Score in the optional paper can make a significant impact on your UPSC CSE Mains exam. So, always be wise in choosing the right optional subject for you. In this article, we will discuss the detailed syllabus of the agriculture optional. It is relatively easy to prepare. In addition, it overlaps with general studies papers. In this way, it provides significant time for boosting scores in both the optional as well as GS papers. You can also download the PDF.
WHY TO CHOOSE AGRICULTURE AS AN OPTIONAL SUBJECT FOR UPSC?
You can choose agriculture as an optional for the UPSC CSE because of its precise and manageable syllabus, predictable and high-scoring questions, and overlap with other GS papers. Students with an agricultural science, botany, or zoology background can greatly benefit if they choose agriculture as an optional.
Here are some of the reasons why agriculture can be a good optional subject for UPSC CSE
1)Highly Scoring: In the first place, Agriculture as an optional in UPSC can be highly scoring. Furthermore, the answers can be easily structured with facts, a map, and data, which will reward you with a handful of marks.
2) Strong Overlapping with GS papers: Another key point is that agriculture as an optional in the UPSC exam is a core component of GS I, GS III, and essay papers.
Moreover, the UPSC Agriculture Optional Syllabus has a direct major overlap with GS III (Economy, Science and Technology, Environment, and Disaster Management) parts.
In GS I, agriculture particularly appears through its historical (agrarian systems, revolts), geographical (crops, soils, climate), and societal (rural structure, food culture) dimensions.
Environment and Ecology: Topics like resource management, soil conservation, and climate change, as included in the agriculture optional, are directly related to the environment and ecology sections.
Overlapping with ESSAY Paper: Additionally, understanding current agricultural issues related to food security, rural development, climate change, agricultural policies, and many more topics are common to both papers.
3) Technical Advantage: Owing to its well-defined and manageable syllabus, it can be covered efficiently in a minimum stipulated time, and helps the aspirants easily understand the concepts.
4) Interest and Relevancy: Additionally, Agriculture is also considered a technical subject and is ideal for those interested in farming and the latest technology in agriculture.
UPSC AGRICULTURE OPTIONAL SYLLABUS
UPSC Agriculture optional syllabus consists of two papers (paper 1 and paper 2) for a single chosen optional subject, each carrying 250 marks, making a total of 500 marks. Further, each paper consists of subjective-type questions. As a result, there is no negative marking.
| Overview of the Agriculture Syllabus for UPSC | |||
| Sl. No. | UPSC IAS Mains Papers | Subject | Marks |
| 1. | Paper VI | Optional Subject Paper-I | 250 |
| 2. | Paper VII | Optional Subject Paper-II | 250 |
| Total | 500 | ||
| Time Duration | 3 hours | ||
1) UPSC AGRICULTURE OPTIONAL SYLLABUS: PAPER 1
The UPSC Agriculture Optional Syllabus Paper 1 covers aspects of Agriculture relating to both fundamental and practical aspects of agriculture. Accordingly, aspects include Ecology, which regards its relationship with man, natural resources, and environment, along with their ecosystems, biodiversity, and their conservation.
