Analyzing UPSC IFS Mains: Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper and Exam Insights

PWOnlyIAS November 28, 2023 06:37 4831 0

The significance of the Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper in UPSC IFS Mains, its structure, success rates, and trends. Learn about its pros and cons, providing insights to help candidates make informed choices and excel in the examination.

Analyzing UPSC IFS Mains: Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper and Exam Insights

UPSC IFS Mains Exam: Significance of Agricultural Engineering Optional paper

The UPSC IFS mains consist of a total of six papers with a total of 1400 marks. The IFS Mains examination includes two papers: one on English and one on General Knowledge. The remaining four papers (Paper I, Paper II, Paper III and Paper IV) cover optional subjects that candidates have chosen during the application form filling process. Since Paper I and Paper II have a maximum of 300 marks each, the remaining 800 marks depend on the optional subjects. It becomes crucial to choose the right optional subject and employ the right strategy so that candidates can score as much as possible. First, we will explore the importance and weightage of optionals, and then we will analyze Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper.

 

Download IFS 2023 Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper-01
Download IFS 2023 Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper-02

 

Importance of Optional Subject: Crucial Role of Optionals in UPSC IFS Mains

In UPSC IFS mains examination candidates have to choose two optional subjects from the list specified in the notification unlike UPSC IAS mains exam in which candidate has to choose only one optional subject. In IFS exam optional subjects have very high scoring potential because after Paper I and Paper II which consist of  600 marks optional have 800 marks so here optional plays a decisive role in determining your selection as well as to achieve a good rank.

Agricultural Engineering Optional paper

It is evident that in the entire selection process, the optional subject plays a crucial role in preparing for the UPSC IFS exam, as it accounts for almost 48% of the total marks. This substantial portion contributes significantly to the overall evaluation of the entire exam.

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Agricultural Engineering Optional paper

Upon further magnification, we can conclude that in the IFS mains examination, the optional section carries almost 58% of the total mains marks. Therefore, scoring well in the optional section, along with Paper I and Paper II, will result in higher overall marks in the exam.

UPSC IFS Optional Paper Format: A Comprehensive Guide to Format and Strategy

  • Optional Subjects (Papers III, IV, V and VI): UPSC IFS Optional Paper Structure and Strategy
    • Candidates have the flexibility to choose optional subjects based on their preferences and expertise. 
    • These selections play an important role in Papers III,IV,V and VI shaping the content and focus of these segments.
    • Understanding each paper and how optional subjects fit in helps you get ready for the UPSC IFS Mains Exam.
    • Total number of questions in the question papers of optional subjects will be eight. 
    • Every question alloted equal marks. Each paper will be divided into two parts, Part A and Part B, each part containing four questions
    • Out of eight questions, five questions are to be 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.

UPSC IFS Mains Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper: Papers I and II

In the UPSC IFS Mains exam, Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper consists of two papers, specifically Paper I and Paper II. Each of these papers carries a weightage of 200 marks, summing up to a total of 400 marks for this optional subject. Among the various optional subjects offered by UPSC in IFS, Agricultural Engineering is one of the 14 optional subjects available to candidates.

Agricultural Engineering Syllabus
Paper I Soil and Water Conservation

Scope of soil and water conservation. Mechanics and types of erosion, their causes. Mechanics and types of erosion, their causes. Rainfall, runoff and sedimentation relationships and their measurement. Soil erosion control measures – biological and engineering including stream bank protectionvegetative barriers, contour bunds, contour trenches, contour stone walls, contour ditches, terraces, outlets and grassed waterways. Gully control structures – temporary and permanent – design of permanent soil conservation structures such as chute, drop and drop inlet spillways. Design of farm ponds and percolation ponds. Principles of flood control-flood routing. Watershed Management – investigation, planning and implementation – selection of priority areas and water shed work plan, water harvesting and moisture conservation. Land development – leveling, estimation of earth volumes and costing. Wind Erosion process – design for shelter belts and wind brakes and their management. Forest (Conservation) Act.

Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing : 

Basic characteristics of photographic images, interpretation keys, equipment for interpretation, imagery interpretation for land use, geology, soil and forestry. Remote sensing – merits and demerits of conventional and remote sensing approaches. Types of satellite images, fundamentals of satellite image interpretation, techniques of visual and digital interpretations for soil, water and land use management. Use of GIS in planning and development of watersheds, forests including forest cover, water resources etc.  

