The ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2027 syllabus is ICAR’s subject-wise syllabus for 72 PhD subjects. Part A tests general knowledge of agriculture and allied sciences, Part B covers the core group of your subject and Part C your specialised subject at Master’s level. ICAR publishes it as a PDF on icar.org.in.
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) Syllabus 2027
This page lists the core groups and subjects, shows a sample unit list, explains the pattern and links the official syllabus PDF.
What does the ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2027 syllabus cover?
The syllabus covers three parts. You choose one specialised subject when you apply, and that choice decides your Part B and Part C questions.
- Part A (20 questions): common to all subjects. General knowledge of agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries and allied sciences, including current events and everyday observation.
- Part B (50 questions): the core group that contains your chosen subject, as listed in the table below.
- Part C (50 questions): your specialised subject at Master’s level.
Which core groups and subjects are in the ICAR PhD exam?
The 2026 bulletin, the latest one, lists 19 core groups. Your Part B questions come from the whole group, and Part C from your own subject within it.
| Core group (Part B) | Subjects in the group |
|---|---|
| 01 Crop Sciences I | Genetics and Plant Breeding; Seed Science and Technology; Plant Genetic Resources |
| 02 Crop Sciences II | Plant Pathology; Nematology; Entomology; Sericulture |
| 03 Crop Sciences III | Biochemistry; Plant Physiology; Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Microbiology |
| 04 Horticulture | Vegetable Science; Fruit Science; Floriculture and Landscaping; Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops; Post Harvest Management |
| 05 Veterinary and Animal Sciences I | Animal Genetics and Breeding; Animal Nutrition; Livestock Production Management; Livestock Products Technology; Poultry Science |
| 06 Veterinary and Animal Sciences II | Veterinary Parasitology; Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology; Veterinary Microbiology; Veterinary Pathology |
| 07 Veterinary and Animal Sciences III | Veterinary Medicine; Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology; Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology and Obstetrics; Veterinary Surgery and Radiology; Veterinary Anatomy |
| 08 Veterinary and Animal Sciences IV | Veterinary Physiology; Veterinary Biochemistry; Veterinary Biotechnology |
| 09 Dairy Science, Dairy Technology and Food Technology | Dairy Chemistry; Food Processing Technology; Dairy Microbiology; Dairy Technology; Dairy Engineering |
| 10 Agricultural Engineering and Technology | Farm Machinery and Power Engineering; Soil and Water Conservation Engineering; Processing and Food Engineering; Renewable Energy Engineering; Irrigation and Drainage Engineering |
| 11 Community Science (formerly Home Science) | Resource Management and Consumer Science; Apparel and Textiles Science; Human Development and Family Studies; Food and Nutrition; Extension Education and Community Management |
| 12 Fishery Science I | Fisheries Resource Management; Fish Processing Technology; Fishing Technology and Engineering; Aquatic Environmental Management |
| 13 Fishery Science II | Aquaculture; Aquatic Animal Health Management; Fish Nutrition and Feed Technology |
| 14 Fishery Science III | Fish Genetics and Breeding; Fish Biotechnology; Fish Physiology and Biochemistry |
| 15 Natural Resource Management I | Forestry; Agricultural Meteorology; Agricultural Physics; Environmental Science |
| 16 Natural Resource Management II | Agronomy; Soil Sciences; Agricultural Chemicals; Water Science and Technology |
| 17 Agricultural Economics and Agri-Business Management | Agricultural Economics; Agri-business Management |
| 18 Agricultural Extension | Agricultural Extension Education |
| 19 Agricultural Statistics | Agricultural Statistics; Bioinformatics; Computer Application |
What topics are in a subject syllabus?
Each subject has eight units in ICAR’s syllabus. For example, Genetics and Plant Breeding covers:
- General genetics and plant breeding
- Economic botany and plant breeding methods
- Genome organisation and cytogenetics of crop plants
- Quantitative and biometrical genetics
- Genetic engineering and biotechnological tools in plant breeding
- Plant breeding for stress resistance and nutritional quality
- Plant genetic resources and their regulatory system; varietal release and seed
- Statistical methods and field plot techniques
Seed Science and Technology, another Crop Sciences I subject, covers seed biology, production, processing, quality control, storage, seed health, seed industry and marketing, and protection of plant varieties.
What is the ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2027 exam pattern and marking?
The exam is one 2-hour computer-based paper of 120 questions for 480 marks, in English only. A correct answer gets 4 marks, a wrong one loses 1, and an unattempted question gets 0.
| Part | What it covers | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A | General knowledge of agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries and allied sciences, including current events (common to all subjects) | 20 | 80 |
| Part B | Core group that contains your chosen PhD subject | 50 | 200 |
| Part C | Your specialised subject at Master’s level | 50 | 200 |
| Total | 2 hours, LAN-based CBT, English only; +4 correct, -1 wrong, 0 unattempted | 120 | 480 |
Where can you download the ICAR PhD syllabus PDF?
ICAR publishes the syllabus for AIEEA (PG) and AICE-JRF/SRF on its syllabus page, icar.org.in/node/21053. The ICAR PhD syllabus PDF covers all subjects. NTA’s bulletin says the question paper follows this ICAR syllabus.
- PDFICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.) 2026 Information Bulletin (latest) (8 May 2026)Official site · cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.inOpen
- PDFICAR syllabus for AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.), all subjects (latest)Official site · icar.org.inOpen
- LINKICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.) official website (NTA)Official site · exams.nta.nic.inOpen
How to Prepare for ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2027
Start with Part C and Part B, which carry 400 of the 480 marks, and use your Master’s course notes and textbooks for your subject.
- Read every unit of your subject in the ICAR PDF, then the other subjects of your core group for Part B.
- Revise general agriculture and current developments in agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries for Part A.
- Solve the ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF previous year question papers for your subject to see the question style.
- Practise timed 120-question sets, and skip guesses because each wrong answer costs 1 mark.
- Reference books: Handbook of Agriculture and Ph.D. Entrance Test: Research Methodology for All Streams.