| SUBJECTS | TOPICS |
| ECOLOGY | – Cropping patterns in different agroclimatic zones of the country. – Impact of high-yielding and short-duration varieties on shifts in cropping patterns. – Concepts of various cropping and farming systems. – Organic and Precision farming. |
| AGRONOMY | – Cropping patterns in different agroclimatic zones of the country. – Impact of high-yielding and short-duration varieties on shifts in cropping patterns. – Concepts of various cropping and farming systems. – Organic and Precision farming. |
| – Package practices for the production of important cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fibres, sugar, commercial and fodder crops. | |
| FORESTRY | – Important features and scope of various types of forestry plantations, such as social forestry, agroforestry, and natural forests. – Propagation of forest plants. Forest products. – Agroforestry and value addition. – Conservation of forest flora and fauna. |
| WEED SCIENCE | Weeds, their characteristics, dissemination and association with various crops; their multiplication; cultural, biological, and chemical control of weeds. |
| SOIL SCIENCE AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT | – Soil- physical, chemical, and biological properties. – Processes and factors of soil formation. – Soils of India, Mineral and organic constituents of soils and their role in maintaining soil productivity. |
| – Essential plant nutrients and other beneficial elements in soils and plants. – Principles of soil fertility, soil testing and fertiliser recommendations, integrated nutrient management. – Biofertilizers. – Losses of nitrogen in the soil, nitrogen-use efficiency in submerged rice soils, and nitrogen fixation in soils. – Efficient phosphorus and potassium use. – Problem soils and their reclamation. – Soil factors affecting greenhouse gas emission. | |
| SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION | – Soil conservation, integrated watershed management. – Soil erosion and its management. – Dryland agriculture and its problems. – Technology for stabilising agriculture production in rainfed areas. – Water-use efficiency in relation to crop production, criteria for scheduling irrigations, ways and |
| means of reducing runoff losses of irrigation water. – Rainwater harvesting. – Drip and sprinkler irrigation. – Drainage of waterlogged soils, quality of irrigation water, the effect of industrial effluents on soil and water pollution. – Irrigation projects in India. | |
| AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS | – Farm management, scope, importance, and characteristics, farm planning. – Optimum resource use and budgeting. – Economics of different types of farming systems. – Marketing management – strategies for development and market intelligence. – Price fluctuations and their cost; role of cooperatives in the agricultural economy; types and systems of farming and factors affecting them. – Agricultural price policy. – Crop Insurance. |
| AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION | – Agricultural extension, its importance and role, methods of evaluation of extension programmes, socio-economic survey, and status of big, small, and marginal farmers and landless agricultural labourers. – Training programmes for extension workers. – Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s (KVK) in the dissemination of Agricultural technologies. – Non-Government Organizations (NGO) and the self-help group approach for rural development. |
2) UPSC Agriculture Optional Syllabus: Paper 2
| SUBJECTS | TOPICS |
CELL BIOLOGY / PLANT GENETICS | – Cell structure, function, and cell cycle. – Synthesis, structure, and function of genetic material. – Laws of heredity |
| – History of plant breeding. Modes of reproduction, selfing, and crossing techniques. – Origin, evolution, and domestication of crop plants, centre of origin, law of homologous series, crop genetic resources conservation and utilization. – Application of principles of plant breeding and improvement of crop plants. – Molecular markers and their application in plant improvement. – Pure-line selection, pedigree, mass and recurrent selections, combining ability, and its significance in plant breeding. | |
| PLANT BREEDING | – History of plant breeding. Modes of reproduction, selfing, and crossing techniques. – Origin, evolution, and domestication of crop plants, centre of origin, law of homologous series, crop genetic resources conservation and utilization. – Application of principles of plant breeding and improvement of crop plants. – Molecular markers and their application in plant improvement. – Pure-line selection, pedigree, mass and recurrent selections, combining ability, and its significance in plant breeding. |
| – Heterosis and its exploitation. – Somatic hybridization. – Breeding for disease and pest resistance. – Role of interspecific and intergeneric hybridization. – Role of genetic engineering and biotechnology in crop improvement. – Genetically modified crop plants. | |
| SEED PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY | – Seed production and processing technologies. – Seed certification, seed testing, and storage. – DNA fingerprinting and seed registration. – Role of public and private sectors in seed production and marketing. – Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues, WTO issues, and their impact on Agriculture. |
| PLANT PHYSIOLOGY | – Principles of Plant Physiology with reference to plant nutrition, absorption, translocation, and metabolism of nutrients. Soil – water plant relationship. |
| – Enzymes and plant pigments; photosynthesis- modern concepts and factors affecting the process, aerobic and anaerobic respiration; C3, C4 and CAM mechanisms. – Carbohydrates, protein, and fat metabolism. – Growth and development; photoperiodism and vernalisation. – Plant growth substances and their role in crop production. – Physiology of seed development and germination; dormancy. – Stress physiology – drought, salt, and water stress. | |
| HORTICULTURE AND LANDSCAPING | – Major fruits, plantation crops, vegetables, spices, and flower crops. – Package practices of major horticultural crops. – Protected cultivation and high-tech horticulture. – Post-harvest technology and value addition of fruits and vegetables. – Landscaping and commercial floriculture. – Medicinal and aromatic plants. – Role of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition. |
| PLANT PROTECTION | – Food production and consumption trends in India. – Food security and growing population – Vision 2020. – Reasons for grain surplus. – National and international food policies. – Production, procurement, and distribution constraints. |
| FOOD PRODUCTION AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT | – Food production and consumption trends in India. – Food security and growing population – Vision 2020. – Reasons for grain surplus. – National and international food policies. – Production, procurement, and distribution constraints. |
| – Availability of food grains, per capita expenditure on food. – Trends in poverty, Public Distribution System and Below Poverty Line population, Targeted Public Distribution System (PDS), policy implementation in the context of globalisation. – Processing constraints. – Relation of food production to National Dietary Guidelines and food consumption patterns. – Food-based dietary approaches to eliminate hunger. – Nutrient deficiency – Micronutrient deficiency: Protein Energy – Malnutrition or Protein Calorie Malnutrition (PEM or PCM), micronutrient deficiency, and HRD in the context of the work capacity of women and children. – Food grain productivity and food security. |
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE AGRICULTURE OPTIONAL PAPER?
