National Entrance Screening Test 2021

NEST 2021
Information Brochure & Syllabus

Entrance test for admission to

5-year Integrated MSc Program, 2021-26

at

National Institute of Science Education and Research

(NISER) Bhubaneswar

and

University of Mumbai - Department of Atomic Energy

Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences
(UM-DAE CEBS) Mumbai
 NATIONAL ENTRANCE SCREENING TEST 2021

Table of Contents

Page
no

1. Introduction to NEST 2021 3

2. Integrated MSc Program at NISER, Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, 3

Mumbai

3. Eligibility and admission to the program 4

4 Reservation of seats 5

5 NEST 2021 Examination 7

6 Examination Centres 7

7 How to Apply 9

8 Address of Correspondence 10

9 Important Dates 10

10 Important things to remember 11

11 Important things to remember for Online Application 11

12 Proposed student intake at NISER and CEBS for session 2021-2026 12

13 NEST 2021 Merit List Preparation 12

14 Syllabus for NEST 2021 15

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Introduction to NEST 2021

The National Entrance Screening Test or NEST is a compulsory online/computer based test
for admission to the five year Integrated MSc programme in Biology, Chemistry,
Mathematics and Physics, at National Institute of Science Education and Research
(NISER), Bhubaneswar and University of Mumbai – Department of Atomic Energy Centre
for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM–DAE CEBS), Mumbai.

Integrated MSc program at NISER, Bhubaneswar & UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai:

Both NISER and UM-DAE CEBS are autonomous institutions established by the Department
of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India, in 2007. NISER is an off-campus centre of
Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) and all academic programmes of NISER are
affiliated to HBNI. Although CEBS is a DAE institution, it is physically located in the Kalina
campus of University of Mumbai and the degrees to students are awarded by Mumbai
University. These institutes were started with the mandate to provide high quality teaching
in basic sciences by a faculty of distinguished scientists embedded in a vibrant research
environment, and to create a national pool of scientists ready to take up research
challenges in the frontiers of basic and applied sciences. The Integrated MSc programme
at these institutes follows a semester–based course structure and continuous assessment
within a flexible and innovative academic curriculum, exposing the students to research
early in the programme. The placements of the graduated students from NISER and CEBS
provide testimony of success of this initiative.

NISER and CEBS are residential institutes equipped with state of the art teaching and
research laboratories, modern computational facilities, computer centres and excellent
libraries. All the students are accommodated in hostels on campus, and are provided with
an environment conducive to their success in classroom learning and research.

NISER, Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai are in compliance with the UGC and
Govt. of India guidelines on anti-ragging. Ragging in any form is a punishable offence and
hence is totally prohibited on these campuses. Any complaint regarding ragging can be
made at the 24x7 toll-free National Anti-Ragging Help Line number 1800-180-5522 and/or
at the email-ID : helpline@antiragging.in.

The candidates admitted to the programme are eligible to receive an annual scholarship
of Rs 60,000 through DISHA program of Department of Atomic Energy, Government of
India. In addition, the scholarship recipients receive a grant of Rs 20,000 per annum for
summer internship. Candidates selected by DST for the INSPIRE-SHE program are endorsed
for INSPIRE scholarship by NISER and CEBS. Alumni of the programme are presently
pursuing PhD at the reputed universities and institutes in India & abroad.

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Besides, top performers at NISER and CEBS, securing overall grades above a certain
threshold at the end of the programme, are eligible to appear directly for the interview for
admission to Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) training school.

The details of the Integrated MSc programme, list of courses, research activities of the
individual schools, institute facilities and faculty profiles at NISER and CEBS may be found
on their respective websites (www.niser.ac.in and www.cbs.ac.in).

Eligibility criteria for admission to the programme:

Educational qualification: Candidates seeking admission to NISER and UM–DAE CEBS for
the Integrated MSc programme 2021–26 should be from regular science stream in classes
XI and XII. It is mandatory for all aspiring candidates to write the NEST 2021 examination.
Candidates must have passed the class XII examination from any recognised Board in
India in the years 2019 or 2020 or should be appearing for the same in 2021. Candidates
who are appearing for the board examination in 2021 must pass it by the time of
admission into the programme. Also, candidates must secure at least 60% marks in
aggregate or equivalent grade in class XII examination to be eligible for admission to
NISER and CEBS. Candidates satisfying all the above criteria will be considered for
admission strictly on the basis of the Merit List of NEST 2021. For candidates belonging to
scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) and Divyangjan categories, the minimum
requirement of marks is relaxed to 55% in aggregate or equivalent grade in class XII
examination. Where only letter grades are available, a certificate from the concerned
Board specifying equivalent percentage of marks is required to be submitted. In absence
of such a certificate, the decision of the admissions committee of the concerned
institution will be final.

Age limit: General and OBC category candidates born on or after August 01, 2001 are
eligible for admission to the Integrated MSc programme of NISER/CEBS. The age limit is
relaxed by 5 years for SC / ST / Divyangjan candidates.

Eligibility criteria summary: a candidate becomes eligible for the programme when
he/she satisfies all the four criteria stated below:

(a) Secures a position in the NEST merit list. Please refer to page 12 of this document for
the rules of merit list preparation.

(b) Passed the XII standard board examination in the science stream in the years 2019
or 2020 or has appeared in 2021 from any recognised Higher Secondary Education Board
in India.

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(c) Secures at least 60% in aggregate in the XII standard board examination. For
SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates the requirement is 55%.

(d) Born on or after August 01, 2001. For SC/ST/Divyangjan students the limit is relaxed

by five years.

Note: Necessary certificates supporting eligibility criteria have to be furnished only

at the time of admission. Offer of admission is subject to verification of all original
certificates at the time of admission/counselling.
Certificates in support of eligibility criteria need not be produced for appearing in
NEST 2021 examination.

Reservation of seats:

For the Integrated MSc programme 2021–26, total number of seats at NISER and CEBS are
200 and 57, respectively. NISER and CEBS follow the Govt. of India rules for reservation of
seats. The categories and the extent of reservation are as follows:

Other Backward Classes belonging to the Non–Creamy Layer (OBC–NCL): 
27% of seats
are reserved for OBC–NCL. The class should have been mentioned in the central list of
OBCs (http://www.ncbc.nic.in/User_Panel/CentralListStateView.aspx). If offered admission under
the OBC-NCL category, the candidate must produce the relevant valid certificate on the
date of admission.

