The UPSC CSE syllabus covers a wide range of topics that include current affairs, general knowledge, Indian polity, governance, economics, science, and technology, among others. A thorough understanding of the syllabus and its subtopics is essential to prepare well and score high in the exam. At our website, we provide a detailed and comprehensive guide to the UPSC CSE syllabus, including tips and strategies to prepare for each subject. Our expert team of educators has designed the syllabus to ensure aspirants have access to all the information required to ace the exam.
Table of Contents
Details of UPSC CSE Exam
UPSC CSE Syllabus
The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of the most prestigious competitive exams in India. The exam is conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select candidates for various administrative positions in the Indian government, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and others. The UPSC CSE is a three-stage examination that includes a preliminary exam, a main exam, and an interview. The exam tests the candidate’s knowledge, aptitude, and personality and requires a comprehensive understanding of a wide range of topics including current affairs, general knowledge, and other subjects. The UPSC CSE is known for its rigorous and competitive nature, and aspirants must be well-prepared and focused to crack this exam.
Clear Your Concepts
With
Free Videos
CSE Syllabus for Preliminary
| Paper | Syllabus |
|---|---|
| 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, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. ● General Science. |
| 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); |
| ⟫ All Government Exams |
| ⟫ All Govt Exams Notes |
| ⟫ All Govt Exams Syllabus |
| ⟫ All Exams Calendar |
| ⟫ All Exams Calendar |
CSE Syllabus for Mains
| Paper | Subject | Syllabus |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-I | Essay | 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 |
| 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 the 18th century such as the industrial revolution, world wars, redrawing of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on society. ● Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. ● Effects of globalization on Indian society. ● Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism. ● Salient features of the world’s physical geography. Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian 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 the 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; ● 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, the 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’ attitudes and approaches to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life, and 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 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 above issues |
| PAPER-VI & PAPER-VII | Optional Subject Papers I & II | Candidate may choose any optional subject from amongst the List of Optional Subjects. (For the syllabus refer to the official notice) |
Best Courses & Test Series
Quality at Affordable Prices
List of Optional Subjects under UPSC CSE Syllabus
| Agriculture | Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science |
| Anthropology | Botany |
| Chemistry | Civil Engineering |
| Commerce and Accountancy | Economics |
| Electrical Engineering | Geography |
| Geology | History |
| Law | Management |
| Mathematics | Mechanical Engineering |
| Medical Science | Philosophy |
| Physics | Political Science and International Relations |
| Psychology | Public Administration |
| Sociology | Statistics |
| Zoology | Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English. |
UPSC CSE Exam Syllabus pdf download link
FAQs – UPSC CSE Syllabus
what is the best way to cover the UPSC CSE syllabus?
Preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a rigorous and demanding task. It requires a comprehensive understanding of a wide range of topics, as well as a thorough knowledge of current affairs, history, geography, and other subjects. Here are some tips on how to cover the UPSC CSE syllabus:
Understand the syllabus: Before you start preparing, it is essential to understand the UPSC CSE Exam syllabus. Analyze the topics covered, the weightage given to each topic, and the exam pattern.
Make a study plan: Divide the syllabus into smaller sections and make a study plan. Set a realistic timetable and allocate sufficient time for each section. It will help you cover the entire syllabus efficiently.
Read from authentic sources: Use only authentic and reliable sources to study. Refer to NCERT textbooks, standard reference books, and other study materials recommended by experts.
Practice writing: Writing is an essential part of the UPSC CSE Exam. Practice writing regularly to improve your writing skills. Write essays, answer questions, and take mock tests to assess your preparation.
Stay updated with current affairs: Stay updated with current affairs and events happening around the world. Read newspapers, magazines, and online sources regularly to improve your knowledge.
Revision: Revision is critical in any exam preparation. Set aside time to revise what you have studied regularly. It will help you retain information and improve your understanding of the subject.
Take mock tests: Take mock tests regularly to assess your preparation. It will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and work on them accordingly.
In conclusion, covering the UPSC CSE Exam syllabus requires dedication, hard work, and a structured approach. Follow these tips to prepare efficiently and increase your chances of success in the exam.