UPSC(CSAT)IAS,CSE : Electrical Engineering : Optional Subject of Main Examination

Paper-I
Electrical Circuits-Theory and Applications: Circuit components; network graphs; KCL, KVL; circuit analysis methods: nodal analysis, mesh analysis; basis network theorems and applications; transient analysis: RL, RC and RLC circuits; sinusoidal steady state analysis; resonant circuits and applications; coupled circuits and applications; balanced 3-phase circuits. Two-port networks, driving point and transfer functions; poles and zeros of network functions. Elements of network synthesis. Filter-theory: design and applications. Active filters. Circuit simulation: Input formats; methods of education formulation; solution of equations; output formats; SPICE.
Signals & Systems: Representation of continuous-time and discrete-time signals & systems; LTI systems; convolution; impulse response; time domain analysis of LTI systems based on convolution and differential/ difference equations. Fourier transform, Laplace transform, Z-transform, Transfer function. Sampling and recovery of signals DFT, FFT prossing of analog signals through discrete-time systems.
E.M. Theory: Maxwells equations, wave propagation in bounded media. Boundary conditions, reflection and refraction of plane waves. Transmission line: Distributed parameter circuits, Travelling and standing waves, impedance matching, Smith chart. Waveguides: parallel plane guide, TE, TM and TEM waves, rectangular and cylindrical wave guides, resonators, Planar transmission lines; stripline, microstripline.
Analog Electronics: Characteristics and equivalent circuits (large and small-signal) of Diode, BJT, JFET and MOSFET. Diode, circuits clipping, clamping, rectifier. Biasing and bias stability. FET amplifiers. Current mirror; Amplifiers: single and multi-stage, differential, operational, feedback and power. Analysis of amplifiers; frequency-response of amplifiers. OPAMP circuits. Filters; sinusoidal oscillators: criterion for oscillation; single transistor and OPAMP configurations. Function generators and wave-shaping circuits. Power Supplies.
Digital Electronics: Boolean algebra; minimisation of Boolean functions; logic gates; digital IC families (DTL, TTL, ECL, MOS, CMOS). Combinational circuits: arithmetic circuits code converters, multiplexers and decoders. Sequential circuits: latches and flip-flops, counters and shift-registers.Comparators, timers, multivibrators. Sample and hold circuits, ADCs and DACs. Semiconductor memories. Logic implementation using programmable devices (ROM, PL A, FPGA).
Energy Conversion: Principles of electromechanical energy conversion: Torque and e.m.f. in rotating machines. DC machines: characteristics and performance analysis; starting and speed control of motors.
Transformers: principles of operation and analysis; regulation, efficiency; 3-phase transformers. 3-phase induction machines and synchronous machines: Characteristics and performance analysis; speed control. Special machines: Stepper motors, brushless DC motors, permanent magnet motors single-phase motors; FHP.
Power Electronics and Electric Drives: Semiconductor power devices: diode, transistor, thyristor, triac, GTO and MOSFET-static characteristics and principles of operation; triggering circuits; phase control rectifiers; bridge converters; fully-con trolled and half-controlled; principles of thyristor choppers and inverters; basic concepts of speed control of dc and a. c. motor drives.Applications of variable-speed drives.
Analog Communication: Random variables: continuous, discrete; probability, probability functions. Statistical averages; probability models; Random signals and noise; white noise, noise equivalent bandwidth; signal transmission with noise; single to noise ratio. Linear CW modulation: Amplitude modulation: DSB, DSB-SC and SSB. Modulators and Demodulators; Phase and frequency modulation: PM & FM signals; narrowband FM; generation & detection of FM and PM, Deemphasis, Pre-emphasis. CW modulation system: Superheterodyne receivers, AM receivers, communication receivers, FM receivers, phase locked loop, SSB receiver. Signal to noise ratio calculation for AM and FM receivers.
Microwaves and Antenna: Electromagnetic radiation, Propagation of waves: ground waves, sky wave, space wave, tropospheric scatter propagation. Extraterrestrial communications. Antenna: Various types, gain, resistance, bandwidth, beam-width and polarization, effect of ground. Antenna coupling; high frequency antennas; microwave antennas; special purpose antennas. Microwave Services: Klystron, magnetron, TWT, gun diodes, Impatt, Bipolar and FETs, Microwave integrated circuits. Microwave measurements.