Candidates belonging to the creamy layer of OBC are NOT entitled for reservation. Such
candidates are treated as belonging to the General category. The Socially and
Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) as notified by some of the State Governments are
as such NOT eligible to avail any reservation unless they satisfy the OBC–NCL criteria.

Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of society is allowed in the

General-EWS category for admission to CEBS.

Scheduled Caste (SC) / Scheduled Tribe (ST): 15% seats are reserved for the SC category
candidates and 7.5% seats are reserved for the ST category candidates. The benefit of
reservation will be given only to those castes and tribes that are mentioned in the
respective lists of corresponding states published by the Government of India:
(http://socialjustice.nic.in/UserView/index?mid=76750 and
https://tribal.nic.in/ST/LatestListofScheduledtribes.pdf).

The number of seats reserved for SC, ST, OBC (Non–Creamy–Layer) and Divyangjan
candidates is according to the Government of India norms. To claim seats under reserved
category, relevant documents must be furnished at the time of admission. All category

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certificates should be written in either English or Hindi. In case certificates are written in any
other language, a translated copy must also be provided.

Divyangjan: 5% of seats are reserved in every category, i.e., General, OBC–NCL, SC and
ST for persons with disabilities (Divyangjan). Benefit would be given only to those who have
at least 40% impairment irrespective of the type of disability i.e., locomotor, visual or
dyslexic. Leprosy–cured candidates who are otherwise fit to pursue the course are also
included in this sub–category. Candidates are advised to ensure that the certificate is in
accordance with the latest guidelines of the Government of India (visit the web site of the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Disability Affairs for latest
information).
The reservation for Divyangjan candidates is horizontal and hence, unfilled seats will be
allotted to candidates belonging to the respective categories i.e., unfilled SC
(Divyangjan) seats will be allotted to candidates belonging to the SC category and so on.

If selected, the candidates must produce all original certificates at the time of admission
failing which the offer of admission will be cancelled.

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NEST 2021 Examination:

The NEST 2021 examination will be conducted at multiple centres (major towns or cities)
all over India on August 14, 2021 (Saturday), 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM (first session) and 2:30 PM
– 6:00 PM (second session). The candidates will be assigned to one of the two sessions.
Based on the performance in NEST 2021, Merit List of the candidates will be prepared for
NISER and CEBS separately (see Merit list preparation section on page 12) and posted on
NEST 2021 website (www.nestexam.in) on September 1, 2021.

NEST 2021 examination will be a Computer-Based Test (CBT/online exam)

Examination centres: A proposed list of about 90 centres (cities and towns of India) for the
NEST examination is given in the table below. Candidates must choose 5 (five) centres in
order of their preference while filling out the application form. Every effort will be made to
allot the centre of first preference. Please note that ultimately, the allotment of an
examination centre by the NEST Committee has to be regarded as final and the request
for change of centre will, in general, not be entertained. The address of the test venue
allotted to the applicant, will be mentioned on the NEST admit card. Admit cards will be
available for download from an online application portal from August 3, 2021. Refer to
the section ‘How to Apply’ below for details on online registration and application
process.

Code Centre Name Code Centre Name Code Centre Name

1 Guntur [AP] 32 Kollam [KL] 63 Jalandhar [PB]
2 Kurnool [AP] 33 Kottayam [KL] 64 Mohali [PB]
3 Rajahmundry [AP] 34 Kozhikode [KL] 65 Jaipur [RJ]
4 Tirupathi [AP] 35 Malappuram [KL] 66 Jodhpur [RJ]
5 Vijayawada [AP] 36 Palakkad [KL] 67 Udaipur [RJ]
6 Visakhapatnam [AP] 37 Pathanamthitta [KL] 68 Chennai [TN]
7 Vizianagaram [AP] 38 Thiruvananthapuram [KL] 69 Coimbatore [TN]
8 Guwahati [AS] 39 Thrissur [KL] 70 Madurai [TN]
9 Patna [BR] 40 Bhopal [MP] 71 Salem [TN]
10 Chandigarh [CH] 41 Gwalior [MP] 72 Tiruchirappalli [TN]
11 Bhilai Nagar [CG] 42 Indore [MP] 73 Tirunelveli [TN]
12 Raipur [CG] 43 Jabalpur [MP] 74 Hyderabad [TS]
13 New Delhi [DL] 44 Mumbai [MH] 75 Karimnagar [TS]
14 Ahmedabad [GJ] 45 Nagpur [MH] 76 Warangal [TS]
15 Hamirpur [HP] 46 Pune [MH] 77 Agartala [TR]
16 Shimla [HP] 47 Imphal [MN] 78 Allahabad [UP]
17 Jammu [JK] 48 Shillong [ML] 79 Kanpur [UP]
18 Srinagar [JK] 49 Angul [OD] 80 Lucknow [UP]
19 Bokaro Steel City [JH] 50 Balasore [OD] 81 Noida [UP]

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20 Dhanbad [JH] 51 Bargarh [OD] 82 Varanasi [UP]

21 Jamshedpur [JH] 52 Baripada [OD] 83 Dehradun [UK]
22 Ranchi [JH] 53 Berhampur-Ganjam [OD] 84 Haldwani [UK]
23 Bengaluru [KA] 54 Bhubaneswar [OD] 85 Roorkee [UK]
24 Hubballi (Hubli) [KA] 55 Cuttack [OD] 86 Asansol [WB]
25 Mangaluru (Mangalore) 56 Dhenkanal [OD] 87 Burdwan [WB]
[KA]
26 Mysuru (Mysore) [KA] 57 Jharsuguda [OD] 88 Durgapur [WB]
27 Alappuzha [KL] 58 Khurda [OD] 89 Hooghly [WB]
28 Ernakulam [KL] 59 Rayagada [OD] 90 Kolkata [WB]
29 Idukki [KL] 60 Rourkela [OD] 91 Siliguri [WB]
30 Kannur [KL] 61 Sambalpur [OD] 92 Kota [RJ]
31 Kasaragod [KL] 62 Bhatinda [PB] - -
Any five cities from the above list, as per applicant’s preference, have to be chosen while
filling out the application form. Depending on the number of applicants opting for a
particular test city/town, NEST 2021 committee reserves the right to cancel or add any of
the test cities without prior notice to applicants. Address of the NEST test centre allotted to
an applicant will be printed on the admit card. Only this test centre should be treated as
final, irrespective of the order of preference of test cities filled in at the time of online
application.

