I. Cell structure and function:
(a.) Prokaryote and eukaryote.
(b) Structure of animal cell, structure and functions of cell organelles.
(c) Cell cycle-mitosis, meiosis.
(d) Structure and contents of nucleus including nuclear membrane, structure of chromsome and gene, chemistry of genetic components.
(e) Mendels laws of inheritance, linkage and genetic recombination; cytoplasmic inheritance.
(f) Function of gene: replication, transcription and translation; mutations {spontaneous and artificial); Recombinant DNA: principle and application.
(g) Sex determination in Drosophila and man; sex linkage in man.

II. Systematics:
(a) Classification of non-chordates (up to sub-classes) and chordates (up to orders) giving general features and evolutionary relationship of the following phyla:
Protozoa, Porifera, Coelenterata, Platyhelminthes, Nematheliminthes, Annelida, Arthropoda, MoIIusca, Echinodermata, Minor Phyla (Bryozoa, Phoronida and Chaetognatha) and Hemichordata.

(b) Structure reproduction and life history of the following types: Amoeba, Monocystis, Plasmodium, Paramaecium, Sycon, Hydra, Obelia, Fasciola, Taenia, Ascaris, Neanthes, Pheretima, Hirudinia, Palaemon, Buthus, Periplaneta, Lamellidens, Pila, Asterias and Balanogtossus.

(c) Classification of chordates (up to orders), giving general features and evolutionary relationship of the following:
Protochordata; Agnatha; Gnathostomata-Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves and Mammalia.

(d) Comparative functional anatomy of the following based on type animals (Scoliodon, Rana, Calotes, Columha and Oryctolagus): integrument and its derivatives, endoskeleton, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system including heart and aortic arches, urinogenital system; brain and sense organs (eye and ear); endocrine glands and other hormone producing structures, (Pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, gonads) their function.

III. Vertebrate Physiology and Biochemistry:
(a) Chemical composition of protoplasm; nature and function of enzymes; vitamins, their sources and role; colloids and hydrogen ion concentration; biological oxidation, electron transport and role of ATP, energetics, glycolysis, citric acid cycle; vertebrate hormones: their type, sources and functions; pheromones and their role.
(b) Neuron and nerve impulse-conduction and transmission across synapses; neurotrasmitters and their role, including acetyl cholinesterase activity.
(c) Homeostasis; osmoregulation; active transport and ion pump.
(d) Composition of carbohydrates, fats, lipids and proteins; steroids.

IV. Embryology:
(a) Gametogenesis, fertilization, cleavage; gastrulation in frog and chick
(b) Metamorphosis in frog and retrogressive metamorphosis in ascidian; extra-embryonic membranes in chick and mammal; placentation in mammals; Biogenetic law.

V. Evolution:
(a) Origin of life; principles, theories and evidences of evolution; species concept.
(b) Zoogeographical realms, insular fauna; geological eras.
(c) Evolution of man; evolutionary status of man..

VI. Ecology, Wildlife and Ethology:
(a) Abiotic and biotic factors; concept of ecosystem, food chain and energy flow; adaptation of aquatic, terrestrial and aerial fauna; intra-and inter¬specific animal relationships; environmental pollution: Types, sources, causes, control and prevention.
(b) Wildlife of India; endangered species of India; sanctuaries and national parks of India.
(c) Biological rhythms.

VII. Economic Zoology:
(a) Beneficial and harmful insects including insect vectors of human diseases.
(b) Industrial fish, prawn and molluscs of India.
(c) Non-poisonous and poisonous snakes of India.
(d) Venomous animals-centipede, wasp, honey bee.
(e) Diseases caused by aberrant chromosomes/genes in man; genetic counselling; DNA as a tool for forensic investigation.

The main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates rather than merely the range of their information and memory.

The scope of the syllabus for the optional subject papers for the examination is broadly of the honours degree level i.e. a level higher than the bachelors degree and lower than the masters degree! In the case of Engineering and law, the level corresponds to the bachelors degree.

Compulsory Subjects
English And Indian Languages

The aim of the paper is to test the candidates ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express his ideas clearly and correctly, in-English/Indian language concerned.

The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows:-
(i) Comprehension of given passages.
(li) Precis Writing.
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essav.

Indian Languages-
(i) Comprehension of given passages.
(li) Precis Writing
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essay.
(v) Translation from English to the Indian language and vice-versa.

