OSSC Field Assistant Syllabus & Exam Pattern

The official OSSC Field Assistant Syllabus 2022 and OSSC Field Assistant Exam Pattern 2022 are released along with the official notification of the OSSC Field Assistant Examination 2022. Candidates must go through complete details regarding the OSSC Field Assistant Syllabus 2022 and OSSC Field Assistant Exam Pattern 2022 before applying for the exam. 

Odisha Staff Selection Commission has invited dynamic and passionate candidates to fill up 11 posts of Field Assistants under Director of Textiles & Handlooms, Odisha on a contractual basis. 

As per the latest notification, the OSSC Field Assistant Exam Pattern 2022 consists of mainly two stages of recruitment: written OMR based examination and the document verification process. Only those candidates who will qualify the written examination will be called for the document verification process and will further get selected as a Field Assistant. 

Download OSSC Field Assistant Syllabus PDF 2022 Here!

OSSC Field Assistant Exam Pattern 2022

According to the latest notification provided by the Odisha Staff Selection Commission, the OSSC Field Assistant Exam Pattern 2022 consists of two stages:

• The first stage will be a written exam with two papers. The questions asked in this exam will be objective-based or Multiple choice questions.
• Those candidates who will qualify the OSSC Field Assistant Written Exam will be called further for the Document Verification Stage. 
• After the document verification process, a merit list of the selected candidates will be prepared by the commission on the basis of the performance of candidates in both stages. 

OSSC Field Assistant Exam Pattern - Main Written Examination 

Candidates can get detailed information about the OSSC Field Assistant Written Examination through the following table:

• The Total marks allotted for exam I are 100 Marks
• The duration of exam is 2 hours.
• There is a negative marking, 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer.
• Candidates are advised to take Black/Blue Ball pen.

OSSC Field Assistant Exam Pattern - Document Verification 

Based on the performance of the aspirants in the main written examination, the candidates will be called for the document verification process. The number of candidates called for this stage will be around three times the total number of vacancies notified by the commission. 

In this stage, age, educational qualifications, caste, special category claiming age relaxation, etc. will be verified to check the eligibility of the candidate for the post. It must also be noted that those candidates who fail to appear in the certificate/document verification process on the allotted date will be disqualified from being taken into consideration while making the final merit list. 

OSSC Field Assistant Syllabus 2022 - Mains Written Examination 

It is important for all the interested aspirants to have in-depth knowledge of the OSSC Field Assistant syllabus 2022. We have mentioned the complete syllabus of both of these papers below:

OSSC Field Assistant Mains Exam Syllabus

The Composite Paper consists of 100 questions of multiple choices of the following subjects: 

(A) General Studies 

• Indian History 
• History of Odisha
• Indian Economy 
• Geography 
• Indian Polity
• General Science 
• Environmental Issues
• Human Rights Issues
• Socio-economic policy development
• State, countries, institutions
• Current Events

(B) Computer Fundamentals 

• Windows
• MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• MS Access
• Usage of Internet Services 

(C) General English 

• Grammar
• Usage of Grammar
• Vocabulary 

(D) Odia Language 

• Grammar
• Usage of Grammar
• Vocabulary

OSSC Field Assistant Mains Exam Syllabus: Technical Paper

The Technical paper will consist of multiple-choice questions from the following topics and sub-topics:

(I) Economic Botany

• Origin of cultivated plants: Concept of the center of origin, their importance with reference to Vabilors work. Examples of major plant introductions, crop domestication, and loss of genetic diversity, the evolution of new crops/ varieties, the importance of germplasm diversity
• Silkworm host plant: General account with special reference to Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia tomentosa, Shorea robusta, Morus alba, Ricinus communis, Manihot utilissima, Machilus bombycina, Litsea polyantha & Heteropanax fragrance.
• Arboriculture and Horticulture.
• Fibers:- Classification based on jute (morphology, extraction, and uses).

