UPSC Civil Services Main Examination 2014 Syllabus Paper VII: Chemistry-II

1. Delocalised Covalent Bonding: Aromaticity, anti-aromaticity; annulenes, azulenes, tropolones, fulvenes, sydnones.

2. (i) Reaction Mechanisms: General methods (both kinetic and non-kinetic) of study of mechanism of organic reactions: isotopic method, cross-over experiment, intermediate trapping, stereochemistry;
energy of activation; thermodynamic control and kinetic control of reactions.
(ii) Reactive Intermediates: Generation, geometry, stability and reactions of carbonium ions and carbanions, free radicals, carbenes, benzynes and nitrenes.
(iii) Substitution Reactions: SN1, SN2 and SNi mechanisms; neighbouring group participation; electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions of aromatic compounds including heterocyclic compounds–pyrrole, furan, thiophene and indole.
(iv) Elimination Reactions: E1, E2 and E1cb mechanisms; orientation in E2 reactions–Saytzeff and Hoffmann;
pyrolytic syn elimination – Chugaev and Cope eliminations.
(v) Addition Reactions: Electrophilic addition to C=C and C=C; nucleophilic addition to C=0, C=N, conjugated olefins and carbonyls.
(vi) Reactions and Rearrangements: (a) Pinacol-pinacolone, Hoffmann, Beckmann, Baeyer–Villiger,  Favorskii, Fries, Claisen, Cope, Stevens and Wagner-Meerwein rearrangements.
(b) Aldol condensation, Claisen condensation, Dieckmann, Perkin, Knoevenagel, Witting, Clemmensen, Wolff-Kishner, Cannizzaro and von Richter reactions; Stobbe, benzoin and acyloin condensations;
Fischer indole synthesis, Skraup synthesis, Bischler-Napieralski, Sandmeyer, Reimer-Tiemann and
Reformatsky reactions.

UPSC Civil Services Main Examination Syllabus Paper VI: Chemistry-I

1. Atomic Structure: Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, Schrodinger wave equation (time independent);
Interpretation of wave function, particle in one-dimensional box, quantum numbers, hydrogen atom wave functions; Shapes of s, p and d orbitals.

2. Chemical Bonding: Ionic bond, characteristics of ionic compounds, lattice energy, Born-Haber cycle;
covalent bond and its general characteristics, polarities of bonds in molecules and their dipole moments; Valence bond theory, concept of resonance and resonance energy; Molecular orbital theory (LCAO method); bonding in H2+, H2, He2+ to Ne2, NO, CO, HF, and CN–; Comparison of valence bond and molecular orbital theories, bond order, bond strength and bond length.

UPSC Civil Services Main Examination 2014 Syllabus Paper VII: Botany-II

1. Cell Biology: Techniques of cell biology; Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells - structural and ultrastructural
details; Structure and function of extracellular matrix (cell wall), membranes-cell adhesion, membrane transport and vesicular transport; Structure and function of cell organelles (chloroplasts, mitochondria, ER, dictyosomes ribosomes, endosomes, lysosomes, peroxisomes); Cytoskelaton and microtubules; Nucleus, nucleolus, nuclear pore complex; Chromatin and nucleosome; Cell signalling and cell receptors; Signal
transduction; Mitosis and meiosis; Molecular basis of cell cycle; Numerical and structural variations in chromosomes and their significance; Chromatin organization and packaging of genome; Polytene chromosomes; B-chromosomes – structure, behaviour and significance.

2. Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution: Development of genetics; Gene versus allele concepts (Pseudoalleles); Quantitative genetics and multiple factors; Incomplete dominance, polygenic inheritance, multiple alleles; Linkage and crossing over; Methods of gene mapping, including molecular maps (idea of mapping function); Sex chromosomes and sex-linked inheritance, sex determination and molecular basis of sex differentiation; Mutations (biochemical and molecular basis); Cytoplasmic inheritance and cytoplasmic
genes (including genetics of male sterility). Structure and synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins; Genetic code and regulation of gene expression; Gene silencing; Multigene families; Organic evolution –evidences, mechanism and theories. Role of RNA in origin and evolution.

UPSC Civil Services Main Examination 2014 Syllabus Paper VI: Botany-I

1. Microbiology and Plant Pathology: Structure and reproduction/multiplication of viruses, viroids, bacteria, fungi and mycoplasma; Applications of microbiology in agriculture, industry, medicine and in control of soil and water pollution; Prion and Prion hypothesis. Important crop diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma, fungi and nematodes; Modes of infection and dissemination; Molecular basis of infection
and disease resistance/defence; Physiology of parasitism and control measures; Fungal toxins; Modelling and
disease forecasting; Plant quarantine.

2. Cryptogams: Algae, fungi, lichens, bryophytes, pteridophytes
- structure and reproduction from evolutionary viewpoint; Distribution of Cryptogams in India and their ecological and economic importance.

3. Phanerogams: Gymnosperms: Concept of Progymnosperms; Classification and distribution of
gymnosperms; Salient features of Cycada-les, Ginkgoales, Coniferales and Gnetales, their structure and reproduction; General account of Cycadofilicales, Bennettitales and Cordaitales; Geological time scale; Type of fossils and their study techniques.

IMO 2014 Results Announced

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2014 Results announced today. Congratulations Winners! Go, it's a win win situation for you. Know how you fared in IMO 2014, Click Here.

Congratulations Winners, you made the world proud. Those who didn't won but are in the race even last in the queue, I am sure, they have learnt a lot from this even. Personally, I was crazy about IMO but never made it, off course owing to poor schooling and poor parenting and poor me. Very few who might have will will come across this page at least for couple of months from now. Here results are published primarily to inspire other who are learning phase to take part in this Mega Academic Event. Whether, you will won or not but definitely you will learn a lot.

As you know, Mathematics is the Queen of all Sciences! 

JEE Advanced 2014: 3rd Round of Seat Allocation List scheduled on 12th July

The 3rd and Final Round of Seat Allocation List for Admission into Under Graduate Programmes in IITs is scheduled to be released on 12 July 2014. Last Date of Acceptance and Online Payment of Provisional Admission Fee for candidates allocated seats in 3rd Round** is July 14, 2014. ** Provisional Admission Fee Amount will be notified through the Brochure for Online Choice-filling and Seat Allocation to be released shortly. For more details click here.