PAPER- II
Control Systems: Elements of control systems; block-diagram representation; open-loop & closed-loop systems; principles and applications of feedback. LTI systems: time-domain and transform-do.nain analysis. Stability: Routh Hurwitz criterion, root-loci, Nyquists criterion, Bode-plots, Design of lead-lad compensators. Proportional, PI, PID controllers. State-variable representation and analysis of control systems. Principles of discrete-control svstems.
Electrical Engineering Materials: Electrical/electronic behaviour of materials: conductivity; free-electrons and band theory; intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductor, p-n junction; solar ceils, super-conductivity. Dielectric behaviour of materials; polarization phenomena; piezo-electric phenomena. Magnetic materials; behaviour and application. Photonic materials: refractive index, absorption and emission of light, optical fibres, lasers and opto¬electronic materials.
Microprocessors and microcomputers: 8-bit microprocessor: architecture, -, CPU, module design, memory interfacing, I/O, Peripheral controllers, Multiprocessing. IBMPC architecture: overview, introduction to Dos, Advanced microprocessors.
Measurement and Instrumentation: Error analysis; measurement of current, voltage, power, energy, power-factor, resistance, inductance, capacitance and frequency; bridge measurements. Electronic measuring instruments; multimeter, CRO, digital voltmeter, frequency counter, Q-meter, spectrum-analyser, distortion-meter. Transducers: thermocouple, thermistor, L.VDT, strain-gauge, piezo-electric crystal. Use of transducers in measurements of non-electrical quantities. Data-acquisition systems.IC Technology: Overview of IC Technology. Unit-steps used in IC fabrication: wafer cleaning, photo-lithography, wet and dry etching, oxidation, diffusion, ion-implantation, CVD and LPCVD techniques for deposition of polysilicon, silicon, silicon-nitride and silicon dioxide: metallisation and passivation.
Power Systems: Analysis and Control: Steady-state performance of overhead transmission lines and cables; principles of active and reactive power transfer and distribution; per-unit quantities; bus admittance and impedance matrices; load flow; voltage control and power factor correction; economic operation; symmetrical components, analysis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults. Concept of system stability: swing curves and equal area criterion. Static VAR system. Basic concepts of HVDC transmission; FACTS.
Computer control and Automaton: Introduction to energy control centres; various states of a power system; SCADA systems and RTUs. Active power control; Speed control of generators, tieline control, frequency control. Economic dispatch.
Power system protection: Principle of overcurrent, differentional and distance protection. Concept of solid state relays. Circuit brakers. Computer aided protection: Introduction; line bus, generator, transformer protection; numeric i relays and application of DSP to protection.
Non-Conventional Energy Sources and Energy Management: Introduction to the energy problem; difficulties with conventional energy sources. Wind-Energy: Basics of Wind turbine aerodynamics; wind-energy conversion systems and their integration into electrical grid. Solar-Energy: thermal conversion: photovoltaic conversion. Wave-energy. Importance of Energy Management: Energy audit; energy economics: discount rate, payback period, internal rate of return, life cycle costing.
Digital Communication: Pulse code modulation (PCM), differentia! pulse code modulation (DPCM), delta modulation (DM), Digital modulation and demodulation schemes: amplitude, phase and frequency keying schemes (ASK, PSK, FSK). Error control coding: error detection and correction, linear block codes, convolution codes. Information measure and source coding. Data networks, 7-layer architecture.Satellite communication, Radar and TV
Satellite Communication: General overview and technical characteristics, earth station equipment, satellite link design, CNR of Satellite system. Radar: Basic principles, Pulsed systems: CW Doppler radar, FMCW radar, Phase array radars. Television Systems: Television systems and standards, Black and White and Colour-TV transmission and receiver systems.
Fibre Optic System: Multiplexing: Time division multiplexing, Frequency Division multiplexing. Optical properties of materials: Refractive index absorption and emission of light, optical fibres, lasers and optoelectronic materials Fibre optic links.

Violence against Women:How serious are government agencies about dealing with rape in India’s cities?

