The RPSC Assistant Agriculture Engineer examination is conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) for recruitment to 281 permanent posts in the Agriculture Department. This competitive exam is objective-type, featuring 150 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for a total of 150 marks. The duration of the exam is 2 hours and 30 minutes, with negative marking applicable (1/3 mark deducted for each wrong answer).
| Parameter |
Details |
| Exam Name |
RPSC Assistant Agriculture Engineer |
| Conducting Body |
Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) |
| Total Vacancies |
281 |
| Exam Type |
Objective (MCQ-based) |
| Total Questions |
150 |
| Total Marks |
150 |
| Duration |
2 hours 30 minutes |
| Negative Marking |
Yes (1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer) |
| Medium |
English |
| Selection Process |
Written Examination + Document Verification |
The RPSC Assistant Agriculture Engineer syllabus is divided into 7 core subjects under Agricultural Engineering. Each subject covers theoretical concepts, practical applications, and Rajasthan-specific programs. Below is the weightage distribution (estimated based on historical patterns):
| Subject |
Estimated Weightage |
| Surveying, Levelling and Land Development |
15-20% |
| Soil and Water Conservation |
20-25% |
| Irrigation and Drainage |
20-25% |
| Farm Power and Machinery |
15-20% |
| Agricultural Processing |
10-15% |
| Farm Electrification and Rural Housing |
5-10% |
| Renewable Energy |
5-10% |
- Linear Measurements: Techniques and devices (chains, tapes, EDM).
- Surveying Methods: Plane table survey, compass survey, theodolite survey.
- Total Station Survey: Principles, applications, and data processing.
- Land Grading and Levelling: Techniques for uniform slope and drainage.
- Contouring and Terracing: Methods for soil erosion control and water management.
- Earthwork Estimation: Volume calculations for land development projects.
- Hydrologic Cycle: Components and significance in agriculture.
- Precipitation Analysis: Point rainfall, frequency analysis, and intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves.
- Watershed Management: Definition, agricultural watersheds, peak runoff prediction.
- Runoff and Hydrographs: Factors affecting runoff, unit hydrograph, instantaneous hydrograph.
- Soil Erosion: Types (sheet, rill, gully), factors influencing erosion, soil loss assessment.
- Erosion Control Measures: Contour cultivation, strip cropping, terracing, afforestation, grassed waterways.
- Gully Control Structures: Design of chute spillways, drop spillways, drop inlet spillways.
- Wind Erosion: Mechanics, control measures (windbreaks, shelterbelts).
- Water Harvesting Structures: Khadin, Tanka, Nadi, Anicut (Rajasthan-specific).
- Programs and Institutes:
- Integrated Watershed Development Program (IWDP) of Rajasthan.
- Desert Development Program (DDP).
- Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training.
- Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI).
- Regional Remote Sensing Center of Rajasthan.
- Watershed management and runoff prediction.
- Design of gully control structures.
- Rajasthan-specific water harvesting techniques (Khadin, Tanka).
- Soil-Water-Plant Relationship: Field capacity, permanent wilting point, available water.
- Crop Water Requirements: Irrigation scheduling, direct/indirect soil moisture measurement methods.
- Irrigation Methods: Surface irrigation (border, furrow), sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation.
- Irrigation Efficiencies: Application, distribution, and storage efficiencies.
- Drainage Systems: Benefits, surface drainage, subsurface drainage.
- Drain Design: Depth, spacing, layout, and installation of drains.
- Pumps: Types (centrifugal, turbine, submersible), selection, installation, and maintenance.
- Water Resources of Rajasthan: Surface water, groundwater, canal irrigation.
- Programs:
- Rajasthan Agricultural Drainage Program (RAJAD).
- Command Area Development (CAD).
- On Farm Development (OFD) works.
- Well Hydraulics: Aquifer parameters, steady/unsteady flow, well construction.
- Irrigation scheduling and soil moisture measurement.
- Design of irrigation methods and drainage systems.
- Pumps: working principles and selection criteria.
- Internal Combustion (IC) Engines:
- Classification (Otto, diesel, dual cycle).
- Engine components (piston, crankshaft, valves).
- Fuel supply, lubrication, cooling, and governing systems.
- Tractors:
- Types, clutch and brakes, power transmission, hydraulic systems.
- Traction theory, center of gravity (C.G.) determination, tyre selection.
- Farm Machinery:
- Tillage equipment (ploughs, harrows, rotavators).
- Sowing and planting equipment (seed drills, planters).
- Interculture and weeding tools.
- Plant protection equipment (sprayers, dusters).
- Harvesting machinery (forage, grain, root crops).
- Threshers: types, performance evaluation.
- Farm Mechanization:
- Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM).
- Custom Hiring Centers (CHC) in Rajasthan.
- Numerical Problems: Simple calculations on engines, tractors, and machinery.
- IC engine cycles and components.
- Tractor systems (hydraulic, power transmission).
- Calibration of sowing and spraying equipment.
- Food Processing in Rajasthan: Importance, Food Processing Policy of Rajasthan.
- Material Handling Equipment: Conveyors, elevators, loaders.
- Separation Equipment: Sieves, cyclones, magnetic separators.
- Heat Transfer in Food Processing: Modes (conduction, convection, radiation), heat exchangers.
- Drying: Psychrometric chart, equilibrium moisture content (EMC), drying equipment.
- Evaporation: Types of evaporators, steam economy.
- Refrigeration: Cooling load calculation, refrigeration cycles.
