FCI Assistant General Manager Technical Exam Syllabus In detail with PDF

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) conducts the recruitment examination for the position of Assistant General Manager (Technical) through a structured selection process comprising:

1. Online Test
2. Interview

Online Test: Exam Pattern

The online test for the Assistant General Manager (Technical) position consists of 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), each carrying one mark. The total duration of the examination is 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes). The test is divided into the following sections:

Section	Number of Questions	Marks
Reasoning, Data Analysis, Numerical Ability	30	15
General Awareness, Current Affairs	30	15
Management and Ethics	30	15
Agriculture, Agriculture Economy, and Computer Awareness	30	15
Relevant Technical Discipline	60	120
Total	180	180

Note: There is no negative marking in FCI Assistant General Manager Technical examination.

1. Agriculture

• Crop Production:
  • Basic principles of agronomy: crop growth, rotation, and diversification.
  • Production techniques for major cereals (rice, wheat, maize) and pulses (gram, pigeon pea).
  • Soil health management and nutrient application for optimum yield.
• Agriculture Statistics:
  • Key trends in Indian agriculture.
  • Data interpretation on crop production, yield, and area under cultivation.
  • Statistical tools and applications in agriculture planning.
• Introductory Genetics:
  • Mendel’s laws of inheritance.
  • Basics of DNA, RNA, and chromosome structure.
  • Introduction to plant breeding and hybridization.
• Crop Protection:
  • Pest and disease identification.
  • Methods of chemical, biological, and cultural control.
  • Use of biopesticides and integrated pest management (IPM) practices.
• Plant Pathology:
  • Study of plant diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
  • Role of pathogens in agriculture.
  • Common plant diseases and their control measures.
• Food & Agriculture Microbiology:
  • Role of microorganisms in soil fertility and composting.
  • Beneficial microbes for nitrogen fixation and biofertilizers.
  • Pathogenic microbes in food contamination and their prevention.
• Nutrition:
  • Plant Nutrition: Macronutrients and micronutrients, their role and deficiency symptoms.
  • Animal Nutrition: Nutritional requirements, feed composition, and supplementation.
• Post-Harvest Care of Cereals & Pulses:
  • Techniques for drying, cleaning, grading, and packaging.
  • Prevention of spoilage and quality management during storage.
• Preservation of Foodgrains:
  • Principles of fumigation, refrigeration, and chemical treatment.
  • Role of controlled atmospheric storage and warehouse management.
• Agriculture Extension:
  • Principles and methods for transferring agricultural knowledge to farmers.
  • Community development and participatory extension methods.
• Photosynthesis and Respiration:
  • Mechanisms of light-dependent and light-independent reactions.
  • Role of respiration in energy generation and its types (aerobic and anaerobic).

2. Biotechnology

• Microbes:
  • Classification of microorganisms based on morphology and function.
  • Application of beneficial microbes (e.g., Rhizobium, Trichoderma) in agriculture.
  • Harmful microbes causing plant diseases and spoilage.
• Genetic Engineering:
  • DNA cloning, gene editing techniques (CRISPR, RNAi).
  • Applications in crop improvement and pest resistance.
• Biotechnological Principles:
  • Tissue culture methods, including micropropagation and somatic embryogenesis.
  • Use of molecular markers in plant breeding.
• Economic Biotechnology:
  • GM crops (e.g., Bt cotton, Golden rice) and their impact on agriculture.
  • Industrial applications of biotechnology in enzyme and vaccine production.
• Pathogens & Control:
  • Study of bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens.
  • Biotechnological methods for developing pathogen-resistant crops.
• Recent Trends:
  • Advances in synthetic biology.
  • Use of nanotechnology in agriculture.
  • Climate-resilient biotechnology solutions.

3. Entomology

• Basic Entomology:
  • Morphology, anatomy, and physiology of insects.
  • Insect metamorphosis and development stages.
• Economic Entomology:
  • Study of insects of agricultural importance.
  • Insects as pollinators, predators, and pests.
• Beneficial and Harmful Insects:
  • Pollinators (e.g., honeybees) and pest predators (e.g., ladybird beetles).
  • Harmful pests of crops, fruits, and stored grains.
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM):
  • Biological, chemical, and cultural pest control practices.
  • Monitoring pest populations and economic threshold levels.
• Storage Grain Pests:
  • Identification and control of pests like weevils, beetles, and moths.
  • Techniques for pest management in storage facilities.
• Vertebrate Pests:
  • Rodent pests and their control strategies in agricultural ecosystems.
• Insecticides:
  • Classification: organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, etc.
  • Mode of action on target pests and safety measures.

4. Chemistry

• Physical Chemistry:
  • Atomic structure and electron configurations.
  • Types of chemical bonds (ionic, covalent, and metallic).
  • Radioactivity and isotopes in agriculture (e.g., tracers in plant studies).
• Inorganic Chemistry:
  • Periodic table trends and properties.
  • Chemistry of essential metals (e.g., Fe, Cu, Zn) and non-metals (e.g., N, P, S).
• Organic Chemistry:
  • Properties and reactions of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes).
  • Functional groups: alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and esters.
• Biochemistry:
  • Structure and functions of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
  • Enzymes and their role in metabolic pathways.
  • Biochemical cycles (e.g., nitrogen and carbon cycles).

5. Food Safety and Standards and Other Important Acts

• Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1964:
  • Key provisions and penalties for adulteration.
  • Methods for detecting food adulterants.
• Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006:
  • Role of FSSAI and implementation of food safety standards.
  • Licensing, labeling, and food testing procedures.
• Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011:
  • Standards for various food commodities.
  • Rules for food additives and contaminants.
• Right to Information Act, 2005:
  • Framework for transparency in public organizations.
  • Importance in agricultural policy and governance.
• National Food Security Act, 2013:
  • Objectives and provisions for ensuring food security.
  • Public Distribution System (PDS) and its operational challenges.

Candidates who clear the online test will be shortlisted for the interview. The online test and interview weightage is 90% and 10% respectively. A minimum of 50% marks is required to get short-listed for an interview if a candidate belongs to UR and EWS. For SC, ST, OBC, or Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, the minimum cut-off marks are 45%.