The aftermath of the abduction and gang rape of a teenage girl in a car in New Delhi on 12 December – the fourth in the capital in the last two months – set off the usual reactions from the government and the media. The police announced measures which should have actually been in place a long time ago. The chief minister gave instructions which had been issued earlier but had not been followed. The media repeated the many inadequacies in police investigation procedures, shortcomings in the judicial system leading to a low rate of conviction of rapists and offered glib explanations for the increasing rate of urban crime. Neither the police nor the media focused on implementation of existing guidelines and learning from the experiences of past cases of rape across the country. A 30-year-old business process outsourcing (BPO) employee was abducted and assaulted in New Delhi in a moving car on the night of 26 November while she was walking home after getting off an office vehicle. Not only were the National Commission for Women’s (NCW) guidelines regarding the safety of women in BPOs flouted, but the police failed to react quickly though a police control room (PCR) call was made within seconds of the abduction. Following a number of instances of rape and murder of BPO women employees across the country in the past few years, the NCW had directed call centre managements to ensure that women employees are dropped at their doorstep, are not the first to be picked up and the last to be dropped off and that a security guard accompanies them. The teenage victim too was walking to her mother’s factory to pick her up after work. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit said that the labour commissioner had been instructed to "reiterate" orders to drop women at their residences in the night. Why were these orders not being followed until now? Are the guidelines being followed strictly in other parts of the country?
The other measures announced include deployment of more women officers, gender sensitisation and a rapid response of the police, movement of PCR vans in vulnerable areas, setting up citizen panchayats, and establishing fast track courts to try rape cases. The Delhi Commission for Women wants all call centre taxis to have a global positioning system (GPS). The Delhi police has initiated a special drive against vehicles with reflective and dark glass (an infringement of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989).
Why were all these not already in place? While Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad are information technology (IT) and BPO
hubs, what about the safety of women workers in other industries and indeed all women? And while it is an accepted fact that employers have an obligation to ensure the safety of their employees, does this absolve the police of the duty to patrol the city diligently at night? The police force’s capabilities to react quickly to emergency situations are also in doubt despite prompt complaints and the availability of advanced communications technology. In the case of the BPO employee, who was raped on 26 November, the PCR van and the policemen from the local station failed to locate the tempo in which she was abducted. Following this, the Delhi police carried out a mock drill and identified the possible routes of escape by criminals. Despite this, in the rape case that followed less than a month later 600 police personnel took three hours to trace the vehicle though they had been provided with the last four digits of its number plate. How seriously did the force take this mock drill?
Another disturbing trend that is emerging is the involvement of minors in urban crimes. The case of three young siblings being sexually abused by their senior classmates in Delhi’s Prasad Nagar for well over a year came to light a few months ago. In the recent rape case too, a minor is among the five accused. According to the police record, as reported in the media, the involvement of juveniles in sex-related crimes in Delhi has risen from 5%-10% to 27% over the last few years.
The issue of rapid urbanisation across the country without an accompanying increase in either civic amenities or resources to deal with this growth has been a part of public discourse for long. While the causes of rising crime in India’s urban areas (the average rate of crime in urban agglomeration centres at 321.8 was much higher than the national crime rate of 181.5, according to the National Crime Records Bureau report of 2008) are complex, "migrants" and "outsiders" become handy culprits to blame for rising urban crime. The authorities’ lack of preparedness in dealing with burgeoning urbanisation are hardly focused on. According to the Delhi police records, more than 83% of people involved in crimes this year were from the city itself, while only 17% were "outsiders".
There are reams of suggestions as well as official measures already in place on police and judicial procedures to prevent/ deal with rape. The point is whether the government cares enough about the safety of its women citizens to ensure their
implementation.
courtesy-epw.