Examination rules: Candidates must reach the test venue at least 90 minutes before the
examination commences. The examination is of 3 hours and 30 minutes duration. It will
start at 9:00 AM for the first session and 2:30 PM for the second session. Candidates will not
be allowed to enter the examination hall after 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM for the respective
sessions. The earliest a candidate can leave the examination hall is 11 AM and 4:30 PM for
the respective sessions, unless it becomes necessary to leave earlier on medical grounds.
Use of log tables and calculators inside the examination hall is not allowed. Candidates
may bring their own pens. Exchange/sharing of these items with other candidates is strictly
prohibited. Candidates MUST bring their Admit Card and their school photo Identity Card
or any other photo ID issued by Government agencies to the examination hall. Any
candidate found adopting unfair means will be expelled from the examination hall
without warning. Mobile phones and other similar electronic gadgets are strictly not
allowed inside the examination hall.

NEST 2021 will be conducted in compliance with the guidelines issued by the Government
of India regarding scribes for Divyangjan category candidates (please refer to the
website: http://disabilityaffairs.gov.in). Divyangjan category candidates are eligible for
extra time of 20 minutes per hour of examination duration as per GOI guidelines.

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Divyangjan category candidates who require the assistance of scribes should bring their
scribes complying with the guidelines mentioned above to the examination venue.

Question type: The question paper will consist of 4 (four) sections of objective (MCQ) type
questions. Each section is of 50 marks each and will contain subject specific questions
from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. It is in the interest of the candidate to
attempt all sections. The merit list for both the institutes is prepared using the best 3 scores
out of the four sections and the section with the worst score is omitted. Thus attempting all
sections will increase their chances of a better total score (for details of merit list
preparation see page 12). In each section, for certain questions there will be negative
marking for incorrect answers. Some questions may have one or more correct answers for
which marks can only be earned by marking all correct answers and no wrong answer.
For NEST question papers of the last few years, refer to the NEST 2021 website
(www.nestexam.in). Language of the question paper will be English only.

Answering questions: The examination is a Computer Based Test (CBT). The candidate will
enter all the requisite details at the given computer terminal. The questions will be
displayed on the monitor. The answers to each question are to be provided at the
computer terminal using the given electronic equipment. Details of how to answer at the
terminal will be provided before the examination. Applicants are encouraged to practice
by using a mock test link that will be made available on NEST 2021 web page, several
days before the exam date. Practice sessions on the computer-based test will be
available for all applicants on the application portal after online registration and
complete submission of online application. Application portal will be accessible with
correct login credentials only.

Syllabus: The syllabus for NEST 2021 primarily follows the NCERT/CBSE science syllabus of
class XI–XII. The detailed syllabus for NEST examination is provided at the end of this
document under the heading: ‘Syllabus for NEST 2021’. The syllabus can also be
downloaded from NEST 2021 website, www.nestexam.in. Two questions in each section are
designed to test the general scientific knowledge of the student rather than specialised
knowledge of the subject. These two questions, which may not be exactly from the stated
syllabus, would require knowledge of class X level Science subjects.

Note: NEST 2021 question paper will not have a separate “General” section.

How to apply:
To apply for NEST 2021, candidates must fill out the online application form through
www.nestexam.in on or after February 24, 2021. Candidates are strongly advised to read
through the detailed online application procedure available on the website (click on
‘How to Apply online’). Online application process closes on July 15, 2021.

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Applications can be submitted only through the NEST 2021 website. There is no other mode
of application submission. Login credentials for logging into application submission and
fee payment portals will be provided upon online registration.

Application Fee: The application fee for the male candidates of General and OBC
categories is 1,200/–. The application fee for candidates in the SC/ST/Divyangjan
categories and for all female candidates is 600/–. Payments can be made using credit
card/debit card/net–banking through online payment gateway. Please use
Mastercard/Visa/RuPay cards only.

Candidates need not send any document to the NEST office in the entire application
process.

Please refer to the instruction sheet (the ‘How to Apply Online’ tab on www.nestexam.in)
for details regarding application process.

Admit card: The admit card for NEST 2021 will be available for downloading from August 3,
2021. Admit cards will NOT be dispatched to any applicant. Applicants must download
their admit cards from NEST website (after login). The download link will be available only
till the day of the examination.

Address for correspondence:

Any NEST 2021 related queries be addressed to:

by postal mail:
Chief Coordinator, NEST 2021
NISER Bhubaneswar, P.O. Jatni
Jatni, Khurda 752050, Odisha, India

by e-mail to: nest-exam@niser.ac.in(for a quicker response email is recommended)

The official website of NEST 2021 is: www.nestexam.in

Important Dates:

• Start of Online application for NEST 2021: February 24, 2021

• Closing of Online application: July 15, 2021 

• Download of Admit Card begins: August 3, 2021
• NEST 2021 examination: August 14, 2021 (Hours of examination:
9:00 AM – 12:30 PM & 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM) 

• Announcement of results on NEST website: September 1, 2021

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Important things to remember:

✔ Candidates must reach the examination venue at least 90 minutes before the start of
the examination.

✔ Candidates will NOT be allowed to enter the examination hall any later than half an
hour (30 minutes) after the start of the examination, i.e. 9:30 AM in the first session &
3:00 PM in the second session. 


✔ Candidates will be allowed to leave the examination hall no sooner than two hours
after the start of the examination, i.e. 11.00 AM for first session & 4.30 PM for second
session (except when required by medical emergencies).

✔ Candidates MUST bring their Admit Card and a valid photo Identity Card to the
examination hall. 


✔ Use of log tables and calculators in the examination hall is not allowed. Candidates
must bring their own blue/black pen. 


