CPCB Scientist B study plan

Map the statutory backbone: list the Air Act 1981, Water Act 1974, EP Act 1986, EP Rules notification years, and the CPCB's powers under Section 5 of the EP Act in a one-page timeline

Reproduce the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) 2009 for all 12 pollutants from memory, including averaging times and the notified number of monitoring stations required for industrial areas

Distinguish consent-to-establish versus consent-to-operate under Water Act Section 25 and Air Act Section 21, and note who issues each in a Union Territory

Solve 20 recall questions on Act sections and rule years, logging every miss with its correct citation

Explain the Air Quality Index methodology: eight pollutants, sub-index computation, and the health breakpoint categories, and identify which pollutant drives the AQI on a worked example

Differentiate source apportionment approaches (receptor modelling versus emission inventory) and state when each is used in clean air action plans

Describe the CPCB categorization of industrial sectors into red, orange, green and white, and the inspection frequency attached to each

Compute a stack emission result from concentration, flow rate and oxygen correction, working through three numerical problems

Classify water bodies by designated best use (A to E) and match each class to its permissible limits for BOD, DO, total coliform and pH

Explain the effluent standards under the Environment (Protection) Rules Schedule VI for at least four industry categories, including the meaning of 'into inland surface water' versus 'on land for irrigation'

Describe the CPCB's polluted river stretch prioritization criteria and the role of the State Pollution Control Board in river action plans

Solve five numerical problems converting effluent load in kg/day from concentration and flow, and check compliance against a given standard

State the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000 ambient limits for industrial, commercial, residential and silence zones for day and night, and define who declares a silence zone

Explain Leq, Lday, Lnight and Ldn, and compute Leq from a set of sound pressure levels using the logarithmic averaging approach

Outline the laboratory QA/QC framework: calibration traceability, method blanks, duplicates, spike recovery, control charts and the meaning of uncertainty in a test report

Describe the chain-of-custody and preservation requirements for at least four sample types (water, ambient air filter, soil, stack condensate)

Distinguish the seven waste streams by their governing rules, and state the notification year and key obligations of each for a generator

Explain the hazardous waste manifest system, the role of the recycler and co-processor, and the record-keeping period a generator must retain

Describe Extended Producer Responsibility obligations for plastic packaging and e-waste, including collection targets and the role of PROs

Outline bio-medical waste colour-coded segregation categories and the storage time limits before treatment

Solve three numerical problems on waste generation rate, landfill lifetime and EPR collection target compliance

Explain the environmental compensation framework: the polluter-pays principle, the CPCB guidelines for compensation calculation, and the factors that scale the penalty

Work through the compensation formula for a non-compliant effluent discharge, including the proportionality and deterrent components, on two hypothetical cases

Describe the categories of industrial pollution control equipment (ETP, STP, APC, scrubber, bag filter, ESP) and select the appropriate device for four given process scenarios

Outline the closure and prohibition powers under Section 5 of the EP Act and the process a Board follows before directing closure

Consolidate the standards set: ambient air, ambient noise, effluent, drinking water IS 10500 key parameters, and emission standards for thermal power plants and brick kilns

Explain the monitoring protocol for ambient air (SPM, PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NOx) including sampling duration, flow rate and filter handling

Describe the process for obtaining NABL accreditation for a testing laboratory and the role of the CPCB in reference method standardization

Solve ten mixed numerical problems spanning air, water and noise, timed to exam pace

Take two full-length mock tests under timed conditions and score each by domain to locate weak areas

Re-derive from memory the key numbers: NAAQS limits, noise limits, effluent BOD limits, compensation formula factors and waste rule years

Review every logged error from weeks 1 to 7 and rewrite the corrected fact in your own words

Build a one-page 'numbers sheet' that can be revised in the final 48 hours before the exam