UPSC(CSAT)IAS,CSE : Economics : Optional Subject of Main Examination

Paper-I
1. Ricardian, Marshallian and Walrasain approaches to price determination. Types of Markets and price determination. Criteria orWelfare improvement. Alternate theories of distribution.
2. Functions of money - Measurement of price level changes - Money and real balances - Monetary standards - High - powered money and the Quantity theory of money, its variants and critiques thereof - Demand for and supply of money - The money multiplier. Theories of determination of interest rate - Interest and prices - Theories of inflation and control of inflation.
3. Full employment and Says Law - underemployment equilibrium -Keynes Theory of employment (and income) determination - Critiques of Keynesian Theory.
4. The modern monetary system - Banks, non-bank financial intermediaries, Discount House, and Central Bank. Structure of Money and financial markets and control. Money market instruments, bills and bonds. Real and nominal interest rates. Goals and instruments of monetary management in closed and open economies. Relation between the Central Bank and the Treasury. Proposal for ceiling on growth rate of money.
5. Public finance and its role in market economy in stabilisation, supply stability, allocative efficiency, distribution and development. Sources of revenue - Forms of Taxes and subsidies, their incidence and effects; Limits to taxation, loans, crowding - out effects, and limits to borrowing. Types of budget deficits - Public expenditure and its effects.
6. International Economics(i) Old and New theories of International Trade.a) Comparative advantage, Terms of trade and offer curve.b) Product cycle and Strategic trade theories.c) Trade as an engine of growth and theories of underdevelopment in an open economy.
(ii) Forms of protection.(iii) Balance of Payments Adjustments: Alternative Approachesa) Price versus income, income adjustments under fixed exchange rates.b) Theories of policy mix.c) Exchange rate adjustments under capital mobility.d) Floating Rates and their implications for developing countries; Currency Boards.
(iv) (a) IMF and the World Bank.(b) W.T.O.(c) Trade Blocks and monetary unions.
7. Growth and development.(i) Theories of growth: Classical and neo-classical theories; The Harrod model; economic development under surplus Labour; wage-goods as a constraint on growth; relative importance of physical and human capitals in growth; innovations and development; Productivity, its growth and source of changes thereof. Factors determining savings to income ratio and the capital-out put ratio.
(ii) Main features of growth: Changes in Sectoral compositions of income; Changes in occupational distribution; changes in income distribution; changes in consumption levels and patterns; changes in savings and investment and in pattern of investment. Case for and against industralization. Significance of agriculture in developing countries.
(iii) Relation between state, planning and growth, Changing roles of market and plans in growth economic policy and growth.
(iv) Role of foreign capital and technology in growth. The significance of multinationals.
(v) Welfare indicators and measures of growth - Human development indices - The basic needs approach.
(vi) Concept of sustainable development; convergence of levels of living of developed and developing countries; meaning of self-reliance in growth and development.


PAPER II
I. Evolution of the Indian Economy till independence. The Colonial Heritage: Land System & Agriculture, Taxes, Money and credit, Trade, Exchange Rate, The Drain of Wealth controversy of late 19th Century. Randades critique of Laissez-Faire; Swadeshi movements; Gandhi and Hind Swaraj.
II. Indian Economics in Post-Independent Era - Contributions of Vakil, Gadgil and Rao. National and per capita Income; Patterns, Trends, Aggregate and sectoral - composition and changes therein. Broad factors determining National Income and its distribution; Measures of poverty. Trends in below poverty-line proportion.
III. Employment: Factors determining employment in short and long periods. Role of capital, wage-goods, wage-rate and technology. Measures of unemployment. Relation between income, poverty and employment, and issues of distribution and social justice.
Agriculture - Institutional setup of land system size of agricultural holdings and efficiency - Green Revolution and technological changes - Agricultural prices and terms of trade - Role of public distribution and farm-subsidies on agricultural prices and production. Employment and poverty in agriculture - Rural wages - employment schemes - growth experience - land reforms. Regional disparities in agricultural growth. Role of Agriculture in export.
IV. Industry: Industrial system of India: Trends in Composition and growth. Role of public and private sectors, Role of small and cottage industries. Indian industrial Strategy - Capital versus consumer goods, wage-goods versus luxuries, capital - intensive versus labour-intensive techniques, import-substituting versus export promotion. Sickness and high-cost Industrial policies and their effects. Recent moves for liberalisation and their effects on Indian industry.
V. Money and bariking: The monetary institutions of India: Factors determining demand for and supply of money. Sources of Reserve money - money multipliers - Techniques of money supply regulation under open economy - Functioning of money market in India. Budget defi.it and money supply. Issues in Reform of Monetary and Banking Sy stems.
VI. Index numbers of price levels - Course of Price level in post-independence period - sources and causes of inflation - role of monetary and supply factors in price level determination - policies towards control of inflation. Effects of inflation under open economy.
VII. Trade, balance of payments and exchange: Foreign trade of India; composition and direction shifts in trade policy from import substitution to export promotion. Impact of liberalisation on pattern of trade. Indias external Borrowings - the Debt problem. Exchange rate of the rupee; Devaluations, depreciations and their effects on balance of payments-Gold imports and Gold policy - convertibility on current and capital accounts - rupee in an open economy. Integration of Indian economy with world economy - India and the WTO.
VIII. Public Finance and Fiscal policy: Characteristics of and trends in Indias Public Finance - Role of Taxes, (direct and indirect) and subsidies - Fiscal and monetary deficits - public expenditures and their significance -Public Finance and Inflation - Limiting Governments debt - Recent fiscal policies and their effects.
IX. Economic Planning in India - Trends in Savings and investment -Trends in Savings to Income and capital-output ratios - Productivity, its sources, growth and trends - growth versus distribution - Transition from Central Planning to indicative planning - relation between Market and Plan-strategies for Growth, social justice and Plans. Planning and increasing the growth rate.