- Size Reduction: Machinery (hammer mills, roller mills), theories (Rittinger’s, Kick’s).
- Milling Processes: Rice, maize, wheat, oilseeds, pulses.
- Parboiling: Techniques for wheat and paddy.
- Processing of Rajasthan-Specific Crops: Millets, seed spices.
- Grain Storage: Structures, design requirements, preservation principles.
- Drying and psychrometric principles.
- Milling processes for rice, wheat, and oilseeds.
- Food preservation techniques.
- Farm Electrification:
- Selection and installation of electric motors and starters.
- Types of wiring, wire sizing (BIS standards).
- Rural electrification programs in Rajasthan.
- Rural Housing:
- Building materials (bricks, cement, steel) and their properties.
- Design of beams, slabs, columns, and foundations.
- Planning and design of rural houses, dairy barns, poultry layouts.
- Village infrastructure: roads, drainage, waste disposal, sanitary structures.
- Cost estimation in construction.
- Electric motor selection and wiring standards.
- Design of rural housing structures.
- Solar Energy:
- Solar radiation measurement, solar cookers, water heaters, dryers.
- Solar refrigeration and air conditioning.
- Photovoltaic (PV) systems: solar cells, applications.
- Bioenergy:
- Biogas technology: types and design of biogas plants.
- Biomass conversion: gasifiers, briquettes, ethanol, biodiesel.
- Wind Energy:
- Wind energy conversion, types of windmills.
- Windmills for water pumping and electricity generation.
- Renewable Energy in Rajasthan: Development programs and policies.
- Design of biogas plants.
- Solar energy conversion devices.
| Subject |
Key Topics |
| Soil and Water Conservation |
Watershed management, gully control structures, Khadin/Tanka design. |
| Irrigation and Drainage |
Irrigation scheduling, drainage system design, pump selection. |
| Farm Power and Machinery |
IC engine cycles, tractor systems, equipment calibration. |
| Agricultural Processing |
Drying principles, milling processes, food preservation. |
| Renewable Energy |
Biogas plant design, solar energy devices. |
- Focus Areas: Total station survey, earthwork estimation, contouring.
- Resources: Standard textbooks (e.g., Surveying by B.C. Punmia), practical field exercises.
- Tips: Practice numerical problems on earthwork volume calculations.
- Focus Areas: Watershed management, erosion control, Rajasthan-specific programs.
- Resources: Soil and Water Conservation Engineering by R.K. Sharma, RPSC previous year papers.
- Tips: Memorize formulas for runoff prediction and gully control design.
- Focus Areas: Irrigation scheduling, drainage design, pump selection.
- Resources: Irrigation Engineering by G.L. Asawa, CAD/OFD program guidelines.
- Tips: Solve numerical problems on irrigation efficiencies and well hydraulics.
- Focus Areas: IC engine cycles, tractor systems, equipment calibration.
- Resources: Farm Machinery by R.H. Bainer, SMAM/CHC program reports.
- Tips: Understand working principles of sprayers, threshers, and harvesters.
- Focus Areas: Drying, milling, food preservation.
- Resources: Food Process Engineering by Heldman, Rajasthan Food Processing Policy.
- Tips: Study psychrometric charts and size reduction theories.
- Focus Areas: Motor selection, wiring standards, rural housing design.
- Resources: Basic Electrical Engineering by D.C. Kulshreshtha, BIS codes.
- Tips: Learn cost estimation techniques for construction projects.
- Focus Areas: Biogas plant design, solar energy devices.
- Resources: Non-Conventional Energy Sources by G.D. Rai, Rajasthan renewable energy policies.
- Tips: Compare types of windmills and their applications.
| Subject |
Book Title |
Author |
| Surveying |
Surveying (Vol. I & II) |
B.C. Punmia |
| Soil and Water Conservation |
Soil and Water Conservation Engineering |
R.K. Sharma |
| Irrigation and Drainage |
Irrigation Engineering |
G.L. Asawa |
| Farm Power and Machinery |
Farm Machinery |
R.H. Bainer |
| Agricultural Processing |
Food Process Engineering |
Heldman |
| Farm Electrification |
Basic Electrical Engineering |
D.C. Kulshreshtha |
| Renewable Energy |
Non-Conventional Energy Sources |
G.D. Rai |
- RPSC Official Website: rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in (for syllabus updates and notifications).
- NPTEL Lectures: Free video lectures on agricultural engineering topics.
- Government Reports:
- Integrated Watershed Development Program (IWDP) guidelines.
- Rajasthan Agricultural Drainage Program (RAJAD) reports.
- Food Processing Policy of Rajasthan.
- Test Series: Enroll in RPSC AAE-specific test series (e.g., Testbook, Adda247).
- Previous Year Papers: Solve past papers to understand exam pattern and difficulty level.
- OMR Sheet Instructions:
- Use a blue ballpoint pen to darken circles.
- Darken only one circle per question.
- For unattempted questions, darken circle 5 to avoid negative marking.
- Time Management: Allocate 1 minute per question; revisit tough questions later.
- Negative Marking: Avoid guesswork; skip questions if unsure.
- Stay Updated: Regularly check the RPSC website for syllabus or exam pattern changes.
- Focus on Rajasthan-Specific Programs: IWDP, DDP, RAJAD, and CAD are critical.
- Practice Numerical Problems: Essential for subjects like irrigation, farm machinery, and processing.
- Revise High-Weightage Topics: Prioritize topics listed in the "Important Topics" section.