CFTRI official syllabus guide

CFTRI syllabus 2026

CFTRI admits its M.Sc Food Technology class, taught under AcSIR, purely by rank in a national objective-type entrance test. The syllabus deliberately spreads questions across the science, agriculture and engineering streams its applicants come from, so no single degree has an advantage. The topic outline is CFTRI's own published entrance syllabus. The 2026 notification does not restate it, so treat it as the latest official outline, not a guarantee for the next paper.

Exam pattern and marking

• Objective multiple-choice test; the 2026-28 answer key covers 100 questions
• One-quarter of a question's marks deducted for each wrong answer; no penalty for a blank
• Ranking based only on the entrance test, subject to reservation
• Tie-break order: total questions answered correctly, then Mental Ability, then General Awareness
• Duration and marks per question are not stated in the 2026 notification
• 2026 centres: Mysuru, Ghaziabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bengaluru

CSIR-CFTRI M.Sc (Food Technology) entrance test syllabus

Physics

• Mechanics; colligative properties; laws of thermodynamics; modes of heat transfer
• Electrostatics, magnetism and electrodynamics
• Optics and sound; electromagnetic radiation; radioactivity; elements of quantum physics

Chemistry

• Gas laws, electrolytes, thermochemistry, chemical equilibria and kinetics, pH and buffers
• Molecular orbital theory, chemical bonds, periodic table
• Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons; substitution, electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions; structural and optical isomerism
• Food chemistry: composition of foods, minerals, water activity
• Carbohydrates: mono- and disaccharides, reducing and non-reducing sugars, mutarotation, starch, cellulose, pectins; plant acids
• Proteins: amino acids, peptide bonds, protein structure and denaturation; saturated and unsaturated fats, rancidity

Mathematics

• Quadratic equations, binomial theorem, natural and common logarithms
• Trigonometric ratios and relations
• Basics of matrices, vectors and determinants

Biology

• Plant systematics, ecology, cytology, physiology and economic botany
• Molecular basis of life, nucleic acids, elements of genetics
• Animal tissues and systematics; human physiology including endocrine glands, digestion, absorption and respiration

Microbiology

• History of microbiology; morphology, cytology, reproduction and genetics of bacteria, yeasts and moulds
• Culture techniques, identification, stains and staining
• Microbial growth, nutrition and physiology
• Microbial control and food safety; principles of food preservation; microbiological standards

Biochemistry and Nutrition

• Enzymes, coenzymes, cofactors and hormones
• Carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism; photosynthesis; protein synthesis
• Vitamins, minerals, water and dietary fibre in health; macro- and micronutrients; RDA and deficiencies
• Diets for specific conditions such as PKU, cardiovascular disease and diabetes

Agriculture and Dairy Technology

• Weather and crops; soil and water resources and conservation; soil fertility and fertiliser use
• Cropping patterns, weed control, crop diseases, insect pests and nematodes
• Agricultural engineering, marketing, storage and farm management
• Field, plantation, commercial and horticultural crops; spices, condiments, medicinal and aromatic plants
• Dairy: cattle management and diseases, milk chemistry and microbiology, milk standards

Engineering

• Units, dimensions and conversions
• Fluid flow fundamentals, pressure, energy and head relationships and their measurement
• Emulsions; mixing equipment and applications
• Mechanical operations: size reduction, sieve analysis, centrifugation, filtration
• Power and steam generation, basic strength of materials, heat exchangers, basics of computers

Food Technology

• Maillard reaction; engineering of foods
• Preservation: drying, pasteurisation, canning, concentration, freezing
• Infant, geriatric, sports and convalescent foods

Horticulture

• Global scenario, divisions and classification of horticultural crops; area, production and trade
• Nutritive value of horticultural crops; horticultural therapy; horticultural zones and development agencies of India
• Soil and climatic factors in crop production, including light, temperature, photoperiod, humidity, rainfall, microclimate, pollution, and biotic and abiotic stress

Home Science

• Human development and nutrition across the life span, from pregnancy to old age
• Fundamentals of sociology: society and culture
• Community health, consumer studies and health education
• Home management and the family: functions, life cycle and responsibilities

Source: CFTRI entrance syllabus, M.Sc (Food Technology) ↗. Source: CFTRI M.Sc (FT) 2026-28 admission notification ↗. Source: CFTRI 2026-28 entrance answer key ↗. Source: CFTRI academic programmes ↗. Checked 2026-09-26. The examining authority's current document remains definitive and should be verified before planning examination preparation.

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