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Master’s degree in Veterinary/ Animal Sciences with specialization in Animal Nutrition.
"Two separate competitive written examinations (Computer Based Test + Written) followed by Viva-voce shall be conducted as per the following plan of examinations:-
Examination Max. Marks Duration
Preliminary-ARS 150 2 hours (Objective Type)
ARS – Main 240 3 hours (Descriptive Type)
Viva-voce 60 1/3 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer in ARS-2021 (Preliminary)
Examination (Objective Type). There will be no rounding off of fractions of marks. This is a qualifying examination and marks scored will not be counted for final selection. ARS-2021 (Mains) Examination Paper will have only one paper of 240 marks in the respective disciplines, to be attempted in 3 hours duration. The paper shall be divided in three parts A, B and C. Part ‘A’ will consist of 40 (forty) questions of 2 (two) marks each. In this 30 part, answers required will be of very short, not exceeding 10 (Ten) words at the most. Part ‘B’ will have 20 (twenty) questions of 5 (five) marks each requiring one or two paragraphs and/or graphic explanation. Part ‘C’ will have 6 (six) essay type or descriptive type questions. Each question will carry 10 (ten) marks and may have two or more parts. Answers are required to be written in the space provided below the question. In no case extra sheets will be provided. All questions in parts ‘A’ ‘B’ and ‘C’ will be compulsory.
Unit 1: Energy and Proteins
Nutritional significance of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Cell-wall fractionation. Available energy from organic nutrients. Partitioning of dietary energy. Basal metabolic rate. Energy retention. Factors affecting energy' utilization. Direct and indirect calorimetry. Dietary lipids - their c igestion, absorption and metabolism. Essential fatty acids. Effect of dietary fat on milk and body composition. Proteins - digestion, absorption and utilization. Com larative efficiency of amino acids as energy source. Essential and critical amino acids Protein evaluation. Metabolizable protein concept. Protein energy inter-relationship. Energetic of protein utilization for maintenance and different productive functions.
Unit 2: Minerals, Vitamins and Feed Additives Minerals
Classification of minerals, Physiological functions, Deficiency symptoms and toxicity - Inter-relationships - Synergism and antagonism - Requirements - Different sources and bio-availability - Role of chelated minerals. Vitamins: Physiological functions and co-cnzyme role - Deficiency symptoms, hyper-vitaminosis. Requirements, Sources and vitamin analogues - Antivitamins - Feed Additives: Nutritional role. Probiotics - Probiotics, phytochemicals other metabolic modifiers. Role of phyto-chemicals as growth promoters.
Unit 3: Rumen eco-system and functions
Rumen and its environment. Development of functional rumen. Digestion kinetics in reticulo-rumen. Role of rumen microbes, Significance of rumen fungi- Defaunation and transfaunation. Microbial fermentation in rumen. VFA production, inter-conversion and utilization. Dietary protein breakdown. Microbial protein synthesis. NPN compounds ar d their utilization. Ammonia toxicity - Role of slow release urea compounds. Manipulation of rumen fermentation. Bio-hydrogenation and utilization of dietary lipids. Methanogenesis and methane inhibitors.
Unit 4: Non-ruminant Nutrition
Comparative gastrointestinal physiology of monogastrics - digestion and metabolism of organic nutrients ir poultry and swine. Significance of minerals and vitamins in mono-gastrics. Inter relationship in nutrient sparing activity. Feeding systems. Role of feed additives - Factors affecting nutritional quality and performance. Special nutritional needs of rabbits, horses and companion animals.
Unit 5: Nutrient Requirements
Energy protein requirements for maintenance and productivity in ruminants and non-ruminants. Colostrum feeding of calf, mineral and vitamin requirements. Dry matter intake in relation to productivity. DM: water intake ratio. Palatability. Nutritional intake and energy density. Feeding standards - NRC, ARC, Kearl and Indian. Nutrient requirements under temperate and tropical environment. Feeding strategies during stress and natural calamities - Ration formulation - least cost rations.
Unit 6: Forage Conservation and Evaluation
Natural and cultivated forges-Their composition and nutritive values. Nutritive value Index. Forage quality evaluation in range animals -Role of indicator methods-Advances in silage and haymaking- Factors affecting quality of conserved forages- Quality criteria and grading of silage and hay under tropics-artificial drying of forages.
Unit 7: Feed Processing and Technology
Methods of feed processing - physical, chemical and biological effect of processing on nutritional quality and utilization. Pelleted and extruded feeds. Quality control of raw feedstuffs and finished feeds: Significance of BIS (standards). Handling and storage of raw and finished feeds. Methods to improve shelf life of fat rich feeds, By-products of newly introduced commercial crops including residues of genetically modified feeds. Alternative feed resources. Current approaches in enriching tropical feed resources - concept of total mixed ration and advances in complete diet formulation.
Unit 8: Anti-metabolites and Toxic Principles
Naturally occurring anti-nutritional factors and common toxins in feeds and forages. Methods of detoxification. Health hazards due to residual pesticides in feeds and forages - Environmental pollutants.
Unit 9: Elements of Research Methodology Principles of animal experimentation
Experimental designs in nutritional research. Modern methods of feed evaluation - In vitro, gas production and nylon bag techniques, Rumen simulation techniques - Rusitec Tracer techniques in nutrition research - Role of NIR Spectroscopy - Feed microscopy in quality evaluation of feedstuffs.
Unit 10: Clinical Nutrition
Role of nutrition to control digestive and metabolic disorders milk fever, ketosis, ruminal acidosis-laminitis, bloat), metabolic profile tests. Role of nutrition in immunity, nutrition and reproduction, nutrients as antioxidants. Role of nutrition in management of GI parasites.