GATE PI Syllabus and Marks Distribution

There is no optional subject block in this paper. The syllabus defines what can be tested; it does not offer a choice to replace one subject with another. Leaving a question unanswered earns zero, but it does not reduce the set of topics that may appear.

Production and Industrial Engineering Unit-wise Syllabus

Engineering Mathematics

• Linear Algebra: Matrix algebra; Systems of linear equations; Eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Calculus: Functions of single variable; Limit, continuity and differentiability; Mean value theorems, Evaluation of definite integrals ; Partial derivative; Total derivative; Maxima and minima ; Gradient, divergence and curl; Vector identities ; Directional derivatives; Line, Surface and Volume integrals; Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems; Taylor series. Differential Equations: First order equations: linear and nonlinear; Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients; Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations; Initial and boundary value problems; Laplace transform. Probability and Statistics: Definitions of probability and sampling theorems ; Conditional probability ; Mean, median, mode and standard deviation ; Linear regression, Random variables, Poisson, normal, binomial and exponential distributions. Numerical Methods: Numerical solutions of linear and nonlinear algebraic equations; Integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rules; Single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

General Engineering

• Engineering Materials: Structure, physical and mechanical properties, and applications of common engineering materials (metals and alloys, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers, and composites – metal, polymer and ceramic based); Iron -carbon equilibrium phase diagram; Heat treatment of metals and alloys and its influence on mechanical properties; Stress-strain behavior of metals and alloys. Applied Mechanics: Engineering mechanics – equivalent force systems, free body concepts, equations of equilibrium; Strength of materials – stress, strain and their relationship; Failure theories; Mohr’s circle (stress); Deflection of beams, bending and shear stresses; Thick and thin cylinders; Torsion. Theory of Machines and Design: Analysis of planar mechanisms, cams and followers; Governors and fly wheels; Design of bolted, riveted and welded joints; Interference/shrink fit joints; Friction and lubrication; Design of shafts, keys, couplings, spur gears, belt drives, brakes and clutches. Thermal and Fluids Engineering: Fluid mechanics – fluid statics, Bernoulli’s equation, flow through pipes, laminar and turbulent flows, equations of continuity and momentum, capillary action; Dimensional analysis; Thermodynamics – zeroth, first and second laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamic systems and processes, calculation of work and heat for systems and control volumes; Air standard cycles; Heat transfer – basic applications of conduction, convection and radiation.

Manufacturing Processes I

• Casting: Types of casting processes and applications; Sand casting: patterns – types, materials and allowances; molds and cores–materials, making, and testing; design of gating system and riser; analysis of solidification and microstructure development; Other casting techniques: Pressure die casting, centrifugal casting, investment casting, casting defects and their inspection by non-destructive testing. Metal Forming: Stress-strain relations in elastic and plastic deformation; von Mises and Tresca yield criteria, concept of flow stress; Hot, warm and cold working; Bulk forming processes – forging, rolling, extrusion and wire drawing; Sheet metal working processes – blanking, punching, bending and deep drawing; Ideal work and slab analysis; Defects in metal working and their causes.
• Joining of Materials: Classification of joining processes; Principles of fusion welding processes using different heat sources (flame, arc, resistance, laser, and electron beam), heat transfer and associated losses; Arc welding processes - SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, plasma arc, submerged arc welding processes; Principles of solid state welding processes - friction welding, friction stir welding, ultrasonic welding; Welding defects - causes and inspection; Principles of adhesive joining, brazing and soldering processes. Powder Processing: Production of metal/ceramic powders, compaction and sintering of metals and ceramic powders. Polymers and Composites: Polymer processing – injection, compression and blow molding, extrusion, calendaring and thermoforming; Molding of composites.

Manufacturing Processes II

• Machining: Orthogonal and oblique machining, single point cutting tool and tool signature, chip formation, cutting forces, merchant’s analysis, specific cutting energy and power; Machining parameters and material removal rate; Tool materials, tool wear and tool life; Thermal aspects of machining, cutting fluids, machinability; Economics of machining; Machining processes - turning, taper turning, thread cutting, drilling, boring, milling, gear cutting, thread production; Finishing processes – grinding, honing, lapping and super-finishing. Machine Tools: Lathe, milling, drilling and shaping machines – construction and kinematics; Jigs and fixtures – principles, applications, and design. Advanced Manufacturing: Principles and applications of USM, AJM, WJM, AWJM, EDM, LBM, EBM, PAM, CHM, ECM; Effect of process parameters on material removal rate, surface roughness and power consumption; Additive manufacturing techniques: Fundamentals, stereolithography, fused filament fabrication, selective laser sintering, selective laser melting, directed energy deposition. Computer Integrated Manufacturing: Basic concepts of CAD and CAM, CNC; Automation in manufacturing; Industrial robots – configurations, drives and controls; Cellular manufacturing and FMS - group technology; Introduction to Internet of Things and digital twins.

