Syllabus for the post of Junior Scientific Officer – HPPSC Shimla

Syllabus for the post of Junior Scientific Officer, Class-II in HPSPCB under the Department of  Environment, Science & Technology:

Screening test shall be of two hours’ duration consisting of 100 objective type Multiple Choice Questions covering the syllabus in the ratio of 80:10:10:

Molecular theory of heterodiatomic molecules, Band theory of bonding in metals, Hydrogen
bonding.

Schrodinger equation; interpretation of wave function; hydrogen atom; atomic and molecular
orbitals.

Order and molecularity of reactions, First and second order reactions. Energy of activation.
Phase Rule, its application to one component system (water). Equilibrium potential,
electrochemical cells (galvanic and concentration cells), Electrochemical theory of corrosion
and protection of corrosion. First law of thermodynamics and its mathematical statement,
heat, energy and work; Heat content or Enthalpy of a system; Thermochemistry: Hess’s law
of constant heat summation, Heat of reaction, Heat of combustion, Heat of neutralization,
Heat of formation, Heat of fusion, Heat of vaporization, Heat of sublimation, Heat of
solution.

Reaction intermediates, e.g. Carbanions, Carbocations and free radicals. Types of organic
reactions, and mechanism of nucleophilic substitution reactions. Common organic reactions
and their mechanism.

Stability of cycloalkanes, resonance concept, inductive and mesomeric effects, directive
effects, activating and deactivating group, hydrogen bonding, reagents in organic synthesis,
of selected organic name reactions and their mechanisms, nucleophilic substitution reaction,
electrophilic and free radical addition reactions, electrophilic aromatic substitutions,
nucleophilic addition; principles of nucleophilic addition to carbonyl groups. Reduction and
oxidation.

E-Z and R, S Nomenclature. Optical isomerism of organic compounds containing one chiral
center. Examples of Optically active compounds without chirality. Conformations of nbutane.
Concept of aromaticity, properties of conjugated systems.

Glycolysis, fate of pyruvate under anaerobic conditions, citric acid cycle, oxidative
phosphorylation, gluconeogenesis, C4 pathway, pentose phosphate pathway and
photosynthesis.

Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures of proteins.Enzymes, active sites,
allosteric sites and mechanisms of their actions, e.g. chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidase, lipases,
etc.

Basic principles of spectroscopic methods. The use of UV, Visible, IR, 1HNMR, for the
determination of structure of simple organic compounds.

General introduction to antibiotics, Mechanism of action of lactam antibiotics, non-lactam
antibiotics and quinilones; antiviral and anti-AIDS drugs.

Sun and climate, Oceans and atmosphere Earth, astronomical catastrphies, atmospheric
chemistry and global climate, atmosphere as life supporting system, evolution of biosphere
and major biomes with reference to India, influence of geomagnetic field on biosphere, the
climate system and general circulations of the atmosphere, air pollution meteorology,
hydrology of water systems and ground water, meteology, geo-chemistry of water etc.

Environmental pollution and health, Environmental Impact Assessment, Issues and problems
in environmental assessment.

Introduction to microbial biodiversity: distribution, abundance, ecological niche, Classification, Morphology and Chemistry of Viruses; Growth and cell division, Solute Transport, Utilization of sugars other than glucose and complex polysaccharides), Metabolism of nitrogen, lipids and hydrocarbons, Immune cell reception response and signalling, Enzyme kinetics, Enzyme Inhibition, Microbial diversity in normal and extreme environments, The nature of Genetic material, replication, Recombinant DNA technology. – (80 questions of one marks each)=80 marks

10 questions consisting of General knowledge of H.P. (10 marks)

10 questions consisting of national/ international affairs. (10 marks)