ICAR JRF 2025-2026 (01.CROP SCIENCES 01)

Eligibility

Bachelor's Degree in  Agriculture / Horticulture / Forestry

Exam Pattern

LAN based CBT (computer-based test) /150 minutes (2hrs 30 minutes)/Objective type (MCQ's) / 160 /4 for each correct response -1 for each incorrect response 0 for no- attempt / English only   

Sec.                                    No. of Ques.               Max. marks          

A (MCQ)                                 150                          600                                        

B (Match the following)           10                            50                              

   Total                                    160                           650

Syllabus

UNIT-I: Importance of Agriculture in national economy; basic principles of crop production; cultivation of rice, wheat, chickpea, pigeon-pea, sugarcane, groundnut, tomato, potato and mango. Major soils of India, role of NPK and their deficiency symptoms.
UNIT-II: Structure and function of cell organelles; mitosis and meiosis; Mendelian genetics; elementary knowledge of photosynthesis; respiration, and transpiration; structure and functions of carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes and vitamins. Major pests and diseases of rice, wheat, cotton, chickpea, sugarcane and their management.
UNIT-III: Characteristics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, differences between fungi, bacteria, mycoplasmas and viruses; physical and chemical basis of heredity; chromosome structure; genes/operon concept; protein biosynthesis; transformation, recombination, Heterosis; Elements of economic botany; integrated diseases management; sterilisation, disinfection and pasteurization; Koch’s postulates; etiological agents of rusts,
smuts, powdery/downy mildews, wilts, yellows, mosaic, necrosis, enations, blights and witches- broom; pH, buffer, vitamins, role of plant hormones in seed germination and dormancy; pollination/ fertilization in flowering plants; methods of seed testing; breeders, foundation and certified seeds; seed production in self and cross pollinated crops, nitrate assimilation; biological nitrogen fixation and other uses of microorganisms in agriculture.
UNIT-IV: Food and industry; composting and biogas production. Important rural development programmes in India; organizational set up of agricultural research, education and extension in India.