Quality and Reliability

• Metrology and Inspection: Accuracy and precision; Types of errors ; Limits, fits and tolerances; Gauge design, Interchangeability, selective assembly; Linear, angular, and form measurements (straightness, flatness, roundness, runout and cylindricity) by mechanical and optical methods; Inspection of screw threads and gears; Surface roughness measurement by contact and non-contact methods. Quality Management: Quality – concepts and cost; Statistical quality control – process capability analysis, control charts for variables and attributes and acceptance sampling; Six sigma; Total quality management, Just -in-Time inventory management; Quality assurance and certification - ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 ; Integration of sustainable manufacturing with quality management. Reliability and Maintenance: Reliability, availability and maintainability; Distribution of failure and repair times; Determination of MTBF and MTTR, reliability models; Determination of system reliability; Preventive and predictive maintenance and replacement, total productive maintenance.

Industrial Engineering

• Product Design and Development: Principles of product design, tolerance design; Quality and cost considerations; Product life cycle; Standardization, simplification, diversification; Value engineering and analysis; Concurrent engineering; Design for “X”. Work System Design: Taylor’s scientific management, Gilbreths’ contributions; Productivity – concepts and
• measurements; Method study, micro-motion study, principles of motion economy; Work measurement – time study, work sampling, standard data, PMTS; Ergonomics; Job evaluation and merit rating. Facility Design: Facility location factors and evaluation of alternate locations; Types of plant layout and their evaluation; Assembly line balancing; Material handling systems.

Operations research and Operations management

• Operation Research: Linear programming – problem formulation, simplex method, duality and sensitivity analysis; Transportation and assignment models; Integer programming; Markovian queuing models; Introduction to discrete event simulation. Engineering Economy and Costing: Elementary cost accounting and methods of depreciation; Break -even analysis; Activity based costing. Production Control: Forecasting techniques – causal and time series models, moving average, exponential smoothing, trend and seasonality; Aggregate production planning; Master production scheduling; MRP, MRP-II and ERP; Routing, scheduling and priority dispatching; Push and pull production systems, concepts of lean and agile manufacturing systems; Logistics, distribution, and supply chain management; Inventory – functions, costs, classifications, deterministic inventory models, quantity discount; Perpetual and periodic inventory control systems. Project Management: CPM, PERT and Gantt chart. Time-cost tradeoff.

General Aptitude Syllabus

General Aptitude contributes 15 marks within the 100-mark paper. It is not an additional paper that can be left out when choosing the technical sections.

Chapter-wise Weightage and Important Topics

The marks split above is fixed at section level. IIT Madras has not assigned a guaranteed number of marks to each chapter of Production and Industrial Engineering. A topic may appear in one year and receive fewer questions in another; a past-paper count is not an official 2027 weightage.

For a chapter-weightage comparison, record the year, paper code, session, question number and marks of each matching question. Keep a combined question under one main topic or label the overlap explicitly; counting it twice inflates the total. GATE previous-year question papers can be used for this topic-by-topic practice.

Question Types and Negative Marking

The paper uses one-mark and two-mark questions. The number of MCQ, MSQ and NAT questions is not a fixed chapter-wise quota. In an MSQ, selecting one correct option is not enough when the correct answer contains two options.

Using the 2027 Syllabus for Preparation

Separate manufacturing-process calculations from production-planning models. For an optimisation problem, identify the objective, decision variables and constraints before selecting an algorithm.

Match each exercise to the current unit list. A previous-year paper may use an older scope or section code. When a current topic has no matching older question, practise that concept separately rather than deleting it from the plan. The GATE preparation plan covers full-paper practice and revision alongside topic study.

1. Unit and Topic Reference
2. Sections and Marks

1. Mathematics and General Aptitude
2. Practice and Marking Reference