Note l: The Papers on Indian languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of qualifying nature only. The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.

Note 2: The candidates will have to answer the English and Indian Languages papers in English and the respective Indian Language (except where translation is involved).

Essay
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.

Total number of questions in the question papers of optional subjects will be eight. All questions will earn equal marks. Each paper will be divided into two parts, viz. Part A and Part B, each part containing four questions. Out of eight questions, five questions are tobe attempted.

One question in each part will be compulsory. Candidates will be required to answer three more questions out of the remaining six questions, taking at least one question from each part. In this way, at least two questions will be attempted from each part i.e. one compulsory question plus one more.

Ecology and its relevance to man, 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.

Cropping pattern in different agro-climatic zones of the country. Impact of high-yielding and short duration varieties on shifts in cropping patterns. Concepts of multiple cropping, multistorey, relay and inter-cropping and their importance in relation to food production. Package of practices for production of important cereals, pulses, oil seeds, fibres, sugar and commercial and fodder crops grown during Kharif and Rabi seasons in different regions of the country.

Important features, scope and propagation of various types of forestry plantations, such as extension, social forestry, agro-forestry and natural , forests.

Weeds, their characteristics, dissemination and association with various crops; their multiplications; cultural, biological and chemical control of weeds.

Soil - physical, chemical and biologicai properties. Processes and factors of soil formation. Modern classification of Indian soils, Mineral and organic constituents of 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 reclamation methods.

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 of stabilising agriculture production in rainfed agriculture area.

Water use efficiency in relation to crop production, criteria for scheduling irrigations, ways and means of reducing run-off losses of irrigation water. Drip and sprinkler irrigation. Drainage of water-iogged soils, quality of irrigation water, effect of industrial effluents on soil and water pollution.

Farm management, scope, importance and characteristics, farm planning. Optimum resources use and budgeting. Economics of different types of farming systems.

Marketing and pricing of agricultural inputs and outputs, price fluctuations and their cost; role of co-operatives in agricultural economy; types and systems of farming and factors, affecting them.
Agricultural extension, its importance and role, methods of evaluation of extension programmes, socio-economics survey and status of big, small and marginal farmers and landless agricultural labourers; farm mechanization and its role in agricultural production .and rural employment. Training programmes for extension workers; lab-to-land programmes.

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1 Animal Nutrition - Energy sources, energy metabolism and requirements for maintenance and production of milk, meat, eggs and wool. Evaluation of feeds as sources of energy.

1.1 . Trends in protein nutrition: sources of protein metabolism and synthesis, protein quantity and quality in relation to requirements. Energy protein ratios in ration.

1.2 Minerals in animal diet: Sources, functions, requirements and their relationship of the basic minerals nutrients including trace elements.

1.3 Vitamins, Hormones and Growth Stimulating, substances: Sources, functions, requirements and inter-relationship with minerals.

1.4 Advances in Ruminant Nutrition - Dairy Cattle: Nutrients and their metabolism with reference to milk production and its composition. Nutrient requirements for calves, heifers, dry and milking cows and buffaloes. Limitations of various feeding systems.

1.5 Advances in Non-Ruminant Nutrition-Poultry-Nutrients and their metabolism with reference to poultry, meat and egg production, Nutrients requirements and feed formulation and broilers at different ages.

1.6 Advances in Non-Ruminant Nutrition-Swine-Nutrients and their metabolism with special reference to growth and quality of meat production. Nutrient requirement and feed formulation for baby-growing and finishing pigs.

1.7 Advances in Applied Animal Nutrition - A critical review and evaluation of feeding experiments, digestibility and balance studies. Feeding standards and measures of food energy. Nutrition requirements for growth, maintenance and production. Balanced rations.

2 Animal Physiology
2.1 Growth and Animal Production: Prenatal and postnatal growth, maturation, growth curves, measures of growth, factors affecting growth, conformation, body composition, meat quality.

2.2 Milk Production and Reproduction and Digestion: Current status of hormonal control of mammary development, milk secretion and milk ejection. Male and Female reproduction organ, their components and function. Digestive organs and their functions.

2.3 Environmental Physiology: Physiological relations and their regulation; mechanisms of adaption environmental factors and regulatory mechanism involved in animal behaviour, methods of controlling climatic stress.