✔ ANY kind of electronic gadgets, including mobile phones, digital/smart watches,

storage devices etc., are not allowed inside examination hall. 


Important things to remember for online application

▪ Correct e-mail address should be provided. NEST office communicates with candidates
through this e-mail id only.
▪ The phone number that is provided during application should be accessible by the
candidate. NEST office uses this phone number to reach a candidate or to send SMS
messages whenever necessary. 


▪ A properly scanned and cropped recent passport sized photograph should be

uploaded. A properly scanned and cropped signature should be uploaded.
▪ 
The photograph and signature files must be not more than 80 KB each and must be in
.JPG or .JPEG format only.
▪ Applications incomplete in any respect will not be accepted.

▪ Any dispute arising out of or related to the NEST 2021 examination shall be subject to
Bhubaneswar jurisdiction.

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Proposed student intake at NISER and CEBS for session 2021-2026:

Number of seats available at NISER and CEBS for admission in the year 2021 would be as
follows
Category NISER CEBS
General 101 23
General – EWS 0 06
OBC - NCL 54 15
SC 30 09
ST 15 04
Divyangjan 5% seats in each 5% seats in each
category category
Total 200 57
Total proposed intake 200 57

2 supernumerary seats are reserved at both NISER and CEBS for eligible candidates from
Jammu and Kashmir as per existing government regulations.

A student with a certain category rank will take a general seat if he/she secures a suitable
general ranking.

For example, if the topper of the exam (General rank 1) happens to be an OBC
candidate, he/she would get OBC rank 1, as well. In such a case, he/she would be
admitted against the General rank so that all OBC seats remain available even after
his/her admission.

NEST 2021 Merit List preparation

This section lists rules employed for the preparation of merit list in National Entrance
Screening Test (NEST) 2021.

I. Scoring system

1. In the NEST 2021 examination, there are four sections of 50 marks each.
2. NEST 2021 entrance examination will be conducted in two sessions and different sets
of question papers will be used for each session. The percentile score will be
calculated on the basis of the relative performance of all the qualified candidates in
the respective session. The highest score in each session will be 100th percentile.
3. Merit lists for NISER and CEBS will be prepared separately.

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4. During preparation of the merit list, the three best scores from the four sections will be
considered. In other words, the worst score among the four sections would be
discarded for the merit list calculation.
5. As merit list calculation will be performed on marks obtained in the best three sections,
the ‘total’ marks for NEST 2021 becomes 150.

II. ‘Section–wise’ Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) or section-wise cut–off marks

1. Total score of each candidate will be the sum of his/her best three scores out of the
four sections.

2. For each section, “20% of the average of the best 100 scores in that section” will be
considered as Section–wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS).

For example, if the average of the best 100 scores in Chemistry section is 40 out of 50, then
SMAS for Chemistry section would be 40*0.20 = 8 marks. Similarly, for other sections.

3. SMAS for different sections can obviously be of different numerical value. 


4. SMAS for the two sessions, for any particular section, can obviously be of different
numerical value.

5. SMAS for OBC students would be 90% of respective SMAS for general category
students.

For example, if in the Chemistry section the SMAS is 8 for general category students, then SMAS for OBC
students would be 7 (90% of 8, rounded off).

6. SMAS for SC/ST/Divyangjan students would be 50% of respective SMAS for general
category students.

For example, if in the Chemistry section the SMAS is 8 for general category students, then SMAS for
SC/ST/Divyangjan students would be 4 (50% of 8).

III. Overall cut-off or Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP)

1. In addition to SMAS, a candidate is required to score equal to or above a total

Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP), to get a merit rank.

i. MAP for NEST 2021 is 95 percentile for general category candidates.

ii. MAP for NEST 2021 is 90 percentile for OBC candidates.

iii. MAP for NEST 2021 is 75 percentile for SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates.

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2. A candidate scoring less than the MAP would not be allotted any merit rank and
would not be deemed eligible for admission, even if he/she secures SMAS in all
sections.

IV. Merit list rank preparation

The final ranking of the candidates will be based on percentile scores calculated from
the best three section scores. NISER and CEBS will publish separate merit lists based on
the following criteria:

1. A candidate is required to score equal to or above a total Minimum Admissible

Percentile (MAP), to get a merit rank.
2. The best three section scores will be considered for the calculation of total marks
to determine the merit rank of the candidate.
3. For NISER merit list: A candidate must score equal to or greater than the
respective SMAS in all four sections.
4. For CEBS merit list: Each of the best three section scores of the candidate must
be equal to or greater than the respective SMAS scores for those sections.
5. If the percentiles of two or more candidates become equal (i.e in the case of a
tie), then the best scores in the sections of the two students would be compared.
The student with the higher score would get a better rank.
6. If the tie persists, the students would be given the same provisional rank at the
time of declaration of the result and the tie would be broken by comparing class
12th marks during admission/counselling.

7. If the tie still persists then the younger student will get a higher rank.

V. Admission:

Getting a merit rank by satisfying SMAS and MAP criteria does not automatically
entitle a candidate to a seat or to be called for admission/counselling. The details of
admission/counselling process will be uploaded on the website of the respective
institutions sufficiently in advance.

Note: NEST committee reserves the right to relax any of the defined cut–offs in
extenuating circumstances.

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SYLLABUS FOR NEST 2021

Biology:

Cell Biology: Cell theory and cells as units of life. Basic concepts of biomolecules – Proteins,
Carbohydrates, Lipids, Nucleic acids. Tools and techniques of cell studies – use of
microscope and calibration (microscopy), elements of microscope. Biomembranes –
transport mechanism, cellular respiration. Cell organelles – structure and functions.
Discovery and structure of DNA, processes of replication, transcription, genetic code and
translation. Principles of the basic techniques in molecular biology. Enzymes– catalysis,
kinetics, activation energy, competitive and non– competitive inhibition.

Genetics and Evolution: Fundamentals of genetics and evolution. Evidences and theories
of organic evolution. Organization of the heredity material in chromosomes. Equational
division. Reduction division. Mitosis and meiosis compared and contrasted. Significance of
meiosis. Mendel's laws of inheritance. Discovery of linkage, sex–linked inheritance.
Crossing– over, stage at which crossing– over occurs. Neurospora genetics. Mutation –
discovery, types of Mutation and Mutations in diploids. Role of mutations in evolution.
Elaboration of Mendel's laws of inheritance. Monohybrid or Dihybrid crosses. Human
genetics – human chromosomes, sex–determination, sex–linked inheritance.