Irrigation and Drainage

Sources of water for irrigation. Planning and design of minor irrigation projects. Techniques of measuring soil moisture – laboratory and in situ, Soil-water plant relationships. Water requirement of crops. Planning conjunctive use of surface and ground water. Measurement of irrigation water, measuring devices – orifices, weirs and flumes. Methods of irrigation – surface, sprinkler and drip, fertigation. Irrigation efficiencies and their estimation. Design and construction of canals, field channels, underground pipelines, head-gates, diversion boxes and structures for road crossing. Occurrence of ground water, hydraulics of wells, types of wells (tube wells and open wells) and their construction. Well development and testing. Pumps-types, selection and installation. Rehabilitation of sick and failed wells. Drainage causes of water logging and salt problem. Methods of drainage- drainage of irrigated and unirrigated lands, design of surface, sub-surface and vertical drainage systems. Improvement and utilization of poor quality water. Reclamation of saline and alkali soils. Economics of irrigation and drainage systems. Use of waste water for irrigation – standards of waste water for sustained irrigation, feasibility and economics.

Agricultural Structures

Site selection, design and construction of farmstead – farm house, cattle shed, dairy bam, poultry shed, hog housing, machinery and implement shed, storage structures for food grains, feed and forage. Design and construction of fences and farm roads. Structures for plant environment – green houses, poly houses and shade houses. Common building materials used in construction – timber, brick, stone, tiles, concrete etc and their properties. Water supply, drainage and sanitation system. 

Paper II Farm Power and Machinery

Agricultural mechanization and its scope. Sources of farm power – animate and electro-mechanical. Thermodynamics, construction and working of internal combustion engines. Fuel, ignition, lubrication, cooling and governing system of IC engines. Different types of tractors and power tillers. Power transmission, ground drive, power take off (p.t.o.) and control systems. Operation and maintenance of farm machinery for primary and secondary tillage. Traction theory. Sowing transplanting and interculture implements and tools. Plant protection equipment – spraying and dusting. Harvesting, threshing and combining equipment. Machinery for earth moving and land development – methods and cost estimation. Ergonomics of man-machine system. Machinery for horticulture and agro-forestry, feeds and forages. Haulage of agricultural and forest produce.

Agro-energy

Energy requirements of agricultural operations and agro-processing. Selection, installation, safety and maintenance of electric motors for agricultural applications. Solar (thermal and photovoltoic), wind and bio-gas energy and their utilization in agriculture. Gasification of biomass for running IC engines and for electric power generation. Energy efficient cooking stoves and alternate cooking fuels. Distribution of electricity for agricultural and agro-industrial applications. Section B

Agricultural Process Engineering

Post harvest technology of crops and its scope. Engineering properties of agricultural produces and by-products. Unit operations – clearing grading, size reduction, densification, concentration, drying/dehydration, evaporation, filtration, freezing and packaging of agricultural produces and byproducts. Material handling equipment belt and screw conveyors, bucket elevators, their capacity and power requirement. Processing of milk and dairy products – homogenization, cream separation, pasteurization, sterilization, spray and roller drying, butter making, ice cream, cheese and shrikhand manufacture. Waste and by-product utilization – rice husk, rice bran, sugarcane bagasse, plant residues and coir pith.

Instrumentation and computer applications in Agricultural Engineering : Electronic devices and their characteristics-rectifiers, amplifiers, oscillators, multivibrators. Digital circuits – sequential and combinational system. Application of microprocessors in data acquisition and control of agricultural engineering process measurement systems for level, flow, strain, force, torque, power, pressure, vacuum and temperature. Computers – introduction, input/output devices, central processing unit, memory devices, operating systems, processors, keyboards and printers. Algorithms, flowchart specification, programme translation and problem analysis in Agricultural Engineering. Multimedia and Audio-Visual aids. 

 

UPSC IFS Agricultural Engineering Optional Papers (2018-2022): Download  PDF

UPSC Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper from 2018 to 2022 are readily available for aspirants seeking to enhance their preparation. We provided access to the UPSC IFS Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper in PDF format, an invaluable resource for your preparation.

Year  Paper 
UPSC IFS Agricultural Engineering Question Paper  2018 Paper I

Paper II

UPSC IFS Agricultural Engineering Question Paper 2019 Paper I

Paper II

UPSC IFS Agricultural Engineering Question Paper 2020 Paper I

Paper II

UPSC IFS Agricultural Engineering Question Paper 2021 Paper I

Paper II

UPSC IFS Agricultural Engineering Question Paper 2022 Paper I

Paper II

 

UPSC IFS Mains Agricultural Engineering Exam 2023 Overview: Strategic Insights

Candidates appearing for the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) IFS examination must make a thoughtful choice when selecting their optional subject, as it holds substantial weightage in the evaluation process. With a total of 800 marks allotted, the optional subject constitutes approximately 48% of the combined marks for both the written exam and the personality test. 