2.4 Semen quality: Preservation and Artificial Insemination-Components of semen, composition of spermatozoe, chemical and physical properties of ejaculated semen, factors affecting semen in vivo and in vitro. Factors affecting semen production and quality preservation, composition of diluents, sperm concentration, transport of diluted semen. Deep Freezing techniques in cows, sheep and goats, swin and poultry. Detection of oestrus and time of insemination for better conception.

3. Livestock Production and Management:
3.1 Cominercial Dairy Farming-Comparison of dairy farming in India with advanced countries. Dairying under mixed farming and as a specialised farming, economic dairy farming, Starting of dairy farm. Capital and land requirement, organisation of,- the dairy farm.
Procurement of goods; opportunities in dairy .farming, factors determining the efficiency of dairy animal, Herd recording, budgeting, cost of milk production; pricing policy; Personnel Management. Developing Practical and Economic ration for dairy -cattle; supply of greens throughout the year, field and fodder requirements of Dairy Farm, Feeding regimes for day and young stock and bulls, heifers and breeding animals, new trends in feeding young and adult stock; Feeding records.

3.2 Commercial meat, egg and wool production: Development of practical and economic rations for sheep, goats pigs, rabbits and poultry. Supply of greens, fodder, feeding regimens for young and mature stock. New trends in enhancing production and management. Capital and land requirements and socio-economic concept.

3.3 Feeding and management of animals under drought, flood and other natural calamities.

4. Genetics and Animal Breeding: Mitosis and Meiosis; Mendelian inheritance; deviations to Mendelian genetics; Expression of genes; Linkage and crossing over; Sex determination, sex influenced and sex limited characters; Blood groups and polymorphism; Chromosome aberrations; Gene and its structure; DNA as a genetic material; Genetic code and protein synthesis; Recombinant DNA technology, Mutations, types of mutations, methods for detecting mutations and mutation rate.

4.1 Population Genetics Applied to Animal Breeding: Quantitative Vs. qualitative traits; Hardy VVeinberg Law; Population Vs. individual; Gene and genotypic frequency; Forces changing gene frequency; Random drift and small populations; Theory of path coefficient; inbreeding, methods of estimating inbreeding coefficient, systems of inbreeding; Effective population size; Breeding value, estimation of breeding value, dominance and cpistatic deviation; partitioning of variation; Genotype X environment correlation and genotype X environment interaction; Role of multiple measurements; Resemblance between relatives.

4.2 Breeding System: Heritability, repeatability and genetic and phenotypic correlations, their methods of estimation and precision of estimates; Aids to selection and their relative merits; Individual, pedigree, family and within family selection; Progeny testing; Methods of selection; Construction of selection indices and their uses; Comparative evaluation of genetic gains through various selection methods; Indirect selection and Correlated response; Inbreeding, upgrading, cross-breeding and synthesis of breeds; Crossing of inbred lines for commercial production; Selection for general and specific combining ability; Breeding for threshold character.

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1.1 Meaning and scope Anthropology

1.2 Relationship with other disciplines: History, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Life Science, Medical Science.

1.3 Main branches of Anthropology, their scope and relevance
a) Social-cultural Anthropology
b) Physical and biological Anthropology
c) Archaeological Anthropology

1.4 Human Evolution and emergence of Man.
Organic Evolution - Theories of evolution in historical perspective, pre-Darwinian, Darwinian and Post- Darwinian period. Modern synthetic theory of evolution; brief outline of terms and concepts of evolutionary biology (Dolls rule, Copes rule, Gauses rule, Parallelism, convergence, adaptive radiation, mosaic evolution); Principles of systematic and taxonomy, major primate taxa, tertiary and quaternary fossil primates, Systematics of Hominoidea and Hominidae, Origin and evolution of man- Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.

1.5 Phylogenetic status, characteristics and distribution of the following:
a) Prepleistocence fossil primates-Orwpithecus.
b) South and East African hominids-Plesianthropus Australopithecus Africaus, Paranthropus, Australopithecus.
c) Paranthropus-Homo erectus-Homo erectus javanicus, Homo erectus pekinensis.
d) Homo Heidelbergensis.
e) Neanderthal man-La-chapelle-aus-saints (Classical type), rnt. Carmelites types (Progressive type).
f) Rhodesian man
g) Homo sapiens-Cro Magnon, Grimaldi, Chancelede.
Recent advances in understanding the evolution, distribution and multidisciplinary approach to understand a fossil type in relation to others.