Ecology: Physical and biological factors in influencing organisms. Food chains, pyramids of
numbers and biomass. Biological equilibrium. Interspecific associations. Bio–diversity. Flora
and fauna. Basics of microbial systems, Ecosystems.

Humans and Environment: Soil, rainfall and temperature with reference to natural
resources. Our natural resources – their uses and abuses. Environmental pollution and
preventive measures. Biodiversity and conservation.

Biotechnology: Principles of recombinant DNA technology. Applications of biotechnology.

Biology of Animal systems:

Digestive System – Modes of nutrition. Different vitamin compounds and their deficiencies.
Structure of alimentary canal and associated glands, digestive enzymes and
gastrointestinal hormones. Absorption of products of digestion, peristalsis, balanced diet.
Respiratory System – Gaseous exchange in animals. Structure of respiratory organs,
mechanism of breathing, gaseous transport, tissue respiration.

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Circulatory System – Open and closed systems. Functions of blood and 1ymph.
Microscopic structure of blood and blood vessels. Structures and working of heart.
Distribution of arteries and veins. Circulation of blood coagulation. Blood groups.

Excretory System – Elimination of nitrogenous waste. Osmoconformers and

osmoregulators. Structure and function of kidney tubules. Arrangement of excretory
organs.

Nervous System – General account of brain, spinal cord and nerves. Re ex actions (simple
and conditioned). Sense organs (eye and ear).

Reproductive System – Sexual and asexual reproduction. General arrangement and

functions of reproductive organs.

Developmental Biology: Basic features of development in animals. Types of eggs,

fertilization, cleavage, blastula. Stem cells– definition, types, uses, advantages and
disadvantages, induced pluripotent stem cells. Different hormones and their
roles.
Diversity of Animal Life — Principles of classification, binomial nomenclature.
General classification of animal phyla up to classes (invertebrates) and up to sub–classes /
order (vertebrates), General characters of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and
mammals.

Immunology: Basics of immune mechanisms and diseases– active and passive immunity, T-
and B-cell responses, antigen presentation, principles of vaccination, monoclonal
antibodies and their uses, immunology of AIDS.

Biology of Plant systems: Anatomy and Physiology of Plants – Meristems. Plant growth and
development. Internal and external regulators of growth and development in plants. Plant
reproduction. Internal structure of root, stem, secondary growth and leaves. Xylem and
Phloem – their cell elements and functions. Internal structure of dicot and monocot leaves.
Photosynthesis – history, importance, factors and mechanism, stomatal mechanism,
transpiration and respiration. Comparative study of dicot and monocot anatomy.
Absorption and cell–water relations, transport of water and minerals, tropic and turgor
movements. Significance of life–cycles with special reference to alternation of
generations as exemplified in Funaria, Selaginella and Pinus (no structural details). Plant
hormones.

Systematics: Principles of classical and new systematics. Binomial nomenclature. Familiarity

with taxa. Plant breeding and tissue culture.

Chemistry:

Physical Chemistry:

Measurements in chemistry - SI units for fundamental quantities, significant figures in

calculations.

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Mole concept - Avogadro number and mole concept, molar masses, mole fraction,
molarity, molality, percent composition, stoichiometry. Equivalent weight and normality.
Calculations based on mole concept and stoichiometry of different reactions. Oxidation–
reduction reactions.

Gaseous and liquid states - Absolute scale of temperature. Gas laws, ideal gas equation,
real gases and deviation from ideality, liquefaction of gases, van der Waals equation.
Kinetic theory of gases; average, root mean square and most probable velocities and
their relation with temperature. Law of partial pressures. Vapour pressure. Diffusion of
gases.

Atomic structure and chemical bonding - Bohr model, spectrum of hydrogen atom,
quantum numbers. Wave particle duality, de Broglie hypothesis. Uncertainty principle.
Orbitals and quantum numbers; shapes and energy of s, p and d orbitals. Electronic
configurations of elements (up to atomic number 36), filling of orbitals – Aufbau principle.
Pauli’s exclusion principle and Hund’s rule. Hybridization involving s, p and d orbitals.
Atomic orbital overlap and chemical bonds; ionic, covalent and coordinate bonds; bond
parameters. Orbital energy diagrams for homo–nuclear diatomic species. Lewis structures.
Hydrogen bond. Polarity in molecules, dipole moment (qualitative aspects). VSEPR theory
and shapes of molecules. Valence Bond Theory. Molecular orbital theory of homo–nuclear
diatomic molecules (qualitative idea).

Thermodynamics - Thermodynamic states. First law of thermodynamics. Internal energy,

work and heat, pressure–volume work. Enthalpy and enthalpy change, Hess’s law, heat of
– reaction, fusion and vaporisation. Second law of thermodynamics, entropy, free energy,
criterion of spontaneity.

Chemical equilibrium - Laws of chemical Equilibrium, law of mass action. Equilibrium

constant – factors affecting equilibrium constant and its applications. Le Chatelier's
o
principle - effect of concentration, temperature and pressure. Significance of ΔG and ΔG
in chemical equilibrium. Relationship of K and ΔG. Ionic equilibrium. Acids and bases
(Bronsted and Lewis concepts), salts. Ka, Kb, Kw, degree of dissociation, pH and their
relationships. Solubility product, common ion effect. Hydrolysis of salts. Buffer solutions.
Electrochemistry - Redox reactions and electrode potential, Electrochemical cells,
Galvanic cells and cell reactions. Standard electrode potential. Nernst equation and its
relation to ΔG and K. Electrochemical series, emf of galvanic cells. Electrolysis and
Faraday's laws of electrolysis. Electrolytic conductance, specific, equivalent and molar
conductivity, Kohlrausch's law. Concentration cells. Batteries (primary and secondary),
fuel cells, corrosion. Chemical kinetics - Rates of chemical reactions. Order of reaction,
rate constant. First order and pseudo first order reactions. Factors affecting rate of
reaction – concentration, temperature (Arrhenius equation), catalyst.

