Established in 1950 as the third national laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI) is one of the largest and most diversified technology laboratories in the world. Its multi-disciplinary spread (across 16 R&D departments) covers almost every field of scientific investigation connected with food and its relationship to humans, including the cutting edge area of food biotechnology.

The major R&D programmes of the institute relate to development of food products and processes for optimal utilisation of the country’s agricultural produce, technology packages for convenient and ready-to-eat food products, processes for value-added products from plantation produce, protocols for handling and transportation of fruits and vegetables for export and inland transportation, methods of packaging of food and processed food products for extended shelf life, techniques for crop/grain protection, technologies for eliminating/reducing post-harvest losses of perishables and durables, and modernisation of the primary food processing industry through the development of energy-efficient and cost-effective machinery and equipment.

The postgraduate course is conducted with the help of specialist teaching staff from the International Food Technology Training Centre and experts from various disciplines of the institute.

If you want the application form by post, send a demand draft for Rs 500 (non-refundable) drawn in favour of Director, CFTRI, Mysore, along with a self-addressed stamped (Rs 30) envelope (size 30 x 25 cm) to the director, CFTRI, Mysore-570020. You can also download the application form from the website (www.cftri.com).

Eligibility

Candidates should have a bachelors degree in science with chemistry as a subject. They should have a minimum of 55 per cent if chemistry was an optional subject of their BSc pass course (50 per cent for SC/ST) or 50 per cent for BSc (honours) course (45 per cent for SC/ST). Those with a degree (minimum second class) in agriculture, engineering or technology may also apply. However, all candidates should have studied maths at the higher secondary level.

Entrance exam

Admission is based on the marks scored in graduation as well as on the performance in the entrance examination. The entrance test is held in Mysore and New Delhi at the end of July.

Pattern of exam

The question paper has objective-type questions on physics, chemistry, maths, biology, microbiology, biochemistry and nutrition, agriculture and dairy technology/engineering. The questions are evenly distributed among the different sections.

How to prepare

You can consult Instant Notes on Microbiology by Nicklin, Industrial Microbiology by L.E. Casida and Food Microbiology by William C. Frazier to brush up that subject.

To tackle the section on nutrition, go through Food and Nutrition by Swaminathan, Fundamentals of Food and Nutrition by M.V. Rajgopal and Food Science and Technology by Avanita Sharma. The Handbook of Agriculture, published by ICAR, is the book to prepare from for that subject. And for biochemistry, consult books by J.L. Jan, Coll Stumps and Keshav Trehan.

sample test paper

Food and nutrition
• Write short notes on protein quality, biological value, special functions of amino acids, urea cycle.
• Why is fibre important in your diet?

Biochemistry
• The conversion of reactants into products is dependent on the
number of:
a) molecules in an activated state b) enzymes in an activated state
c) amount of glucose present d) none of these.
• The word pH refers to:
a) percentage of carbon
b) potential of hydrogen
c) potassium phosphate
d) none of these.

Microbiology
• The complete E coli RNA polymerase, called the ____, consists of five sub-units.
a) nucleotide
b) holoenzyme
c) eukaryotes
d) prokaryotes.
• The process of protein synthesis in the cell is called _____.
a) translation
b) hydrolysis
c) translocation
d) morphology.