1.6 Evolutionary trend and classification of the order Primates, Relationship with other mammals, molecular evolution of Primates, Comparative anatomy of man and apes, primate locomotion; terrestrial and arboreal adaptation, skeletal changes due to erect posture and its implications

1.7 Cultural Evolution-broad outlines of pre-historic cultures:
a) Paleolithic
b) Mesolithic
c) Neolithic
d) Chalcolithic
e) Copper-Bronze age
f) Iron age

2.1 Family- definition and typology of family, household and domestic groups. Basic structure and functions; stability and changes in family-Typological and processual approaches to the study of family, Impact of urbanization, industrialization, education and feminist movements. Universality of family- a critique.

2.2 Concept of kinship: Definition of kin, incest prohibition exogamy and endogamy- Principles of descent-types and functions. Political and jural aspects of kinship. Unilineal, bilateral and double descent. Descent, filiation and complementary filiation. Kinship terminology, typology and approaches to the study of terminology Alliance and descent.

2.3 Marriage- Definitions, types and variation of marriage systems. Debates on the universal definition of marriage. Regulation of marriage-preferential, prescriptive, proscriptive and open systems. Types and form of marriage Dowry, bride-price, pestation and marriage Dowry, bride price, pestation and marriage stability.

3.1 Study of culture, patterns and processes. Concept of culture, patterns of culture, relationships between culture and civilization and society.

3.2 Concept of Social Change and Cultural Change:

3.3 Social structure and social organization, Role-analysis and social network, institutions, groups community. Social stratifications: principles and form, status, class and power, gender. Nature and types of mobility.

3.4 Concept of Society.

3.5 Approaches to the study of culture and society-classical evolutionism, neo-evolutionism, culture ecology, historical particularism and diffusionism, structural-functionalism, culture and personality, transactions-alism, symbolism, cognitive approach and new ethnography, post structuralism and post modernism.

4.1 Definitions and functions of religion. Anthropological approaches to the study of religion-evolutionary, psychological and functional. Magic, witchcraft and sorcery; definitions and functions and functionaries: priest, saman, medicine man and sorcerers. Symbolism in religion and rituals. Ethnomedicine. Myths and rituals: definitions and approaches to their study-structural, functional and processual Relation with economic and political structures.

5.1 Meaning, scope and relevance, principles governing productions, distribution and consumption in communities subsisting on hunting-gathering, fishing, pastoralism, horticulture and other economic pursuits. Formalist and substantivist debate-Dalton, karlpolyanny and Marx approach and New Economic Anthropology. Exchange: Gifts, barter, trade, ceremonjal exchange .and market economy.

5.2 Theoretical foundations. Types of political organisations-band, tribe, chiefdom, state, concept of power, authority and legitimacy. Social control, law and justice in tribal and peasant societies.

6.1 Concepts of developmental anthropological perspective. Models of development. Critiques of classical developmental theories. Concepts of planning and planned development. Concepts of participatory development. Culture ecology and sustainable development. Displacement and rehabilitation.

7.1 Concept of research in anthropology, subjectivity and reflexivity in terms of gender class, ideology and ethics. Distinction between methodology, methods and techniques. Nature and explanation in anthropological research. Positivistics and non-positivistic approaches. Comparative methods; nature, purpose and methods of comparison in social and cultural anthropology. Basic techniques of data collection. Interview, participant and other forms of observation, schedules, questionnaire, case-study methods, extended case study methods, life histories and secondary sources, oral history, genealogical method, participatory, learning and assessment (PLA). Participatory rapid assessment (PRA). Analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.

8.1 Concept, scope and major branches of human genetics. Its relationship with other branches of science and medicine.

8.2 Method for study of genetic principles in man-family study (pedigree analysis, twin study, foster child, co-twin method, cytogenetic method, chromosomal and karyotype analysis), biochemical methods, immunological methods, D.N.A. technology and recombinant technologies.

8.3 Twin study method-zygosity, heritability estimates, present status of the twin study method and its applications.

8.4 Mendelian genetics in man-family study, single factor, multifactor, lethal, sub-lethal, and polygenic inheritance in man.

8.5 Concept of genetic polymorphism and selection, Mendelian population, Hardy-Weinberg law; causes and changes which bring down frequency-mutation, isolation, migration, selection, inbreeding and genetic drift. Consanguineous and non-consangumeous mating, genetic load, genetic effect of consanguineous and cousin marriages (statistical and probability methods for study of human genetics).

