UPSC CSE syllabus and exam pattern

Exam pattern

Prelims marks only decide who goes on to the Mains. CSAT is qualifying: you need 33%. In both Prelims papers a wrong answer costs one-third of that question's marks. The final ranking adds the seven counted Mains papers (1,750 marks) and the Personality Test (275): 2,025 marks in all.

Prelims: General Studies Paper I

• Current events of national and international importance.
• History of India and the Indian National Movement.
• Indian and world geography: physical, social and economic geography of India and the world.
• Indian polity and governance: the Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy and rights issues.
• Economic and social development: sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics and social sector initiatives.
• General issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change, which need no subject specialisation.
• General science.

Prelims: General Studies Paper II (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) and data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency), both at Class X level.

Mains: qualifying language papers

• Paper A (Indian language): comprehension of given passages, précis writing, usage and vocabulary, short essays, and translation from English into the language and back. Matriculation standard.
• Paper B (English): comprehension of given passages, précis writing, usage and vocabulary, and short essays.

Mains Paper I: Essay

• Essays on several topics. Write in an orderly way, keep close to the subject, and express yourself concisely and effectively.

Mains Paper II: General Studies I

Indian heritage, culture and history

• Indian culture: art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times.
• Modern Indian history from about the middle of the 18th century: significant events, personalities and issues.
• The freedom struggle: its stages and the contributors from different parts of the country.
• Consolidation and reorganisation within the country after independence.
• World history from the 18th century: the industrial revolution, world wars, redrawing of national boundaries, colonisation and decolonisation, and political philosophies such as communism, capitalism and socialism.

Society

• Salient features of Indian society and its diversity.
• The role of women and women's organisations; population and associated issues; poverty and developmental issues; urbanisation, its problems and remedies.
• Effects of globalisation on Indian society; social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism.

Geography

• Salient features of the world's physical geography.
• Distribution of key natural resources across the world, including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent; factors behind the location of primary, secondary and tertiary industries, including in India.
• Important geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity and cyclones; geographical features and changes in critical features, including water bodies and ice caps, and in flora and fauna.

Mains Paper III: General Studies II

Polity and governance

• The Indian Constitution: historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
• Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States; issues and challenges of the federal structure; devolution of powers and finances to local levels.
• Separation of powers, dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions; comparison with other countries' constitutional schemes.
• Parliament and State legislatures: structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges.
• The executive and the judiciary; ministries and departments; pressure groups and associations.
• The Representation of People's Act; constitutional posts and bodies; statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies.
• Government policies and interventions for development; the development process and the role of NGOs, SHGs and other stakeholders.
• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections and their performance; social sector services such as health, education and human resources; poverty and hunger.
• Governance, transparency and accountability; e-governance; citizens' charters; the role of civil services in a democracy.

International relations

• India and its neighbourhood.
• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India or affecting its interests.
• Effects of the policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests; the Indian diaspora.
• Important international institutions, agencies and fora: their structure and mandate.

Mains Paper IV: General Studies III

Economy and agriculture

• The Indian economy: planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment; inclusive growth.
• Government budgeting.
• Major crops and cropping patterns; irrigation; storage, transport and marketing of farm produce; e-technology for farmers.
• Farm subsidies and minimum support prices; the public distribution system; buffer stocks and food security; animal rearing.
• Food processing and related industries in India.
• Land reforms in India.
• Effects of liberalisation on the economy; changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
• Infrastructure: energy, ports, roads, airports and railways; investment models.

Science and technology

• Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life; achievements of Indians in science and technology; indigenisation of technology.
• Awareness in IT, space, computers, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology and intellectual property rights.

Environment, disasters and security

• Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, and environmental impact assessment.
• Disaster and disaster management.
• Linkages between development and the spread of extremism.
• Challenges to internal security from external state and non-state actors; communication networks, media and social networking sites; cyber security; money laundering.
• Security challenges and their management in border areas; organised crime and terrorism; security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Mains Paper V: General Studies IV (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 and lessons from the lives of great leaders, reformers and administrators.
• Attitude: content, structure and function; its influence on thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
• Aptitude and foundational values for the civil service: integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, and empathy, tolerance and compassion towards weaker sections.
• Emotional intelligence: concepts, and its uses in administration and governance.
• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world.
• Public and civil service values and ethics in public administration: ethical concerns and dilemmas, laws and rules as sources of ethical guidance, accountability, ethical governance, ethics in international relations and funding, and corporate governance.
• Probity in governance: information sharing and transparency, the Right to Information, codes of ethics and conduct, citizens' charters, work culture, quality of service delivery, use of public funds, and the challenges of corruption.
• Case studies on these issues.

Mains Papers VI and VII: Optional subject

• One optional subject, chosen from the list in the notification, in two papers. It can be the literature of one of the languages in the Eighth Schedule, or English.

Personality Test

• An interview by a board that assesses your suitability for a career in public service: 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.