ASRB NET and ARS: dairy disciplines

India · Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ICAR) · civil-service · unverified source

507practice questions written to this syllabus
21subjects

Format

As reported for other disciplines (secondary): NET is 150 objective questions, 2 hours, −1/3 for a wrong answer; ARS adds a descriptive mains and an interview. Not confirmed for the dairy disciplines.

Sections

Over the years

NET is the eligibility test for assistant professor posts in agricultural universities; ARS recruits ICAR scientists, including at ICAR-NDRI. The official site was unreachable on 3 Oct 2026, so neither the discipline list nor the pattern could be checked.

Official source: https://www.asrb.org.in/

Subjects this exam draws on

Dairy Industry & Milk Production Systems3 questionsMathematics & Statistics for Dairy Science28 questionsGeneral Microbiology1 questionsMilk Composition & Physical Properties52 questionsMilk Proteins & Enzymes35 questionsMilk Lipids36 questionsLactose, Milk Salts & Vitamins29 questionsChemistry of Dairy Products31 questionsDairy Analysis & Instrumental Methods26 questionsMicrobiology of Raw & Market Milk29 questionsStarter Cultures & Lactic Acid Bacteria32 questionsDairy Pathogens, Toxins & Microbial Risk26 questionsMicrobiology of Dairy Products25 questionsProbiotics, Prebiotics & Functional Dairy Foods21 questionsMicrobiological Quality Assurance & Rapid Methods31 questionsFermentation Technology & Dairy Biotechnology48 questionsAdvanced Dairy Chemistry12 questionsAdvanced Dairy Microbiology11 questionsAdvanced Dairy Technology & Product Development10 questionsAdvanced Dairy Engineering7 questionsResearch Methods, Experimental Design & Scientific Communication14 questions

Five practice questions, worked

Original questions written to this exam's published syllabus and pattern. Not past papers.

1. Which statement best reflects evaluations of Operation Flood?

  1. Widely credited, though studies differ on its causal share and equity
  2. Universally judged a failure that reduced milk output in every state
  3. Universally agreed to have caused all of the growth in milk output since 1970
  4. Never evaluated because its records were confidential
Answer and working

A. Widely credited, though studies differ on its causal share and equity

Operation Flood is widely credited with transforming milk marketing, but evaluations differ on its causal share of output growth and on equity.

Dairy Industry & Milk Production Systems · Dairy cooperatives: models from Europe, Oceania, the Americas, Africa and Asia

2. Five fat tests read 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.8 and 4.0%. What is the sample standard deviation (divisor n − 1)?

  1. 0.316%
  2. 0.283%
  3. 0.632%
  4. 0.100%
Answer and working

A. 0.316%

Deviations −0.4, −0.2, 0, 0.2, 0.4; sum of squares 0.40; variance 0.40/4 = 0.10; s = √0.10 = 0.316%. Dividing by n gives 0.283%; 0.100 is the variance; 0.632 forgets to divide the sum of squares at all.

Mathematics & Statistics for Dairy Science · Descriptive statistics and probability distributions

3. Carl Woese's comparisons of small-subunit ribosomal RNA sequences led to the division of living organisms into:

  1. Two kingdoms: plants and animals, with microbes in each
  2. Five kingdoms based on cell structure and nutrition
  3. Three domains: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya
  4. Prokaryotes and viruses as the two main branches of life
Answer and working

C. Three domains: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya

rRNA sequences showed that archaea are as distinct from bacteria as both are from eukaryotes. Five kingdoms was Whittaker's earlier scheme; viruses are not cells.

General Microbiology · History and scope of microbiology

4. Which major constituent of cow milk varies least between individual cows and herds?

  1. Lactose, because it sets most of the osmotic pressure of milk
  2. Ash, because mineral intake does not change from day to day
  3. Casein, because its synthesis is fixed by the animal's breed
  4. Fat, because it is synthesised directly from blood glucose
Answer and working

A. Lactose, because it sets most of the osmotic pressure of milk

Lactose is the least variable major constituent: it is the main osmotic component, and milk is secreted isotonic with blood. Fat is the most variable component, and casein and ash vary more than lactose.

Milk Composition & Physical Properties · Gross composition of milk and its normal ranges

5. On what basis are milk proteins classically divided into casein and whey proteins?

  1. Solubility at pH 4.6 and 20 degrees Celsius: casein precipitates, whey proteins stay in solution
  2. Solubility in 12 per cent trichloroacetic acid: casein dissolves, whey proteins precipitate
  3. Molecular size on gel filtration: casein molecules are smaller than whey protein molecules
  4. Behaviour on heating at 95 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes: casein coagulates, whey proteins stay in solution
Answer and working

A. Solubility at pH 4.6 and 20 degrees Celsius: casein precipitates, whey proteins stay in solution

Casein is defined as the protein precipitated at pH 4.6 and 20 C. TCA at 12% precipitates all proteins, leaving NPN in solution. Heat denatures whey proteins, not casein, which is heat-stable.

Milk Proteins & Enzymes · Classification of milk proteins and nitrogen fractions

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