Animal husbandry is the administration and care of farm animals by people. Veterinary Science is the science of diagnosing and treating maladies in feathered creatures and animals. It covers the investigation of animal physiology, treatment and avoidance of sicknesses among animals. It is one of the optional subjects, which is offered by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the civil services mains exam. It is a particular subject and preferred to be taken up by candidates who have a degree in the subject. Even though it is not a famous subject like geology, human sciences, animal husbandry and vet science is a decent choice for applicants. Peruse on to find out about the AHVS optional – how to get ready for the exam, which includes examining previous years papers of the optional, tips to improve a score, and much more.
Who Should Go for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science?
Animal husbandry is the administration and care of livestock by people, where hereditary characteristics and conduct, viewed as invaluable to people, are additionally created. The term can allude to the act of specifically rearing and raising domesticated animals to advance alluring attributes in animals for utility, delight, or research.
Any individual who has a scholarly foundation in Agriculture, Life Sciences, Botany, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Zoology, Dairy and other related fields may take up this optional.
Any candidate with no previous knowledge of Zoology should not opt for it. He/She may score great in Paper I which resembles general investigations however Paper II turns into the wiping out factor on the off chance that it isn’t covered comprehensively.
Success Rate of Taking Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Optional for UPSC Mains
Check out the below-guided table to understand some facts and figures.
Note: These facts and figures have been presented by the official exam conducting body.
Year |
Total Number of Candidates Appeared |
Total Number of Candidates Cleared |
Success Rate in % |
| 2015 | 47 | 5 | 10.6 |
| 2014 | 28 | 4 | 14.3 |
| 2013 | 32 | 5 | 15.6 |
| 2012 | 52 | 12 | 23.1 |
| 2011 | 50 | 5 | 10.0 |
| 2010 | 69 | 7 | 10.1 |
Preparation Strategy for Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Optional
The exam will be divided into two papers i.e. Paper I and Paper II. Find the complete details.
#1 Know the Dates
The very first thing to start any sort of preparations for the exam is to check the important dates and events of the conducting exam, which include – application process, admit card availability, exam date, announcement of the result, cut-off, and other details. Well, to make your preparation strategy stronger, it is recommended to the candidates to check the official website of UPSC regularly for the latest updates and notification, so you can never miss an important notice or a piece of information.
#2 Check and Grasp the Entire Syllabus
Another important step is to learn and understand the complete Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Paper Syllabus. More than this, you can check other toppers interviews to know their study mantra and important topics which they focus a lot. Once you understand the complete syllabus, find out the most important topics and start your preparations from the difficult one, so you get more time to revise them.
#3 Go for the Best Recommended Books to Complete Syllabus
Below you can find the list of important books that will surely help you to score best in the exam.
- Animal Husbandry by Gyan Deep Singh and Anmol Publishers
- Propelled Animal Nutrition by Reddy, Oxford
- Standards Of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, by D V Reddy, Oxford
- Animal Physiology by KavitaJuneja, Anmol Publishers
- Fundamentals Of Animal Physiology by MonalisaKar, Anmol Publishers
- Animal Physiology by K. A. Goyal, Rastogi Publishing
- Standards Of Genetics and Animal Breeding by F H KHAN, Jaypee Brothers
- Course reading Of Animal Diseases by Ashok Kumar, Sonali Publication
- Milk Products Technology by Subhash Biswas, Jaypee Brothers
- Handbook Of Animal Husbandry by Manoj Kumar Rai
#4 Prepare Important Topics First
As you probably are aware that marks of the optional paper is critical for your selection in the competitive exam, you need to perform astoundingly well in this paper. Since the remainder of the papers is mandatory for all, it’s the optional paper that can be a game-changer. The correct procedure should be to examine each part of the syllabus and get the right books and read them thoroughly. First, get basic books to clear your fundamentals and afterwards proceed to peruse the development books.
Spread the whole schedule and in the wake of perusing each section make notes of them at the same time. Recollect that your notes will be the last course material for perusing and re-examining in the future. So take as much time as necessary and work admirably with it.
#5 Solve Previous Year Paper
This step is vital for the aspirants who are preparing for UPSC Mains. However, you can pursue the step only once you complete the entire syllabus of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science. Try to solve 10 years papers as it contains a lot of important topics which were asked during the past 10 years. Once you have completed the preparation, try to go for mock tests, as it will help you to improve your speed of writing and prepare you for the actual exam well in advance.
#6 Set Your Goal
It is important for all, to identify their loopholes and analyse them wisely, so you can easily reach your goal and fulfill your dreams. Every aspirant wants to work under the Government of India as a bureaucrat. However, it is not an easy task. To make things easier for you, make a time-table for your preparation and follow it vigorously.