8.6 Chromosomes and chromosomal aberrations in man, methodology.
a) Numerical and structural aberrations (disorders)
b) Sex chromosomal aberrations Klinefelter (XXY), Turner (XO), Super female (XXX), intersex, and other syndromic disorders.
c) Autosomal aberrations-Down syndrome, Patau, Edward and Cri-du-chat syndromes.
d) Genetic imprints in human disease, genetic screening, genetic counselling, human DNA profiling, gene mapping and genome study.

8.7 Concept of race in historical and biological perspective. Race and racism, biological basis of morphological variation of non-metric and metric characters. Racial criteria, racial traits in relation to heredity and environment; biological basis of racial-classifications, racial differentiation and race-crossing in man.

8.8 Ethnic groups of mankind-characteristics and distributions in world, racia! classification of human groups. Principal living peoples of world. Their distribution and characteristics.

8.9 Age, sex and population variation in genetic marker-ABO, Rh blood groups, HLA, Hp, transferring, Gm, blood enzymes. Physiological characteristics-Hb level, body fat, pulse fate, respiratory functions and sensory perceptions in different cultural and socio-economic groups. Impact of smoking air pollution, alcoholism, drugs and occupational hazards on health.

9.1 Concepts and Methods of Ecological Anthropology. Adaptation-social and cultural Deterministic thcories-a critique. Resources-biological and sustainable development. Biological additional-climatic, environmental, nutritional and genetic.

10.1 Relevance in understanding of contemporary society. Dynamics of ethnicity at rural, tribal, urban and international levels. Ethnic conflicts and political developments. Concept of ethnic boundaries. Ethnicity and concept of nation state.

11.1 Concept of human growth and development-stages of growth-prenatal, natal, infant, childhood, adolescence, maturity, senescence. Factors affecting growth and development genetic, environmental, biochemical, nutritional, cultural and socioeconomic. Ageing and senescence. Theories and observations-biological and chronological longevity. Human physique and somatotypes. Methodologies for growth studies.

12.1 Reproductive biology, Demography and population study. Reproductive physiology of male and female. Biological aspects of human fertility. Relevance of menarche, menopause and other bioevents to fertility. Fertility patterns and differentials.

12.2 Demographic Theory-biological, social and cultural.
12.3 Demographic Methods-census, registration system, sample methods, duel reporting system.
12-4 Population structures and population dynamics.
12.5 Demographic rates and ratios, life table-structure and utility.
12.6 Biological and socio-ecological factors influencing fecundity, fertility, natality and mortality.
12.7 Methods of studying population growth.
12.8 Biological consequences of population control and family welfare.
13.1 Anthropology of sports.
13.2 Nutritional Anthropology.
13.3 Anthropology in designing of defence and other equipments
13.4 Forensic Anthropology.
13.5 Methods and principles of personal identification and reconstruction.
13.6 Applied human gene tics-Paternity diagnosis genetic counselling and eugenics.
13.7 DNA technology-prevention and cure of diseases.
13.8 Anthropo-genetics in medicine.
13.9 Serogenetics and cytogenetics in reproductive biology.
13.10 Application of statistical principles in human genetics and Physical Anthropology.

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1. Microbiology and Plant Pathology: Viruses, bacteria, and plasmids -structure and reproduction. General account of infection, Phytoimmunology. Applications of microbiology in agriculture, industry, medicine and pollution control in air, soil and water.

Important plant diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma, fungi and nematodes. Mode of infection and dissemination. Molecular basis of infection and disease resistance/defence. Physiology of parasitism and control measures. Fungal toxins.

2. Cryptograms: Algae, Fungi, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes-structure and reproduction from evolutionary viewpoint. Distribution of Cryptograms in India and their economic potential.

3. Phanerogams: Gymnosperms: Concept of Progy mo no sperms. Classification and distribution of Gymnosperms. Salient features of Cycadales, Coniferales and Gnetales, their structures and eproduction.
General account of Cycadofilicales, Bennettitales and Cordatitales.

Angiosperms: Systematics, anatomy, embryology, palynology and phylogeny.