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Solid state - Classification of solids, amorphous and crystalline solids, crystalline state,
crystal lattice and unit cells; seven crystal systems (cell parameters a, b, c, α, β, ), close
packed structure of solids (cubic), packing in fcc, bcc and hcp lattices. Packing
efficiency, nearest neighbours, ionic radii. Simple ionic compounds, Imperfection in solids,
point defects. Electrical and magnetic properties, band theory of metals.

Solutions - Solution of solid and gas in liquid. Concentration of solution. Ideal and
non-ideal solutions. Colligative properties. Vapour pressure of solution, Raoult's law.
Molecular weight determination from lowering of vapour pressure, elevation of boiling
point and depression of freezing point. Abnormal molecular mass, van’t Hoff factor.
Osmosis – Osmotic pressure, reverse osmosis.

Surface chemistry:

(a) Adsorption – Physisorption and chemisorptions. Factors affecting adsorption of

gases on solids. Adsorption isotherm. Catalysis – homogeneous and heterogeneous,
Activity and selectivity. Enzyme catalysis.

(b) Colloidal state – Types, preparation and properties of colloids. Tyndall effect,
Brownian movement, electrophoresis, coagulation. Application of colloids. Micelles.

Inorganic Chemistry:

Classification of elements and periodicity in properties - Modern periodic table,

classification of elements, periodic trends in properties of elements – valence, oxidation
state, atomic/ionic radius, ionization energy, electron gain energy, electronegativity,
valency, chemical reactivity. Diagonal relationship. Anomalous behaviours of Li, Be, B, C.
Hydrogen - Isotopes, preparation, isolation, properties and uses. Hydrides – ionic, covalent
and interstitial. Properties of water and heavy water. Hydrogen peroxide – Preparation,
structure, reactions, uses. Hydrogen as fuel cell.

s– Block elements (Alkali and alkaline earth elements) – General characteristics and
trends in properties.

(a) Group 1: Preparation, properties and reactions of alkali metals with emphasis on
chemistry of Na and K and their compounds – oxides, peroxides, hydroxides, carbonates,
bicarbonates, chlorides and sulphates. Uses.

(b) Group 2: Preparation, properties and reactions alkaline earth metals with emphasis
on the chemistry of Mg and Ca and their compounds – oxides, peroxides, hydroxides,
carbonates, bicarbonates, chlorides and sulphates. Uses.

p– Block elements - General characteristics and trends in properties. 


(a) Group 13: Chemistry of Boron and its compounds – borax, boric acid and diborane.

(b) Group 14, 15 and 16: Chemistry of carbon, sulphur, nitrogen and phosphorus. Allotropy.

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Chemistry of oxides and oxyacids of these elements. Phosphines, phosphorus chlorides,

ammonia, peroxide and ozone; silicones, silicon tetrachloride and silicates. 

(c) Group 17: Chemistry of halogens, chemistry of chlorine in detail. Interhalogen
compounds. HX and oxyacids of halogens. 

(d) Group 18: Isolation, properties and reactions of inert gases with emphasis on

chemistry of Xenon. d–Block elements - (Mainly 3d elements) General characteristics and

trends in properties.

Variable oxidation states and their stabilities, colour (excluding the details of electronic
transitions) and calculation of spin–only magnetic moments. Catalytic properties.
Interstitial compounds, alloy formation. Preparation and properties of potassium
dichromate and permanganate. f–Block elements- (mainly lanthanides) General
characteristics and trends in properties.
Variable oxidation states. Lanthanide contraction and its consequences.

Coordination compounds -Nomenclature of mononuclear coordination compounds.

Isomerism. Hybridization and geometries of mononuclear coordination compounds.
Magnetic properties. Werner’s theory, VBT, CFT.

Metals and metallurgy - Occurrence of metals. General methods of extraction involving

chemical principles – thermodynamic, electrochemical and redox principles. General
operation stages involved in metallurgical operation. Metallurgy of p–block element
(emphasis on Al). Metallurgy of Fe–triad (more emphasis on Fe metallurgy). Metallurgy of
coinage metals (Cu, Ag with more emphasis on Cu). Refining.

Organic Chemistry:

Basic concepts - Representation of organic compounds. Hybridisations of carbon. Sigma

and pi– bonds. Shapes of simple organic molecules. Inductive effect, electromeric effect,
resonance effect, hyperconjugation. Keto–enol tautomerism. Determination of empirical
and molecular formulae (only combustion method). Hydrogen bond – definition and
effect on physical properties of alcohols and carboxylic acids. Acidity and basicity of
organic acids and bases. Methods of purification of compounds.

Reactive intermediates - Homolytic and heterolytic bond cleavages. Formation, structure

and stability of – carbocation, carbanion and free radical. Isomerism - Structural and
stereoisomerism. Geometrical isomerism. Chirality. Enantiomers. Optical isomerism of
compounds containing up to two asymmetric centres, (R, S and E, Z nomenclature
excluded). Racemic mixture. Conformations of ethane and butane (Newman
projections).

Nomenclature - IUPAC nomenclature of simple organic compounds (only hydrocarbons,

mono– functional and bi–functional compounds), including benzene derivatives. Alkanes

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- Preparation, properties and reactions. Idea of homologous series Combustion and

halogenation of alkanes. Mechanism of photohalogenation, Wurtz reaction.

Alkenes and Alkynes - Preparation, properties and reactions of alkenes and alkynes.
Isomerization. Acidity of alkynes. Acid catalysed hydration of alkenes and alkynes
(excluding the stereochemistry), Reactions of alkenes with KMnO4, sulphuric acid,

Reduction of alkenes and alkynes, Preparation of alkenes and alkynes by elimination

reactions (excluding stereochemistry), Electrophilic addition reactions of alkenes with X2,
HX, HOX and H2O (X=halogen). Makowniko rule. Peroxide effect. Polymerization of
alkenes, Addition reactions of alkynes, Metal acetylides, Ozonolysis

Aromatic compounds - Aromaticity. Huckel theory of aromaticity. Structure of benzene.

