NABARD Grade A Old Practice Set Papers, Model Sample Papers

Name of Section

Topics asked

Reasoning Ability

• Puzzles & Seating arrangement
• Syllogism
• Data sufficiency
• Statement based questions (Verbal reasoning)
• Inequality
• Miscellaneous Questions
• Input-Output
• Blood relations
• Coding-Decoding

Quantitative Aptitude

• Data Interpretations
• Quadratic Equations
• Number Series
• Simplification/ Approximation
• Data Sufficiency
• Arithmetic Questions
• Quantity Comparisons
• Mathematical Inequalities

English Language

• Reading Comprehension
• Cloze test
• Sentence improvement
• Spotting the errors
• Fill in the blanks
• Sentence rearrangement
• Para Jumbles
• New pattern questions

General Awareness

• The questions in this test will be from Current Affairs and Banking and Economy, Insurance.
• In current affairs, questions can be asked from recent appointments, awards, and honors, sports, new schemes, national and international news, latest developments in science and technology.

Computer Knowledge

• This section covers topics from various topics like Networking, Input-output devices, DBMS, MS Office, Internet, History of computers & generations, Shortcuts.

Topic Name

Syllabus Detail

Nature of Indian Economy

• Structural and Institutional features
• Economic Underdevelopment
• Opening up the Indian Economy
• Globalization
• Economic Reforms in India
• Privatization.

Inflation

• Trends in Inflation & their Impact on National Economy and Individual Income.

Poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation in India

• Rural and Urban
• Measurement of Poverty
• Poverty Alleviation Programmes of the Government.

Population Trends

• Population Growth and Economic Development
• Population Policy in India. 

Agriculture

• Characteristics / Status
• Technical and Institutional changes in Indian Agriculture 
• Agricultural performance
• Issues in Food Security in India
• Non-Institutional and Institutional Agencies in rural credit.

Industry

• Industrial and Labour Policy
• Industrial performance
• Regional Imbalance in India's Industrial Development
• Public Sector Enterprises.

Rural banking and financial institutions in India

• Reforms in the Banking/ Financial sector.

Globalization of Economy

• Role of International Funding Institutions
• IMF & World Bank
• WTO
• Regional Economic Co-operation.

Social Structure in India

• Multiculturalism
• Demographic trends
• Urbanization and Migration
• Gender Issues Joint family system
• Social Infrastructure
• Education
• Health and Environment. 

Education

• Status & System of Education
• Socio-Economic Problems associated with Illiteracy
• Educational relevance and educational wastage
• Educational Policy for India.

Social Justice

• Problems of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
• Socio-economic programmes for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and other backward classes.

Positive Discrimination in favor of the underprivileged

• Social Movements
• Indian Political Systems
• Human Development

Topic Name 

Details

Agriculture

• Definition, meaning, and its branches
• Agronomy: Definition, meaning, and scope of agronomy.
• Classification of field crops.
• Factors affecting crop production
• Agro Climatic Zones
• Cropping Systems: Definition and types of cropping systems.
• Problems of dry land - Seed production, seed processing, seed village
• Meteorology: weather parameters, crop-weather advisory
• Precision Farming
• System of Crop Intensification
• Organic farming

Soil and Water Conservation

• Major soil types
• Soil fertility
• Fertilizers
• Soil erosion
• Soil conservation
• Watershed management

Water Resource

• Irrigation Management
• Types of irrigation
• Sources of irrigation
• Crop-water requirement
• Command area development
• Water conservation techniques
• Micro-irrigation
• Irrigation pumps
• Major, medium, and minor irrigation.

Farm and Agri Engineering

• Farm Machinery and Power
• Sources of power on the farm- human, animal, mechanical, electrical, wind, solar and biomass, biofuels
• Water harvesting structures
• Farm Ponds
• Agro-Processing
• Controlled and modified storage, perishable food storage, godowns, bins, and grain silos.