Acer: The Aspire 1551.

The new Aspire 1551 note book is new product of Acer. Comparatively other Acer laptop this is the best for perform business and research and so on .it includes video encoding/decoding thanks to it's 2GHz AMD Phenom II N930 Quad core CPU. If you want to gaming in Acer Aspire1551, it has the best of best graphics processors.
The Acer Aspire 1551 Note book can be replace the traditional desk top. It has 11.6-inches. Let's take a look at the specifics of the Acer Aspire

Key specification
· 11.6-inch CineCrystal LED-backlit widescreen display with 1366 x 768-pixel resolution (native 720p for high-definition viewing), support for a 16.7 million color depth, and high brightness rating (200-nit).
· 1.3 GHz AMD Athlon II Neo dual-core processor K325 (2 MB L2 cache) provides a full-featured PC experience, exceptional HD entertainment and long battery life rating so you can do more on the go.
· 250 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
· 3 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (1066 MHz; expandable to 4 GB)
· ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics card provides exceptional features, performance and power-efficiencies that enrich what you see and do (256 MB - 1405 MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory).
· Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites such as Google Earth. It also enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more.
· Built-in webcam and microphone delivers solid communication to all your family and friends.
· Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Sound Room, which combines a suite of technologies to deliver truly stunning virtual surround listening from your two laptop speakers, or on headphones for a more immersive private performance.
· Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capability provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers). This laptop uses Acer InviLink Nplify technology that enables multi-stream input or output for faster and more reliable bandwidth, and it also offers Acer SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency.
· Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
· Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
· Three USB 2.0 ports
· HDMI high-definition audio/video output allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video to your digital TV or LCD. It also includes a standard VGA video output.
· Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
· Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.
· Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
· Up to 5 hours of battery life (6-cell battery)
· Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.0 x 1.1 inches (WxDxH)
· Weight: 3.1 pounds
· Warranty: One-year parts and labor limited warranty with concurrent International Traveler's Warranty
· Energy Star certified
Software and productivity.
Acer Backup Manager2
Acer ePower Management
Acer eRecovery Management
Adobe® Flash® Player 10
Adobe® Reader® 9.1
eSobi™
Google™ Setup
Google Toolbar™
Microsoft® Office Trial (Service Pack 2)
Microsoft® Works SE 92 (Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, UK and US only)
Microsoft® Works 9
Microsoft® Works 8.5
Norton™ Online Backup
Security
McAfee® Internet Security Suite Trial15
MyWinLocker®2
Multimedia
Cyberlink® PowerDVD™
Gaming
Oberon GameZone2 (except US, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea)
WildTangent®2 (US, Canada only)
Communication and ISP
Acer Video Conference Manager2
Microsoft® Silverlight™
Skype™
Windows Live™ Essentials — Wave 3.2 (Mail, Photo Gallery, Live™ Messenger, Movie Maker, Writer)
Utilities and tools
Acer Assist
Acer Identity Card
Acer Registration
Acer Updater
eBay® shortcut 20092 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, UK, US only)
Netflix shortcut2 (US only)

UPSC(CSAT)IAS,CSE : Agriculture: Optional Subject of Main Examination

Paper-I
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.

