Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Strategy for UPSC
Paper I Strategy
Animal Nutrition
• For this section, you should refer to the Principles of Animal Nutrition by DV Reddy.
• The important topics in this section are energy-protein relationship, use of NPN compounds, feed additives, conservation of fodders, storage and anti-nutritional factors associated with them, and poultry nutrition.
Example questions:
- Q) Differentiate between the following:
Protein efficiency ratio and Net protein utilization (4 marks, 2018)
- Q) Differentiate between the following:
Net protein utilization and Net protein value (4 marks, 2017)
- Q) Discuss in brief about the various systems of expressing the energy value of feeds and energy requirements in swine. (10 marks, 2017)
Animal Physiology
• For the topics Endocrine and Cardiovascular Systems, you should use the Textbook of Medical Physiology by Guyton and Hall.
• Under the endocrine system, the biochemistry part can be covered from Biochemistry by U Satyanarayana (especially for the subtopics buffers, and acid-base balance). Growth curves, mammary development and digestive organs are important subtopics here.
• For the chapters blood, respiration and excretion, you should read Dukes’ Physiology of Domestic Animals.
• Under excretion, make sure to read the part about birds. Make notes for this section as it is vast and very difficult to revise at the last moment.
• You should practice diagrams for blood cells, cardiac cycle, pulmonary circulation, kidney and its structures, cerebrospinal fluid circulation and air sacs in birds.
Example questions:
- Q) Give diagrammatic representation of kidney and narrate its functions. (10 marks, 2018)
- Q) Mention digestive organs and their role in food digestion in monogastric animals. (10 marks, 2018)
- Q) Write the general functions of blood in the animal body. (10 marks, 2017)
- Q) Discuss the role of endocrine glands along with their secretory hormones for cell growth. (15 marks, 2017)
Animal Reproduction
• A good source for studying this section is the online source TANUVAS.
• Another source is Perspectives in Animal Ecology and Reproduction by Verma and Gupta.
• Important topics here are gametogenesis, spermatogenesis and oogenesis, qualitative and quantitative characteristics of semen, and methods of detection of estrus.
Example questions:
- Q) Write the physicochemical properties of ejaculated semen in domestic animals. (10 marks, 2018)
- Q) Explain, how will you ameliorate the problem of infertility in cattle and buffaloes under field conditions. (10 marks, 2017)
Livestock Production and Management
• You can refer to Principles of Dairy Management by P Venkateshwara Rao for this section.
• For feeding during draughts, floods and other natural calamities, you can use Pashudhan Magazine. This subsection is very important as the UPSC always asks questions from here.
Example questions:
- Q) Write in detail the factors affecting water requirements of animals. (10 marks, 2018)
- Q) Write a brief on – Feeding schedule of calves from birth to 3 months age. (5 marks, 2017)
Genetics and Animal Breeding
• For population genetics, you can read Cell Biology by Agarwal and Agarwal.
• You can also refer to Principles of Genetics by Gardner, Population Genetics by DC Falconer and Population Genetics by SS Tomar.
• The important topics here are qualitative and quantitative traits, HW equilibrium and factors affecting the equilibrium (migration, mutation and selection), the partition of variation, and breeding value and its estimation.
• Derivation of H-W law and the heritability derivations are not that important.
• For Breeding Systems, you should refer to Animal breeding by SS Tomar and Introduction to Practical Animal Breeding by Dalton.
Example questions:
- Q) Discuss modified Mendelian ratio in monohybrid cross with examples. (10 marks, 2018)
- Q) Importance of gene mutations in farm animals. (10 marks, 2017)
- Q) How will you assess that a quantitative trait is affected by additive or non-additive gene action or both? Discuss the methods of selection for simultaneous improvement of multi-traits. (20 marks, 2017)
Extension
• For this section, you can read the textbook of Animal Husbandry and Livestock Extension by P. Mathialagan.