Isomerism in substituted benzenes. Electrophilic substitution reaction on benzene– General
mechanism. Orientating influence of substituents in electrophilic substitution reaction of
monosubstituted benzenes. Electrophilic substitution reactions of benzene and substituted
benzenes – halogenation, nitration, sulphonation, Friedel–Crafts alkylation and acylation
(No mechanism).

Haloalkanes (Alkyl halides) - Preparation from alkanes, alcohols, ole ns. Grignard reagents
and their reaction with aldehydes/ketones/esters/nitriles. Nucleophilic substitution
reactions of alkyl halides with different nucleophilic species. SN1 and SN2 reactions with
mechanism.

Halogen exchange reaction. Polyhalogen compounds. Haloarenes - Nucleophilic

aromatic substitution in haloarenes and substituted haloarenes (excluding Benzyne
mechanism and Cine substitution). Alcohols - Preparation from – ole ns, alkyl halides,
carboxylic acids, aldehydes/ketones. Hydroboration reaction. Dehydration, oxidation to
aldehydes and ketones. Reaction with sodium, phosphorus halides, ZnCl2/ HX, H2SO4.
Identification of p–, sec– and tert– alcohols.

Uses of methanol and ethanol.

Phenols - Preparation of phenol from halobenzene, cumene and benzene sulphonic acid.
Acidity. Reactions of phenols – halogenation, nitration, sulphonation, with Zn. Reimer–
Tieman reaction, Kolbe reaction.

Ethers - Preparation by Williamson's Synthesis, dehydration of alcohols. Reaction with H2O,

HX.

Aldehydes and Ketones – Preparation of aldehydes and ketones from – Alcohols, olefins,
acid chlorides, arylalkanes, nitriles, esters, Friedel–Crafts reaction. Reactions with –
Alcohols, HCN, NaHSO3. Reactions– oxidation, reduction, oxime and hydrazone formation.

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 NATIONAL ENTRANCE SCREENING TEST 2021

Aldol condensation, Perkin reaction. Cannizzaro reaction. Haloform reaction. Tests to

distinguish aldehydes and ketones. Carboxylic acids – Acidity and structure–acidity
relationship. Preparation of acids.
Preparation of amides, acid chlorides, esters and anhydrides. ester hydrolysis. Reactions of
acids with – thionyl chloride, P–halides, ammonia, alkalis, metals, halogens, reducing
agents. Decarboxylation. Halogenation.

Amines – Basicity and structure–basicity relationship. Identification of p–, sec– and tert–
amines. Preparation of amines from – nitro compounds, nitriles, amides,
haloalkanes/aromatic compounds. Reaction with – Acids, alkylating agents, acylating
agents, nitrous acid. Diazotization of aromatic primary amines – Reactions of aromatic
diazonium salts – azo coupling reaction, Sandmeyer and related reactions. Carbylamine
reaction of p–amines.

Carbohydrate - Classification of carbohydrates. mono– and di– saccharides (glucose and

sucrose). Characteristic tests. Structure of glucose. Reactions of glucose– Oxidation,
reduction, hydroxylamine, HI, acetic anhydride. Cyclic structure of glucose. Structures of –
Sucrose, maltose, starch and cellulose. Glycoside formation and hydrolysis of sucrose.

Amino acids and proteins - α–amino acids. General structure of peptides and proteins.
Peptide bond. Characteristic tests. Separation of amino acids using physical properties.
Denaturation of proteins. Enzymes.

Polymers: Classification. Homo and co–polymers, Addition and condensation

polymerizations. Polythene, nylons, polyesters, Bakelite, melamine–formaldehyde, rubber –
natural and synthetic.

Mathematics:

Algebra:

Algebra of complex numbers, addition, multiplication, conjugation, polar representation,

properties of modulus and principal argument, triangle inequality, cube roots of unity,
geometric interpretations.

Quadratic equations with real coefficients, relations between roots and coefficients,
formation of quadratic equations with given roots, symmetric functions of roots.

Arithmetic, geometric and harmonic progressions, arithmetic, geometric and harmonic

means, sums of finite arithmetic and geometric progressions, infinite geometric series, sums
of squares and cubes of the first n natural numbers.

Logarithms and their properties.

Permutations and combinations, Binomial theorem for positive integral index, properties of
binomial coefficients. Matrices as a rectangular array of real numbers, equality of

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matrices, addition, multiplication by a scalar and product of matrices, transpose of a

matrix, determinant of a square matrix of order up to three, inverse of a square matrix of
order up to three, properties of these matrix operations, diagonal, symmetric and
skew–symmetric matrices and their properties, solutions of simultaneous linear equations in
two or three variables.

Addition and multiplication rules of probability, conditional probability, Bayes Theorem,

independence of events, computation of probability of events using permutations and
combinations.

Trigonometry:

Trigonometric functions, their periodicity and graphs, addition and subtraction formulae,
formulae involving multiple and sub–multiple angles, general solution of trigonometric
equations.

Relations between sides and angles of a triangle, sine rule, cosine rule, half–angle formula
and the area of a triangle, inverse trigonometric functions (principal value only).

Analytical geometry:

Two dimensions – Cartesian coordinates, distance between two points, section formulae,
shift of origin. Equation of a straight line in various forms, angle between two lines, distance
of a point from a line. Lines through the point of intersection of two given lines, equation of
the bisector of the angle between two lines, concurrency of lines. Centroid, orthocentre,
incentre and circumcentre of a triangle.

Equation of a circle in various forms, equations of tangent, normal and chord. Parametric
equations of a circle, intersection of a circle with a straight line or a circle, equation of a
circle through the points of intersection of two circles and those of a circle and a straight
line.

Equations of a parabola, ellipse and hyperbola in standard form, their foci, directrices and
eccentricity, parametric equations, equations of tangent and normal. Locus Problems.

Three dimensions – Direction cosines and direction ratios, equation of a straight line in
space, equation of a plane, distance of a point from a plane.

Differential calculus:

Real valued functions of a real variable, into, onto and one–to–one functions, sum,
difference, product and quotient of two functions, composite functions, absolute value,
polynomial, rational, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions.

Limit and continuity of a function, limit and continuity of the sum, difference, product and
quotient of two functions, L’Hospital rule for evaluation of limits of functions.

