syllabus of essay in upsc

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Essay Syllabus

In this article, we will discuss the UPSC essay syllabus and its importance in the preparation for the prestigious Civil Services Examination. The essay paper is a vital component of the UPSC mains exam, and it evaluates a candidate’s ability to express their thoughts in a concise and coherent manner. We will explore the structure and format of the essay paper, the types of topics that usually appear, and the approach that candidates should adopt while attempting the essay. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of the IAS essay syllabus and how to prepare for it effectively.

Importance of Essay Paper

Aspiring candidates preparing for the UPSC IAS examination must pay close attention to the Essay Paper section. It holds significant weightage and plays a vital role in determining the candidate’s overall rank. You must dedicate time and effort to develop this skill, as the Essay Paper is a reflection of your critical analytical and comprehensive aptitude. This paper evaluates your presentation skills, creativity, and thought process. Moreover, it tests your ability to articulate your thoughts coherently and succinctly. So, start working on your writing skills from today to make the most of this crucial paper.

Syllabus Overview

The syllabus for the essay paper is not specifically defined . Aspiring civil servants preparing for the highly competitive UPSC IAS exam must focus their attention on the essay paper. This is where candidates can showcase their writing skills and analytical abilities.

The essay paper is divided into two sections, each consisting of four topics. Candidates are required to write two essays in a span of three hours. The essays carry a total of 250 marks and are a crucial part of the selection process. It covers a wide range of topics from socioeconomic issues, to political and philosophical musings.

However, it is important to note that candidates are not expected to be experts in any particular subject. Rather, the essay paper tests their ability to articulate their thoughts and opinions. It is crucial that candidates start preparing for the essay paper well in advance, paying careful attention to the type of essays and common mistakes to avoid.

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Types of Essays

When it comes to the UPSC Essay Syllabus , it’s crucial to understand the types of essays you’ll be asked to write. As such, you must know the different types of essays that are tested in the examination, such as Informative essays, Descriptive essays, Narrative essays, and Persuasive essays. Each type has its unique writing style, skill set, and format to adhere to.

Thus, mastering each essay type is important to score high marks in the exam. While an informative essay highlights the positive and negative points of the given topic, a descriptive essay must focus on describing the topic. The narrative essay must follow a story-style narration while the Persuasive essay must be written in a way to convince the reader about the given topic.

Therefore, a deep understanding of the types of essays is necessary to excel in the UPSC IAS Exam.

Topics for Essay Writing

The UPSC Essay paper is an important part of the Civil Services Examination. As a part of the UPSC essay syllabus , candidates need to write two essays for the examination. The essays are supposed to be on topics of national and international importance, relevant social, economic, and political issues, cultural, historical and geographical significance, and contemporary issues of interest.

The topics for essay writing can range from the economy, politics, education, health, women empowerment, environmental issues, human rights, current affairs, science, technology, and more. It is advisable to read newspapers and books to keep oneself updated with the latest developments and possible essay topics. Additionally, candidates can also refer to previous years’ question papers to understand the nature of the questions and topics that are frequently asked.

Candidates should choose a topic that they are familiar with and express their thoughts and opinions in a coherent and structured way. The essay should be well-researched, free from grammatical errors, and should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. By choosing the right topic and writing an impressive essay, candidates can score well on the UPSC IAS Essay paper .

Essay Writing Tips

Here are some tips for candidates to excel in the essay writing section:

• Understand the topic: It’s important to read and comprehend the essay topic thoroughly. Ensure that you understand the question’s intent, the tone of the essay, and the arguments that you need to present.
• Prepare an outline: Creating an outline before writing helps the writer organise their thoughts and arguments logically. It ensures that the essay is structured and coherent.
• Write in a simple and lucid language: UPSC exams are not meant to test your vocabulary. Therefore, try to write in simple and clear language.
• Stick to the word limit: The UPSC sets a word limit for each essay question. Exceeding the limit can result in a deduction of marks. Therefore, it is crucial to practice writing essays within the stipulated word limit.
• Provide examples and facts: To support your arguments, use real-life examples and factual data to reinforce your views.

By following these tips and practising regularly, aspiring candidates can improve their essay-writing skills, making it easier to crack the UPSC exam successfully.

How to Prepare for an Essay Paper

The essay paper is an integral part of the UPSC IAS exam, and it requires a different level of preparation compared to other papers. In order to ace the essay paper, it is important to have a clear strategy and methodical approach.

First and foremost, it is essential to understand the types of essays that might appear in the exam. This will help in creating a plan for essay writing and practicing accordingly.

Another important aspect is staying updated on current affairs and trending topics. Keeping oneself informed about world events and happenings helps in generating ideas and content for the essay.

It is also crucial to focus on improving language skills and creative thinking. Reading widely, practicing writing every day, and taking mock essay tests can help in enhancing these skills.

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When it comes to time management, it is recommended to allocate a fixed amount of time for brainstorming, outlining, and writing the essay. This helps in maintaining a structured and organized approach.

Lastly, it is crucial to avoid common mistakes like using too many quotes, memorizing essays, or not staying relevant to the topic. These mistakes can be easily avoided by focusing on the guidelines and practicing regularly.

Overall, preparing for the essay paper requires focus, dedication, and a structured approach. By following these tips, one can improve their chances of acing the essay paper and moving closer to their dream of becoming an IAS officer.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Essay Writing

UPSC essay writing is an important component of the civil services examination. However, many students make some common mistakes while writing their essays that can prove detrimental to their scores. Here are a few errors to avoid when writing your UPSC essays :

• Lack of clarity: One of the most common mistakes that students make is writing unclear or ambiguous essays. Ensure that the language and ideas that you use are clear and concise.
• Overuse of quotes: Many students use too many quotations in their essays, which makes them sound less original. Try to use quotes sparingly, and only when they add significant value to your essay.
• Poor structure: A well-structured essay requires an introduction, several paragraphs supporting your arguments, and a conclusion. Ensure that your essay has a clear and logical structure.
• Lack of relevance: Many students write essays that are not directly relevant to the question asked, which can result in a reduced score. Make sure you understand the question and write an essay that is directly relevant to it.
• Poor time management: UPSC essay writing requires a student to demonstrate their ability to write coherently and without errors within a given period. Students must manage their time effectively, allowing ample time for each paragraph, revision, and proofreading.
• Lack of examples: Candidates should use examples from real life, which strengthens their arguments and provides more depth to their essays.

Avoid these common mistakes during your UPSC essay writing , and you are one step closer to achieving a high score that will make you proud.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):-

Q1. Which type of essay comes in the IAS exam?

Ans: The four types of essays that come in the IAS exam are Informative essays, Descriptive essays, Narrative essays, and Persuasive essays.

Q2. How to write a UPSC-level essay?

Ans: Tips to write UPSC Essay are given in the article above.

Q3. What is a good score for a UPSC essay?

Ans: An average score falls within the range of 110-125. However, exceptional essays can receive marks as high as 150-160.

Q4. How long is the UPSC essay paper?

Ans: The candidate is to write two essays in a span of 3 hours with a word limit of 1000-1200 words per essay. There are two sections which contain 4 topics each and out of which the candidate has to pick a single topic from each section to write an essay on.

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UPSC Essay Topic wise Question Papers of last 31 years (1993-2023) for Civil Services IAS/IPS Exam Free Download

In the UPSC mains examination, essay paper is worth 250 marks and three hours. Here is the topic wise questions from the earlier years for the benefit of civil service IAS IPS aspirants.

1.1 India Since Independence

1.2 federalism, decentralization, 1.3 administration, 1.4 judiciary, 1.5 poverty, social justice, 1.6 indian society, culture and values, 1.7 media, tv & cinema, literature, 2.1 growth vs development, 2.2 environment vs development, 2.4 sectors of economy, 3.1 values in education, 3.2 scheme implementation, 3.3 higher education, 4.1 character, honesty, ethics, 4.2 knowledge, 4.3 compassion, 4.4 truth and reality, 4.5 youth, discipline, 4.6 towards excellence, 5.1 @national politics, 5.2 @world / quote type, 5.3 empowerment overall, 5.4 compared to men, 6.1 globalization, 6.2 international org./ bilateral, 6.3 security, 6.4 history, 7.1 science and religion, 7.2 science and education, 7.3 computer and internet, 7.4 sci-tech: others, appendix: linear paper of upsc essay 2023, appendix: linear paper of upsc essay 2022, appendix: model answer pe free lecture & powerpoint, appendix: syllabus of essay paper in upsc, 1 india: democracy, administration, society, culture.

• Is the Colonial mentality hindering India’s Success? -2013
• In the context of Gandhiji’s views on the matter, explore, on an evolutionary scale, the terms ‘Swadhinata’, ‘Swaraj’ and ‘Dharmarajya’. Critically comment on their contemporary relevance to Indian democracy -2012
• Dreams which should not let India sleep. -2015
• Why should we be proud of being Indians? -2000
• Whither Indian democracy? -1995
• How far has democracy in India delivered the goods? -2003
• What we have not learnt during fifty years of independence. -1997
• What have we gained from our democratic set-up? -2001
• My vision of India in 2001 a.d. -1993
• Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India. -2017
• Water disputes between States in federal India. -2016
• Cooperative federalism : Myth or reality. -2016
• Creation of smaller states and the consequent administrative, economic and developmental implication -2011
• Evaluation of panchayati raj system in India from the point of view of eradication of power to people. -2007
• Water resources should be under the control of the central government. -2004
• The language problem in India: its past, present and prospects. -1998
• There are better practices to “best practices”. -2021
• How should a civil servant conduct himself? -2003
• Politics without ethics is a disaster. -1995
• The VIP cult is a bane of Indian democracy -1996
• Need for transparency in public administration -1996
• The country’s need for a better disaster management system. -2000
• Politics, bureaucracy and business – fatal triangle. -1994
• We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws. -2017
• Justice must reach the poor -2005
• Judicial activism and Indian democracy. -2004
• Judicial activism. -1997
• A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity. (- जिस समाज में अधिक न्याय होता है उस समाज को दान की कम आवश्यकता होती है।) – 2023
• There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless (बिना आर्थिक समृद्धि के सामाजिक न्याय नहीं हो सकता, किन्तु बिना सामाजिक न्याय के आर्थिक समृद्धि निरर्थक है ) -2020
• Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness. -2019
• The focus of health care is increasingly getting skewed towards the ‘haves’ of our society. -2009
• Food security for sustainable national development -2005
• Reservation, politics and empowerment. -1999
• Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have (जो हम है, वह संस्कार; जो हमारे पास है, वह सभ्यता ) -2020
• Indian culture today: a myth or a reality? -2000
• Modernism and our traditional socio-ethical values. -2000
• The composite culture of India. -1998
• The Indian society at the crossroads. -1994
• From traditional Indian philanthropy to the gates-buffet model-a natural progression or a paradigm shift? -2010
• New cults and godmen: a threat to traditional religion -1996
• Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy. -2019
• Responsibility of media in a democracy. -2002
• Role of media in good governance -2008
• Does Indian cinema shape our popular culture or merely reflect it? -2011
• How has satellite television brought about cultural change in Indian mindsets? -2007
• Is sting operation an invasion on privacy? -2014
• Mass media and cultural invasion. -1999
• The misinterpretation and misuse of freedom in India. -1998
• Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world (कवि संसार के अनधिकृत रूप से विधायक होते हैं) – 2022

2 Economy, Development

• Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere. -2018
• Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality. -2016
• Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare. -2016
• Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms. -2016
• Crisis faced in India – moral or economic. -2015
• Was it the policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our country? -2014
• GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the wellbeing of a country-2013
• Can capitalism bring inclusive growth? -2015
• Resource management in the Indian context. -1999
• Economic growth without distributive justice is bound to breed violence. -1993
• Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence (आर्थिक समृद्धि हासिल करने के मामले में वन सर्वोत्तम प्रतिमान होते हैं।) – 2022
• Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India. -2018
• Should a moratorium be imposed on all fresh mining in tribal areas of the country? -2010
• Urbanisation and its hazards -2008
• Protection of ecology and environment is essential for sustained economic development. -2006
• Urbanization is a blessing in disguise. -1997
• Ecological considerations need not hamper development. -1993
• Globalization would finish small-scale industries in India. -2006
• Multinational corporations – saviours or saboteurs -1994
• Special economic zone: boon or bane -2008
• Is the criticism that the ‘Public-Private-Partnership’ (PPP) model for development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context, justified ?-2012
• Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India. -2017
• BPO boom in India. -2007
• Tourism: Can this be the next big thing for India? -2014
• Are our traditional handicrafts doomed to a slow death? -2009

3 Education

• Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in – school. (- शिक्षा वह है जो विद्यालय में विधालय में सीखी गई बातों को भूल जाने के बाद भी शेष रह जाती है।)
• Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms. -2017
• Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil-2015
• Independent thinking should be encouraged right form the childhood. -2007
• Are the standardized tests good measure of academic ability or progress? -2014
• Irrelevance of the classroom. -2001
• Is the growing level of competition good for the youth? -2014
• Literacy is growing very fast, but there is no corresponding growth in education. -1996
• Is an egalitarian society possible by educating the masses ? -2008
• What is real education? -2005
• “Education for all” campaign in India: myth or reality. -2006
• Restructuring of Indian education system. -1995
• Privatization of higher education in India. -2002
• Credit – based higher education system – status, opportunities and challenges -2011

