⚡ OPTIONAL — ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Papers: VI & VII · 500 marks. GS overlap: LOW (some GS-III energy/technology). Best for: electrical/electronics engineering graduates with strong, recent fundamentals.

⚠️ Verify against the current UPSC notification at upsc.gov.in.

PAPER I

1. Circuit Theory: circuit components; network graphs; KCL, KVL; circuit analysis methods — nodal analysis, mesh analysis; basic network theorems and applications; transient analysis — RL, RC and RLC circuits; sinusoidal steady state analysis; resonant circuits; coupled circuits; balanced and unbalanced three-phase circuits; two-port networks.
2. Signals and Systems: representation of continuous-time and discrete-time signals and systems; LTI systems; convolution; impulse response; time-domain analysis of LTI systems based on convolution and differential/difference equations; Fourier transform, Laplace transform, Z-transform, transfer function; sampling and recovery of signals; DFT, FFT processing of analog signals through discrete-time systems.
3. E.M. Theory: electrostatics and magnetostatics — Coulomb's law, Gauss's law, Laplace and Poisson equations, boundary value problems; Maxwell's equations; boundary conditions; wave equation; Poynting theorem; plane waves; transmission lines — travelling and standing waves, impedance matching, Smith chart.
4. Analog Electronics: characteristics and equivalent circuits (large and small-signal) of diode, BJT, JFET and MOSFET; diode circuits — rectifiers, clippers, clampers, power supplies; BJT and FET amplifiers — biasing, equivalent circuits and frequency response; oscillators; operational amplifiers — characteristics and applications; combinational application of analog ICs; 555 timer; voltage controlled oscillators and phase locked loops; sources and effects of noise.
5. Digital Electronics: Boolean algebra; minimization techniques; logic gates; digital IC families; combinational circuits — arithmetic circuits, code converters, multiplexers, decoders, PROM and PLAs; sequential circuits — latches and flip-flops, counters and shift-registers; comparators, timers, multivibrators; sample and hold circuits; ADCs and DACs; semiconductor memories; logic implementation using programmable devices (ROM, PLA, FPGA).
6. Energy Conversion: principles of electromechanical energy conversion — torque and emf in rotating machines; DC machines — characteristics and performance analysis, starting and speed control of motors; transformers — principles of operation and analysis, regulation, efficiency, three-phase transformers; synchronous machines — performance, regulation, parallel operation of generators, motor starting, characteristics and applications; induction machines — starting, running, speed control and applications; single-phase motors; fractional horse-power motors.
7. Power Electronics and Electric Drives: semiconductor power devices — diode, transistor, thyristor, triac, GTO and MOSFET — static characteristics, principles of operation, triggering circuits, phase control rectifiers, bridge converters — fully controlled and half controlled; principles of choppers and inverters; basic concepts of adjustable speed DC and AC drives.
8. Analog Communication: random variables — continuous, discrete; probability, probability functions; statistical averages; probability models; random signals and noise — white noise, noise equivalent bandwidth, signal transmission with noise, signal to noise ratio; linear CW modulation — amplitude modulation — AM, DSB, SSB and VSB; angle modulation — bandwidth, generation and detection of FM and PM signals.

PAPER II

1. Control Systems: elements of control systems; block-diagram representation; open-loop and closed-loop systems; principles and applications of feedback; control system components; LTI systems — time-domain and transform-domain analysis; stability — Routh-Hurwitz criterion, root-loci, Bode plots, polar plot, Nyquist stability criterion; design of lead-lag compensators; proportional, PI, PID controllers; state-variable representation and analysis of control systems.
2. Microprocessors and Microcomputers: PC organization; CPU, instruction set, register set, timing diagram, programming, interrupts, memory interfacing, I/O interfacing, programmable peripheral devices.
3. Measurement and Instrumentation: error analysis; measurement of current, voltage, power, energy, power-factor, resistance, inductance, capacitance and frequency; bridge measurements; signal conditioning circuits; electronic measuring instruments — multimeter, CRO, digital voltmeter, frequency counter, Q-meter, spectrum-analyzer, distortion-meter; transducers — thermocouple, thermistor, LVDT, strain-gauge, piezo-electric crystal.
4. Power Systems — Analysis and Control: steady-state performance of overhead transmission lines and cables; principles of active and reactive power transfer and distribution; per-unit quantities; bus admittance and impedance matrices; load flow; voltage control and power factor correction; economic operation; symmetrical components, analysis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults; concept of system stability — swing curves and equal area criterion; static VAR system; basic concepts of HVDC transmission.
5. Power System Protection: principles of overcurrent, differential and distance protection; concept of solid state relays; circuit breakers; computer-aided protection — introduction; line, bus, generator, transformer protection; numeric relays and application of DSP to protection.
6. Digital Communication: pulse code modulation (PCM), differential pulse code modulation (DPCM), delta modulation (DM), digital modulation and demodulation schemes — amplitude, phase and frequency keying schemes (ASK, PSK, FSK); error control coding — error detection and correction, linear block codes, convolution codes; information measure and source coding; data networks, 7-layer architecture.

BOOKLIST

Standard undergraduate texts: Network Theory — Van Valkenburg · Signals & Systems — Oppenheim · EM Theory — Sadiku / Hayt · Analog Electronics — Boylestad & Nashelsky / Sedra & Smith · Digital Electronics — Morris Mano · Machines — P.S. Bimbhra · Power Electronics — P.S. Bimbhra / Rashid · Control Systems — Nagrath & Gopal / Ogata · Power Systems — C.L. Wadhwa / Nagrath & Kothari · Measurements — A.K. Sawhney · Communication — Taub & Schilling / Simon Haykin.

STRATEGY

• Numericals dominate — daily practice is non-negotiable; show all steps and units.
• Draw circuit diagrams and waveforms for every relevant answer.
• Derivations must be complete — state assumptions.
• Practise full timed papers; time pressure is the main cause of low scores.
• Solve 15 years of PYQs; the question patterns repeat.
• Choose only if your fundamentals are current.

Pros: objective; static; small competition pool; strong for recent graduates. Cons: no GS overlap; wide syllabus spanning many subjects; heavy numerical load.