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Even and odd functions, inverse of a function, continuity of composite functions,

intermediate value property of continuous functions. Derivative of a function, derivative of
the sum, difference, product and quotient of two functions, chain rule, derivatives of
polynomial, rational, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic
functions.

Derivatives of implicit functions, derivatives up to order two, geometrical interpretation of

the derivative, tangents and normals, increasing and decreasing functions, maximum and
minimum values of a function, Rolle’s Theorem and Lagrange’s Mean Value Theorem.

Integral calculus:

Integration as the inverse process of differentiation, indefinite integrals of standard

functions, definite integrals and their properties, Fundamental Theorem of Integral
Calculus.

Integration by parts, integration by the methods of substitution and partial fractions,

application of definite integrals to the determination of areas involving simple curves.

Formation of ordinary differential equations, solution of homogeneous differential

equations, separation of variables method, linear first order differential equations.

Vectors:

Addition of vectors, scalar multiplication, dot and cross products, scalar triple products
and their geometrical interpretations.

Physics:

General: Units and dimensions, dimensional analysis, least count, significant figures.
Methods of measurement (Direct, Indirect, Null) and measurement of length, time, mass,
temperature, potential difference, current and resistance.

Design of some simple experiments, such as: i) Searle's method to determine Young's
modulus, ii) determination of 'g' by simple pendulum, iii) speed of sound using resonance
tube, iv) coefficient of friction using angle of repose, v) determination of focal length of a
convex lens by plotting a graph between 'u' and 'v', vi) refractive index of material of
prism using the method of minimum deviation, vii) verification of Ohm's law, viii) resistance
of galvanometer using half deflection method, ix) specific heat of a liquid using
calorimeter, x) I–V characteristic curve for p–n junction in forward and reverse bias.

Graphical representation and interpretation of data. Errors in the measurements and error
analysis. Mechanics: Kinematics in one and two dimensions (Cartesian coordinates only),
projectiles. Uniform circular motion. Relative velocity. Newton’s laws of motion. Inertial and
uniformly accelerated (linear only) frames of reference. Static and dynamic friction.
Kinetic and potential energy. Linear and circular simple harmonic motion. Work and
power. Conservation of linear momentum and mechanical energy.
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 NATIONAL ENTRANCE SCREENING TEST 2021

Systems of particles. Centre of mass and its motion. Centre of gravity. Impulse. Elastic and
inelastic collisions.

Law of gravitation. Centripetal acceleration and centrifugal force. Gravitational potential

and field. Acceleration due to gravity. Motion of planets and satellites in circular orbits.
Escape velocity.

Rigid body, moment of inertia, parallel and perpendicular axes theorems, moment of
inertia of uniform bodies with simple geometrical shapes. Angular momentum, Torque.

Conservation of angular momentum. Dynamics of rigid bodies with fixed axis of rotation.
Rolling without slipping of rings, cylinders and spheres. Equilibrium of rigid bodies. Collision
of point masses with rigid bodies.

Hooke’s law and stress – strain relations. Elastic limit, plastic deformation. Young’s modulus,
bulk and shear moduli.

Pressure in a fluid. Pascal’s law. Buoyancy. Surface energy and surface tension, capillary
rise. Viscosity – Stoke’s and Poiseuille’s law, Terminal velocity. Qualitative understanding of
turbulence. Reynolds number. Streamline flow, equation of continuity. Bernoulli’s theorem.

Sound and mechanical waves: Plane wave motion, longitudinal and transverse waves,
superposition of waves. Progressive and stationary waves. Vibration of strings and air
columns. Resonance (qualitative understanding). Beats. Speed of sound in gases. Doppler
effect.

Thermal physics: Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases. Calorimetry, latent heat.
Heat conduction in one dimension. Elementary concepts of convection and radiation.
Newton’s law of cooling. Ideal gas laws. Specific heats (CV and CP for monatomic and
diatomic gases). Isothermal and adiabatic processes, bulk modulus of gases. Equivalence
of heat and work. First and second law of thermodynamics and its applications (only for
ideal gases). Entropy. Blackbody radiation – absorptive and emissive powers. Kirchhoff’s
law. Wien’s displacement law, Stefan’s law.

Electricity and magnetism: Coulomb’s law. Electric field and potential. Electrical potential
energy of a system of point charges and of electrical dipoles in a uniform electrostatic
field; Electric field lines. Flux of electric field. Gauss’s law and its application in simple
cases, such as to find the field due to infinitely long straight wire. uniformly charged infinite
plane sheet and uniformly charged thin spherical shell.

Capacitance – Calculation of capacitance with and without dielectrics. Capacitors in

series and parallel. Energy stored in a capacitor.

Electric current. Ohm’s law. Series and parallel arrangements of resistances and cells.
Kirchhoff’s laws and simple applications; Heating effect of current.

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 NATIONAL ENTRANCE SCREENING TEST 2021

Biot–Savart’s law and Ampere’s law. Magnetic field near a current carrying straight wire,
along the axis of a circular coil and inside a long straight solenoid. Force on a moving
charge and on a current carrying wire in a uniform magnetic field.

Magnetic moment of a current loop. Effect of a uniform magnetic field on a current loop.
Moving coil galvanometer, voltmeter, ammeter and their conversions.

Electromagnetic induction – Faraday’s law, Lenz’s law. Self and mutual inductance. RC,
LR and LC circuits with AC sources.

Optics: Rectilinear propagation of light. Reflection and refraction at plane and spherical
surfaces, Deviation and dispersion of light by a prism. Thin lenses. Combination of mirrors
and thin lenses. Magnification. Wave nature of light – Huygen’s principle, interference
limited to Young’s double slit experiment. Elementary idea of diffraction – Rayleigh
criterion. Elementary idea of polarization – Brewster’s law and the law of Malus.

Modern physics: Atomic nucleus. Alpha, beta and gamma radiations. Law of radioactive
decay. Decay constant. Half–life and mean life. Binding energy and its calculation. Fission
and fusion processes. Energy calculation in these processes.

Photoelectric effect. Bohr’s theory of hydrogen-like atoms. Characteristic and continuous

X–rays, Moseley’s law. de Broglie wavelength of matter waves. Heisenberg’s uncertainty
principle.

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