(II) Genetics

• Mendelian Genetics and its extension Mendelism: History, Principles of inheritance, Chromosome theory of inheritance, Autosomes and Sex chromosomes, probability and pedigree analysis: Incomplete dominance and co-dominance, multiple alleles. Lethal alleles. Epistasis, pleiotropy, Recessive and Dominant traits, penetrance and Expressivity, Numericals: Polygenic inheritance

(III) Biomolecules and Cell Biology

• Types and significance of chemical bonds: Structure and properties of water: pH and buffers

• Carbohydrates: Nomenclature and classification: Role of monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, sugar alcohols, Mannitol, and sorbitol); Disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, lactose). Oligosaccharides and polysaccharides (structural cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectin, chitin, mucilage, storage, starch, insulin) 

• Nucleic acids: Structure of nitrogenous bases; Structure and function of nucleotides: Types of nucleic acids, Structure of A, B, Z type of DNA, Types of RNA, Structure of tRNA 

• Enzymes: Structure of enzymes: holoenzymes, apoenzymes, cofactors, coenzymes, and prosthetic group: Classification of enzymes; Features of the active site, substrate specificity, mechanism of action (activation energy, lock, and key hypothesis induced-fit theory). Michaelis-Menten equation, enzyme inhibition, and factors affecting enzyme activity.
• The Cell: Cell as a unit of structure and function; Characteristics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; Origin of eukaryotic cell (Endosymbiotic theory) Cell we and plasma membrane: Chemistry, structure and function Plant Cell Wa Overview of membrane function: fluid mosaic model, Chemical composition of membranes, membrane transport Passive, active and facilitated transport endocytosis and exocytosis. 
• Cell division: Eukaryotic cell cycle, different stages of mitosis and meiosis; Cell cycle, Regulation of cell cycle 

(IV)Soil & Soil Profile

• Importance, origin, formation, composition, physical, chemical, and biological components. Role of climate in soil development

(V)Water

• Importance, the status of water in the environment, Atmosphere moisture, precipitation types (rain, fog, snow, hail, dew) Hydrological cycle, water in the soil, water table

(VI) Biotic Interactions:

• Population ecology-Characteristics & dynamics Ecological speciation

• Plant communities-Concept of ecological amplitude, Habitat & niche Characters-analytical and synthetic
• Ecotone and edge effect
• Dynamics-Succession processes, Climax concepts

(VII)Ecological Pyramids:

• Functional aspects of ecosystem-Principles and models of energy flow, Production and Productivity, Ecological efficiencies Biogeochemical cycles-cycling of carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus

(VIII)Phytogeography

• Principles, Continental drift, Theory of Tolerance, Endemism, Brief description of major terrestrial biomes, Phytogeographical division of India, Local vegetation 

(IX)Plant Systematics

• Plant identification, Nomenclature, and Biosystematics: Identification: Field inventory, Functions of Herbarium; Important herbaria and botanical gardens of the world and India; Virtual herbarium; Eflora; Documentation: Flora, Monographs, Journals; Keys: Single access and Multi-access Taxonomic hierarchy: Concept of taxa (family, genus, species): Categories and taxonomic hierarchy Species concept (taxonomic, biological, evolutionary)
• Botanical nomenclature: Principles and rules(ICN); Ranks and names; Typification, author citation, valid publication, rejection of names, the principle of priority and its limitations; Names of hybrids

(X) Plant water relationship

• Water potential and its components, water absorption by roots, aquaporins, the pathway of water movement, symplast apoplast, transmembrane pathways, root pressure, guttation, Ascent of sap cohesion-tension theory. Transpiration and factors affecting transpiration, ant transparent, mechanism of stomatal movements. 
• Nutrient uptake: Soil as a nutrient reservoir, transport of ions across cell membrane passive absorption, electrochemical gradients, facilitated diffusion active absorption, the role of ATP. carrier systems, proton ATPase pump, and ion flux. Uniport, cotransport, symport, antiport. 
• Plant growth regulators: Discovery, chemical nature (basic structure). Bioassay and physiological roles of Auxin, Gibberellins, Cytokinin, Abscisic acid Ethylene, Brassinosteroids, and Jasmonic acid 
• Physiology of flowering: Photoperiodism, flowering stimulus. florigen concept, verbalization, Seed dormancy.

