Civil Service Exam Syllabus for IAS Main Exam – Bengali
Paper-I
History of Language and Literature.
Answers must be written in Bangali.
Section-A
Topics from the History of Bangla language
- The chronological track from Proto Indo-European to Bangla (Family tree with branches and approximate dates).
- Historical stages of Bangla (Old, Middle, New) and their linguistic features.
- Dialects of Bangla and their distinguishing characteristics.
- Elements of Bangla Vocabulary.
- Forms of Bangla Literary Prose-Sadhu and Chalit.
- Processes of language change relevant for Bangla.
Apinihiti (Anaptyxis), Abhishruti (umlaut), Murdhanyibhavan (cerebralization), Nasikyibhavan (Nasalization), Samibhavan (Assimilation), Sadrishya (Analogy), Svaragama (Vowel insertion)-Adi Svaragama, Madhya Svaragama or Svarabhakti, Antya Svaragama, Svarasangati (Vowel hormony), y-shruti and w-shruti.
- Problems of standardization and reform of alphabet and spelling, and those of transliteration and Romanization.
- Phonology, Morphology and Syntax of Modern Bangla.
(Sounds of Modern Bangla, Conjuncts; word formations, compounds; basic sentence patterns.)
Section-B
Topics from the History of Bangla Literature.
- Periodization of Bangla Literature: Old Bangla and Middle Bangla.
- Points of difference between modern and pre-modern Bangla Literature.
- Roots and reasons behind the emergence of modernity in Bangla Literature.
- Evolution of various Middle Bangla forms: Mangal kavyas, Vaishnava lyrics, Adapted narratives (Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata) and religious biographies.
- Secular forms in middle Bangla literature.
- Narrative and lyric trends in the nineteenth century Bangla poetry.
- Development of prose.
- Bangla dramatic literature (nineteenth century, Tagore, Post-1944 Bangla drama).
- Tagore and post-Tagoreans.
- Fiction, major authors :
(Bankimchandra, Tagore, Saratchandra, Bibhutibusan, Tarasankar, Manik).
- Women and Bangla literature: creators and created.
Paper-II
Prescribed texts for close study.
Answers must be written in Bangali.
Section-A
Vaishnava Padavali (Culcutta University)
Poems of Vidyapati, Chandidas, Jnanadas, Govindadas and Balaramdas.
- Chandimangal Kalketu episodes by Mukunda (Sahitya Akademi).
- Chaitanya Charitamrita Madya Lila, by Krishnadas Kaviraj (Sahitya Akademi).
- Meghnadbadh Kavya by Madhusudan Dutta.
- Kapalkundala by Bankimchandra Chattarjee.
- Samya and Bangadesher Krishak by Bankimchandra Chatterjee.
- Sonar Tari by Rabindranath Tagore.
- Chhinnapatravali by Rabindranath Tagore.
Section-B
- Raktakarabi by Rabindranath Tagore.
- Nabajatak by Rabindranath Tagore.
- Grihadaha by Saratchandra Chatterjee.
- Prabandha Samgraha Vol. 1, by Pramatha Choudhuri.
- Aranyak by Bibhutibhusan Banerjee
- Short stories by Manik Bandyopadhyay: Atashi Mami, Pragaitihasik, Holud-Pora, Sarisrip, Haraner Natjamai, Chhoto-Bokulpurer Jatri, Kustharogir Bou, Jakey Ghush Ditey Hoy.
- Shrestha Kavita by Jibanananda Das.
- Jagori by Satinath Bhaduri.
- Ebam Indrajit by Badal Sircar.
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