UPSC Civil Services Examination Syllabus

Part-A Preliminary Examination

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

• Comprehension;
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills;
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability;
• Decision making and problem solving;
• General mental ability;
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level);

Part-B Main Examination

• The aim of the paper is to test the candidates' ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian language.
• The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows :
  • Comprehension of given passages
  • Precis Writing.
  • Usage and Vocabulary.
  • Short Essays.
• Indian Languages :—
  • Comprehension of given passages
  • Precis Writing.
  • Usage and Vocabulary.
  • Short Essays.
  • Translation from English to the Indian Language and Vice-versa.

Paper-I

• Essay: candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write consisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.
• Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply.

Paper-II

• Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
• Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
• The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
• Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
• History of the world will include events from the 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.
• Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
• Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
• Effects of globalization on Indian society.
• Social Empowerment, Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism.
• Salient features of the world's physical 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 ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Paper-III

• 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.
• Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
• Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
• Structure organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary-Ministries and dedpartments of the Government Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the polity.
• Government Strives to have a work force which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Salient features of the Representation of Peoples act.
• Appointment to various constitutional posts, powers functions and responsibilities of various constitutional bodies.
• Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
• Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and theperformance 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/servioces relating to health, education, Human resources.
• Issues relating to poverty and hunger
• Important aspects of Governance, transparancy and accountability, e-goernance-applications, models, seccesses, limitations and potentials; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
• Role of civil services in a democracy.
• India and its neighborhood- relations.
• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
• Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
• Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

Paper-IV

• Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
• Inclusive growth and issues arising from it
• Government Budgeting.
• Major Crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country-different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and making of agriculture produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
• 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;
• Government Strives to have aworkforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Technology missions; Economic of animal-rearing.
• Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
• Land reforms in India.
• Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
• Infrastruture: Energy, Ports, Roads, Aitports, Railways etc.
• Investment models
• Science and Technology-developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
• Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
• Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
• Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
• Disaster and disaster management.
• Linkages between development and spread of extremism
• Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
• challenges to internal security through communication networks, Role of media and social networking sites in internal security challanges, basics od cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.
• security challanges and their management in border areas- linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Paper-V

• This Paper will include questions to test the candidates attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, Probity in Public life and his problems solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with Society. Questions may utilize the case study approach to determine these aspects.

• Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; 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 values.
• Attitude: Content, Structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitude; social influence and persuation.
• Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non- partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.
• Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
• Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
• Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and 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; 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.
• Case Studies on above issues.