(XI) Concept of metabolism

• Introduction, anabolic, and catabolic pathways regulation of metabolism, the role of regulatory enzymes (allosteric, covaler modulation and isozymes). 
• Carbohydrate metabolism: Synthesis and catabolism of Sucrose and starch.
• Nitrogen metabolism: Nitrate assimilation, biological nitrogen fixation Examples of Legumes and non-legumes), physiology and biochemistry nitrogen fixation; Ammonia assimilation and transamination.

(XII)Plant Tissue Culture

• Historical perspective: Aseptic tissue culture techniques, the composition of media; Nutrient and hormone requirements(Role of vitamins and Hormone)

(XIII) Economic Zoology 

Class Insecta with special reference to serisigenos lepidopterans, their morphology, anatomy, silk gland, and diapause behavior 

• The life cycle of Indian Tasar Moth and its food plants
• The life cycle of Eri Silk Moth and its food plants 
• The life cycle of Muga Silk Moth and its food plants
• Rearing of Silkworm: Antheraea mylitta, Philosamia ricini & Bombyx mori, and its management.
• The life cycle of Mulberry Silk Moth and its food plants
• Disinfectants, Chawki silkworm rearing, late age rearing, and harvesting of cocoons.
• Silkworm diseases and their management. 
• Silkworm pests and parasites and their management. 
• Silk reeling techniques and Quality assessment of silk fiber

(XIV) Introduction to Ecology and Ecosystem

• Relevance of studying ecology, History of ecology, Laws of limiting factors, Detailed study of temperature and light as physical factors, Types of the ecosystem, Food chain, Detritus, and grazing food chains, Food web, Energy flow through the ecosystem, Ecological pyramids.

(XV) Population

• Unitary and modular populations, Unique and group attributes of population-Density, natality, mortality, life tables, fecundity tables, survivorship curves, age ratio, sex ratio, dispersal, and dispersion; Exponential and logistic growth, equation & patterns, r and K strategies, Population interactions, Gause's Principle with laboratory and field examples; Lotka-Volterra equation for competition and Predation, functional and numerical responses.

(XVI) Community

• Community characteristics, dominance, diversity, species richness, abundance, stratification; Ecotone and Edge effect; Ecosystem development (succession) with example and Theories pertaining to climax community, Nutrient and Biogeochemical cycle, Nitrogen & Sulphur cycle.

(XVII) Conservation of Biodiversity

• Types of biodiversity, its significance, loss of biodiversity; Conservation strategies in situ and ex-situ); Endangered species concept; Role of ZSI, WWF, IUCN; Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

(XVIII) Biostatistics

• Concept, definition, and scope of biostatistics, biological data, sampling techniques, measures of central tendency (mean, median and mode), measures of dispersion, hypothesis and testing of the hypothesis (chi-square test, t-test, and Z test), correlation and regression analysis, Data analysis using EXCEL Programme.

(XIX) Phylum Arthropoda

• General characteristics and classification up to Classes; Vision in Arthropoda; Respiration in Arthropoda; Moulting in insects; Metamorphosis in insects; Social life in insects (bees and termites) and Larval forms in Crustacea.

(XX) Physiology-Digestive System

• Structural organization, histology, and functions of the gastrointestinal tract and its associated glands; Mechanical and chemical digestion of food; Absorption of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, water, minerals, and vitamins; Role of gastrointestinal hormones on the secretion and control of enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract.

(XXI) Biomolecules

• Structure and properties of important mono, di- and polysaccharides; Fatty acids, triglycerides, and steroids, and amino acids and proteins.

(XXII) Cells and Plasma Membrane 

• Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells, Mycoplasma, Virus, Viroids, Virions, and Prions; Various models of plasma membrane; Transport across membranes; Cell junctions; Occludin junctions(Tight junctions), Anchoring junctions (desmosomes Communicating junctions (gap junctions) and Plasmodesmata. 