4 Quote based, Philosophy, Ethics

• A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities (हर असमंजस के लिए मुस्कराहट ही चुनिन्दा साधन है) – 2022
• Philosophy of wantlessness is a Utopian, while materialism is a chimera. -2021
• Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me. -2021
• Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication (सरलता चरम परिष्करण है ) -2020
• Ships don’t sink because of water around them ships sink because of water that gets into them (जहाज अपने चारों तरफ के पानी के वजह से नहीं डूबा करते, जहाज पानी के अंदर समां जाने की वजह से डूबता हैं ) -2020
• Life is a long journey between being human and being humane.  (मनुष्य होने और मानव बनने के बीच का लम्बा सफर ही जीवन है)-2020
• Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be -2019
• Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society -2019
• Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success -2019
• Wisdom finds truth -2019
• A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both. -2018
• Customary morality cannot be a guide to modem file. -2018
• Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed. -2016
• Character of an institution is reflected in its leader. -2015
• With greater power comes greater responsibility. -2014
• Words are sharper than the two-edged sword. -2014
• Attitude makes, habit makes character and character makes a man. -2007
• He would reigns within himself and folds his passions and desires and fears is more than a king. -1993
• Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team. (- सोच एक खेल की तरह है, यह तब तक शुरू नहीं होता है जब तक कि एक विपरीत टीम/पक्ष न हो।) – 2023
• Mathematics is the music of reason. (- गणित ज्ञान का संगीत है।) – 2023
• The real is rational and the rational is real. -2021
• Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self (विचारपरक संकल्प स्वयं के शांतचित्त रहने का उत्प्रेरक है )-2020
• ‘The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values. -2018
• A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. -2018
• There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. -2003
• Disinterested intellectual curiosity is the lifeblood of civilisation. -1995
• Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. -2017
• Compassion is the basic of all morality of the world -1993
• Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole. -2015
• Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)-2013
• Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right (केवल इसलिए कि आपके पास विकल्प हैं, इसका यह अर्थ कदापि नहीं है कि उनमें से किसी को भी ठीक होना ही होगा) – 2022
• Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it. -2018
• Truth is lived, not taught -1996
• When money speaks, the truth is silent. -1995
• Search for truth can only be a spiritual problem. -2002
• The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining (छप्पर मरम्मत करने का समय तभी होता है, जब धूप खिली हुई हो) – 2022
• You cannot step twice in the same river (आप उसी नदी में दोबारा नहीं उतर सकते) – 2022
• Discipline means success, anarchy means ruin -2008
• Youth is a blunder, manhood a struggle, old age a regret -1994
• If youth knew, if age could. -2002
• Youth culture today. -1999
• Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India? -2014
• Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic. (- दूरदर्शी निर्णय तभी लिए जाते है अंतर्ज्ञान और तर्क का परस्पर मेल होता है।) – 2023
• Not all who wander are lost. (- भटकने वाले सभी गुम नहीं हो जाते।) – 2023
• Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane (- रचनात्मकता की प्रेरणा अलौकिक ता में चमत्कार ढूंढने के प्रयास से उपजति है) – 2023
• A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for (जहाज बन्दरगाह के भीतर सुरक्षित होता है, परन्तु इसके लिए तो वह होता नहीं है) – 2022
• Quick but steady wins the race. -2015
• Useless life is an early death. -1994
• Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds. -1995
• The paths of glory lead but to the grave. -2002
• The pursuit of excellence. -2001

5 Women empowerment

• Greater political power alone will not improve women’s plight. -1997
• Women’s reservation bill would usher in empowerment for women in India. -2006
• The new emerging women power: the ground realities. -1995
• Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. -2021
• If women ruled the world -2005
• The hand that rocks the cradle -2005
• Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality (पितृ-सत्ता की व्यवस्था नजर मैं बहुत काम आने के बावजूद सामाजिक विषमता की सबसे प्रभावी संरचना है) -2020
• Fulfilment of ‘new woman’ in India is a myth. -2017
• If development is not engendered, it is endangered. -2016
• Whither women’s emancipation? -2004
• Empowerment alone cannot help our women. -2001
• Women empowerment: challenges and prospects. -1999
• Woman is god’s best creation. -1998
• Men have failed: let women take over. -1993
• Managing work and home – is the Indian working woman getting a fair deal ?-2012

6 International issues, Internal Security, History

• South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities. -2019
• Modernisation and westernisation are not identical concepts. -1994
• ‘globalization’ vs. ‘nationalism’ -2009
• National identity and patriotism -2008
• Globalizations and its impact on Indian culture. -2004
• The masks of new imperialism. -2003
• As civilization advances culture declines. -2003
• The implications of globalization for India. -2000
• My vision of an ideal world order. -2001
• India’s contribution to world wisdom. -1998
• The world of the twenty-first century. -1998
• Preparedness of our society for India’s global leadership role. -2010
• Technology as the silent factor in international relations (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संबंधों मैं मौन करक के रूप मैं प्रौद्योगिकी) -2020
• Has the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) lost its relevance in a multipolar world ? -2017
• Restructuring of UNO reflect present realities -1996
• The global order: political and economic -1993
• India’s role in promoting ASEAN co-operation. -2004
• Importance of Indo-US nuclear agreement -2006
• Management of Indian border dispute is a complex task. -2018
• In the Indian context , both human intelligence and technical intelligence are crucial in combating terrorism -2011
• Are we a ‘soft’ state ? -2009
• Good fences make good neighbours -2009
• Is autonomy the best answer to combat balkanization? -2007
• Terrorism and world peace -2005
• True religion cannot be misused. -1997
• History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. -2021
• Geography may remain the same ; history need not. -2010

7 Science-Technology

• Spirituality and scientific temper. -2003
• Science and Mysticism : Are they compatible ?-2012
• What is research, but a blind date with knowledge! -2021
• Modern technological education and human values. -2002
• Value-based science and education. -1999
• The march of science and the erosion of human values. -2001
• The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced. -2021
• Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling. -2019
• ‘Social media’ is inherently a selfish medium. -2017
• Cyberspace and Internet : Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run -2016
• Increasing computerization would lead to the creation of a dehumanized society. -2006
• The cyberworld: its charms and challenges. -2000
• Computer: the harbinger of silent revolution. -1993
• Technology cannot replace manpower. -2015
• Science and technology is the panacea for the growth and security of the nation-2013
• The modern doctor and his patients. -1997
• The lure of space. -2004

Section-A (write any one)

• Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team. (- सोच एक खेल की तरह है, यह तब तक शुरू नहीं होता है जब तक कि एक विपरीत टीम/पक्ष न हो।)
• Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic. (- दूरदर्शी निर्णय तभी लिए जाते है अंतर्ज्ञान और तर्क का परस्पर मेल होता है।)
• Not all who wander are lost. (- भटकने वाले सभी गुम नहीं हो जाते।)
• Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane (- रचनात्मकता की प्रेरणा अलौकिक ता में चमत्कार ढूंढने के प्रयास से उपजति है)

Section-B (write any one)

• Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines. (-लड़कियां बंदिशों के तथा लड़के अपेक्षा के बोझ तले दबे हुए होते हैं दोनों ही समान रूप से हानिकारक व्यवस्थाएं हैं।)
• Mathematics is the music of reason. (- गणित ज्ञान का संगीत है।)
• A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity. (- जिस समाज में अधिक न्याय होता है उस समाज को दान की कम आवश्यकता होती है।)

Answer one-one essay from each section in 1000-1200 words

• History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man (इतिहास वैज्ञानिक मनुष्य के रूमानी मनुष्य पर विजय हासिल करने का एक सिलसिला है।) – 2022
• A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for (जहाज बन्दरगाह के भीतर सुरक्षित होता है, परन्तु इसके लिए तो वह होता नहीं है) & 2022
• Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right (केवल इसलिए कि आपके पास विकल्प हैं, इसका यह अर्थ कदापि नहीं है कि उनमें से किसी को भी ठीक होना ही होगा) – 2022

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 concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

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UPSC CSE 2024 Exam Pattern and Syllabus

Looking for a detailed Syllabus and Exam Pattern for the UPSC Civil Services Examination? This article of NEXT IAS decodes the same to give you a comprehensive idea of the UPSC Civil Services Examination’s syllabus and exam pattern.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) every year to select candidates for India’s most prestigious jobs such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) etc. This exam is conducted in three stages. One needs to have a comprehensive understanding of the Syllabus and Exam Pattern for the three stages of the exam in order to prepare well for the same.

Synoptic Overview of UPSC Syllabus and Exam Pattern

Exam pattern for upsc prelims exam.

The UPSC Preliminary Examination (Prelims) serves as a screening test only, and the marks obtained in this exam are not counted for determining the final merit list. However, it must be noted that it is mandatory to clear this exam, failing which one will not be allowed to appear for the Main Examination.

The exam pattern for UPSC Prelims Exam can be seen as follows:

As per the current exam pattern for the UPSC Prelims Exam, the marking scheme is as follows:

i. General Studies-I (GS) Paper – 2 marks are awarded for every correct answer, and 0.66 marks are deducted for every wrong answer.

ii. General Studies-II (CSAT) Paper – 2.5 marks are awarded for every correct answer, and 0.83 are deducted for every wrong answer.

Syllabus for UPSC Prelims Exam

The syllabus for the two papers of the Prelims Exam, as provided by the UPSC, consists of a list of topics that are only indicative in nature. However, one needs to understand what all needs to be studied in order to cover a topic comprehensively. Thus, understanding the syllabus demands understanding the topics listed therein along with their detailed break-ups.

The UPSC syllabus for the two papers of the Prelims Exam is discussed in detail as follows:

Syllabus for UPSC Prelims Paper-I: General Studies

Current events of national and international importance.

• Current Events of National Importance – news of national importance related to History & Culture, Geography, Social Issues, Polity & Governance, Economy, Internal Security, Environment, Science & Technology etc.
• Current Events of International Importance – major news related to India’s Bilateral Relations, International Organizations, Multilateral Bodies & Organizations, International Treaties & Agreements etc.

History of India and Indian National Movement

• Ancient History of India – Pre-History Period; Indus Valley Civilization; Vedic Period; Rise of Heterodox Sects such as Buddhism, Jainism etc; Pre-Mauryan Period, Mauryan Period & Post-Mauryan Period; Gupta Period; Post-Gupta Period etc.
• Medieval History of India – Early Medieval India; Delhi Sultanate; Mughal Period; Maratha Kingdom etc.
• History of Modern India – Period from the decline of Mughals upto establishment of the British Rule in India; Revolt of 1857; Rise of Nationalism; India’s Freedom Struggle etc.

Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World

• Physical Geography – Latitude & Longitude; Geomorphology; Oceanography; Climatology; Biogeography; Environmental Geography
• Social and Economic Geography – Human population and its distribution and growth; Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary activities; Distribution of Minerals in India and the World; Location of Industries in India and the World; Agriculture in India and the World; Energy Resources, Transport etc in India and World.
• World Geography – The continents and major geographic features therein such as Mountains, Plateaus, Rivers, etc.
• Indian Geography – Physiographic Divisions of India; Drainage System of India; Indian Climate; Soils and Vegetations of India.

Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc .

• Constitution of India – The Indian Constitution, its evolution and salient features; Preamble to the Indian Constitution; Citizenship; Fundamental Rights; Directive Principles of State Policy; Fundamental Duties; Amendment of the Constitution, etc.
• Federal System of Government – Federalism; Centre-State Relations; Inter-State Relations; Emergency Provisions etc.
• Legislature – Parliament; Parliamentary Committees; State Legislature; Major issues related to Legislature.
• Executive – President; Vice President; Union Council of Ministers; Governor; State Council of Ministers; Local Self Governments including Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies
• Judiciary – Supreme Court; High Court; Subordinate Courts; Major issues related to Indian Judiciary
• Other areas – Major Constitutional Bodies; Major Non-Constitutional Bodies; Elections and Political Parties etc.

Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc .

• Fundamentals of Economics – Factors of Production; Law of Demand and Supply; National Income Accounting etc.
• Growth and Development – Human Development; Poverty, Inequality and Inclusive Growth; Employment and Skill Development etc.
• Fiscal Policy in India – Development Planning and NITI Aayog; Government Annual Budgeting; Taxation System in India; Inflation; Business Cycles etc.
• Monetary Policy in India – Money and its supply; Reserve Bank of India and Banking System in India etc.
• Financial System in India – Money Market; Capital Market
• Sectors of Indian Economy – Agriculture; Manufacturing and Industries; Service Sector etc.
• External Sector – Foreign Trade; Balance of Payment; Foreign Exchange, Foreign Investment etc.
• International Economic Organizations – World Bank; International Monetary Fund (IMF); World Trade Organization (WTO) etc.
• Other areas – Infrastructure such as Transport, Energy etc; Investment Models etc.

General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization

• Fundamental of Ecology and Ecosystem – basic terminologies such as Ecology, Ecosystem, Species, Speciation, Succession etc.
• Biodiversity – Animal Diversity, Plant Diversity and Marine Organisms in India and World etc.
• Protection and Conservation of Biodiversity – Protected Area Network in India such National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries etc; Other India efforts for biodiversity conservation such as Environmental Acts & Policies, Environmental Institutions etc; Global initiatives for biodiversity conservation such Man And Biosphere (MAB) program, international environmental organizations and conventions etc.
• Environmental Pollution – types of Pollution; Climate Change, Global Warming, Acid Rain etc; Indian and International Efforts to fight Climate Change.
• Other areas – Farming Systems, Irrigation Systems etc which aid in environmental protection.

General Science

• Biology – Cell Biology; Genetics; Human Physiology; Health and Diseases
• Physics – Force and Laws of Motion; Work, Energy and Power; Fluids; Heat & Temperature; Wave Motion; Sound; Optics; Electrostatics; Magnetism etc.
• Chemistry – Matter & its states; Structure of Atom; Classification of Elements; Chemical Reactions; Chemistry in everyday life.

Some important links for UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I Preparation are listed below:

Syllabus for UPSC Prelims Paper-II: CSAT

• Reading Passages and answering questions based on them.
• Verbal Interpretations; Analogies; Critical Reasoning etc.
• Sequence & Series; Coding & Decoding; Blood Relations; Venn Diagrams; Distance & Directions; Seating Arrangements; Puzzles etc.
• Ethical dilemmas and hypothetical questions based on them
• Profit & Loss; Mixture & Alligations; Time & Work; Time & Distance
• Geometry; Mensuration & Area
• Partnerships; Clocks; Dices etc.
• Number Systems; LCM & HCF; Averages; Fractions; Ratio & Proportion
• Averages; Percentage; Simple & Compound Interests etc.
• Pie Charts, Bar Graph, Line Graph, Tables etc.