• You should also be aware of the latest government schemes related to animal husbandry.
• This is a scoring section and makes sure to study learning methodology, transfer of technology and government schemes as these topics are frequently asked.
Example questions:
- Q) Discuss in detail about different animal husbandry programmes for rural development in India. (15 marks, 2018)
- Q) Write in detail about the components of variance. (15 marks, 2018)
- Q) Discuss the cattle and sheep developmental programme for improving the economic status of farmers. (15 marks, 2017)
Paper-II Strategy
Anatomy, Pharmacology and Hygiene
• The important topics in Histology are staining, freezing microtome and microscopy.
• For this section, you should use a textbook of Histology Including the Microscopic Technique by Philipp Stoehr.
• The important topics under embryology are gametogenesis, fertilization, germ layers, foetal membranes, placentation, teratology and germ layers derivatives.
• You don’t have to study organogenesis in detail.
• Please remember that questions are rarely asked from anatomy.
• For veterinary hygiene, you should read A Textbook of Animal Husbandry by GC Banerjee. Practice diagrams of housing pattern.
Example questions:
- Q) Discuss the following: Anatomical and Physiological classification of neurons. (10 marks, 2018)
- Q) Discuss the following: Classification of the placenta in domestic animals. (10 marks, 2017)
Animal Diseases
• Important diseases are brucellosis, rabies, rinderpest and PPR, anthrax, pasteurellosis, swine fever, glanders, strangles, leptospirosis and clostridia group.
• Important topics in immunisation are herd immunity, zero disease concept, and chemoprophylaxis.
• Metabolic diseases is a very important section.
• You can refer to Prevention and Treatment of Diseases of the Domestic Animals Including Etiology and Symptoms by Kenelm Winslow
Veterinary Public Health
• Under zoonoses, the role of animals and birds in the transmission is important.
• You can read Zoonoses: Bacterial Diseases by Sudhi Ranjan Garg and Veterinary Ethics and Jurisprudence by Kirti Dua.
• You should also study the Textbook of Elements of Veterinary Public Health by Bachhil and Thapliyal (ICAR).
Milk and Milk Products Technology
• This is the most important section of Paper-II.
• Practice flow diagrams of product manufacture.
• You can use Outlines of Dairy: Technology by Sukumar De.
Example questions:
- Q) Legal standards for whole milk powder and skim milk powder. (10 marks, 2018)
- Q) Describe the method of manufacturing, packaging and storage of butter. (15 marks, 2017)
- Q) Classify dairy industry by-products and explain the general method of preparing acid-casein. (15 marks, 2017)
Meat Hygiene and Technology
• For this section, you can refer to Meat and Meat Products Technology by BD Sharma.
Animal husbandry and veterinary science books for IAS
• Principles of Animal Nutrition by DV Reddy
•Textbook of Medical Physiology by Guyton and Hall
• Biochemistry by U Satyanarayana
• Dukes’ Physiology of Domestic Animals
• Perspectives in Animal Ecology and Reproduction by Verma and Gupta
• Pashudhan magazines
• Cell Biology by Agarwal and Agarwal
• Principles of Genetics by Gardner
• Population Genetics by DS Falconer
• Population Genetics by SS Tomar
• Animal breeding by SS Tomar
• Practical Animal Breeding by Dalton
• Textbook of Histology Including the Microscopic Technique by Philipp Stoehr
• A Textbook of Animal Husbandry by GC Banerjee
• Prevention and Treatment of Diseases of the Domestic Animals Including Etiology and Symptoms by Kenelm Winslow
• Zoonoses: Bacterial Diseases by Sudhi Ranjan Garg
• Veterinary Ethics and Jurisprudence by Kirti Dua
• Textbook of Elements of Veterinary Public Health by Bachhil and Thapliyal (ICAR)
• Outlines of Dairy: Technology by Sukumar De
• Meat and Meat Products Technology by BD Sharma
