Syllabus for UPSC preliminary and mains examinations

UPSC Preliminary Examination Syllabus

Sl.No.	Paper	No. of questions	Marks	Duration
01	General Studies 1	100	200	2 hours
02	General Studies 2 (CSAT)	100	200	2 hours

General Studies Paper I - (200 marks)

1. Current events of national and international importance.
2. History of India and Indian National Movement.
3. Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
4. Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
5. Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
6. General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization
7. General Science

CSAT/ General Studies Paper-II (200 Marks)

1. Comprehension
2. Interpersonal skills including communication skills
3. Logical reasoning and analytical ability
4. Decision-making and problem solving
5. General mental ability
6. Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) – Class X level
7. Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level).

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UPSC Mains Examination Syllabus

Paper	Subject	Total Marks	Duration
Paper A	Compulsory Indian language (Qualifying)	300	3 hours
Paper B	English (Qualifying)	250	3 hours
Paper I	Essay	250	3 hours
Paper II	General Studies I – Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society	250	3 hours
Paper III	General Studies II – Governance, Constitution, Welfare Initiatives, Social Justice & International Relations	250	3 hours
Paper IV	General Studies III – Technology, Economic Development, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Security & Disaster Management	250	3 hours
Paper V	General Studies IV – Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude	250	3 hours
Paper VI	Optional Subject – Paper I	250	3 hours
Paper VII	Optional Subject – Paper II	250	3 hours

GS Paper 1

• Indian Culture – Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

• Modern Indian History

  • Significant events, issues, personalities during the middle of the eighteenth century (1750s) until the present.
  • Different stages and important contributors and contributions from various parts of the country in ‘The Freedom Struggle’.
  • Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

• History of the world

  • Events, forms and effect on society since the 18th century (world wars, industrial revolution, colonization, redrawal of national boundaries, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, etc.)

• Society

  • Indian society and diversity – Salient aspects.
  • Role of women and women’s organizations, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and remedies.
  • Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
  • Effects of globalisation on Indian society.

• Geography

  • Distribution of key natural resources across the world including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent; factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world including India.
  • Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.
  • Geographical features and their location, changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and polar ice caps) and, in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
  • Salient features of world’s physical geography.

GS Paper 2

• Indian Constitution Historical underpinnings, evolution, featuresamendments, significant provisions, basic structure doctrine

• Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries

• Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.

• Separation of powers between various organs, dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions

• Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary

• Parliament and State Legislatures

• structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these

• Ministries and Departments of the Government, pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.

• Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act

• Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.

• Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

• Government policies and interventions aimed at development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

• Development processes and the development industry – the role of NGOs, Self Help Groups, various groups and associations, institutional and other stakeholders.

• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and the States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

• Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

• Issues relating to poverty and hunger

• Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures

• Role of civil services in a democracy

GS Paper 3

• Economy

  • Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
  • Government Budgeting.
  • Inclusive growth and associated issues/challenges
  • Effects of liberalization on the economy (post 1991 changes), changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
  • Infrastructure – Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
  • Investment models (PPP etc)
  • Agriculture
  • Major cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers
  • Economics of animal rearing.
  • Food processing and related industries in India – scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
  • Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions
  • Land reforms in India.

• Science and Technology

  • Recent developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
  • Achievements of Indians in science & technology.
  • Indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
  • General awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nanotechnology, bio-technology
  • Issues relating to intellectual property rights

• Environment

  • Conservation,
  • Environmental pollution and degradation
  • Environmental impact assessment

• Disaster Management (Laws, Acts etc.)

• Security

  • Challenges to internal security (external state and non-state actors)
  • Linkages between development and spread of extremism
  • Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges,
  • Basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention
  • Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organised crime with terrorism
  • Various Security forces and agencies and their mandates

GS Paper 4

This Ethics paper in the UPSC mains utilize the case study approach to determine his/her problem-solving approach to various societal issues relating to integrity and probity in public life.

• Ethics and Human Interface

  • Essence of Ethics, Determinants and Consequences of Ethics in Human Interaction
  • Dimensions of Ethics
  • Ethics in private and public relationships
  • Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators
  • Role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating moral and ethical values

• Attitude

  • Content, structure and function of attitude
  • Influence of attitude in thought and behaviour
  • Relation of attitude to thought and behaviour
  • Moral and Political attitudes
  • Social influence and persuasion

• Aptitude

  • Aptitude and foundational values of Civil Service
  • Integrity
  • Impartiality and non-partisanship
  • Objectivity
  • Dedication to public service
  • Empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections of the society

• Emotional Intelligence

  • Concepts of emotional intelligence
  • Utility and application of emotional intelligence in administration and governance

• Contributions of Thinkers and Philosophers

• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world to the concepts of morality

• Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration

  • Status and associated problems
  • Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions
  • Laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance
  • Accountability and ethical governance
  • Strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance
  • Ethical Issues in international relations and funding
  • Corporate governance

• Probity in Governance

  • Concept of public service
  • The philosophical basis of governance and probity
  • Information sharing and transparency in government
  • Right to Information
  • Codes of ethics
  • Codes of Conduct
  • Citizen’s Charters
  • Work culture
  • Quality of service delivery
  • Utilization of public funds
  • Challenges of corruption