1) Go through the syllabus: In the first place, download the UPSC Agriculture Optional Syllabus and review the topics.
2)Sources for preparing the subject: With this in mind, follow a genuine source/book for building the conceptual foundation.
3)Follow a study planner: Accordingly, divide the content and give time to the important topics.
4)Practice and solve PYQs: By doing so, you will get an idea of the paper pattern.
5)Revising thoroughly: To master the subject, it is very necessary to revise the subject regularly by following the right approach.
Visit the UPSC syllabus page for the latest updates.
BENEFITS OF CHOOSING UPSC AGRICULTURE OPTIONAL :
On balance, the Agriculture optional subject in UPSC is one such subject that can be completed in the shortest time possible with the right strategy. In addition, one can target many exams where agriculture as a subject is included, like forest ranger, Indian Forest Service, or other state-level exams. From the UPSC Agriculture Optional syllabus, we can assume that it can be a strategic and right choice for you if you are thinking of choosing it as your optional subject.
CONCLUSION:
At last, choosing the right optional subject for the UPSC exam is an important step in the preparation for UPSC CSE. So, take time, or if you are still confused, take guidance from a mentor you trust, but make the right decision. So, don’t stay behind in the race to fulfill your aspirations to become an officer.
Previous Years’ Question Papers
| 2024 Agriculture Optional Paper | |
| 2024 Agriculture Optional Paper- 1 | 2024 Agriculture Optional Paper- 2 |
| 2023 Agriculture Optional Paper | |
| 2023 Agriculture Optional Paper- 1 | 2023 Agriculture Optional Paper- 2 |
| 2022 Agriculture Optional Paper | |
| 2022 Agriculture Optional Paper- 1 | 2022 Agriculture Optional Paper- 2 |
| 2021 Agriculture Optional Paper | |
| 2021 Agriculture Optional Paper- 1 | 2021 Agriculture Optional Paper- 2 |
| 2020 Agriculture Optional Paper | |
| 2020 Agriculture Optional Paper- 1 | 2020 Agriculture Optional Paper- 2 |
| 2019 Agriculture Optional Paper | |
| 2019 Agriculture Optional Paper- 1 | 2019 Agriculture Optional Paper- 2 |
| 2018 Agriculture Optional Paper | |
| 2018 Agriculture Optional Paper- 1 | 2018 Agriculture Optional Paper- 2 |
| 2017 Agriculture Optional Paper | |
| 2017 Agriculture Optional Paper- 1 | 2017 Agriculture Optional Paper- 2 |
| 2016 Agriculture Optional Paper | |
| 2016 Agriculture Optional Paper- 1 | 2016 Agriculture Optional Paper- 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
The Agriculture optional paper consists of two descriptive papers, each carrying 250 marks, for a total of 500 marks.
The UPSC Agriculture syllabus includes topics like Agronomy, Soil Science, Plant Breeding, Horticulture, Agricultural Economics, Animal Husbandry, Agricultural Engineering, and Extension Education.
Yes, a BSc in Agriculture qualifies you for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) and other exams like IFS and Agriculture-related posts.
Yes, Agriculture is generally considered a scoring subject for exams like UPSC CSE and IFS due to its well-structured syllabus.
No, a background in agriculture is not mandatory, but it can be advantageous for grasping the concepts if you have a science background.