Some important links for UPSC Prelims CSAT Paper preparation are listed below:

Exam Pattern for UPSC Main Exam

The UPSC Main Examination (Mains) is a Written Examination consisting of a total of 9 papers of subjective type. The total marks obtained in this examination are counted to determine the final merit list. 

The exam pattern for UPSC Main Exam can be seen as follows:

a. The two Qualifying Papers (Paper A and Paper B) are of Matriculation or equivalent standard.

b. Candidates may choose any one of the optional subjects from amongst the list of subjects provided by the UPSC.

Syllabus for UPSC Main Exam

The UPSC has provided the syllabus for each of the 9 papers of the Main Exam in the form of a list of topics that are only indicative in nature. Understanding the syllabus holistically requires a clear-cut understanding of what all needs to be studied in order to cover a topic comprehensively. Thus, the topics listed in the syllabus as well as their detailed break-ups must be understood to get a clear picture of the syllabus for the UPSC Main Exam .

The syllabus for the 9 papers of the UPSC Main Exam is discussed in detail as follows:

Syllabus for UPSC Main Paper-A: Indian Languages

• Comprehension of given passages
• Precis Writing
• Usage and Vocabulary
• Short Essays
• Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa

Syllabus for UPSC Main Paper-B: English

Syllabus for upsc main paper-i: essay.

This paper expects the candidates to write essays on multiple topics. As per the current pattern, the Essay Paper is divided into two sections having multiple topics. The candidate is expected to write essays on two topics, choosing one from each of the two sections.

The UPSC expects that the essays are presented as an effective expression of ideas that are relevant to the topic and are arranged in an orderly fashion.

Syllabus for UPSC Main Paper-II: General Studies-I

The title for this paper, as given by the UPSC, is – Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society . The topics given as part of the syllabus for Main General Studies-I paper and their detailed break-ups are presented as follows:

• Evolution and salient features of Constitution; Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policies, Fundamental Duties; Process of amendment, Basic Structure.
• Indian Federalism and its features; Centre-state relations and related issues; Inter-state relations and related issues; Cooperative Federalism; Emergency provisions etc.
• 73rd Constitutional Amendment, PRIs and issues faced by them; 74th Constitutional Amendment, ULBs and issues faced by them. 
• Doctrine of separation of powers and constitutional provisions related to it; System of checks and balances
• Functional overlaps among various organs of the government and issues arising out of it; Dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions such as Inter-State Council, Judiciary, NITI Aayog etc.
• Major sources of Indian Constitution; Comparison of major features of Indian Constitution vis-a-vis that of other democracies
• Structure, functions and major issues related to Parliament and State Legislatures such as misuse of Money Bill, inadequate control of Legislature over Executive etc; Parliamentary Committees; Sovereignty of Parliament; Parliamentary Privileges etc. 
• Executive – Powers and functions of President and Governor; Parliamentary System of Government and functioning of Union and State Council of Ministers.
• Judiciary – Powers and functions of the Supreme Court and High Courts and issues related to them such as Judicial Accountability, Judicial Overreach etc. 
• Subordinate Courts, their structures and functions; Lok Adalats, Gram Nyayalayas etc. 
• Pressure Groups, their functions and significance. 
• Major provisions of Representation of People’s Acts of 1950 and 1951; Election System in India and issues related to it such as Model Code of Conduct, Criminalization of Politics etc. 
• Major Constitutional Bodies of India such as Election Commission of India, Finance Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General etc, their functions and issues relating to them.
• Major Statutory Bodies such as Securities Exchange Board of India, National Human Rights Commission etc, their functions and issues related to them 
• Major Regulatory Bodies such as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Competition Commission of India etc, their functions and issues related to them
• Major Quasi-Judicial Bodies such as National Green Tribunal, Central Information Commission etc, their functions and issues related to them 
• Major schemes and policies of the government related to areas such as Drinking Water, Sanitation etc, and challenges remaining.
• Civil Society Organizations, NGOs, SHGs etc, their functions, significance and issues related to them; Participatory governance and people’s participation in governance
• Vulnerable sections such as Women, Children, SCs etc, challenges faced by them and initiatives taken for their betterment. 
• Major schemes and policies of the government related to Health, Education, Employment, Skill Development etc, and challenges remaining.
• Poverty, its causes, implications and steps taken to alleviate poverty.
• Transparency and Accountability, their meaning, significance and steps taken to promote them; Corruption in India. 
• e-Governance, its meaning, significances and applications, challenges in implementation etc. 
• Citizen Charter, its meaning, benefits, challenges in its implementation etc. 
• Role of Civil Services in governance; Reforms in civil services, its need and recommendations of major committees thereon
• India’s bilateral relationship with its neighboring countries such as Pakistan, China, Nepal etc. 
• India’s bilateral relationship with major countries of its interests such as Russia, USA etc.
• Regional and Global Groupings such as BRICS, SAARC, G-20 etc. 
• Major developments from across the globe which impacts India’s interests such as Ukraine War, change in US Visa Policy etc. 
• Indian Diaspora, their roles in promoting India’s interests, challenges faced by them etc.
• International bodies such as the UN, IMF, WHO etc, their structure, functions, challenges faced by them etc.

Some important links for UPSC Main General Studies-I Paper Preparation are listed below:

Syllabus for UPSC Main Paper-III: General Studies-II

The title for this paper, as given by the UPSC, is – Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations .The topics given as part of the syllabus for Main General Studies-II paper and their detailed break-ups are presented as follows:

• Indian Diaspora, their roles in promoting India’s interests, challenges faced by them etc. 

Syllabus for UPSC Main Paper-IV: General Studies-III

The title for this paper, as given by the UPSC, is – Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management .

The topics given as part of the syllabus for Main General Studies-III paper and their detailed break-ups are presented as follows:

• Planning in India, its achievements & failures, and challenges faced; primary tools for mobilization of resources such as government budgeting, taxation, disinvestment etc. 
• Growth path of Indian economy from independence till now, and issues related to it such as Regional Disparity.
• Employment and skill development, challenges therein, and initiatives taken to promote them 
• Inclusive growth, challenges and initiatives taken; Issues related to inclusive growth such as poverty, income inequality etc.
• Government Budget, its types, issues with budgeting process, and issues related to it such as Gender Budgeting; Other Fiscal Policies of the government.
• Major crops of India such as Rice, Wheat etc and their cropping pattern across the country.
• Major types of irrigation system prevalent in India, and issues therein
• Storage, transport and marketing of agricultural goods, their needs and issues therein 
• Different types of agricultural subsidies, their needs and issues therein
• Agricultural price policies of the government; MSP, its needs and issues therein
• PDS, its needs, limitations, and initiatives taken to revamp it.
• Food Security, present status in India, challenges associated with it, steps taken to achieve it such as Buffer Stock, and related issues such as Hunger, Food Safety etc. 
• Major technology missions related to agriculture in India such as Green Revolution, National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology, promotion of Farm Mechanisation etc. 
• Livestock sector, its significance, challenges faced by it and steps taken
• Food Processing Industries, its potential and present status in India, its significance for India, challenges faced by it, and steps taken.
• Factors necessitating land reform in India, its progress, and challenges coming in its way. 
• Liberalization, policy changes made under it and their impacts on different sectors of the economy such as external trade, foreign investment, agriculture etc.
• Industrial Policy, its need and evolution from the Industrial Policy Resolution of 1948 through New Industrial Policy of 1991 upto present.
• Major industrial infrastructures as mentioned above, steps taken for their development, challenges coming in the way such as their financing, land constraints etc, and other issues related to them. 
• Need for investment in the Indian economy, its types such as FDI, and issues related to it.
• Types of investment models such as PPP, their advantages and limitations, and steps taken to promote them 
• Major emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, their applications and impacts.
• Role of Science & Technology in areas such as Health, Education, Agriculture etc, major developments in those directions and issues arising out of them
• Development of science & technology in India since 1950s upto now, and major achievements such as atomic energy, missiles, space etc. 
• Steps taken towards indigenization of technologies in major sectors such as Defense, Manufacturing etc. 
• Major developments in the fields of IT & Computers, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology etc such as GM Crops, AI etc, their applications, and issues related to them.
• Intellectual Property Rights such as Patent, GI etc, their benefits and issues related to them. 
• Efforts taken for conservation of natural resources such as forest, wildlife, rivers etc at India and international level. 
• Environmental pollution, its major types, causes, and their impacts such as Global Warming, Ozone Depletion etc. 
• Environmental Impact Assessment, its need, initiatives taken and challenges faced
• Basic concepts related to Natural Hazards, Disasters, and Disaster Management; Different phases of disaster management, steps taken in India such as Disaster Management Act of 2005
• Major types of disasters concerning India such Flood, Drought, Earthquake etc, their causes, impacts, and steps taken to mitigate them
• Relation between developmental issues and rise of extremism; Various forms of extremism in India such as Left-Wing Extremism, Insurgency etc, factors helping their rise, challenges posed by them, steps taken to contain them and remaining challenges. 
• Security challenges posed by external state actors such as those by Pakistan, China etc; Security challenges posed by non-state actors such as Terrorism, Smuggling etc.
• Security challenges posed by social media and other forms of media such as propagation of extremism, rumor mongering etc. 
• Cyber security, its significance, steps taken and challenges faced
• Money laundering, its process, challenges posed by it and steps taken
• Land and Coastal Borders of India, challenges in their management, and steps taken 
• Organized crimes, its types such as Trafficking, Smuggling etc, challenges posed by them, their connecting with terrorism, and steps taken to tackle them
• Major security agencies of India such as Central Armed Police Forces, Intelligence Agencies etc, their functions and related issues.

Some important links for UPSC Main General Studies-III Paper Preparation are listed below:

Syllabus for UPSC Main Paper-V: General Studies-IV

The title for this paper, as given by the UPSC, is – Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude . The topics given as part of the UPSC syllabus for Main General Studies-IV paper are as follows:

• 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 attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
• 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.
• 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.

Syllabus for UPSC Main Paper-VI: Optional Papers I and II

One may choose any optional subject from amongst the list of Optional Subjects as provided in the notification for UPSC CSE. The UPSC syllabus for different optional subjects is different. 

Some important links for UPSC Main Optional Paper preparation are listed below:

Personality Test (Interview)

It is the third and final stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It is a Viva-voce type of examination wherein the candidate is interviewed by a Board.

UPSC does not provide any defined syllabus for this stage of examination. However, the experiences of the past interviewees suggest that questions asked in the interview are generally based on the Detailed Application Form (DAF) of the candidate, matters of general interest, current affairs, etc.

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UPSC Essay Topics - Important Essay Topics for UPSC Mains 2023

By vajiram & ravi.

Essay Course for UPSC

UPSC CSE Mains 2023 Essay Question Paper

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Understanding UPSC Essay Topics holds significant importance as it evaluates the candidate's ability to analyse, present arguments, and communicate effectively. In this article, we will explore the diverse range of UPSC essay topics, their significance, and essential tips to excel in this section. Get ready to enhance your writing and analytical skills and make a strong impression on the evaluators with well-crafted essays.

UPSC Essay Paper

The Essay paper in the UPSC Mains examination requires candidates to write multiple essays , each on a different topic, chosen from a given list of options. The essay topics for UPSC cover a wide range of issues, including social, economic, political, cultural, and philosophical aspects, both national and international.

The essay paper holds significant weightage in the UPSC Mains examination, contributing 250 marks out of the total 1750 marks . Scoring well in this section can have a considerable impact on the overall ranking and selection for the coveted civil services.

Weekly UPSC Essay Topics By Vajiram & Ravi

The UPSC Essay Paper is an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their proficiency in expressing ideas and analysing complex issues. Vajiram & Ravi Pensive-Weekly Essay Writing Programme provides you with two Essay Topics every Saturday based on the previous year's question papers and the changing trends analysis. You can submit your Essay for peer evaluation on vajiramandravi.com. This will help you nourish your writing skills, give you clarity of thought, and build the capacity to express opinions in a logical and coherent manner.

Important Essay Topics for UPSC 2023

The purpose of the essay paper is to assess the candidate's ability to critically analyse a topic, present well-structured arguments, and communicate their ideas effectively. It also evaluates their knowledge of various issues, their clarity of thought, and their capacity to express opinions in a logical and coherent manner.

Some of the Important Essay Topics to prepare for the UPSC Mains Examination 2023 are:

• Gender Equality
• Environment/Urbanization
• Economic Growth
• Federalism/Decentralization
• Agriculture
• Economics 

UPSC Essay Topics on Philosophy

Every year, UPSC typically provides you with two or more essay topics centred around philosophical thoughts, Indian philosophical schools, or quotes from notable personalities. To effectively address these philosophical topics, you should refer to Philosophy Books to gain a foundational understanding. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Philosophy :

• Everything comes to him, who hustles while he waits.
• We are always blind as we want to be.
• You cannot step twice in the same river.
• A disciplined mind brings happiness.
• The price of Greatness is Responsibility.
• People would rather Believe than Know.
• Mind - A beautiful Servant? Or a dangerous Master?

UPSC Essay Topics on Art and Culture

The UPSC Essay Topics related to Indian society, art, and culture cover a wide range of subjects, offering great diversity. To gain knowledge about the static content on these topics, you should rely on fundamental books on society, as recommended for the exam. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Indian Art and Culture :

• Culture changes with economic development.
• Culture is what we are, Civilization is what we have.
• Social reform is a myth if places of worship are open only to all castes and not to all genders.
• Impact of Globalization on Indian Art and Culture.
• Caste System - India’s Enduring Curse.
• Godmen - A Threat to Indian Art and Culture?

UPSC Essay Topics on Science and Technology

UPSC essay topics on Science and Technology can largely be addressed through current affairs. You may also benefit from consulting a Science and Technology Book for UPSC to compose a comprehensive and well-rounded essay. Here are some UPSC Essay Topics on Science and Technology:

• Deglobalisation is good for the world.
• Science is organised Knowledge. Wisdom is Organised life.
• Technology is a Weapon against Poverty.
• Prioritising Education Technology for Global Growth.
• Technology is the silent factor in International Relations.
• Scientific and Technological Progress cannot be equated with Human Progress.