(XXIII) Endomembrane system, Mitochondria, and Peroxisomes

• Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi apparatus; Mechanism of vesicular transport Lysosomes; Structure and function of mitochondria; Chemiosmotic hypothesis; Semi-Autonomous nature of mitochondria; Endosymbiotic hypothesis and Peroxisomes.

(XXIV) Cell Cycle and Cell Signalling

• Cell cycle, Regulation of cell cycle Signalling molecules, and their receptors. 

(XXV)Mendelian Genetics and its Extension

• Principles of inheritance, Incomplete dominance, and co-dominance; Multiple alleles, Lethal alleles: Epistasis; Pleiotropy: Sex-linked inheritance.

(XXVI) Mutations

• Gene mutations; Chromosomal mutations: Deletion, duplication, inversion, translocation; Aneuploidy and polyploidy; Induced versus spontaneous mutations; Backward and forward mutations; Suppressed mutations; Molecular basis of mutations in relation to UV light and chemical mutagens; Detection of mutations: CLB method, attached X method and DNA repair mechanisms.

(XXVII) Sex Determination and Quantitative Genetics

• Chromosomal mechanisms of sex determination; Sex-linked, Sex influenced and sex-limited characters; Polygenic inheritance and Transgressive variation.

(XXVIII) Early Embryonic Development

• Gametogenesis (Spermatogenesis, Oogenesis); Types of eggs: Egg membranes; Fertilization: Changes in gametes, monospermy, and polyspermy: Planes and patterns of cleavage; Early development of frog and chick up to gastrulation; Fate maps; Embryonic induction and organizers.

(XXIX)Post Embryonic Development

• Metamorphosis: Changes, hormonal regulations in amphibians: Regeneration: Modes of regeneration (epimorphosis, morphallaxis, and compensatory regeneration); Ageing: Concepts and models.

(XXX) Nucleic Acids and DNA Replication

• Salient features of DNA double helix; Watson and Crick model of DNA; DNA denaturation and renaturation; DNA topology- linking number and DNA topoisomerases; Cot Curves; Structure of RNA, t RNA, and DNA & RNA associated proteins; DNA replication in prokaryotes and eukaryotes; Mechanism of DNA replication; Role of proteins and enzymes in replication; Licensing factors; Semiconservative, bidirectional and semi-discontinuous replication; RNA priming; Replication of circular and linear ds-DNA and replication of telomeres.

(XXXI) Immune System and Immunity

• Historical perspective of Immunology, Early theories of Immunology, Cells, and organs of the Immune System, Immunity.

(XXXII) History of Life, theories of evolution and extinction

• Chemogeny, Biogeny, RNA world, Major events in History of life; Lamarckism, Darwinism, Neo-Darwinism, Background of extinction, Mass extinction (Causes, Names of five major extinctions, K-T extinction in detail) and Role of extinction in evolution.

(XXXIII) Processes of Evolutionary Changes

• Organic variations; Isolating mechanisms; Natural selection Industrial melanism, Pesticides/Antibiotic resistance), Types of Natural selection(Directional, Stabilizing and Disruptive); Sexual Selection and Artificial Selection.

(XXXIV) Species Concept and evolution above the species level 

• The biological concept of species (Advantages & limitations); Sibling species, Polymorphic Species, Polytypic species, Ring Species; Modes of speciation (Allopatric and Sympatric); Macro-evolutionary principles (Darwin's Finches); Convergence, Divergence, and Parallelism.

(XXXV) Microbiology

• History of Microbiology, Microbial world, Characterization, Classification, and identification of microbes. 
• Prokaryotes. General morphology and classification of bacteria, their characters, and economic importance; Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
• Eukaryotes- General morphology of Protists and Fungi, Classification, and Economic importance. 
• Viruses-Structure, genome, replication cycle 
• Microbe interaction- Immune responses-Antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents; Applied Microbiology in the fields of food, agriculture, industry, and environment.

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