Paper II
Cell Theory, cell structure, cell organelles and their function, cell division, nucleic acids structure and function, gene structure and function. Laws of heredity, their significance in plant breeding. Chromosome structure, chromosomal aberrations, linkage and cross-over and their significance in recombination breeding. Polyploidy, euploids and an euploids. Mutation-micro and macro-and their role in crop improvement. Variation, components of variation. Heritability, sterility and incompatibility, classification and their application in crop improvement. Cytoplasmic inheritance, sex-linked, sex-influenced and sex-limited characters.
History of plant breeding. Modes of reproduction, selfing and crossing techniques. Origin and evolution of crop plants, centre of origin, law of homologous series, crop genetic resources conservation and utilization. Application of principles of plant breeding to the improvement of major field crops. Pure-line selection, pedigree, mass and recurrent selections, combining ability, its significance in plant breeding. Hybrid vigour and its exploitation, backcross method of breeding, breeding for disease and pest resistance, role of interspecific and intergeneric hybridization. Role of biotechnology in plant breeding. Improved varieties, hybrids, composites of various crop plants.
Seed technology, its importance. Different kinds of seeds and their seed production and processing techniques. Role of public and private sectors in seed production, processing and marketing in India.Physiology and its significance in agriculture. Imbibition, surface tension, diffusion and osmosis. Absorption and translocation of water, transpiration of water economy.
Enzymes and plant pigments; photosynthesis modern concepts and factors affecting the process, aerobic and nonaerobic respiration; C, C and CAM mechanisms. Carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism.Growth and development; photoperiodism and vernalization. Auxins, hormones and other plant regulators and their mechanism of action and importance in agriculture. Physiology of seed development and germination; dormancy.
Climatic requirements and cultivation of major fruits, plants and vegetable crops and flower plants; the package of practices and their scientific basis. Handling and marketing problems of fruits and vegetables. Principal methods of preservation of important fruits and vegetables products, processing techniques and equipment. Role of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition. Raising of ornamental plants and design and layout of lawns and gardens.
Diseases and pests of field vegetables, orchard and plantation crops of India. Causes and classification of plants pests and diseases. Biological control of pests and diseases. Integrated pest and disease management. Epidemiology and forecasting.
Pesticides, their formulations and modes of action. Compatibility with rhizobial inoculants. Microbial toxins.
Storage pests and diseases of cereals and pulses, and their control.Food production and consumption trends in India. National and international food policies. Production procurement, distribution and processing constraints. Relation of food production to national dietary pattern, major deficiencies of calorie and protein.

UPSC(CSAT)IAS,CSE : Psychology : Main Examination Exams

Foundations of Psychology Section-A
1. Introduction : Psychology as a Science : Definitions and perspective. Psychology in relation to other social and natural sciences. Use of interdiciplinary approach.
2. Methods of Psychology : Characteristics and componets of methods in psychology (induction, deduction and introspection). Observation, Survey, Laboratory and field experiments. Clinical and Case study. Experimental and quasi experimental methods.
3. Research methods and quantitative analysis : Major steps in psychological research (problem statement, hypothesis formulation, research design, sampling, tools of data collection, analysis and interpretation and report writing). Fundamental versus applied research. Methods of data collection (interview, observation, questionnaire and case study). Research Designs (Ex-post facto and experimental). Application of statistical techniques (t-test, one-way ANOVA correlation and regression and chi-square tests).
4. Development of Human Behaviour : The nature, origin and development. Role of genetic and environmental factors in determining human behaviour. Influence of cultural factors and socialisation. Life span development-the critical periods and their handling, Mastery of the developmental tasks. Influence of child rearing practices and its impact on the growth and development of the individual, concept of national character.
5. Attention and perception : Attention- factors, influencing attention including set and characteristics- of stimulus. Sensation-concepts of threshold, absolute and difference thresholds, signal detection and vigilance. Definition and concept of perception, biological factors in perception. Perceptual organisation-influence of past experiences, Perceptual-defence-factors influencing. Space and depth perception, size estimation and perceptual readiness.
6. Learning : Concepts and theories of learning (Pavlov, Skimer and Piaget). The processes of extinction, discrimination and generalisation. Programmed learning, probability learning, self instructional learning, concepts, types and the schedules of reinforcement. Modelling and social learning.
7. Memory : Concepts and definition of memory and forgetting, 7+/-2 concept and clumking Encoding, storage and retrieval. Factors influencing retention.and foregetting. Theories of forgetting (Repression, Decay and Interference theories). The concept cf reminiscence.

