ICAR JRF Social Science Syllabus 2025 | AgriInsights

Importance of Agriculture in the national economy; basic principles of crop production; cultivation of rice, wheat, chickpea, pigeon-pea, sugarcane, groundnut, tomato, and mango. Major soils of India, the role of NPK and their deficiency symptoms. Structure and function of cell organelles, mitosis, and meiosis; Mendelian genetics; elementary knowledge of photosynthesis; respiration, and transpiration; structure and functions of carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes, and vitamins. Major pests and diseases of rice, wheat, cotton, chickpea, sugarcane, and their management. Important rural development programs in India; organizational set up of agricultural research, education, and extension in India; Elements of statistics. Measures of central tendency and dispersion, regression and correlation; the concept of probability, sampling techniques, and tests of significance.

Theory of consumer behaviour, the theory of demand, the elasticity of demand, indifference curve analysis, the theory of the firm, cost curves, the theory of supply, price determination, market classification, the concept of macroeconomics, money and banking, national income. Agricultural marketing—role, practice, institutions, problems and reforms, the role of capital and credit in agriculture, crop insurance, credit institutions, cooperatives, capital formation in agriculture, agrarian reforms, globalization, WTO & its impact on Indian agriculture.

Basic principles of farm management, the concept of farming system and economics of farming systems, agricultural production economics-scope and analysis, factor-product relationship, marginal cost and marginal revenue, farm planning and budgeting, Agricultural finance: nature and scope. Time value of money, Compounding and discounting. Agricultural credit: meaning, definition, need classification. Credit analysis: 4 R’s, 5 C’s, and 7 P’s of credit, repayment plans. History of financing agriculture in India. Commercial banks, nationalization of commercial banks. Lead bank scheme, regional rural banks, the scale of finance. Higher financing agencies, RBI, NABARD, AFC, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, the role of capital and credit in agriculture; credit institutions, co-operatives, and agrarian reforms in India.

UNIT-IV

Extension Education- concept, meaning, principles, philosophy, scope, and importance; Extension programme planning and evaluation- steps and principles, models of organizing agricultural extension; historical development of extension in the USA, Japan, and India. Rural development, meaning, importance, and problems; Rural development programmes in India- Pre-independence era to recent ones; Extension teaching methods, definition and concept of sociology, differences between rural & urban communities, social stratification, social groups, and social groups organization, and social change. Rural leadership, educational psychology- learning and teaching, the role of personality in agricultural extension Indian rural system- its characteristics; value system, cost, and class; structure and customs; rural group organization and adult education.

UNIT-V

Communication, principles, concepts, process, elements, and barriers in teaching methods. Different kinds of communication methods and media and AV aids/materials. Media mix, Campaign, Cyber extension internet, cybercafé, Kisan Call Centers, teleconferencing, agriculture journalism, diffusion and adoption of innovations- adopter categories, capacity building of extension personnel and farmers- training to farmers, women, and rural youth.

To excel in the ICAR JRF in Social Sciences, a structured study plan is essential. Here are some tips to effectively prepare for the examination:

• Understand the Concepts: Develop a strong conceptual understanding of the topics outlined in the syllabus.
• Refer to Standard Textbooks: Utilize standard textbooks and study materials recommended for social sciences and agricultural studies.
• Practice Previous Years' Papers: Solve previous years' question papers to familiarize yourself with the exam pattern and types of questions.
• Stay Updated: Keep yourself updated with current affairs related to agriculture, rural development, and social issues.
• Mock Tests: Take mock tests to assess your preparation level and identify areas of improvement.

The ICAR JRF in Social Sciences offers ambitious researchers the chance to contribute to agricultural and rural development via scientific investigation and innovation. Candidates might improve their chances of passing this competitive test by properly grasping the content and studying systematically. Good luck to all hopefuls preparing for the ICAR JRF Social Science 2025 examination!