UPSC Essay Topics on Education

Education stands as one of the preferred UPSC Essay Topics, with an essay related to this subject often appearing in the paper each year. To tackle this topic effectively, you should stay abreast of Current Affairs , incorporating significant changes and advancements in the field. Let's explore some of the Essay topics for UPSC centred around education:

• Self Education is a lifelong curiosity.
• Education Breeds Peace.
• Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
• Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking.
• Schooling is not Education.

UPSC Essay Topics on Polity and Governance

To comprehensively address Polity and Governance topics, you should acquire fundamental knowledge from Polity Books for UPSC and Current Affairs. These resources offer static information about relevant issues and their historical context, which proves valuable while writing UPSC Essay Topics on Polity. Here are some Essay Topics on Polity and Governance:

• The Role of Politics in Development.
• Should Youth in India Consider Politics as a Career?
• Art, Freedom and Creativity will change society faster than politics.
• The politics of Identity is the Politics of the Weak.
• People should not be afraid of their Government. The Government should be afraid of its people.
• Government Surveillance - Good or Bad?

UPSC Essay Topics on Economy

Essays concerning economic growth are frequently included in the Essay Paper. To tackle these topics effectively, you should refer to Economy Notes for UPSC to gain a comprehensive understanding. Once the fundamentals are grasped, you can enhance their essays by incorporating examples, data, and statistics to create a multidimensional perspective. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Economy:

• We don't have to sacrifice a Strong Economy for a Healthy Environment.
• India, a $5 trillion Economy - Dream or Reality?
• Digital Economy: A leveller or a source of Economic Inequality?
• Innovation is the key determinant of social welfare and economic growth.
• Labour Reforms in India and its Role in Economic Growth.

UPSC Essay Topics on Social Issues

Social issues are a significant aspect of the UPSC essay paper, reflecting the candidates' understanding of societal challenges and their ability to propose viable solutions. These essays provide a platform for candidates to analyse, critique, and suggest measures for pressing social concerns. Topics related to social issues in the UPSC Essay paper may include:

• Inclusivity and Plurality are the hallmarks of a Peaceful Society.
• A Gender-sensitive Indian Society is a prerequisite for Women and Child Empowerment.
• The weaker sections of Indian Society - are their Rights and Access to Justice getting Better?

Previous Year UPSC Essay Topics

Practising previous year's essay topics will help you become familiar with the UPSC exam pattern , word limit, and the types of essay questions frequently asked in the Mains Examination. Analysing past essay topics will also allow you to identify recurring themes and trends, enabling you to prioritise their preparation accordingly. Regular practice with past essay topics will instil confidence in you, helping you feel more comfortable and prepared for the actual exam.

• Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence.
• Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
• History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man.
• A ship in the harbour is safe, but that is not what a ship is for.
• The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
• A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities.
• Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.

Tips to Excel in UPSC Essay Paper

• Understand the Topics: Thoroughly comprehend the essay topics, including the keywords and instructions. Choose a topic that aligns with your strengths and interests.
• Plan and Structure: Devote some time to plan your essay. Create an outline and organise your thoughts in a structured manner, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Be Objective: Present balanced arguments and avoid a biased or one-sided approach. Consider multiple perspectives and present a holistic view.
• Provide Examples and Evidence: Support your arguments with relevant examples, data, quotes and evidence to strengthen your essay.
• Maintain Clarity: Write in a clear and concise manner. Use simple language and avoid jargon or overly complex vocabulary.
• Practice Regularly: Regular practice is essential to improve Essay writing skills. Write essays on diverse topics to enhance your versatility.
• Time Management: Allocate appropriate time for planning, writing, and revising each essay to manage time effectively during the examination.
• Revise and Edit: Review your essays for coherence, grammar, and structure. Make necessary edits to refine your work.

FAQs on UPSC Essay Topics

What are the important UPSC Essay Topics?

Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics asked in Mains Examination previously:

• Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have.
• Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
• What is research but a blind date with knowledge?
• Best for an individual is not necessarily best for society.
• Wisdom finds truth.
• Ships don’t sink because of water around them, ships sink because of water that gets into them.
• Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality.
• Technology as the silent factor in international relations.

How do I Prepare for the UPSC Essay?

To prepare for the UPSC essay, focus on understanding the essay syllabus and past topics to identify recurring themes. Regularly practise writing essays on various topics to improve your writing skills and time management. Structure your essays with a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Which is the best source to practise UPSC Essay Topics?

The best sources to prepare Essay for UPSC include official UPSC materials, newspapers, and magazines like The Hindu, Yojana , and Kurukshetra for current affairs, standard books on diverse subjects, government reports and publications, online platforms like PIB and PRS India, UPSC previous year papers for understanding the exam pattern, and regular practice of essay writing on various topics.

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UPSC Syllabus | UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 -2024 Syllabus Download

On this page, you can read about the Civil Service exam pattern and UPSC syllabus.

• 1 UPSC Civil Services Exam 2024 syllabus
• 2.1 Syllabus of Prelims GS Paper 1  
• 2.2 Syllabus of Prelims Paper 2 (CSAT) 
• 3.1 QUALIFYING PAPERS
• 3.2 Paper-I: Essay 
• 3.3.0.0.1 INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY
• 3.4.0.0.1 GOVERNANCE, CONSTITUTION, POLITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• 3.5.0.0.1 TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BIO DIVERSITY, ENVIRONMENT, SECURITY AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT
• 3.6.0.0.1 ETHICS, INTEGRITY AND APTITUDE
• 3.7.0.0.1 Scope of the syllabus 
• 4 Interview Stage
• 5 FAQs Related UPSC Civil Services exam syllabus 

UPSC Civil Services Exam 2024 syllabus

Abraham Lincoln wrote,

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”.

So, as per the above saying by Lincoln, an aspirant needs to know the complete UPSC Syllabus inside out i.e. sharpening their tools, to start the preparation. UPSC syllabus should be in the aspirant’s head like a mind map. It will help the aspirant in several ways.

• It helps an aspirant in keeping preparation on the right track. Sometimes, beginners start to over-read the subjects i.e. reading the topics beyond the scope of the UPSC exam.
• Current Affairs is an important part of UPSC preparation. However, sources are plenty for it. Even in newspapers, all articles are not relevant for the Civil services exam. Thus, the UPSC civil services exam syllabus sets the boundaries within which, an aspirant has to prepare.
• It helps in organizing the notes for revision. Due to the vast scope of the UPSC Syllabus, an aspirant can end up with a pile of notes, if the reading material is not divided into topics and sub-topics. Thus, dividing every reading material into topics and sub-topics help in organizing the revision material.
• UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam – Objective pattern
• UPSC Civil Services (Mains) Exam – Descriptive pattern
• Personal Interview

UPSC Syllabus for prelims  

The Preliminary Examination will consist of two papers of objective type i.e., Paper I and Paper II. This examination is meant for screening tests only.  

The marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination by the candidates who are qualified for the main examination will not be counted for determining their final rank.  

The Commission will make a list of candidates eligible for the Civil Services Main Examination based on two criteria:   

• Achieving at least 33% in the General Studies Paper of the Civil Services Preliminary Examination.
• Obtaining a total qualifying score in General Studies Paper-I of the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, as determined by the Commission.

There will be negative marking for incorrect answers for all questions except some of the questions the negative marking will be inbuilt in the form of different marks being awarded to the most appropriate and not-so-appropriate answer for such questions.  

There are four alternatives for the answers to every question. For each question for which a wrong answer has been marked by the candidate, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty.  

If a candidate gives more than one answer it will be considered a wrong answer. No marks will be counted for unattempted questions, nor any marks will be deducted.  The question paper is set in both languages: English and Hindi.  Each paper will be of two hours.

Blind candidates and candidates with Locomotor Disability and Cerebral Palsy where the dominant (writing) extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance of function (a minimum of 40% impairment) will however, be allowed an extra time of twenty minutes per hour for each paper.  

The candidate must appear in both papers of the civil services preliminary exam to get evaluated. The candidate is disqualified if he/ she does not appear in both papers.   

Syllabus of Prelims GS Paper 1  

• 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.  

Syllabus of Prelims Paper 2 (CSAT)  

• 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).  

UPSC Mains Syllabus

The primary purpose of the Main Examination is to evaluate candidates based on their intellectual qualities and the depth of their understanding, rather than just the extent of their factual knowledge and memorization.  

The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers (Paper II to Paper V) will be such to test a candidate’s general awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services.   

The questions are likely to test the candidate’s basic understanding of all relevant issues and ability to analyze and confine socio-economic goals, objectives and demands.   

The Main written examination comprises nine papers, but only seven of them contribute to the final merit ranking. Each paper carries 250 marks, resulting in a total score of 1750 for the Main exam.  

There are 9 papers in the UPSC Mains (Written) Exam:

Few important points to consider

• Candidates can write Paper I to Paper VII in English or any of the languages mentioned in the 8 th schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• Paper I to Paper VII will be taken for evaluation only if the candidate obtained 25% of the marks in Paper A and Paper B.
• There are 48 Optional Subjects in the UPSC exam. The candidate has to select any one subject among them. Two papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) will be conducted from that for 250 marks each.

The written examination consists of the following papers:   

QUALIFYING PAPERS

The aim of the paper is to test the candidate’s ability to read and understand serious discursive prose and to express his idea clearly and correctly, in English and Indian languages concerned.  

One of the Indian languages to be selected from the languages included in the eighth schedule to the constitution. It comprises 300 marks.   

English  ( 300 marks)

The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows:  

• Comprehension of the passages  
• Precis writing  
• Usage and vocabulary  
• Short essays  

Indian languages: 

• Comprehension of the passage  
• Translation from English to the Indian language and vice versa   

Paper-I: Essay 

In Essay Paper, candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to adhere closely to the essay’s topic, arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion and write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.  

Paper-II: UPSC Syllabus for General Studies Paper – I ( To download Pdf:  Click here )

(For topic-wise segregation of GS 1 –  Click Here )

INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD AND SOCIETY

• Art & Culture:  Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
• Modern History:  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:  Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country .
• World History:  History of the world will include events from 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.
• Indian 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.
• Physical Geography:  Salient features of world’s physical geography.
• Human and Economic 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).
• Geophysical Phenomena:  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: UPSC Syllabus for General Studies Paper II   ( To download:  Click here )

(For topic-wise segregation of GS 2 –  Click Here )

GOVERNANCE, CONSTITUTION, POLITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• Indian Constitution and Polity :  Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
• 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 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.
• Governance :  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.
• 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.
• Social Justice :  Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and 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.
• International Relations :  India and its neighbourhood- 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.
• Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Paper IV: UPSC Syllabus for General Studies Paper III   ( To download:  Click here )

(For topic-wise segregation of GS  III –  Click Here )

TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BIO DIVERSITY, ENVIRONMENT, SECURITY AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT

• Economic development :  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 marketing of agricultural 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; Technology missions; economics 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.
• Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, 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, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
• Environment and Bio-diversity :  Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
• Disaster Management:  Disaster and disaster management.
• Security Issues:  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 challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.
• Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Paper V: UPSC Syllabus for General Studies Paper IV ( To download:  Click here )

(For topic-wise segregation of GS IV  –  Click Here )

ETHICS, INTEGRITY AND APTITUDE

• 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 attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
• 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.
• 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.

Paper VI and Paper VII comprise Paper I and Paper II of the optional subjects from among the list of optional subjects.

UPSC IAS Syllabus for Optional Subjects

The UPSC Exam syllabus includes 48 optional subjects covering a wide horizon of subjects including Literature, Arts, Science, Agriculture, Etc. Candidates have to select one optional subject from the IAS syllabus and there will be two papers for 500 marks (250 marks each).

Scope of the syllabus  

The scope of the syllabus for optional subject papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) for the examination is broadly of the honours degree level i.e. a level higher than the bachelor’s degree and lower than the master’s degree. In the case of Engineering, Medical Science and law, the level corresponds to the bachelor’s degree.  

The candidates must give relevant, meaningful and succinct answer.  

Candidates need to choose any one of the below-mentioned subjects as their optional.

Interview Stage

The objective of the interview stage is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers.  

Qualities such as mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, and intellectual and moral integrity are judged during the interview. T he interview test is 275 marks. 

Candidates are anticipated to exhibit a keen interest in contemporary events happening within and outside their own state or country as well as in modern intellectual trends and recent breakthroughs that should stimulate the curiosity of well-educated young individuals.  

FAQs Related UPSC Civil Services exam syllabus  

How many days to cover the UPSC syllabus?  

UPSC conducts a civil services exam every year. This allows the candidate a period of one year to comprehensively cover and revise the syllabus for the exam. However, it must be noted that the preparation of the examination should be a balanced coverage of both prelims and mains syllabus.   

Does the syllabus of UPSC change every year?  

There are no changes in UPSC Syllabus 2024 in comparison to UPSC Syllabus 2022 and UPSC Syllabus 2021.  

Is the UPSC syllabus very difficult?  

UPSC syllabus not only examines the knowledge of the individual but also the mental caliber of the candidate. Due to vast syllabus and tough competition, this exam is often regarded as one of the toughest exams in the country. Although with strategic and comprehensive preparation, one can successfully cover the syllabus within the needed duration of time.   

How many months current affairs need to be covered for UPSC civil services examination?  

Candidates are recommended to be updated with at least 1-year of current affairs before appearing the exam. However, an overview of all the relevant events is required thoroughly. Candidates are required to not only know the facts and figures but have a deep and analytical understanding of events.

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Prelims 2024 Current Affairs

• Art and Culture
• Indian Economy
• Science and Technology
• Environment  & Ecology
• International Relations
• Polity &  Nation
• Important Bills and Acts
• International Organizations
• Index, Reports and Summits
• Government Schemes and Programs
• Miscellaneous
• Species in news

The essays must be written in the medium as specified in the admission certificate issued to the candidates. The name of the medium must be stated clearly on the cover of the answer- book in the space provided for the purpose. No credit will be given to the essay written in a medium other than that specified in the admission certificate.

Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

From 2014, there are eight topics in the IAS Mains Essay paper segregated in 2 sections. Write two essays choosing one from each of the sections A and B in about 1,000-2,000 words each. The word limit must be adhered to strictly.

Each essay will be marked on 125.

Candidates will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

Essay Question Paper 2021 PDF [Download]

An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author etc.The importance of writing essays needs to be underlined because in Civil Services Main examination Essay is a separate paper whose marks are counted in the mains examination.

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Civil Service Essay Contest May - June 2024

• Are elections free and fair in India?
• Is employment is real issue in India as compared to other countries? What can we do to improve the situation?
• Should we do away with reservation and open up to all as equal opportunity?

Civil Service Essay Contest (March 2024)

• Changing trends in the female workforce, how it can be harnessed for better growth. Views : 571
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• IAS Preparation
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UPSC Syllabus 2024 PDF - IAS Prelims & Mains Syllabus

Aspirants of Civil Services Examination are at the right place to get the details of the UPSC Syllabus. Here, at BYJU’S, you will find the complete IAS Syllabus for all the stages of the examination:

• Preliminary Stage – General Studies & CSAT
• Mains Stage – 9 Theory Papers (GS I-IV, Language Papers, Essay & Optional)
• Personality Test – Interview

UPSC Syllabus in English (IAS Prelims):- Download PDF Here

UPSC Syllabus in Hindi (IAS Prelims):- Download PDF Here

Table of Content for Syllabus of UPSC:

UPSC Syllabus for CSE Prelims

IAS Prelims is the first stage of the Civil Services Examination. More than 11 lakhs candidates applied for UPSC Prelims in 2023 while approximately 10 lakh candidates applied for the same in 2022.

It is important to know the syllabus for IAS Prelims as it is the screening test that qualifies candidates for the next stage, i.e. Mains. All UPSC Exam aspirants must familiarise themselves with the exam pattern and IAS Exam syllabus first, and then move on with the preparation. 

Aspirants preparing for UPSC 2024 must start preparing for the Civil Services exam in February 2023. One year of preparation is a must thing if aspirants want to score well in UPSC 2024 exam. This timeline of almost a year is crucial if you want to have a planned and smooth preparation phase where you can strengthen your concepts and clarify all doubts related to topics.

The two papers of the IAS prelims are discussed in detail below:

• The General Studies test is the first paper of the preliminary examination.
• This test is intended to test the general awareness of a candidate in a wide range of subjects that include: Indian Polity, Geography, History, Indian Economy, Science and Technology, Environment and Ecology, International Relations and associated UPSC current affairs .
• This UPSC Prelims syllabus for CSAT intends to assess the aptitude of the candidate in solving ‘Reasoning and Analytical’ questions, apart from ‘Reading Comprehension’ and the occasionally asked ‘Decision Making’ questions.
• The ‘Decision Making’ based questions are generally exempt from negative marks.

To be noted:

• The preliminary examination is only meant for screening a candidate for the subsequent stages of the exam.
• The marks obtained in the Prelims will not be added up while arriving at the final rank list.

The subjects included in the prelims are common for all. However, there is an option to opt for a few subjects in the mains phase of the examination. Get the detailed list of IAS Subjects included in the syllabus for UPSC prelims and mains at the linked article.

UPSC Syllabus for GS Paper (Prelims Paper I)

• 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 specialisation.
• General Science

Some important links for UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I Preparation are listed below:

UPSC Syllabus for CSAT Paper (Prelims Paper-II)

• 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)

Candidates are advised to refer to the following links below that will help them to cover the UPSC CSE syllabus for the CSAT paper:

Get in touch with previous years’ questions asked in prelims from the UPSC Civil Services syllabus. The compilation of topic-wise UPSC Prelims Questions PDF can be downloaded from the linked article.

UPSC Syllabus for Mains

IAS Mains Exam Pattern

Must-Know Facts about UPSC Mains

• The Mains examination constitutes the 2nd phase of the Civil Services Examination. Only after successfully qualifying in the prelims exam would the candidates be allowed to write the IAS Mains.
• The Mains exam tests the candidate’s academic talent in depth and his/her ability to present his/her understanding according to the requirements of the question in a time-bound manner.
• The UPSC Mains exam consists of 9 papers, out of which two are qualifying papers of 300 marks each.
• Any Indian Language Paper
• English Language Paper
• The papers on Essay, General Studies and Optional Subject of only such candidates who attain 25% marks in both the language papers as a minimum qualifying standard in these qualifying papers, will be taken cognizance of, for evaluation.
• In case a candidate does not qualify in these language papers, then the marks obtained by such candidates will not be considered or counted.

IAS Syllabus for UPSC Mains GS-I

General Studies‐I is also called Paper-II of UPSC Mains. It covers –  Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society. The detailed UPSC Syllabus for this paper is given below:

• 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 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 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. 

Get the UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 Strategy in the linked article.

IAS Syllabus for Mains GS-II

General Studies-II is also called Paper-III of UPSC Mains. It majorly covers Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations. The detailed UPSC syllabus for this paper is given below:

• Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
• 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 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 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 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.
• India and its neighbourhood- 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.
• Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. 

Get the UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 Strategy in the linked article.

IAS Syllabus for Mains GS-III

General Studies-III is also called Paper-IV of the UPSC Mains. The major topics covered are Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management. The detailed UPSC syllabus for this paper is given below:

• 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 marketing of agricultural 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; Technology missions; economics 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. 
• Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, 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 challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention. 
• Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate. 

Get the UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 Strategy in the linked article.

IAS Syllabus for Mains GS-IV

General Studies Paper-IV is also called Paper-V of UPSC Mains. The major topics covered under it are Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude. This paper will include questions to test the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem-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. The following broad areas will be covered:

• 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 attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
• 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.
• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the 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 the above issues. 

Get the UPSC Mains GS Paper 4 Strategy in the linked article.

IAS Syllabus for Language and Essay Papers

• Essay Paper – It is the Paper-I of UPSC Mains

Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to  keep close to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion and to write  concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression. 

Get important information on UPSC Essay Paper from the links below:

• Qualifying Papers on Indian Languages and English

Structure of the language papers:

The types of questions asked are –

• Essay – 100 marks
• Reading comprehension – 60 marks
• Precis Writing – 60 marks
• English to compulsory language (e.g. Hindi) – 20 marks
• Compulsory language to English – 20 marks
• Grammar and basic language usage – 40 marks

The rest of the seven papers can be written in any of the languages mentioned under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India or in English.

The aim of the papers 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 concerned. The pattern of questions would broadly be as follows :

(i) Comprehension of given passages.

(ii) Precis Writing.

(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.

(iv) Short Essays.

Indian Languages:-

(i) comprehension of given passages.

(v) Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa. 

The following articles might help candidates who find it challenging to prepare for UPSC syllabus w.r.t language papers:

Please download the detailed UPSC Mains General Studies Syllabus  from the linked article.

UPSC Syllabus for Optional Subjects

The UPSC Mains syllabus gives a list of 48 Optional Subjects which include Literature of different languages. Candidates need to choose any one of the ‘Optional Subjects’ from the list of subjects given below:

IAS Syllabus For UPSC Mains Optional Subjects:

Candidates can check the success rate of optional subjects in the linked article.

Aspirants looking for Topper’s excerpts and guidance as to which optional subject to opt for, they can visit the  UPSC Toppers’ Optional Subjects page and get the required assistance. They can get the list of subjects opted by top rank holders in the past.

UPSC Syllabus for IAS Interview

Known as Personality Test, UPSC Interview is the last stage of the examination. There is no defined UPSC syllabus for the interview. Questions are asked from wide-ranging issues.

• Candidates who qualify the UPSC Mains Exam will be called for the ‘Personality Test/Interview’. These candidates will be interviewed by a Board appointed by the UPSC.
• The objective of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in civil services by a board of competent and unbiased observers.
• The interview is more of a purposive conversation intended to explore the mental qualities and analytical ability of the candidate.
• The Interview test will be 275 marks and the total marks for the written examination is 1750. This sums up to a Grand Total of 2025 Marks, based on which the final merit list will be prepared.

Candidates should note that there are no changes in UPSC Syllabus 2023 in comparison to UPSC Syllabus 2022 and UPSC Syllabus 2021.

FAQ about UPSC Syllabus

What are the subjects in upsc, what is the fee of upsc application form, is ias syllabus tough, does upsc syllabus pdf contain prelims and mains syllabus both, can an aspirant download the upsc syllabus in marathi.

Updated – UPSC Syllabus in English:- Download PDF Here

Updated – UPSC Syllabus in Hindi:- Download PDF Here

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Hi Swetha Please refer to our UPSC Admit Card 2020 page for any updates on the same.

Can you tell me which books I have refer for IAS prelims means from where to start my preparation

Hi Janvi You can check the following links: 1. NCERT Books for UPSC 2. UPSC Books

Please provide same analysis after 2013.

For Prelims refer to UPSC Prelims Subject-Wise Weightage . For Mains, check below links: 1. GS 1 Strategy 2. GS 2 Strategy 3. GS 3 Strategy

THANK YOU BYJU’S! IT ACTUALLY HELPED ME A LOT. I WAS ABLE TO ASK QUERIES ALSO AND I AM SATISFIED FOR CLEARING MY DOUBTS/QUERIES THROUGH YOU. ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU BYJU’S!!!

Can u tell me optional subject Punjabi literature’s syllabus. Please !!

Hi Get Punjabi Literature Syllabus at the linked article.

Can you please tell me which book i prefer for mains optional subject malayalam ?

Get Malayalam Literature Book List at the linked article.

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It is never too late to start. If you meet the eligibility criteria of the UPSC Exam , you may start now.

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1. Understand UPSC Syllabus 2. Start with NCERTs and complement with daily newspaper. 3. Refer to UPSC previous years’ question papers. 4. Read Rajiv Ahir’s Brief of Modern History, M. Laxmikanth’s Indian Polity for GS 1 and 2 respectively. 5. Revise often. 6. Take mock tests periodically

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Read how to study IAS after 12th in the linked article.

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Get the complete list of UPSC Books in the linked article.

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Hi, There is a cut off which is released by the UPSC. CSAT is qualifying in nature that is one has to secure at least 33% in it. You can read about UPSC Cut Off in the linked article.

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Hi, Anyone who is eligible for the Exam can start the preparation. For UPSC fundamentals, go through the syllabus sincerely. Then, go through previous years’ question papers. A few links for your reference are added below: 1. UPSC question papers 2. IAS Toppers 3. UPSC Exam Pattern 4. Strategy for working professionals .

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Civil service main examination, compulsory subjects syllabus, candidates will be required to write an essay on a specific topic. the choice of subjects will be given. they will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely. credit will be given for effective and exact expression..

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UPSC Prelims 2024: Exam Pattern, Syllabus And Marking Scheme

Curated By : Education and Careers Desk

Local News Desk

Last Updated: May 27, 2024, 19:08 IST

Delhi, India

The UPSC prelims will be held on June 16.

The first stage in UPSC CSE is the UPSC Prelims, followed by the UPSC Mains and then comes the interview.

The UPSC Civil Service Examination (UPSC CSE) is one of the toughest examinations not only in the country but also in the world. Students need to follow the right strategy to crack the examination. This year, the UPSC prelims exam will be held on June 16.

Individuals such as Tina Dabi, Kanishka Kataria, Srishti Jayant Deshmukh, Renu Raj, Roman Saini, and Ankur Garg attained the prestigious rank of IAS officers on their first attempt at the UPSC exam, with some even securing the top position. In the UPSC prelims, the CSAT paper is regarded as a qualifying paper. Candidates need to score at least 33 per cent marks in this paper to move on to the UPSC mains exam.

The Union Public Service Commission conducts the Civil Services Examination in three stages. The first stage is the UPSC Prelims, followed by the UPSC Mains and the UPSC Interview. The UPSC Prelims exam for 2024 will take place offline on June 16. It consists of a total of 180 objective-based questions, with 80 questions from CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) and 100 from General Studies.

The UPSC Prelims exam is 400 marks. For every correct answer, you get 2 marks. But be careful: there’s a penalty for wrong answers. You lose 1/3 of a mark for each wrong answer due to negative marking. So, it’s crucial to only answer when you’re sure. If you’re unsure, leave it blank.

UPSC Prelims 2024 Exam Date

Candidates appearing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) prelims exam will have a total of 4 hours to complete it. There will be a break between the two papers. The General Studies paper will take place from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. For every wrong answer in this paper, 0.66 marks will be deducted. Following that, the CSAT paper will be held from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website .

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Part A—Preliminary Examination Paper I - (200 marks)

Duration: Two hours

• 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, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
• General Science.

Paper II-(200 marks) CSAT

Duration : Two hours

• 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);

Note 1 : Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.

Note 2 : The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type.

Note 3 : It is mandatory for the candidate to appear in both the Papers of Civil Services (Prelim) Examination for the purpose of evaluation. Therefore a candidate will be disqualified in case he/she does not appear in both the papers of Civil Services (Prelim) Examination

The main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates rather than merely the range of their information and memory. The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers (Paper II to Paper V) will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study. The questions will be such as to test a candidate’s general awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services. The questions are likely to test the candidate’s basic understanding of all relevant issues, and ability to analyze, and take a view on conflicting socio-economic goals, objectives and demands. The candidates must give relevant, meaningful and succinct answers. The scope of the syllabus for optional subject papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) for the examination is broadly of the honours degree level i.e. a level higher than the bachelors’ degree and lower than the masters’ degree. In the case of Engineering, Medical Science and law, the level corresponds to the bachelors’ degree.

Syllabi of the papers included in the scheme of Civil Services (Main) Examination are given as follows :—

Qualifying Papers on Indian Language and English

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 concerned. The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows :

(i) Comprehension of given passages.

(ii) Precis Writing.

(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.

(iv) Short Essays.

Indian Languages :—

(i) comprehension of given passages.

(v) Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa.