Section-B
8. Thinking and Problem Solving: Concept formation processes. Resoning and problem solving. Creative thinking and fostering creativity. Information processing. Decision making and judgement.
9. Intelligence and Aptitude : Concept and definition of Intelligence and aptitude, Nature and theories of intelligence. Measurement of Intelligence and aptitude Concepts and measurement of emotional and multiple intelligence.
10. Motivation and Emotion : Definition and concepts. Theories and physiological basis of motivation and emotion. Measurement of motivation and emotion Motivation and emotion-their effects on behaviour.
11. Personality : Concept and definition of personality. Theories of personality {psychoanalytical, socio-cultural, interpersonal and developmental, humanistic, behaviouristic, trait and type approaches). Measurement of personality (projective tests, pencil-paper tet). The Indian approach to Personality. Training for personality development.
12. Language and Communication: Human language-properties, structure , and linguistic hierarchy, Language acquisition-predisposition, critical period hypothesis. Theories of language development (Skinner, Chomsky), Process and types of communication. Effective communication and training.
13. Attitudes, Values and Interests : Definitions, concepts of attitudes, values and interests. Components ofattitudes, values and interests. Formation and maintenance of attitudes. Measurement of attitudes, values and interests. Theories of attitudes, and attitudes changes, strategies for fostering values.
14. Recent Trends : Computer application in the Psychological laboratory and psychological testing. Articial Intelligence. Psychocybernetics. Study of consciousness-sleep-wake schedules; dreams, stimulus deprivation, meditation, hypnoti c/drug induced states. Extrasensory perception. Intersensory perception Simulation studies.

PAPER-II
Psychology: Issues and Applications

Section-A
1. Psychological Measurement of Individual Diference : The nature of individual differences. Characteristics and construction of standardized psychological tests. Types of psychological tests. Use, misuse and limitation of psychological tests. Ethical issues in the use of psychological tests.
2. Well being and Mental Disorders : Concept of health, positive health, well being and ill health. Mental disorders (Anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophernia and delusional disorders; personality disorders, substance abuse disorders). Causal factors in mental disorders. Factors influencing positive health, well being, life style and quality of life.
3. Therapeutic Approaches : Psychody-namic therapies. Behaviour therapies. Client centered therapy. Cognitive therapies. Indigenous therapies (Yoga, Reiki, Meditation) Biofeedback therapy. Prevention and rehabilitation of the mentally ill.
4. Work Psychology and Organisational Behaviour : Personnel selection and training. Use of Psychological tests in the industry. Training and human resource development. Theories of work motivation. Leadership and participatory management. Advertising and marketing.
5. Application of Psychology to Educational Field : Psychological principles underlying effective teaching-learning process.Learning styles Gifted, retarded, learning disabled and their training. Training for improving memory and better academic achievement Personality development and value education, Educational, vocational guidance and Career counselling. Use of Psychological tests in educational institutions.
6. Communty Psychology : Definition and concept of Community Psychology. Role of community psychologists in social change. Use of small groups in social action. Arousing community consciousness and action for handling social problems.. Group decision making and leadership for social change.
7. Rehabilitation Psychology : Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention programmes-role of psychologists. Organising of services for rehabilitation of physically, mentally and socially challenged persons including old persons. Rehabilitation of persons suffering from substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, criminal behaviours. Rehabilitation of victims of violence. Rehabilialion of HIV/.AIDS victims.

