Why Shankar IAS?

• Consistently producing UPSC Toppers with Agriculture Optional for the last 9 years.

• Carefully designed test schedule to achieve 300+ in the Optional paper.

• There will be a total of 8 Tests divided into 4 Sectional test and 4 Full Syllabus Tests.

• More than 75% of the questions reflected in CSE 2024.

• All the test papers are equivalent with the UPSC Mains exam pattern

• Detailed Answers for all questions will be provided

• Toppers’ Answer copy will be shared in the test batch telegram channel.

• One-on-one feedback with Faculty

• Answer writing strategy and answers for all tests will be discussed after every test.

• Fee – Rs.9,000 for New Students. Rs.7,500 for Old Students.

• Test batch orientation – 08.06.2025. Test starts from 20.06.2025

Some of our recent Toppers….
CSE 2024
Saranya Apsara Pushparaj
AIR 125 AIR 192 AIR 304

Hariprasath Kavinmozhi Mohanapourani

AIR 407 AIR 546 AIR 726
 IFoS 2024
Nila Bharathi Sumant Lochan Bibisha Vishwas
- AIR 24 AIR 37 Bopanna AIR AIR 88 AIR 98
(Tamil Nadu 69
Topper)
 AGRICULTURAL TEST SCHEDULE 2025 (VETERANS)

Test Date Detailed Syllabus Reference Books

No
1. 20.06.2025 Ecology and Environment, Cropping System and Forestry
▪ Ecology and its relevance to man, natural resources, their sustainable Agriculture Optional

management and conservation. Material by R.Kanagaraj

▪ Physical and social environment as factors of crop distribution and

production. Or

▪ Agro ecology; cropping pattern as indicators of environments.

▪ Environmental pollution and associated hazards to crops, animals and ▪ Ecology and Environment -

humans. P.D.Sharma

▪ Climate change—International conventions and global initiatives. ▪ NCERT – 12th Biology Chapter

▪ Greenhouse effect and global warming. Ecology

▪ Advance tools for ecosystem analysis—Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic

Information Systems (GIS).

Cropping System
▪ Cropping patterns in different agro-climatic zones of the country.
▪ Impact of high-yielding and short duration varieties on shifts in cropping ▪ Agritech portal by TNAU
patterns. ▪ Principles of Agronomy –
▪ Concepts of various cropping, and farming systems. Yellamandha Reddy
▪ Organic and Precision farming.
▪ Package of practices for production of important cereals, pulses, oil seeds,
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 Agriculture Optional
▪ Weeds, their characteristics, dissemination and association with various Material by R.Kanagaraj
crops; their multiplications;
▪ Cultural, biological, and chemical control of weeds. Or
Irrigation Management ▪ Agritech portal by TNAU

▪ Water-use efficiency in relation to crop production,

 ▪ Criteria for scheduling irrigations, ▪ Principles of Agronomy –
▪ Ways and means of reducing run-off losses of irrigation water. Yellamandha Reddy
▪ Rainwater harvesting. ICAR – E-courses Agriculture
▪ Drip and sprinkler irrigation. website
▪ Drainage of water-logged soils,
▪ Quality of irrigation water,
▪ Effect of industrial effluents on soil and water pollution.

Irrigation projects in India.

2. 04.07.2025 Cell Biology, Genetics and Plant Biotechnology Agriculture Optional
Material by R.Kanagaraj
▪ Cell structure, function and cell cycle.
▪ Synthesis, structure and function of genetic material.
Or
▪ Laws of heredity.
▪ Chromosome structure, chromosomal aberrations.
▪ Fundamentals of Genetics –
▪ Linkage and cross-over, and their significance in recombination breeding.
B.D. Singh
▪ Polyploidy, euploids and aneuploids.
▪ Plant Breeding Principles and
▪ Mutation and their role in crop improvement.
Methods – B.D.Singh
▪ Heritability, sterility and incompatibility, classification and their application
in crop improvement.
▪ Cytoplasmic inheritance
▪ Sex-linked, sex-influenced and sex-limited characters.
▪ Role of genetic engineering and biotechnology in crop improvement
Genetically modified crop plants.

Plant Breeding and Seed Technology Agriculture Optional

▪ History of plant breeding. Material by R.Kanagaraj

▪ Modes of reproduction,
▪ Selfing and crossing techniques. Or

▪ Origin, evolution and domestication of crop plants, ▪ Fundamentals of Genetics –

▪ Centre of origin, law of homologous series, B.D. Singh

▪ Crop genetic resources - conservation and utilization. ▪ Plant Breeding Principles

▪ Application of principles of plant breeding, improvement of crop plants. and Methods – B.D.Singh

▪ Molecular markers and their application in plant improvement. ▪ Seed Technology –

▪ Pure-line selection, pedigree, mass and recurrent selections, R.L.Agarwal

▪ Combining ability, its significance in plant breeding.