Note 1 : The papers on Indian Languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of qualifying nature only. The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.

Note 2 : The candidates will have to answer the English and Indian Languages papers in English and the respective Indian language (except where translation is involved).

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 concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

PAPER-II General Studies-I:

• Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
• 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 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 world’s physical geography.
• Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent); 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 General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations

• Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
• 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 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 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 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.
• 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.
• Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

PAPER-IV General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management

• 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 marketing of agricultural 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; Technology missions; economics 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.
• Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, 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 challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.
• Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

PAPER-V General Studies- IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

• This paper will include questions to test the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society.
• Questions may utilise the case study approach to determine these aspects. The following broad areas will be covered 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 attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
• 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.
• 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.

• Our Mission, Vision & Values
• Director’s Desk
• Commerce & Accountancy
• Previous Years’ Question Papers-Prelims
• Previous Years’ Question Papers-Mains
• Environment & Ecology
• Science & Technology

UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2024: PDF Download, Topic-wise Prelims Paper 2 Maths and Reasoning Syllabus

img src="https://img.jagranjosh.com/images/2023/July/372023/UPSC-CSAT-Syllabus.jpg" width="1200" height="675" />

UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2024 :  The UPSC prelims exam comprises two objective papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, with Paper 2 being the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). The focus area of the CSAT syllabus is comprehension, Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability, General Mental Ability, Basic Numeracy, Data Interpretation, etc. To pass Paper 2, candidates need to score at least 33%. 

The CSAT paper was introduced in 2011 and is an essential part of the UPSC preliminary exam. It is mandatory to score minimum qualifying marks to be eligible for the main examination.

In this blog, we have shared the detailed UPSC CSAT syllabus PDF along with the preparation strategy and best books for the ease of the aspirants.

UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2024

The UPSC CSAT syllabus covers topics like 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). The UPSC CSAT exam will contain a total of 80 objective-type questions for 200 marks. The exam duration will be 2 hours.

Also Read, 

UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2024 PDF

Candidates must download the UPSC CSAT syllabus 2024 pdf form the link below to know about the important topics for upcoming prelims exam. Get the direct link to download the UPSC CSAT syllabus 

Topic wise UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2024

Candidates must go through the UPSC CSAT syllabus to understand topic wise syllabus that needs to be covered in preparation. One should go through the Maths Syllabus of UPSC CSAT, which covers topics like arithmetic,  geometry, algebra, and trigonometry, which would help them to perform well in the quantitative section. On the other hand, the reasoning syllabus includes topics like analytical reasoning, data interpretation, and logical reasoning which would improve critical thinking and problem-solving ability. Check the detailed topic-wise UPSC CSAT syllabus below:

UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2024: Exam Pattern

Candidates should be familiar with the UPSC CSAT exam pattern to understand the marking scheme, exam structure, weightage, etc. Let’s discuss the UPSC CSAT paper pattern in the table below:

How to Prepare for UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2024?

In the UPSC CSAT paper candidates need to score a minimum of 33% in the UPSC prelims exam and this can be done if you prepare well with a study plan. For this, you must download the UPSC CSAT syllabus and prepare the exam strategy accordingly. Check the best tips and tricks shared below to score high in the CSAT papers.

• Check CSAT Syllabus: The first and foremost tip is to analyze the syllabus thoroughly in order to get an idea of the topics that need to be studied for the GS paper II of prelims. 
• Clear Concepts: The next tip is that the candidates should first clear the basic concepts of all the topics and then solve advance level questions to avoid any sort of confusion.
• Use Best Books: Candidates should use the latest edition of books to study all the syllabus topics. Also, they should make small notes of every concept as it would be beneficial for quick revision.
• Emphasis on Important Topics: One should practice 4-5 Reading Comprehension every day. You can also boost your vocabulary skills by learning new words daily and it will also improve your reading comprehension ability. To maximize your scores in logical reasoning and data interpretation, you should increase your calculation skills and question-solving speed.
• Mock tests and Previous Year Papers: Pr actice previous year's papers to understand the nature of questions that are often asked from the UPSC CSAT syllabus. Solving mock tests and previous papers will help you to assess the level of your preparation.

Important Booklist for UPSC CSAT Syllabus

There is an ocean of books and resources available in reliable online platforms and local bookstores. The right books will cover all the aspects of the UPSC CSAT syllabus. Let’s look at the books for the CSAT paper shared below:

UPSC Exam 2024: History, Full Form, Functions & Recruitment  

Topics Covered: UPSC History, UPSC Full Form, UPSC Functions, UPSC CSE 2024 Overview, Salary, Notification, Recruitment, Vacancy, Eligibility Criteria, Exam Pattern, Apply Online, Syllabus, Preparation Tips, Books and Mocks, Admit Card, Previous Year Papers, Answer Key, Exam Analysis, Cut Off & Result

UPSC Civil Services Exam is widely considered to be one of the toughest and the most coveted government exams in India. The exam recruits officers for some of the most prestigious services like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, etc.   

To provide you an overview of UPSC’s history , let me take you back into the year of 1923, when under the chairmanship Lord Lee of Fareham, the Royal Commission on superior civil services was set up in India .    

Based on the recommendation of the report submitted by Commission, a Public service Commission having equal number of Indian and British members was established in 1924 .    

The key suggestions made by the Lee Commission included 40% of the future entrants to be British, direct recruitment of 40% Indians and promotion from provincial services for 20% Indians.    

The first Public Service Commission, under the chairmanship of Sir Ross Barker, was finally instituted in the year of 1926 .  But being a mere advisory role body, it faced pressure from leaders of Indian Independence movement.    

This resulted in the establishment of Federal Public Service Commission under Government of India Act 1935 , which later became what we know as Union Public Service Commission after getting constitutional status on 26 January 1950 post-independence .      

Coming back to the present times, UPSC CSE is one of the popular exams in the country as lakhs of aspirants apply for it each year.      

Being an IAS officer is a dream that is harbored in the minds of millions of young Indians today with a purpose to accomplish in the field of administration.   

However, to prepare for an exam of this magnitude, you must work diligently and with enormous passion to ensure your success in the exam. Therefore, you must be thorough with all the information related to UPSC exam.     

To help you with that, I shall be discussing in detail everything you need to know about UPSC full form, functions, notification, exam pattern, syllabus, job profile, salary, booklist, admit card, question papers, result and so on.    

So, without further ado, let’s begin.   

Table of Content – UPSC 2024 – History, Full form, Function & Exam Overview 

1. upsc full form, 2. upsc functions, 3. upsc exam overview, 4. job profile & salary, 5. notification 2024, 6. recruitment, 8. eligibility criteria, 9. exam pattern, 10. apply online, 11. upsc ias syllabus  ,  11.1 comm. & mgmt. syllabus, 12. preparation tips  , 13. prelims books  , 14. mains books  , 15. mock test series, 16. admit card  , 17. past year question papers  , 18. answer key  , 19. exam analysis  , 20. cut off  , 21. result  , upsc full form  .

The full form of UPSC is Union Public Service Commission . It conducts an exam on a national level known as CSE which means Civil Service Examination.  

The exam is held to recruit for the various civil service and government posts like IAS which is an abbreviation for Indian Administrative Service.  

UPSC Functions

The institution of UPSC is bestowed with many roles and responsibilities. As per Article 320 of the Indian constitution, the Union Public Service Commission shall conduct examinations for appointments to various posts and services at the Union level.

Some of the other functions of the UPSC include consultation on the following matters:  

• On methods of recruiting candidates for various civil services posts  
• To make appointments for civil services and other posts.  
• Promotion and Transfer of officers from service to another  
• Checking the suitability of candidates for such appointments, promotion or transfers  
• On taking disciplinary actions against a civil servant serving in a civil capacity including petitions or memorials in such matters.  

In addition to these functions, if requested, the UPSC can also assist two or states in framing and execution of schemes for joint recruitment for any services.  

UPSC IAS Exam 2024 Overview

The UPSC exam is conducted every year to recruit candidates to various civil services of the Indian central government.   

The UPSC CSE is also popularly known as the IAS exam and is conducted subsequently after the official release of the UPSC vacancy memo.    

The UPSC CSE, has three rounds that you need to clear in order to get selected as an IAS officer.    

The first round that you’d need to clear is the Prelims, the second round is Mains, and, the final round is the personal interview  

At every level of your posting, you will be provided with an opportunity of making a deep socio-economic impact in the designated domain of work.

IAS Officer Salary & Job Profile 2024

Talking about job profile of an IAS officer, it includes performing duties such as monitoring the execution of the government schemes and policies.  

In addition to this, officers’ functions also involve handling unnatural situations like calamities, disasters, riots or major accidents that take place in their jurisdiction.  

The basic monthly salary for someone who gets selected for the post of IAS, according to the 7th Pay Commission is Rs. 56,100.   

However, it should be noted that this is just the basic monthly salary, meaning that this salary is exclusive of all the allowances and incentives that an IAS officer is entitled to receive from the government.   

The gross monthly salary of an IAS officer can go up to Rs. 1,50,000 depending on the allowances.   

The monthly basic salary for someone who has already spent 4 years as an undersecretary, for example, and is now a deputy secretary, will be Rs. 67,700.   

The basic monthly salary of an IAS officer who has spent 37+ in service and is now the Cabinet secretary of India is approximately Rs. 2,50, 000.    

To know more about an IAS’s job profile and allowances, read in detail about functions and salary of an IAS officer .   

UPSC CSE Notification 2024

Latest Update: – The notification for UPSC exam 2024 has been released on 14th February 2024. The application process began on the same day as the release of the notification and will continue till 5th March 2024.     

A total number of 1056 vacancies have been released in the notification.  

The official UPSC calendar 2024 which was announced on 10th May 2023.      

According to the details mentioned in the notification, the prelims exam of UPSC CSE will be conducted on 26th May 2024 and the Mains exam will take place from 20th September 2024 which is scheduled for a time period of 5 days.     

That’s the brief information regarding the UPSC 2024 Exam dates, however, if you want to know in detail about 2024 UPSC CSE Notification and Exam Dates check the linked blog.   

Let’s now go on to the topic of UPSC Recruitment and then UPSC Vacancy.  

To give you a brief about all the key dates of UPSC CSE 2024, I have placed a table below.  

UPSC Recruitment 2024

Each year, several UPSC recruitments that take place for several different streams. Talking about recruitment to the posts of various civil services, these are points you must look at:  

• The UPSC examination consists of three stages, i.e., Prelims, Mains and the Interview.    
• The UPSC CSE serves as a common recruitment process to fill up the annual UPSC vacancy strengths of other officer posts such as that of IPS, IFS, and IRS officers.  
• This annual UPSC recruitment process lasts for duration between 9 months to a year.  

For UPSC CSE, many students apply for the exam each year, however; only a handful are able to get through to being able to fill in the various UPSC vacant positions.  

I have talked about this in more detail in the next section, of UPSC vacancy .  

UPSC IAS Exam Vacancy 2024

The details for the UPSC IAS Exam Vacancy 2024 are announced along with the release of the notification.  

The UPSC announced a total of 1056 of v acancies which include 40 vacancies reserved for Persons for Benchmark Disability Category, out of which the following –     

• 09 vacancies are reserved for candidates with locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy;    
• 13 vacancies are reserved for candidates with multiple disabilities;     
• 06 vacancies for candidates with low vision and blindness and  
• 12 for candidates with deafness and low on hearing.    

To get complete information regarding vacancies, you can click on the UPSC Vacancy 2024 and know all the details.  

UPSC IAS Exam Eligibility Criteria 2024

The topic of UPSC Eligibility is pretty significant, given that according to the criteria mentioned under this topic, you’ll either be allowed to appear for the exam or be disqualified.

Therefore, my advice is that you go through all the Eligibility Criteria properly before applying to appear for the UPSC exam 2024.

1. Nationality

To appear for the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service, and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.

For other services the nationality criteria vary, you may find more about it on my blog on eligibility criteria (link provided at the end of the section).

2. Age Limit

• If you are an aspirant from the general category, your age must not be less than 21 years, or you must not have attained the age of 32 years on the 1st of August 2024 of the year of examination.
• Age relaxation up to a maximum of 5 years if you belong to the SC or ST category. So, the upper age limit for SC or ST is 37 years.
• For the OBC category, age relaxation can be granted up to a maximum of 3 years. So, the upper age limit for OBC is 35 years.
• Age relaxation up to a maximum of 10 years if you belong to PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) category. So, the upper age limit of 42 years.

Here are the UPSC Age Limits for the various categories – Gen:32, OBC:35, SC/ST: 37, PwBD:42.

3. Educational Qualification

Let me mention directly without beating too much around the bush that you must be a bachelor’s degree holder or hold an equivalent qualification if you want to appear for the UPSC CSE (IAS exam).

So, it’s imperative that you have proof of being a graduate from a state or centrally recognized university.

That means you should have a bachelor’s degree certificate from any educational institute established by an Act of the Parliament of India, or from any university incorporated by an Act of the State and Central Legislature of India, or from any deemed university recognized under the Section 3 of UGC Act of 1956.

4. Number of Attempts

To know more about various aspects of UPSC Eligibility Criteria like age limit and physical standards in detail, read my blog on the same.  

UPSC IAS Exam Pattern 2024

As I have already mentioned before, the UPSC exam 2024 has three rounds that you need to clear in order to be selected as an IAS officer.

The first round that you’d have to clear is the IAS prelims, then come the IAS Mains which is the second round, and finally, the third round consists of personal interviews.

UPSC Exam Pattern for IAS Prelims

The Prelims round of the IAS exam basically consists of 2 papers. Both are objective-type papers with a weightage of 200 marks each and are conducted on the same day.

The first round or the Prelims is basically a qualifying round, designed to screen out the unsuitable candidates from the recruitment process. Those who clear the Prelims round qualify for the Mains exam.

• Paper 2 also has a negative marking of – 0.83 marks on most questions.

UPSC Exam Pattern for IAS Mains

The Mains paper consists of 9 subjective (descriptive) type papers. The UPSC CSE Mains are conducted over a period of 5-7 days.

