SYLLABUS FOR HSEE-2008

SYLLABUS FOR HSEE-2008
English (25% marks):
This section tests the candidate’s ability to understand and use grammatically acceptable English, to understand
the nuances of language and also appreciate literary language. Questions are related to the following areas:

Reading skills
Candidates will be required to read the given passage/s that aim to test their comprehension skills, including
literary competence, and answer the questions based on the passage/s. This section contains multiple-choice
questions.

Grammar
This part contains questions that test the candidate’s knowledge of grammatical correctness. The questions
relate to aspects of English grammar such as sentence structure and usage, the use of tenses, verb patterns,
articles and active and passive constructions. The questions are all objective type and include gap-filling,
sentence completion and re-ordering, and dialogue completion.
Vocabulary
This section examines the candidate’s vocabulary skills. Candidates are tested on their ability to understand the
meanings of words in context and in isolation, their knowledge of grammatical categories of words as well as the usage of words.

Analytical and Quantitative Ability (25% marks):
Numbers, Algebra, Highest Common Factor (HCF) and Lowest Common Multiple (LCM), Calendar, Basic
Statistics – Average, Ratio and proportion - Mixtures, Profit and Loss, Percentages, Simple and Compound
Interest, Work and time, Discount, Age sums, linear equations, elementary trigonometry
Data Interpretation, Analytical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, brainteasers, patters,
General Studies (in four parts-50% marks):
Indian Economics:
This section is intended to test the understanding of some basic economic concepts and awareness of key
issues pertaining to the Indian economy with a focus on the developments after independence. The concepts
and issues covered are:
Understanding the Economy: Scarcity, opportunity cost, resource allocation, economic systems and their
characteristics, features of market economies, forces of demand and supply, elasticity of demand and supply
Main Features of Indian Economy: Natural resources; human resources- population size and composition,
literacy and education, occupational distribution
Major Economic problems: Poverty, Unemployment and Inequality - concepts, measurement, trends, sectoral
distribution and policies, inflation – trends, causes and remedies
Economic Growth and Development: Meaning and measurement of economic growth, stages of development,
national income concepts and trends, trends in savings and investment; human development index, national
policy on education, health and health care policies
Planning in India: Five-Year Plans- objectives, priorities and problems
Sectoral Development: agriculture – green revolution and technological changes, current issues and policies;
industry- evolution of industrial policies in India (from 1948), strategies for industrial development, public and
private sectors, small and cottage industries, infrastructure, transport and communication, service sector,
consumer awareness
Foreign Trade and International Economy: balance of payments, foreign exchange reserves and trade policy,
I.M.F., W.T.O., international aid for economic growth
Money, Banking and Public Finance: concepts of money and measures of money supply, role of Reserve bank
of India and commercial banks, banking sector reforms; taxes, expenditure and government budget, concepts of
deficits, Finance Commissions
Indian Society:
Structure of Indian Society -- Indian Social Demography – Social and Cultural Differentiations: caste, class and
tribe – Institutions of marriage, family and kinship – Political Institutions.
Social Change in India -- Sanskritization, Westernization and Secularization – Social Movements and
Regionalism –– Panchayatraj Institutions – Affirmative Action Programme of the Government – various
reservations and commissions.
History and the Making of Indian Society -- Mughal era and the social changes – British Raj – Sepoy Mutiny –
Reform Movements in the 19th century - Freedom Movement – Independence and the emergence of India.
Indian Philosophy and Indian Thinkers -- Jainism and Mahavira – Budhha and His teachings – Vedanta and
Shankara - Sikhism – Sufism – Gandhi and Non-violence.
Contemporary World Affairs (post-World War II ):
This part of the examination will test the candidates’ awareness of the contemporary world that we live in. Issues
relating to history, polity, society and culture since 1945 will be covered in this section.
The aftermath of the Second World War – Emergence of the US and the USSR – the cold war and the
nuclear race – disintegration of the Soviet Union and the decline of communism – Arab-Israel conflict – NAM
and the role of India – Sino-Indian conflict – Indo-Pak relations and wars.
Democracy and Development-Challenges to democracy- UN and the Permanent Five Nuclearisation and Non-
Proliferation - India and SAARC -Rise of International terrorism and fundamentalism - War against terror- Indo-
US relations- New centres ofpower in Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Hunger and poverty – Environmental degradation and environmental movements –social movements – Race
and ethnicity – Gender discrimination – Deprived classes and minority politics–Communal violence–Religion in
the contemporary world–Culture and civilization – Globalization and culture – Mass media and cultural change –
Leftist movements.
Literature and art – Popular culture and film – Developments in Information Technology – Weather and climate –
Natural disasters – social and economic dimensions of AIDS.
Environment and Ecology:
Global Environmental picture: Population Growth, Degradation of Soils, Global Atmospheric Changes, Loss of
Biodiversity;
What are ecosystems? Structure of ecosystems – biotic structure – categories of organisms, feeding and nonfeeding
relationships;
Ecosystems - How they work - Elements in living and non-living systems; Energy Laws; Nutrient cycling;
Pollution: major air pollution and their impact; primary and secondary pollutants; control strategies; indoor
pollutants; global warming; International Treaties;
Solar and other renewable energy: principles of solar energy, hydropower, wind power, biomass energy, Ocean
thermal energy, geothermal energy, and tidal power.