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Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper Success Rate in IFS Exam: Insights

The table below offers a comprehensive overview of the success rate achieved by candidates who opted for Agricultural Engineering as their optional.

Year Number of Candidates
Appeared in Interview Recommended Passing (%)
2015 18 8 44.4
2016 19 9 47.4
2017 31 15 48.4
2018 34 13 38.2
2019 36 10 27.8
2020 49 24 49

Agricultural Engineering Optional paper

Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper: Trend Analysis and Success Strategies

By examining the past papers of the Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper, we can identify a trend in the types of questions asked. There is also a noticeable shift in the themes of the questions. Understanding the UPSC IFS Agricultural Engineering Question Paper Trend Analysis is advantageous, as it allows candidates to streamline their preparation effectively and enhance their performance in this optional subject.

  • Agricultural Engineering Exam Trends: Deeper Knowledge Demands Ahead
    • Recent Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper demanding the deep and diversified knowledge of subjects. So, the coming exam will test candidates’ depth of knowledge, particularly in various topics.
  • Influence of Previous Year Papers: Leveraging Past Papers for Exam Success
    • Many questions are indirectly related to topics previously asked in the preceding years. Therefore, solving questions from previous years will undoubtedly help candidates score well.
  • Current Affairs Impact on Optional Papers: Key to Mastering Optional Papers
    • In recent years, questions have been posed with relevance to current affairs topics. Therefore, candidates should prepare topics while keeping their relevance to current affairs in mind.
  • Back to the Basics Approach: Success with Simplicity
    • In past Agricultural Engineering optional papers, questions haven’t been excessively difficult or beyond the syllabus. Candidates can score well if they have a command over the syllabus and a clear understanding of the subject’s basic fundamentals.

Agricultural Engineering as Optional: Pros for UPSC IFS Success

  • Direct alignment with the IFS Officer’s profile- Agricultural engineering is directly related to the management of environment and forest. Choosing Agricultural engineering makes candidates familiar with the knowledge and skills that can be applied in managing natural resources, agroforestry, and sustainable land use.
  • Less popular- Agriculture Engineering is a less popular optional subject than some of the other options, so candidates will face fewer competitors. This could give you an advantage in the exam.
  • High scoring potential: This subject is considered to be a scoring subject which means that a candidate can get high marks if you are prepared well.
  • Alignment with other subjects: There is some similarity between Agriculture Engineering and other subjects in the UPSC IFS syllabus, like Forestry and Environmental Science which will benefit candidates in the prelims stage.

Agricultural Engineering as Optional: Cons for UPSC IFS Success

  • Legthy Syllabus- Agricultural engineering covers a wide range of topics, from soil science, and crop management to post harvest technology and agricultural economics, so it have lengthy syllabus due to this it requires dedicated efforts to cover the entire syllabus.
  • Complex and technical terminology- The subject involves a lot of scientific and technical jargon related to agro technology, which need extra attention and extra effort to grasp and utilize effectively in your answers.
  • Depth of understanding- UPSC questions often demand a deep understanding of agricultural concepts and their practical applications, requiring thorough preparation and analysis.
  • Limited study material- Compared to other popular optional subjects, there may be fewer readily available study materials and coaching resources specifically tailored for Agriculture.

Please note that before selecting agricultural engineering as your optional subject, carefully weigh these disadvantages against the advantages and consider your own background, interests, and the time you can dedicate to preparation.

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Booklist for Agricultural Engineering Optional: Comprehensive Resources for Success

  • Agriculture Science a complete study package by Pushpendra K. karhana.
  • Principles of Agronomy by Reddy T. Yellamanda
  • An Introduction to Agriculture Extension by K. S. Sidhu
  • Agriculture at a Glance by R.K. Sharma
  • Soil Science by D.K. Das
  • Genetics by B.D. Singh
  • Plant Breeding by B.D. Singh
  • A Textbook of Animal Husbandry by G.C. Banerjee
Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs UPSC Daily Editorials
Daily Current Affairs Quiz Daily Main Answer Writing
UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

Agricultural Engineering Optional Paper FAQs

Both subjects have some overlapping topics but not completely the same.

There are two papers of Agricultural Engineering each paper divided into two parts.

According to the list this combination of subjects is not allowed to choose.
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