Comparative account of various systems of Angiosperm Classification.
Study of angiospermic families - Magnoliaceae, Ranunculaceae, Brassicaceae (Cruci-ferae), Rosaceae, Leguminosae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceaie, Depterocarpaceae, Apiaceae (Umbellifeare), Asclepiadaceae,
Verbenaceae, Solanaceae, Rubiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Assteraceae (Composite), Poaceae (Gramineae), Arecaeae (Palmae), Liliaceae, Musaceae, Orchidaceae.

Stomata and their types. Anomalous secondary growth, Anatomy of C 3 and C 4 plants.

Development of male and female gametophy tes, Pollination, fertilization.
Endosperm-its development and function. Patterns of embryo development. Polyembryony, apoximix. Applications of palynoiogy.

4. Plant Utility and Exploitation: Origin of cultivated plants, Vavilovs centres of origin. Plants as sources for food, fodder, fibbers, spices, beverages, drugs, narcotics, insecticides, timber, gums, resins and dyes. Latex, cellulose Starch and their products. Perfumery. Importance of EthnoBotany in Indian context. Energy plantation. Botanical Gardens and Herbaria.

5. Morphogenesis: Totipotency, polarity, symmetry and differentiation. Cell, tissue, organ and protoplast culture. Somatic hybrids and Cybrids.

Cell Bit logy: Techniques of Cell Biology Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells -structural and ultarastructural details. Structure and functions of extracellar matrix or ECM (cell wall) and membranes-cell adhesion, membrane transport and vesicular transport. Structure and function of cell organelles (chloroplasts, mitochondria, ER, ribosomes, endosomes, lysosomes, Peroxisomes, hydrogenosome). Nucleus, nucleolus, nuclear pore complex. Chromatin and nucleosome. Cell signalling and cell receptors. Signal transduction (G-l proteins, etc). Mitosis and meiosis; molecular basis of cell cycle. Numerical and structural variations in chromosomes and their significance. Study of polytence. Study of polytene, Iampbrush and B-chromosomes-structure, behaviour and significance.

2. Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution: Development of genetics, and gene versus allele cpncepts (Pseudoalleles). Quantitative genetics and multiple factors. Linkage and crossing over-methods of gene mapping including molecular maps (idea of mapping function). Sex chromosomes and sex-linked inheritance sex determination and molecular basis of sex differentiation. Mutation (biochemical and molecular basis). Cytoplasmic inheritance and cytoplasmic genes (including genetics of male sterility). Prions and prion hypothesis.

Structure and synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins. Genetic code and regulation of gene expression. Muitigene families.

Organic evolution-evidences, mechanism and theories. Role of RNA in origin and evolution.

3. Plant Breeding, Biotechnology and Biostatistics: Methods of plant breeding-introduction, selection and hybridization (pedigree, backcross, mass selection, bulk method). Male sterility and heterosis breeding. Use of apomixis in plant breeding. Micropropagation and genetic engineering-methods of transfer of genes and transgenic crops; development and use of molecular markers in plant breeding.

Standard deviation and coefficient of variation (CV). Tests of significance (Z-test, t-test and chi-square tests). Probability and distributions (normal, binomial and Poisson distributions). Correlation and regression.

4. Physiology and Biochemistry: Water relations, Mineral nutrition and ion transport, mineral deficiencies. Photosynthesis-photochemical reactions. Photophosphorylation and carbon pathways including C pathway (photorespiration), C, C and CAM path ways. Respiration (anaerobic and aerobic, including fermentation-electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation. Chemiosmotic theory and ATP synthesis. Nitrogen fixation and nitrogen metabolism. Enzymes, co-enzymes, energy transfer and energy conservation. Importance of secondary metabolites. Pigments as photo receptors (plastidial pigments and phytochrome). Photoperiodism and flowering, vernalization, senescence.

Growth substances-their chemical nature, role and applications in agri-horticuiture, growth indices, growth movements. Stress physiology (heat, water, salinity, metal). Fruitand seed physiology. Dormancy, storage and germination of seed. Fruit ripening-its molecular basis and manipulation.

5. Ecology and Plant Geography: Ecological factors. Concepts and dynamics of community. Plant succession. Concepts of biosphere. Ecosystems and their conservation. Pollution and its control (including phytoremediation).

Forest types of India-afforestation, deforestation and social forestry. Endangered plants, endemism and Red Data Books. Biodiversity. Convention of Biological Diversity, Sovereign Rights and Intellectual Property Rights. Biogeochemical cycles. Global warming.