▪ Heterosis and its exploitation.
▪ Somatic hybridization.
▪ Breeding for disease and pest resistance.
 ▪ Role of interspecific and intergeneric hybridization
Seed Technology
▪ Seed production and processing technologies.
▪ Seed certification, Seed testing and storage.
▪ DNA finger printing and seed registration.
▪ Role of public and private sectors in seed production, and marketing.
▪ Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues
▪ WTO issues and its impact on Agriculture.

3. 18.07.2025 Soil Science, Nutrient Management, Soil and Water Conservation and Agriculture Optional

Dryland Agriculture Material by R.Kanagaraj

Or
▪ Soil—physical, chemical and biological properties.
▪ Principles of Agronomy –
▪ Processes and factors of soil formation.
Yellamandha Reddy
▪ Soils of India.
▪ Introductory Soil Science –
▪ Mineral and organic constituents of soils and their role in maintaining soil
Dilip Kumar Das
productivity
Nutrient Management
▪ 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 soil, nitrogen-use efficiency in submerged rice soils,
nitrogen fixation in soils.
▪ Efficient phosphoruse and potassium use.
▪ Problem soils and their reclamation.
▪ Soil factors affecting green house gas emission.

Soil and Water Conservation and Dryland Agriculture

▪ Soil conservation, integrated watershed management.

▪ Soil erosion and its management.
▪ Dry land agriculture and its problems.
▪ Technology for stabilising agriculture production in rainfed areas.

Farm Management, Agricultural Economy and Agricultural Extension Agriculture Optional

▪ Farm management, scope, importance and characteristics, Material by R.Kanagaraj

▪ Farm planning. Optimum resource use and budgeting.

▪ Economics of different types of farming systems. Or
▪ Marketing management strategies for development, • Economics of Farm
▪ Market intelligence. Production and Management
▪ Price fluctuations and their cost; – VT Raju
▪ Role of co-operatives in agricultural economy;
▪ Types and systems of farming and factors affecting them.
▪ Agricultural price policy.
▪ Crop Insurance. • Hand Book of Agricultural

Agricultural Extension Extension – ICAR

• ICAR – E-courses Agriculture
▪ Agricultural extension, its importance and role, website
▪ 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 dissemination of Agricultural
technologies.

Non-Government Organisation (NGO) and self-help group approach for rural

development.
4. 01.08.2025 Plant Physiology and Horticulture Agriculture Optional

▪ Principles of Plant Physiology with reference to plant nutrition, absorption, Material by R.Kanagaraj

translocation and metabolism of nutrients. Or

▪ Soil-water-plant relationship. Fundamentals of Plant
▪ Enzymes and plant pigments; Physiology – V.K.Jain
▪ Photosynthesis—modern concepts and factors affecting the process, Hand book of Horticulture -
▪ Aerobic and anaerobic respiration; ICAR
▪ C3, C4 and CAM mechanisms.
▪ Carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism.
▪ Growth and development; photoperiodism and vernalization.
▪ Plant growth substances and their role in crop production.
▪ Physiology of seed development and germination; dormancy.
▪ Stress physiology—drought, salt and water stress.

Horticulture
▪ 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.
Entomology, Pathology, Food Production, Food Security and Nutrition Agriculture Optional
▪ Diagnosis of pests and diseases of field crops, vegetables, orchard and Material by R.Kanagaraj
plantation crops and their economic importance. Or
▪ Classification of pests and diseases and their management.
• Plant Pathology –
▪ Integrated pest and diseases management.
R.S.Mehrotra
▪ Storage pests and their management.
• Elements of Economic
▪ Biological control of pests and diseases.
▪ Epidemiology and forecasting of major crop pests and diseases. Entomology – Vasantharaj
▪ Plant quarantine measures. David
▪ Pesticides, their formulation and modes of action. • ICAR – E-courses Agriculture
website
Food Security
• Agritech Portal by TNAU
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, 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 context to globalization.
 Processing constraints. Relation of food production to National Dietary
Guidelines and food consumption pattern. Food based dietary approaches to
eliminate hunger. Nutrient deficiency – Micronutrient deficiency: Protein
Energy Malnutrition or Protein Calorie Malnutrition (PEM or PCM), Micro
nutrient deficiency and HRD in context of work capacity of women and children.
Food grain productivity and food security.
Full Mock Test-I
5. 08.08.2025 Fore Noon - Paper I
After Noon – Paper II
All India Full Mock Test-II
6. 12.08.2025 Fore Noon - Paper I
After Noon – Paper II