Plantation & Horticulture

• Definition, meaning, and its branches
• Agronomic practices and production technology of various plantation and horticulture crops
• Post-harvest management, value and supply chain management of Plantation and Horticulture crops.

Animal Husbandry

• Farm animals and their role in the Indian economy
• Animal husbandry methods in India
• Common terms pertaining to different species of livestock
• Utility classification of breeds of cattle.
• Introduction to common feeds and fodders, their classification, and utility.
• Introduction to the poultry industry in India (past, present, and future status)
• Common terms pertaining to poultry production and management
• The concept of mixed farming and its relevance to socio-economic conditions of farmers in India
• Complimentary and obligatory nature of livestock and poultry production with that of agricultural farming.

Fisheries

• Fisheries resources
• Management and exploitation - freshwater, brackish water, and marine
• Aquaculture- Inland and marine
• Biotechnology
• Post-harvest technology
• Importance of fisheries in India
• Common terms pertaining to fish production.

Forestry

• Basic concepts of Forest and Forestry
• Principles of silviculture, forest mensuration, forest management, and forest economics
• Concepts of social forestry, agroforestry, joint forest management
• Forest policy and legislation in India, India State of Forest Report 2015
• Recent developments under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Agriculture Extensions

• Its importance and role, methods of evaluation of extension programmes
• Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendra's (KVK) in the dissemination of Agricultural technologies.

Ecology and Climate Change

• Ecology and its relevance to man, natural resources, sustainable management, and conservation
• Causes of climate change, Green House Gases (GHG), major GHG emitting countries, climate analysis
• Distinguish between adaptation and mitigation
• Climate change impact on agriculture and rural livelihoods
• Carbon credit
• IPCC, UNFCCC, CoP meetings
• Funding mechanisms for climate change projects
• Initiatives by Govt of India, NAPCC, SAPCC, INDC.

Present Scenario of Indian Agriculture and Allied activities

• Recent trends
• Major challenges in agriculture measures to enhance
• Viability of agriculture
  Factors of Production in agriculture
• Agricultural Finance and Marketing
• Impact of Globalization on Indian Agriculture and issues of Food Security
• Concept and Types of Farm Management.

Topic

Details

Rural Development

• Concept of Rural Area
• Structure of the Indian Rural Economy
• Importance and role of the rural sector in India
• Economic, Social and Demographic Characteristics of the Indian rural economy
• Causes of Rural Backwardness.
• Rural population in India
• Occupational structure
• Farmers, Agricultural Laborers, Artisans, Handicrafts, Traders, Forest dwellers/tribes, and others in rural India
• Trends of change in rural population and rural workforce
• Problems and conditions of rural labour
• Issues and challenges in Hand-looms
• Panchayati Raj Institutions – Functions and Working.
• MGNREGA, NRLM – Aajeevika, Rural Drinking water Programmes, Swachh Bharat, Rural Housing, PURA, and other rural development programs.

S.No.

Name of Test

Number of Questions

Maximum Marks

Total Time

1.

Reasoning Ability

20

20

120 minutes

2.

English Language

40

40

3.

Computer Knowledge

20

20

4.

General Awareness

20

20

5.

Quantitative Aptitude

20

20

6.

Economic & Social Issues (with focus on Rural India)

40

40

7.

Agriculture & Rural Development (with focus on Rural India)

40

40

Total

200

200

Exam

Name of Test

No. of Questions

Maximum Marks

Total Time

Paper I (Descriptive Test)

General English: The analytical and drafting abilities of the candidate will be assessed through this Paper comprising essay writing, comprehension, report writing, paragraph writing & letter writing.

3

100

90 minutes

Paper II (Specific Stream Paper)

Economic & Social Issues and Agriculture & Rural Development (with focus on Rural India) - Objective

30

50

30 minutes

Paper on related discipline - Descriptive

6 questions will be asked, of which candidates will be required to attempt 4 questions [2 of 15 marks each and 2 of 10 marks each] 

50

90 min