitude, skill,
behavior, objectives, rural leadership and motivation). Rural social institutions, caste,
family and social groups. Extension programmes in India. Teaching- learning process,
teaching methods, use of audio-visual aids in training & communication process.
Organizing trainings, front line demonstrations, field days, kisan mela, exhibition,
campaign. Writing reports, radio talks, news, writing of farm literature and scientific
information.
Meaning and scope of Economics. Basic concept: Goods and services, desire, want,
demand, utility, cost and price, wealth, capital, income and welfare. Agricultural
economics: meaning, definition, characteristics of agriculture, importance and its role
in economic development. Demand: meaning and definition, kinds of demand, law of
demand, demand schedule and demand curve, determinants of demand. Supply: Stock
v/s supply, law of supply, supply schedule, supply curve, determinants of supply.
Cost: Cost concepts, short run and long run cost curves. Concepts of rent, wage,
interest and profit. National income: Meaning and importance, concepts of national
income accounting and approaches to measurement. Tax: meaning, direct and indirect
taxes, agricultural taxation, GST. Credit needs and its role in Indian Agriculture.
Agricultural credit: meaning, definition and classification. 3R's, 5C's and 7P's of
credit. Sources of agricultural finance: institutional and non-institutional sources. An
introduction to higher financing institutions- RBI, NABARD, ADB, IMF, World
bank, Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation of India. Financial statements-
Balance Sheet and Income Statement. Meaning, concept and principles of farm
management. Law of returns and returns to scale. Farm business analysis. Importance
of farm records and accounts in managing a farm, farm inventory, balance sheet, profit
and loss accounts. Meaning and importance of farm planning and budgeting, Concept
of risk and uncertainty in agriculture production.

Classification of feeding stuff and computation of balance ration for various

categories of farm animals. Conservation of feeds and fodder-hay and silage. Puberty,
estrus cycle, pregnancy and parturition in farm animals. Milk secretion, composition,
milking methods in dairy animals. Factors affecting milk yield and composition in
farm animals. Breeding, feeding, housing and health management in livestock and
poultry. Basis and methods of selection in livestock and poultry. Hatching, brooding
and feeding management in poultry.

PART-III Post Graduation Level

Adverse climatic factors, Remote sensing, Herbicidal resistance, site specific nutrient
management, concept and importance of water shed management in dry land areas,
Good agronomic practices, Agro forestry systems, Effect of excess water on plant
growth and production, drought, measurement of irrigation water; irrigation
efficiencies, design of irrigation structures, Amelioration of salt affected soils.
Protected cultivations of vegetables and flowers, Role of PGR's in Horticulture,
Micropropagation, Ripening and Maturity indices of important vegetables and fruits;
Landscape, gardening and postharvest management of Flowers, dry land Horticulture.

Transgenic plants in relation to IPM. Exploitation of natural enemies in insect pest

management, Semiochemicals and newer molecules of insecticides, biopesticides.
Rearing of parasitoids and predators for inoculative and inundative release.

Major epidemics and their social impact. Edible fungi. General principles of plant
disease management and IDM.

Combining ability and nature of gene action, Denaturation and renaturation, Gene
amplification, Transposable genetic elements, Types/kinds of genes, Genomics and
proteomics, Gene regulation, allele mining and TILLING, Bioinformatics,
Nanotechnology, DNA sequencing, gene pyramiding, karyotyping, Alien addition and
substitution lines, Endomitosis, Balanced Lethals.

Pecularities of Agricultural Marketing. Marketed and Marketable surplus. Functions

of Agricultural Marketing. GST, e-NAM, Marketing efficiency, Regulated Markets.

Factors affecting productive and reproductive efficiency in livestock and poultry.

Selection and breeding of livestock and poultry for higher production. Constraints of
cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and camel production in Rajasthan. Management of
livestock and poultry under adverse climatic conditions. Economics of milk and egg
production. Common nutritional disorders in livestock and poultry.

Need assessment, benchmark survey and PRA technique. Programme planning &
evaluation, impact assessment.

Part – IV (Educational Psychology, Pedagogy, Teaching Learning Material, Use

of Computers and Information Technology in Teaching Learning)
I. Educational Psychology
 Concept, scope and functions of educational psychology.
 Physical, cognitive, social, emotional and moral developmental characteristics
of adolescent learner and its implication for teaching-learning.
 Behavioural, cognitive and constructivist principles of learning and its
implication for senior secondary students.
 Concept of mental health & adjustment and adjustment mechanism.
 Emotional intelligence and its implication in teaching learning.
II Pedagogy and Teaching Learning Material (Instructional Strategies for
Adolescent Learner)
 Communication skills and its use.
 Teaching models- advance organizer, concept attainment, information
processing, inquiry training.
 Preparation and use of teaching-learning material during teaching.
 Cooperative learning.
III Use of Computers and Information Technology in Teaching Learning
 Concept of ICT, hardware and software.
 System approach.
 Computer assisted learning, computer aided instruction

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For the competitive examination for the post of School Lecturer:-

1. The question paper will carry maximum 300 marks.

2. Duration of question paper will be Three Hours.
3. The question paper will carry 150 questions of multiple choices.
4. Negative marking shall be applicable in the evaluation of answers. For every wrong answer
one third of the marks prescribed for that particular question shall be deducted.
5. Paper shall include following subjects:-
(i) Knowledge of Subject Concerned: Senior Secondary Level
(ii) Knowledge of Subject Concerned: Graduation Level.
(iii) Knowledge of Subject Concerned: Post Graduation Level.
(iv) Educational Psychology, Pedagogy, Teaching Learning Material, Use of Computers and
Information Technology in Teaching Learning.

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