Section-B
8. Application of Psychology to disadvantaged groups : The concepts of disadvantaged, deprivation and socially deprived. Social, physical, cultural and economic consequences of disadvantaged and deprived groups. Educating and motivating the disadvantaged towards development.
9. Psychological and the problem of social integration : The concept of social integration. The problem of caste, class, religion and language conflicts and prejudice. Nature and manifestation of prejudice between the ingroup and outgroup. Casual factors of such conflicts and prejudices. Psychological strategies for handling the conflicts and prejudices. Measures to achieve social integration.
10. Application of psychology in Information Technology and Mass media : The present scenario of information technology and the mass media boom and the role of psychologists. Selection and training of psychology professionals to work in the field of IT and mass media. Distance learning through IT and mass media. Entrepre neurship through e-commerce. Multilevel marketing. Impact of TV and fostering value through IT and mass media. Psychological consequences of recent developments in Information Technology.
11. Application of Psychology in the field of Defence : The concept of Military psychology, Aviation psychology and Pschological warfare Role of Military psychologists in the defence. Selection, recruitment and training of personnel. Facilitating the process of adjustment of personnel to military life-Role of Counselling. Devising Psychological tests for defence personnel. Psychological disorders due -to war. Human engineering in Defence.
12. Psychology and Economic develoment : AchievemrTt motivation ad economic development- Characteristics of entrepreneurial behaviour. Motivating and Training people for entrepreneurship and economic development. Women Entrepreneurs. Consumer rights and consumer courts.
13. Application of psychology to enviroment and related fields : Environmental psychology-effects of noise, pollution and crowding. Population psychology-psychological corisquences of population explosion and high population density. Motivating for small family norms. Impact of rapid scientific and technological growth on degradation of environment.
14. Other applications of psychology : Sports psychology-improving performance of sports, personnel, psychology and understanding of political behaviour. Voting behaviours. Psychology of corruption and strategies to deal with Psychology of terrorism.

Inspiron 17R.

Inspiron 17R.fall in the category of Dell. exactly it is a re-placement of desktop. It have wide display all around it comes exactly 17.3-inch.and Equipped with the Intel Core i3 and i5 processors with Intel GMA HD graphics .it is low cost system and finally aimed to the mass.
Key Specifications
· Intel Core i3 370M processor (2.4GHz, 3MB cache)
· 17.3-inch 1600x900 display with LED backlighting
· Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
· 4GB DDR3 memory
· 500GB 5400rpm HDD
· Intel HD integrated graphics
· 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11n wireless, and Bluetooth
· 6-cell Li-ion 48Wh battery
· Dimensions: 16.54 x 10.87 x 1.24-1.38-inches
· Weight: 6.67lbs starting
· MSRP: $679

Made and design
The new comer inspiron 17R is newly redesigned by Dell. Comparatively other models of Dell, Inspiron is much cleaner and sleeker look . Similar to the Adamo-series, the layout has a hinge-forward design with the screen positioned just slightly in front of the back edge of the chassis. This has the added benefit of moving the screen closer to the keyboard and bringing the action to you. The outside appearance of the new 17R is very stylish, with a faux-brushed metal screen cover. The look gives the appearance of metal, although with an easier to clean painted surface. This look it also shared inside the notebook, with the palmrest and keyboard trim.
The body of inspiron is very good.it have enough strength and durability . morever no one cont break with a single foot print. , the thin chassis resist flex and doesn't creak when you lift it up from the corners. The keyboard and palmrest both have more than adequate support, and don't sag under strong pressure. The screen cover has moderate protection for the LCD, with only strong pressure to the back of the panel causing ripples. The large 17.3-inch screen has no problem staying put with two strong hinges that get the display into position and hold it without any wiggle.
Users looking to upgrade the Inspiron 17R will find it easy through one access panel on the bottom of the notebook. With a few Phillips head screws removed, you gain access to the system memory and hard drive. Components like the wireless card and processor require more disassembly to get at.
Ports and FeaturesFor a budget 17-inch desktop-replacement the Inspiron 17R offers plenty of inputs. We counted three USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA/USB connection, HDMI and VGA-out , audio jacks, and Ethernet. It also featured a SDHC-card reader, but an ExpressCard slot was missing.