The total marks for the Mains Papers are 1750.

Paper 6 & Paper 7 are optional subjects if you want to look at the list of optional subjects, go through my detailed blog on Exam Pattern linked at the end of this section.

UPSC Exam Pattern for IAS Interview Round

This round consists of a personal interview conducted by a panel of unbiased and competent individuals who are absolute experts at testing the personality of the interviewees.

In this round, your mental and social traits are judged and referenced against those expected of an ideal IAS officer.

Some of the qualities that the UPSC interview panel looks for in a candidate are clear and cohesive thinking, moral integrity, a balanced mind, intellectual depth, so on and so forth.

The Interview round holds a maximum mark of 275, meaning that the final merit list has the maximum mark of 2025 (275 of the interviews + 1750 of the Mains).

You can click on latest UPSC Exam Pattern for Prelims, Mains & Interview to know more about the same.    

Now it’s time to go through the process of apply online.

UPSC Apply Online 2023

Latest Update: The UPSC Mains DAF -I procedure has been made available on the official website from 10th July 2023 to 19th July 2023 (06:00 PM).  

UPSC online application 2023 process started on the day of the official release of notification itself. It has begun on 1st February 2023 and continues to be active till 21st February 2023.

You may refer to the table that I have given below to get a better idea about the 2023 UPSC IAS Application timeline:

The most important thing when it comes to the online application, I can’t stress this enough, is not to make silly mistakes.

You can check UPSC application fees & steps to apply online   to ensure the successful submission of your UPSC CSE registration form.   

UPSC IAS Syllabus 2024

UPSC CSE (IAS) syllabus is one of the key reasons for the exam to be considered as one of the toughest. This is because, in the CSE, candidates might be asked questions from any and every topic conceivable.

Therefore, if you aspire to crack the IAS exam 2024, then you must be thorough with UPSC syllabus.

So, as you all know, there are 3 phases in the exam. The first or the Prelims. The second namely the Mains, and the third is the interview round. I have written about these phases in greater detail in the exam pattern section mentioned above.

The UPSC Prelims comprises 2 papers – GS 1 & CSAT (also known as GS 2). The key topics for the prelims comprise:

The UPSC Mains comprises 9 papers – Language Paper A, Language Paper B, Essay Paper, GS 1, GS 2, GS 3, GS 4, Optional Subject Paper 1 & Optional Subject Paper 2.

The major highlights of the mains syllabus, including key topics, are:

The 2 language papers judge you on grammar, reading skills, writing skills, translation, and basic language usage.

For the Essay, there is no prescribed topic. The aim of this paper is to test your ability to articulate your thoughts in a clear, ordered, and concise manner.

I have given the syllabus here in a very brief manner because this is an overview page for the entire UPSC exam 2024. To go through all the important topics and the detailed syllabus for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains , check the linked blog.  

UPSC Commerce and Management Syllabus 2024

Commerce and Mangement are two of the most popular UPSC Mains optional subjects. These subjects have an organized syllabus, which promises to induce knowledge of highest degree.

If you are an aspirant who will proceed with one of these optional subjects or you are someone who is still searching for the optional to zero in, then in both cases you should give a careful read to the syllabus of both.

The syllabus is available at your disposal, just head over to the page of UPSC Commerce & Management Syllabus 2024.

UPSC IAS Preparation Tips 2024

Preparing for UPSC CSE (IAS) requires dedication, hard work, and willpower and the same would be the case for the UPSC exam 2024.

Talking about the UPSC Mains optional subjects like Commerce and Management you will definitely need a strong study plan and strategic tips to guide you through your preparation and ensure your success in the mains examinations.

Aside from preparation tips, this UPSC Commerce and Management study plan that I have created would provide a great help for candidates having commerce or management as optional subjects for UPSC mains.

So, in this section, I have included some preparation tips for UPSC CSE Mains optional subjects of commerce and management that you may find beneficial right before you begin your arduous preparation for optional papers.

I am sure that these tips will prove to be useful in your endeavor to sketch a good IAS preparation strategy. So, without further ado, here are the tips:

• Start with the basics
• Find the right booklist
• Follow the process for 5-6 months
• Start answer writing
• Mocks will make you solid as a rock
• Constant revision and regular feedback

You can click on Day – wise study plan for UPSC Commerce & Management that I have provided in detail and to sharpen your insight on how to approach these optional subjects.   

UPSC Prelims Books

Without wasting much of your time let me tell you that if you read from the right books, cracking the UPSC exam 2024 won’t be that much of a tough deal.  

The UPSC Prelims, being an entirely objective type of paper, would need a separate booklist for both the papers – GS Paper 1 and CSAT.  

According to me as well as several toppers of previous IAS exams, the best way to start your UPSC preparation is by reading through the NCERT books for UPSC and then moving on to the standard UPSC book list for 2024 (consisting of the standard books).

Also, have a look at the best UPSC Prelims books including NCERTs.

UPSC Mains Books

While talking about UPSC Mains, it is subjective in nature with a total of 9 papers would need its own comprehensive booklist.    

Talking about optional subjects like Commerce & Accountancy and Management, the books for these subjects need to cover the theoretical part of the syllabus and the numericals as well.      

Therefore, selecting the right booklist is an absolute imperative if you want to prepare efficiently for the IAS exam 2024.  

You can refer to the recommended list of UPSC Mains books for Commerce & Management   that I have provided.    

UPSC CSE Mock Test Series

From getting a picture of what the real exam would be like to getting an opportunity to solidify strengths as well as identify weaknesses, UPSC CSE Mock Test series is a tool that would play a crucial role in your journey towards glory.  

You must regularly test the waters by practicing on high-quality mock IAS test papers .

According to me, practicing from high-quality mock materials to see where you stand, would the most basic yet rewarding exercise you can take part in.  

To give you further information regarding this I’ve created a distinguished blog.

You can spend time on the UPSC free Mock Test for Commerce & Management to assimilate everything which concerns about the optional subjects of Commerce and Management.    

UPSC Admit Card 2023

Latest Update: The UPSC Mains 2023 admit card has been declared on 29th August 2023 for the Mains examination to be commenced from 15 th September 2023.    

The UPSC admit card is one of the most important pieces of documentation that you need to have on the date of your exams. With the admit card you won’t be allowed to enter the exam hall.   

Meanwhile, the admit card for UPSC Prelims 2023 has been released on 8th May 2023 for the prelims examination which is to be conducted on 28th May 2023.     

That said, the UPSC admit cards for both, the Prelims and Mains are released separately, almost a month before each phase.  

Meaning that the UPSC Prelims admit cards are usually released a month before the date of the Prelims exam, and the UPSC Mains admit cards are released a month before the date of the 1st Mains paper of the UPSC Mains round.   

That said, after the release of UPSC admit cards online, candidates need to download and take a printout of their admit cards. This is because only those with a hard copy of their admit cards are allowed to take the exams. Soft copies do not work. 

To know more about the steps to download UPSC admit card , and other details pertaining to it, check the linked blog.    

UPSC IAS Previous Year Question Papers

Solving previous years’ test papers should be an indispensable part of your preparation strategy.   

• The best way to study for the UPSC exam 2024 is to first try and solve a random previous year question paper.  
• Then, accordingly, you can begin covering the syllabus of the UPSC CSE in a way where you first take care of your weak areas before moving on to the topics that you are already strong at.    
• After you have gone through the UPSC syllabus once, then try solving another previous year’s question paper to test where your preparation stands by identifying your strong and weak areas, and accordingly work on them again.    
• After you are done doing so, solve the third previous year paper.    
• Repeat this process, till you are absolutely confident that there are no weak areas left in your prep.    

That is the point where you’ll have achieved the same level of mastery at every aspect of the UPSC IAS syllabus.   

That’s all I have to say about the previous year papers here in this blog.    

UPSC Answer Key 2023

UPSC CSE answer key is a document that carries the answers of all the questions that gets featured in the respective Prelims Exam.

Every year UPSC releases the marking scheme of the prelims’ exam at the end of the entire exam cycle. However, the minute prelims gets over students start demanding the answer booklet of the exam.

While UPSC makes the candidates wait a longtime and releases the official answer key at the end of the exam process, test takers can still get their hands on the answer key instantly after the exam.

How? Through the special page that I have made which is dedicated to the answer key of the exam.

If you are one or a potential aspirant UPSC exam, then I suppose you take a look at the previous year papers and the respective prelims’ answer key.

Click on the link to access the UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2023 .

UPSC Exam Analysis

A lot of candidates make the mistake of thinking that once they are done with the UPSC syllabus, and solving mock tests, they are ready to crack the exam. But let me be the one to break this to you. That’s not enough! As long as you have not thoroughly analyzed the previous year’s exam papers, your job is only half done.

One of the most important aspects of a successful UPSC preparation is to analyze the past year’s exam papers. Doing so will render you with a greater understanding of the most important topics from which questions are usually asked in the exam, and also the difficulty levels of the various sections in it.

That said, I have provided my students with a detailed exam analysis of the Commerce and Management past years’ exams. You’d do good to check it out.

However, you might have the question of why I have not made the exam analysis of past exams of the other subjects, well the answer to that is, they are still in the pipeline. I’ll let you know as soon as I am done with them.

But for now, you can go through UPSC exam analysis of the Commerce & Management from 2020 – 2023 which I have comprehensively provided. Do so by clicking on the linked blog.  

UPSC Cut Off 2023

UPSC Cutoff is one of the most sought-after topics.

Okay, so this is an important aspect of your quest to understand the CSE better.

Note: The UPSC 2023 Cutoff will be declared at the end of the examination process, I.e., after the release of the UPSC CSE 2023 Final Result.

The UPSC Cut offs for the UPSC Prelims & Mains, and the Final combined Cut offs of the Mains and Interview rounds are usually released only after the announcement of the Final Results of the UPSC recruitment of that particular year.

Following the norm, the UPSC Cut Off for 2023 has been released instantly after the announcement of the final UPSC results of the year. That said, for your reference, I have given the table of the Final Cut off of the 2023 UPSC exam, down below.

But, before you check that out, let me go through some important things that you should know about the UPSC IAS cut offs:

• The marks of the prelims cut off are of the Prelims Paper 1 or GS paper only. The marks that you get in your CSAT or paper 2 will not be taken into consideration when counting your merit ranking.
• An important thing to note is that the UPSC cut off marks is basically the marks secured by the last candidate that has cleared the round in question. Also, the cut off marks for both the written rounds, namely the Prelims and the Mains, are released only after the declaration of the final results of the exam.

Let us now look at the final cut off marks of some of the 2023 UPSC exam cycle:

UPSC 2023 Final Cut Off

By going over the table above, I guess you now have an idea about what the UPSC IAS cut offs are like.

You can go through the   UPSC Prelims,Mains & Final cutoff   which have been released.    

UPSC Result 2023

Latest Update: The official final result for UPSC CSE 2023 has been declared on 16th April 2023 on the website of UPSC.

The result of the UPSC CSE 2023 Mains examination, which was successfully conducted from 15th-24th December 2023, came out on 12th December 2023. You can check the UPSC 2023 Mains Result here.    

The result of the UPSC CSE 2023 Prelims examination, which took place on 28th May 2023, came out on 12th June 2023. Click on the link to check UPSC CSE 2023 Prelims Result  

As far as checking the IAS exam results go, you can only check the results online. The UPSC CSE results are never mailed or sent by courier to you.   

If you want to know about the detailed steps to download your UPSC result , you can go over to the blog I have written UPSC exam results.     

That brings us to the end of this section.    

That brings us to the end of this fairly long but hopefully informative blog. I have briefly covered every aspect of the UPSC exam 2024 in this blog.

If you want to know about each of the individual aspects in detail, you can read about the same in the various UPSC IAS-related blogs that are available on the website. Having said that I guess it’s now time for me to take my leave.

Good Luck and Good day!

About Anuj Jindal

Upsc cse – related resources.

• Notification 2024
• Apply Online
• Eligibility Criteria
• UPSC CSE Result

FAQs: UPSC CSE Complete Information

UPSC CSE or the Civil Services Examination is a nationwide exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of officers to the elite services of the Indian Government, such as the Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Foreign Services (IFS), Indian Police Services (IPS), Indian Revenue Services (IRS), etc.   

No, I wouldn’t say that the questions asked in the IAS exams are tough per se , but sure, if you have not prepared well enough, then it’s definitely one of the toughest exams you’ll come across. 

That said, the questions that are asked in the IAS exams are set with the intention of testing you on your grasp of the various concepts pertaining to the IAS syllabus. 

Therefore, if your concepts are clear and you can jot down your thoughts in an articulate manner, you can easily sail through across the exams and score well above the UPSC cut offs. 

The full form of UPSC is Union Public Service Commission , and CSE is Civil Services Exam . The full form of IAS is Indian Administrative Services .    

That said, the most commonly opted-for subjects for the optional paper are Geography, Public Administration, psychology, political science, History, Sociology, Philosophy, anthropology, etc.  

However, according to me, you should always choose the subject that you are most comfortable in . 

There are a lot of optional subjects to choose from when it comes to the UPSC Mains. There are 25 subjects in total . To know the names of the optional subjects , you can read the blog that I have written on the topic of the UPSC IAS syllabus.  

The job of an IAS officer can be extremely varied, but as the name suggests, it’s mostly to do with administrative and management-related works, such as advising ministers about issues, policy formulation, maintenance of law and order, implementation, and monitoring of policies, revenue collection, etc .  

To know more about the job profile of an IAS Officer in detail , read my blog on the same. 

The Prelims papers of the UPSC CSE are entirely objective in nature, meaning that the questions asked are MCQ-based. Getting to the papers involved in the Prelims, they are General Studies (GS 1) or Paper 1 and the Civil Services Aptitude Test also known as GS 2 or Paper 2.  

Both Prelims papers have to be completed in a maximum duration of 2 hours and carry a weightage of 200 marks each with negative marking. To know the detailed exam pattern for UPSC CSE Prelims , check the linked blog. 

No, however, there are some exceptions . 

