The syllabus for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science for the UPSC Indian Forest Service (IFS) examination is detailed and comprehensive. It covers various aspects of the field, divided into two papers. Here is the detailed syllabus for both papers:
Paper I
1. Animal Nutrition:
- Energy sources, energy metabolism, and requirements for maintenance and production of milk, meat, eggs, and wool.
- Evaluation of feeds as sources of energy.
- Minerals: Sources, functions, requirements, and their relationship to other nutrients.
- Vitamins: Sources, functions, requirements, and inter-relationship with other nutrients.
- Feed additives: Amino acids, antibiotics, probiotics, enzymes, and other biological products.
- Fodder and pasture management: Importance, classification, and conservation.
2. Animal Physiology:
- Physiology of digestion in ruminants and non-ruminants.
- Endocrine glands: Function and dysfunction.
- Respiration: Mechanics and gaseous exchange.
- Circulation: Blood composition, coagulation, blood groups in animals.
- Excretion: Structure and function of kidneys.
- Muscle physiology: Growth, work, and exercise physiology.
- Reproductive physiology: Mechanism of reproduction, artificial insemination.
3. Livestock Production and Management:
- Breeding systems: Selection, inbreeding, cross-breeding.
- Housing systems: Types, environmental factors affecting animal productivity.
- Principles of feeding: Feeding standards, feed formulation.
- Management of different types of livestock: Dairy, poultry, sheep, goat, pig, and other animals.
4. Animal Genetics and Breeding:
- Principles of genetics: Mendelian inheritance, non-Mendelian inheritance, and genetic disorders.
- Population genetics: Gene and genotypic frequency, Hardy-Weinberg law.
- Quantitative genetics: Phenotypic variance, heritability, repeatability.
- Breeding methods: Selection, progeny testing, sire evaluation.
5. Veterinary Public Health:
- Zoonoses: Classification, etiology, and control.
- Veterinary epidemiology: Principles, methods, and applications.
- Food safety: Meat hygiene, milk hygiene, and public health hazards.
6. Milk and Milk Products Technology:
- Composition and physical properties of milk.
- Processing of milk: Pasteurization, homogenization, sterilization.
- Milk products: Butter, cheese, yogurt, condensed milk, milk powder.
- Quality control: Testing and grading of milk and milk products.
Paper II
1. Veterinary Medicine:
- General principles of veterinary medicine.
- Diseases of various systems: Respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular, urinary, nervous, musculoskeletal, and reproductive systems.
- Metabolic diseases: Milk fever, ketosis, and hypomagnesemia.
- Deficiency diseases: Nutritional deficiencies in different species.
- Infectious diseases: Bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoan infections.
- Parasitic diseases: Endoparasites and ectoparasites.
- Preventive measures: Vaccination, deworming, and biosecurity.
2. Veterinary Surgery and Radiology:
- General surgery principles: Asepsis, antiseptics, preoperative and postoperative care.
- Surgical techniques: Suturing, sterilization, anesthesia.
- Orthopedics: Fractures, dislocations, and treatments.
- Diagnostic imaging: Radiology, ultrasonography, and their applications.
3. Veterinary Obstetrics and Gynecology:
- Reproductive physiology: Estrous cycle, hormonal control.
- Parturition: Mechanism and stages.
- Infertility: Causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
- Obstetrical procedures: Handling dystocia, caesarean section.
- Gynecological diseases: Endometritis, pyometra.
4. Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology:
- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics: Drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
- Therapeutic drugs: Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, anthelmintics.
- Toxicology: Common toxins, clinical signs, diagnosis, and treatment.
5. Animal Welfare and Jurisprudence:
- Animal welfare: Ethical issues, animal rights, welfare assessment.
- Veterinary jurisprudence: Legal responsibilities, veterinary ethics, and laws related to animals.
6. Extension and Economics:
- Principles of extension: Methods of communication, extension programs.
- Economics: Farm management, production economics, marketing of livestock and products.
This syllabus is extensive and requires a deep understanding of each topic. Preparation should include studying standard textbooks, recent research articles, and practice with previous years’ question papers.
