Candidate may choose any optional subject from amongst the List of Optional Subjects given below:

Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Anthropology, Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce and Accountancy, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geography, Geology, History, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, and International Relations, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology.

BENGALI

PAPER-I

History of Language and Literature.

[Answers must be written in Bengali]

Section A : Topics from the History of Bangla language

1. The chronological track from Proto Indo-European to Bangla (Family tree with branches and approximate dates).

2. Historical stages of Bangla (Old, Middle, New) and their linguistic features.

3. Dialects  of  Bangla  and   their  distinguishing characteristics.

4. Elements of Bangla Vocabulary.

5. Forms of Bangla Literary Prose—Sadhu and Chalit.

6. 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 harmony), y—shruti and w—shruti.

7. Problems of standardization and reform of alphabet and spelling, and those of transliteration and Romanization.

8. 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.

1. Periodization of Bangla Literature : Old   Bangla and Middle Bangla.

2. Points of difference between modern and pre-modern Bangla Literature.

3. Roots and reasons behind the emergence of modernity in Bangla Literature.

4. Evolution of various Middle Bangla forms ; Mangal Kavyas, Vaishnava lyrics, Adapted narratives (Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata) and religious biographies.

5. Secular forms in middle Bangla literature.

6. Narrative and lyric trends in the nineteenth century Bangla poetry.

7. Development of prose.

8. Bangla dramatic literature (nineteenth century, Tagore, Post-1944 Bangla drama).

9. Tagore and post-Tagoreans.

10. Fiction, major authors :

Bankimchandra, Tagore, Saratchandra, Bibhutibhusan, Tarasankar, Manik ).

11. Women and Bangla literature : creators and created.