So, you won’t be allowed to use a calculator while solving your Prelims paper, and also in your Mains paper. However, in certain optional papers like Mathematics, Management, or other optional papers involving numericals, you are allowed to used calculators . 

Yes, of course, you can get the Previous year’s question papers online on my website. To access downloadable pdfs of past year papers of UPSC CSE , check the linked blog

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Essay Paper UPSC 2022 (Mains): Question Paper and Analysis

Last updated on September 16, 2022 by ClearIAS Team

The Essay Paper in UPSC CSE 2022 was easy compared to previous years. Please find the questions in the Essay Paper of the UPSC 2022 Civil Services Mains Examination (written).

UPSC conducted the Essay Paper , as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2022 on 16-09-2022. The question paper was not as shocking as last year.

There were 8 Essay topics, out of which candidates were asked to write on two topics in 3 hours.

Candidates were supposed to answer about 1000 words for each essay (about 10-12 pages).

Table of Contents

Essay Paper UPSC 2022 Instructions

• Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
• The essay must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
• No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one.
• Word limit, as specified, should be adhered to.
• Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

Essay Question Paper – UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2022

Write two essays, choosing one topic from each of the following Sections A and B, in about 1000-1200 words each:

• Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence.
• Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
• History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man.
• A ship in the harbour is safe but that is not what a ship is for.
• The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
• You cannot step twice in the same river.
• Smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities.
• Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.

UPSC , as always, has ensured that the essay topics were much different from the GS questions.

A philosophical theme is clearly evident in most of the essay topics in Section A as well as Section B. This was the case in 2020 and 2021 as well. It is a clue about what UPSC expects from the essay paper.

Rather than asking candidates to write on topics most aspirants are familiar with or trained with, UPSC is now evaluating the essay writing skills of aspirants by providing them with abstract or philosophical topics. 

This year, most of the topics were either proverbs or famous quotes.

All 8 topics presented this year will test the spontaneous thinking, comprehension, writing skills, and time management of aspirants.

Thinkers, Philosophers, and their Quotes

Let’s analyse the source of some of the question topics.

POETS ARE THE UNACKNOWLEDGED LEGISLATORS OF THE WORLD 

This essay topic is one of the best-known and most frequently quoted lines from the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822).

Shelley thinks that poets can institute laws and create new materials for knowledge, determining the role of poets as legislators. 

Shelley’s account of poetic language seeks to find an order to the chaos, which, possibly, Shelley sees in human society: the mess that only poets can fathom. 

Therefore, he thinks, the poets’ enhanced poetic language can re-institute order in human society. 

A SHIP IN HARBOUR IS SAFE BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT A SHIP IS FOR 

This essay topic is connected with John A Shedd , an author and professor, who is attributed to this quote. Reference: his book Salt from My Attic , a collection of quotes and sayings (1928).

This phrase means, that getting out of your comfort zone is key to experiencing new things and broadening your horizons.

Only taking risks helps us grow as people—to either achieve our goals or do the things we’ve always wanted to do.

THE TIME  TO REPAIR THE ROOF IS WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING 

This essay topic was connected with John F. Kennedy. In his 1962 State of the Union Address, John F. Kennedy declared, “The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining”.

The primary message of the quote is fixing a leak is best done when the weather is good, rather than when it is not.

Ideally, you should begin the work of fixing the roof as soon after the leak was found. The first sunny day would be ideal. It is not easy to fix a roof when it is raining.

This statement is being used to remind us to do the right things at the right time. It also points us to take the advantage of favourable time.

YOU CAN NOT STEP TWICE IN THE SAME RIVER 

This essay topic was quoted by Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher born in 544 b.c.

This means that you cannot step into the same river twice because the flow of the river will change each second. You will also change each second.

It is not possible to repeat past experiences, as time changes all things. You won’t get the exact experience twice. You need to live in the present and enjoy each moment.

A SMILE IS A CHOSEN VEHICLE FOR ALL AMBIGUITIES 

This essay topic was quoted by Herman Melville, an American novelist.

JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A CHOICE DOES NOT MEAN THAT ANY OF THEM HAS TO BE RIGHT 

This essay topic was quoted by Norton Juster, an American academic, architect, and writer in his book The Phantom Tollbooth

What should aspirants preparing for next year do for an essay paper?

First of all, you should take the essay paper seriously.

Unless properly trained, it is not easy to write 10-12 pages on an abstract or philosophical topic.

You need to polish your comprehension and analytical skills.

Read different kinds of essays – particularly philosophical essays.

Give stress to the thoughts of philosophers like Immanuel Kant, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, Friedrich Niche, Karl Marx etc. Start writing essays on famous quotes.

Also, be prepared to write essays touching on other areas like society, politics, economy, or technology. UPSC is known for surprises.

Remember that there is nothing like a constant trend with respect to UPSC questions.

What you get by analysing the previous year’s question papers are clues. And only those are what you need from UPSC questions!

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UPSC CSE Admit Card 2024 Live Updates: Prelims Civil Service Hall Ticket Download Link to be released at upsc.gov.in

UPSC Admit Card 2024 will be released by the Union Public Service Commission at upsconline.nic.in and upsc.gov.in. The exam is scheduled to be held on 16 June 2024 across the country. Those who are interested in appearing in the exam can check the direct link to download UPSC CSE Hall ticket in this article.

• UPSC Prelims Admit Card to be released soon
• UPSC IAS Call Letter will be available on the website of the commission only
• Candidates must take the print out of UPSC CSE Admit Card in order to appear for the exam

UPSC Admit Card 2024: Union Public Service Commission is all set to release the admit card of the Civil Service Exam at upsconline.nic.in and upsc.gov.in. The exam is scheduled to be held on 09 June. Candidates who have applied for the exam will be required to visit the official website. No, admit card will be issued to the candidates offline.

upsc.gov.in Prelims Admit Card Date 2024

"The admit card is expected to be released soon, as UPSC typically releases the admit card 2 to 3 weeks before the exam. The admit card link will also be provided in this article for the candidates.

How to Download UPSC CSE Admit Card 2024 ?  

The steps to download the admit card are given here.

Step 1: Go to the official website of the Union Public Service Commission - upsc.online.nic.in

Step 2: Click on the admit card link given on the homepage under 'WhatsNew' section

Step 3: Enter your details such as your registration number or application number

Step 4: Download UPSC Civil Service Admit Card

Step 5: Take the print out of the instructions and call letter

UPSC Civil Service Call Letter 2024: What should I bring at the exam centre ?

The candidate must bring the print out of the Admit Card along with the original Photo Identity Card, whose number is mentioned in the e-Admit Card.

UPSC IAS Prelims Hall Ticket 2024: Check Number of Vacancies

This year, the number of vacancies to be filled is expected to be approximately 1056. Vacancies are also reserved for special cases/class.

UPSC CSE Prelims Call Letter 2024: Will there be subjective type questions in prelims exam ?

No, there will be no subjective-type questions. There will be objective-type questions in the exam.

UPSC Civil Service Hall Ticket: How many attempts are available to appear for the exam ?

Every candidate  shall be permitted six (6) attempts at the CSE. However, 9 attempts allowed for GL/EWS/OBC category and unlimited attempts for SC/ST catgory students.

UPSC IAS Admit Card 2024: Is it Mandatory to appear in both papers ?

Yesm it is mandatory for the candidate to appear in both the Papers of prelims exam. Therefore a candidate will be disqualified in case he/she does not appear in both the papers of Civil Services (Prelim) Examination.

UPSC CSE Admit Card 2024: Are prelims exam scores used for final selection ?

No, this examination is meant to serve as a screening test only; the marks obtained in the prelims exam by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Civil Services (Main) Examination will not be counted for determining their final order of merit. It is used for admission into mains exam.

UPSC Admit Card 2024:Check Prelims Exam Pattern

The exam will consist of two papers of Objective type (multiple choice questions) and carry a maximum of 400 marks as follow:

UPSC Hall Ticket 2024: Website to Download the Admit Card

The admit card will be available online on the following website of the commission:

www.upsc.gov.in

www.upsconline.nic.in

UPSC Prelims CSE Call Letter 2024 Date

The commission is expected to release the admit card for Civil Service Exam 2024 in the first week of June. The exact date is not provided by the UPSC.

UPSC Civil Servie Prelims Admit Card 2024: What topics are in Paper 2 ?

• 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);

UPSC Civil Service Admit Card 2024: What is the Paper 1 Syllabus ?

The following topics will be covered in the first paper:

• 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, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization.
• General Science

UPSC IAS Prelims Admit Card 2024: What is the medium of the question paper ?

The question paper will be set in two languages i.e. both in Hindi and English.

UPSC Prelims Admit Card 2024: What is the question paper type ?

Both the question papers in the prelims exam will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions) and each will be of two hours duration.

UPSC CSE Prelims Admit Card 2024: Will there be any negative marking in the exam ?

Yes, there will be negative marking in the exam. For each question, one-third (0.33) of the marks given to that question will be deducted as a penalty.

UPSC IAS Admit Card: What is the prelims exam passing criteria ?

The Commission will release the list of the candidates qualified for the mains exam on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks of 33% in General Studies Paper-II of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as may be determined by the Commission.

I am not able to download UPSC Hall Ticket ?

If you are unable to download your e-Admit Card till the last working day of the preceding week of the date of examination,then you may contact the commission.Information in this regard can also be obtained from the Facilitation Counter located in the Commission’s Office either in person or over phone Nos. 011-23381125/011- 23385271/011- 23098543

UPSC CSE Admit Card 2024: Can I get offline call letter ?

No, the admit card will be made available on the UPSC website (www.upsc.gov.in) only for downloading by candidates. No Admit Card will be sent by post to the candidates.

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UPPSC Study Notes 2024, Check Subject Wise Topics and Books

UPPSC conducts recruiting exams in addition to the state civil service exam for several other government posts. Check UPPSC Study Notes 2024 and Subject Wise Topics and Book List here.

Table of Contents

Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) conducts recruiting exams in addition to the state civil service exam for several other government posts. The UPPSC combined civil services examination is conducted annually by the UPPSC. Preparing for the UPPSC Exam requires a strategic approach and access to high-quality study materials. Get Detailed UPPSC Study Notes, Topics and Book List in this article.

UPPSC Study Material 2024

Uppsc exam pattern.

The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) exam pattern consists of three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Interview/Personality Test. Below is a detailed overview of each stage:

Important Study Material for UPPSC

• General Studies
• Constitution of India: Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, etc.
• Structure and functions of Indian government: Legislature, Executive, Judiciary
• Constitutional bodies, statutory bodies, and regulatory authorities
• Local self-government and Panchayati Raj institutions
• Basic concepts of economics: Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
• Economic planning in India: Five-Year Plans, NITI Aayog
• Agriculture, Industry, and Service sectors
• Budgeting, Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy, and Banking in India
• Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Indian History
• Indian National Movement: Contributions of leaders, events, and organizations
• Cultural heritage of India: Art, Architecture, Literature, and Religion
• Physical Geography: Earth’s structure, Geomorphic processes, Climate, etc.
• Human Geography: Population, Migration, Urbanization, Regional Planning
• Economic Geography: Agriculture, Industry, Trade, and Transport
• Physics, Chemistry, Biology: Fundamental concepts and recent developments
• Environmental Science: Ecology, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Pollution

2. Current Affairs:

• National and International current affairs
• Government schemes and policies
• Socio-economic issues and developments
• Scientific and Technological advancements
• Environmental issues and initiatives

3. Optional Subjects:

• Choose one or two optional subjects based on interest and background
• Study in-depth as per the prescribed syllabus

4. Uttar Pradesh Specific:

• History, Geography, Economy, and Current Affairs of Uttar Pradesh
• Uttar Pradesh Government schemes and initiatives
• Socio-cultural aspects and developments

UPPSC Preparation Books

Preparing for the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) exam requires access to quality study materials. Here’s a curated list of recommended books covering various subjects and topics relevant to UPPSC preparation:

1. General Studies:

• “Indian Polity” by M. Laxmikanth
• “Indian Economy” by Ramesh Singh
• “India’s Struggle for Independence” by Bipin Chandra
• “History of Modern India” by Bipin Chandra
• “Certificate Physical and Human Geography” by Goh Cheng Leong
• “Environment and Ecology” by Majid Husain
• NCERT textbooks for Polity, Economy, History, Geography, and Environment (Class 6th to 12th)
• “Objective General Studies” by Pearson
• Newspapers like The Hindu, Indian Express
• Magazines like Yojana, Kurukshetra, Economic and Political Weekly
• “Manorama Yearbook” or “India Year Book”
• Websites such as PIB, PRS India, and government portals
• Choose optional subjects based on interest and background
• Refer to standard textbooks and study materials recommended for your chosen optional subject
• “Uttar Pradesh General Knowledge” by Dr. C.L. Khanna
• “Uttar Pradesh Samanya Gyan” by Arihant Experts
• “Uttar Pradesh GK Book” by Vijeta Competition Editorial Board

5. Previous Year Question Papers and Mock Tests:

• “UPPSC General Studies (Prelims & Mains)”
• “UPPSC (Uttar Pradesh Lok Seva Ayog) General Studies Solved Papers” by RPH Editorial Board

6. Additional Resources:

• “UPPSC General Studies for Pre Examination” by K.Kundan
• “UPPSC General Studies (Preliminary Examination) Study Guide” by RPH Editorial Board
• “UPPSC Prelims General Studies Paper I”

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UPPSC Study Notes FAQs

Is uppsc easy or tough.

Is UPPSC Easy or Tough? Everything You Need to Know About the ... a day ago Conclusion. Surely, the UPPSC exam is not easy to deal with; however, with effective planning, proper UPPSC books, and thorough decisions, one may pass that exam like a mediocre person.

Which post is best in UPPSC?

Sub Divisional Magistrate, or SDM, is the highest post in the UPPSC PCS exam.

Is the SDM promoted to the DM position?

A PCS officer often serves as a Sub Divisional Magistrate after finishing their training (SDMs). They are later elevated to city magistrate and then to Additional District Magistrate.

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