Focuses on environmental management, pollution control, waste treatment, and sustainable development, for careers in environmental engineering and policy.

GATE Environmental Science and Engineering

Official 2025 syllabus extracted from https://gate2025.iitr.ac.in/doc/2025/GATE%20_ES_2025_Syllabus.pdf

Mathematics Foundation

Determinants and matrices

Systems of linear equations

Eigenvalues and eigenvectors

Linear Algebra

Functions

Limit, continuity, differentiability

Local maxima and minima

Taylor series

Tests for convergence

Definite and indefinite integrals

Application of definite integral to obtain area and volume

Partial and total derivatives

Calculus

Linear and non-linear first order ODEs

Higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients

Cauchy's and Euler's equations

Laplace transform and its application in solving linear ODEs

Differential Equations

Descriptive statistics

Measurement of central tendency

Dispersion

Skewness and kurtosis

Probability concepts

Conditional probability

Bayes theorem

Risk and reliability

Probability distributions

Correlation

Single and multiple regression models

Hypothesis testing (t-test, F-test, chi-square test)

Probability and Statistics

Environmental Chemistry

Covalent and ionic bonding

Chemical equations, concentration and activity

Structure and chemistry of organic molecules

Radioactivity of elements

Chemical equilibria

Thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical reactions

Fundamentals of Environmental Chemistry

Water quality parameters and their measurement

Acid-base equilibria

Buffer solution

Carbonate system

Solubility of gases in water

Complexation, precipitation, and redox reactions

Inorganic and organic contaminants in water and their speciation

Principles of Water Chemistry

Organic matter

Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium

Cation exchange capacity

Base saturation

Sodium absorption ratio

Soil Chemistry

Composition of the atmosphere

Reactivity of trace substances in the atmosphere

Urban atmosphere — smog and particulate pollution

Chemistry of ozone formation

Chemistry of stratosphere

Atmospheric Chemistry

Environmental Microbiology

Characteristics of diverse groups of microorganisms

Classification of microorganisms

Microbial diversity

Plant-microbe and soil-microbe interactions

Role of microorganisms in wastewater treatment, bioremediation and biogeochemical cycling

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Microorganisms

Structure of proteins, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), lipids and polysaccharides

Bonds in biomolecules

Stereoisomerism in biomolecules

Structure of cell

Structure and function of cytoplasmic membrane, cell wall, outer membrane, glycocalyx, chromosomes, endospores, storage products, mitochondria and chloroplasts

Cell Chemistry and Cell Biology

Anabolism and catabolism

Phosphorylation

Glycolysis

TCA cycle

Electron transport chain

Fermentation

Anaerobic respiration

Energy balances

Enzymes and enzyme kinetics

Microbial Metabolism

Bacterial nutrition and growth

Specific growth rate and doubling time

Monod's model

Types of culture media

Batch and continuous culture

Effects of environmental factors on growth

Control of microbes using physical and chemical methods

Growth and Control of Microorganisms

Pathogens and modes of transmission

Indicator organisms

Quantification of coliforms using MPN and membrane filtration techniques

Microbiology and Health

Water Resources and Environmental Hydraulics

Structure, properties and distribution of water

Water quality

Threats to water resources

Water conservation

Global Water Resources

Hydrological cycle and water balance: precipitation, infiltration, evapotranspiration, runoff

Flow hydrographs

Unit hydrographs

Stage-discharge relationship

Reservoir capacity

Reservoir and channel routing

Surface run-off models

Surface water management

Rain water harvesting and storage

Surface Water Resources

Geologic formations as aquifers

Vadose and saturated zones

Confined and unconfined aquifers

Aquifer parameters: porosity, permeability, transmissivity, storage coefficient

Darcy's law and applications

Steady state well hydraulics

Groundwater Resources

Concepts of mechanics

Properties of fluids

Pressure measurement

Hydrostatic force on surfaces

Buoyancy and flotation

Laminar and turbulent flow

Flow through pipes

Pipe networks

Boundary layer theory

Forces on immersed bodies

Flow measurement in channels and pipes

Kinematics of flow

Continuity, momentum and energy equations

Channel hydraulics: specific energy, critical flow, hydraulic jump, rapid and gradually varied flow

Design of lined and unlined channels

Environmental Hydraulics

Water and Wastewater Treatment and Management

Water and wastewater quality parameters

Eutrophication and thermal stratification in lakes

River pollution: Oxygen sag curve

Water treatment methods: screening, sedimentation with and without coagulation, filtration, desalination, disinfection

Water distribution and storage

Water Quality and Treatment

Point and non-point sources of wastewater

Population forecasting methods

Design of sewer and storm water sewers

Sewer appurtenances

Preliminary, primary, secondary and tertiary sewage treatment

Sludge generation, processing and disposal methods

Sewage farming

Wastewater Engineering

Sources and characteristics of industrial effluents

Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP)

Wastewater recycling and zero liquid discharge

Industrial Effluents

Mass and energy balance

Order and rate of reactions

Batch reactors

Completely mixed flow reactors

Plug flow reactors

Kinetics and Reactor Design

Air and Noise Pollution

Structure of the atmosphere

Natural and anthropogenic sources of pollution

Atmospheric sources, sinks, transport

Indoor air pollution

Effects on health and environment

Gases and particulate matter

Air quality standards

Primary and secondary pollutants

Criteria pollutants

Ambient and source standards

Air quality indices

Visibility

Air Pollution Fundamentals

Measurement and control methods

Gravitational settling chambers

Cyclone separators

Wet collectors

Fabric filters (Bag-house filter)

Electrostatic precipitators (ESP)

Particulate Pollutants

Absorption, adsorption, condensation and combustion

Control of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons

Vapour-liquid and vapour-solid equilibria

Diffusion, Fick's law and interfacial mass transfer

Automotive emission controls

Fuel quality

Diesel particulate filters

Catalytic converters

Gaseous Pollutants

Point, line and area sources

Inventory

Influence of meteorology: wind rose diagrams, stability, mixing height, topography

GATE Environmental Science and Engineering Syllabus 2025, 2026 and more: Subjects, Topics, and What to Study