Ultimate PPSC GIS Development Officer (BS-17) Exam Guide

1. Exam Structure & Strategy

- Total Questions: 100 MCQs

- Duration: 90 minutes

- Negative Marking: Yes (0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer)

Syllabus Distribution:

- GIS & Remote Sensing (60-70%): Core focus, including data models, tools, and image analysis.

- Geography/Environmental Science (10-15%): Includes physical geography, climate, ecosystems.

- Computer/IT Basics (10-15%): Concepts like networking, databases, Excel.

- General Knowledge, English, and Current Affairs (10%): Pakistan facts, sentence structure, vocabulary.

Strategy Tips:

- Focus first on GIS/RS with standard books and Esri/QGIS tutorials.

- Practice MCQs with time limits using PPSC past papers.

- Study Punjab-specific mining rules and acts.

2. Core GIS Concepts

Definition:

A Geographic Information System (GIS) captures, stores, analyzes, manages, and presents spatial or

geographic data.

Vector vs Raster:

- Vector: Precise features (Points = wells, Lines = roads, Polygons = land use)

- Raster: Pixel-based grids (used for satellite images, elevation, NDVI)

Coordinate Systems:

- WGS 84: Used in GPS systems.

- UTM: Divides world into 60 zones; used in local mapping.

Map Projections:

- Transverse Mercator, Lambert Conformal, and others help flatten Earth's curved surface.
 Ultimate PPSC GIS Development Officer (BS-17) Exam Guide

Data Formats:

- Shapefile (.shp), GeoTIFF (.tif), KML/KMZ, Geodatabase (.gdb)

GIS Software:

- ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, QGIS, ERDAS Imagine, MapInfo

Topology:

- Ensures spatial integrity (e.g., no overlaps or gaps between adjacent polygons)

3. Remote Sensing Essentials

Definition:

Remote Sensing is the science of obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance (typically

satellites or aircraft).

Types:

- Active: Radar (sends signal and measures return)

- Passive: Optical (captures sunlight reflected from Earth)

Important Satellites:

- Landsat 8: 30m multispectral, 16-day revisit

- Sentinel-2: 10m resolution, 5-day revisit (great for agriculture and land monitoring)

- MODIS: Coarser resolution, daily revisit (used for weather and vegetation)

Spectral Indices:

- NDVI = (NIR - Red) / (NIR + Red): Used to monitor vegetation health.

- NDBI, NDWI for built-up and water features

Applications:

- Land Use / Land Cover classification

- Change Detection (e.g., deforestation, urbanization)

- Flood mapping, forest fire monitoring

4. Punjab-Specific Mining Knowledge

Mines & Minerals Department:

Regulates exploration, licensing, mining, and leases in Punjab under Punjab Mining Concession Rules, 2002.

Key Minerals in Punjab:

- Rock Salt (Khewra): Second largest mine globally; ~400,000 tons/year

- Coal (Chakwal, Dandot): Used for power generation, brick kilns

- Gypsum (DG Khan): Used in cement and plaster industry; ~53 million tons reserves

- Limestone: Found in Salt Range; used in cement

Use of GIS in Mining:

- Lease area mapping

- Detection of unauthorized mining via satellite images

- Resource estimation models using GIS

- Integration with cadastral data and land ownership records

5. GIS Applications & Case Studies

Urban Planning:

- LDA uses GIS to control urban sprawl, manage utilities, and plan new infrastructure.

- Digital master plans include zoning layers, road networks, and environmental overlays.

Disaster Management:

- SUPARCO and PDMA Punjab collaborate for satellite-based risk maps.

- GIS is used for real-time flood alerts, disaster recovery mapping, and risk mitigation.

Agriculture:

- NDVI and EVI indices are used by SUPARCO to assess wheat, cotton, rice crops.

- Drone imagery being used in Punjab for precision farming and pest monitoring.
 Ultimate PPSC GIS Development Officer (BS-17) Exam Guide

Forest & Environment:

- Forest Department tracks changes in tree cover using multi-date satellite images.

- GIS helps estimate forest biomass and carbon stock for climate projects.

6. Environmental & Geographic Awareness

Rivers of Punjab:

- Five major rivers: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus

- Key canals: Upper Chenab Canal, Lower Bari Doab Canal

Mountains:

- Salt Range: Limestone, gypsum, salt, and coal; part of Punjab's economic geology

- Margalla Hills: Biodiversity hotspot, threatened by urban encroachment

Protected Areas:

- Changa Manga: Reforested area; now protected reserve

- Lal Suhanra: Biosphere Reserve; desert + wetland ecosystem

- Kallar Kahar Wetlands: Important for migratory birds

Environmental Issues:

- Lahore smog: AQI > 300 in winters due to crop burning and traffic

- Water crisis: Falling groundwater levels in Multan, Bahawalpur

Laws:

- PEPA 1997 (Federal)

- Punjab EPA 2012 (Provincial)

- PEQS: Defines limits for noise, air, water pollutants

7. Computer & IT Basics

Microsoft Office Skills:

- Excel: Functions like VLOOKUP, SUMIF, Charts, PivotTables

- Word: Styles, tables, mail merge

- PowerPoint: Thematic GIS slides and map presentations

Networking Concepts:

- IP address: Identifier for devices (192.168.x.x)

- LAN: Local networks; WAN: Wide-area networks (e.g., Internet)

- Protocols: TCP/IP, FTP, HTTP, HTTPS

Databases:

- SQL Basics: SELECT, WHERE, JOIN

- Spatial Databases: PostGIS (extension for PostgreSQL), Oracle Spatial

- DBMS Software: MS Access, SQL Server, MySQL

Programming:

- Python Libraries: arcpy (ArcGIS), geopandas, rasterio

- Example: Batch processing shapefiles or automating buffer analysis

8. General Knowledge, English & Current Affairs

General Knowledge:

- Pakistan's Population (2023): 241 million

- K2: Highest peak in Pakistan (8,611m)

- Tarbela Dam: Largest earth-filled dam

- Major Organizations: SUPARCO, Survey of Pakistan, PMD

English:

- Common Synonyms: obstacle = hindrance, rapid = swift

- Sentence Correction: Identify subject-verb agreement errors

- Prepositions: Used to describe spatial location in GIS

Current Affairs:

- Green Pakistan Initiative: 10 billion tree target by 2025

- Digital Punjab: GIS-based land records system in collaboration with World Bank
 Ultimate PPSC GIS Development Officer (BS-17) Exam Guide

- COP28: Pakistan highlighted as climate-vulnerable country; got support for climate resilience