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UPSC Exam Syllabus 2020 For Prelims, Mains| IAS, IPS, IFS Exam Syllabus

IAS Exam Syllabus, UPSC Exam Syllabus

UPSC Syllabus 2020 - IAS Syllabus For Prelims, Mains

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The IAS/ UPSC Civil Services Exam requires extensive dedicated study atleast over a year to be able to crack it. The UPSC Exam syllabus serves as a comprehensive roadmap for the exam, outlining the topics and concepts that candidates are expected to know. By understanding the syllabus, candidates can focus their preparation efforts on the most relevant areas, avoiding the time and energy spent on irrelevant material.

The examination is done in three stages and each stage’s syllabus is provided separately and in details in the UPSC Examination Notification which comes out every year. The exam syllabus has been the same since 2014. The syllabus is designed to assess candidates' general awareness of a wide range of subjects, as well as their ability to think critically and analyze information.

Syllabus for IAS/ UPSC CSE Prelims Exam

Paper Subject Description
GS Paper I Current Events National and international importance events
History India and Indian National Movement
Geography Indian and World’s Physical, Social and Economic Geography
Indian Polity & Governance Topics like Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Economic & Social Development Topics like Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Environment & Ecology General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization.
General Science Fundamental concepts of Physics, Technology, Biology etc.
Civil Services Aptitude Test Comprehension, General Mental Ability, Logical Reasoning & Analytical abilities
Interpersonal Skills, Decision Making & Problem-Solving including communication skills.
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level)

Having the prelims syllabus on your tips will help you to streamline your preparation and stay focused. The syllabus is your bible and you should be thorough with it. While reading the newspaper, the knowledge of the syllabus will guide you to only read the relevant news.

There are two Papers at the Preliminary Stage, the GS Paper 1 and the Aptitude Test called the CSAT. GS Paper 1 has a vast syllabus covering topics from current affairs of over the last one year. History covers Indian history from ancient times to the present day, including political, social, economic, and cultural developments.Geography covers the physical and human geography of India and the world, including climate, drainage, vegetation, natural resources, population, demography, and settlements.Indian polity and governance covers the Constitution of India, the political system, the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, and the major political parties. Economic and social development covers the Indian economy, its structure, growth, and development, as well as the key sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, industry, and services. Environment and ecology covers general issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity, and climate change. General science covers fundamental concepts of physics, technology, and biology which are in news mostly or are from fundamental NCERTs.

CSAT has become tougher in the last couple years. Hence, it is important to do extensive practice for it.

Syllabus for IAS/ UPSC CSE Mains Examination

You should print the Mains exam syllabus and put it up at a visible location and know it thoroughly. See the syllabus frequently. This will help you to streamline preparation and stick to the syllabus while reading current affairs, magazines and books. The exam syllabus is given in detail in the table below paper wise-

Paper Subject Syllabus
General Studies Paper I Art & Culture Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
History Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present History of the world including political philosophies
Geography Geophysical phenomena like earthquakes, distribution of resources and location of industries, effects of changes in geographical features like flora & fauna etc.
Society India’s diversity, role of women, urbanization, poverty, globalization, secularism etc.
General Studies Paper II Polity Features of the Constitution, federalism, separation of powers, basic structure, important bodies etc.
Welfare Government Policies and Welfare Schemes, poverty and hunger issues, social services etc.
Governance Development Industry, Pressure Groups, Accountability etc.
International Relations International Institutions, India’s relations with its neighbours and in other global groupings, Indian diaspora etc.
General Studies Paper III Economy Growth & Resource Mobilisation, Government Budgeting, Investment & Infrastructure, Liberalisation etc.
Agriculture Policies on Irrigation, Minimum Support Price, Land Reforms, Cropping Patterns, Technology for Farmers, Food Processing Industry etc.
Environment & Ecology Conservation, pollution, degradation, environmental impact assessment etc.
Disaster Management Disasters and models of disaster management.
Internal Security Extremism, Terrorism, Organised Crime, Role of Non-State Actors, Cyber security, Border Areas etc.
Science & Technology Achievements of Indians, Indigenization of Technology, Awareness in IT, Space, Computers, Nano-Technology, Intellectual Property Rights issues etc.
General Studies Paper IV Aptitude & Emotional Intelligence Integrity, impartiality, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance, compassion, application of Emotional Intelligence in Administration.
Thinkers Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world
ThiEthics in Public Administration nkers dilemmas in institutions, conscience as a source of ethical guidance, accountability, ethics in international relations, corporate governance etc.
Probity in Governance Public service, transparency, right to information, code of ethics, citizen’s charter, quality of service delivery, corruption etc.
Case Studies On all topics mentioned for GS Paper 4 and on ethical dilemmas case studies will be posed.
2 Optional Papers To be chosen from a list of 26 subjects provided in the UPSC notification. You can refer to the syllabus provided in detail in the UPSC Notification. (i) Agriculture (ii) Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science (iii) Anthropology (iv) Botany (v) Chemistry (vi) Civil Engineering (vii) Commerce and Accountancy (viii) Economics (ix) Electrical Engineering (x) Geography (xi) Geology (xii) History (xiii) Law (xiv) Management (xv) Mathematics (xvi) Mechanical Engineering (xvii) Medical Science (xviii) Philosophy (xix) Physics (xx) Political Science and International Relations (xxi) Psychology (xxii) Public Administration (xxiii) Sociology (xxiv) Statistics (xxv) Zoology (xxvi) 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.Full syllabus for optional is given in the UPSC Exam Notification
Essay 2 Essays Each essay is 125 marks with a word count of approximately 1000-1200 words. It can be on any topic factual or philosophical.
2 Language Papers Indian Language Only 25% passing marks are required out of a total 300 marks. The papers are only qualifying in nature.
English

Review Previous Year Questions

Not all topics from the syllabus are asked every year in equal weightage. A detailed study of the Previous Questions Questions will tell you that some topics are favoured by IAS/ UPSC examination. Your understanding of these important topics will help you allocate your limited time to the most important topics. Having said that, you can not leave any topic and everything must be covered in the syllabus. Previous Year Questions are available on ‘IAS/UPSC Mains Past Papers’ and ‘IAS/UPSC Prelims Past Papers’.

Syllabus for the UPSC Personality Test

The Personality Test/ Interview does not have a defined syllabus. The Interview Board asks questions from the Detailed Application Form (DAF) that candidates must fill out to apply for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination. DAF is filled by those who clear the Prelims Exam and contains information about the candidate's personal details, educational qualifications, work experience, optional subjects, and preferences for services and cadres.

You should be thorough with every word written in your DAF. It is best to prepare short notes for every word in DAF which should include their connection to current affairs and their historical significance.

From the below illustrations, you can see the varied questions which are asked in Interviews. You can see more of these Interview Transcripts from successful candidates to get an idea.

  • What is the toughest decision you have taken so far in your life?
  • Tell us about the economic profiling of your village.
  • You are a student of international relations, so tell me whether you think water can be cause of a future conflict. Specially in context of India – Pakistan, India – China and India – Bangladesh relations?
  • What is G20 and when was it started?
  • Comment on the Amul v. Nandini debate in Karnataka.
  • When do you think the Russia-Ukraine conflict will end? What role can Indian play in it?

How to use Syllabus Effectively

Carefully review the syllabus for all three exam stages to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topics and concepts covered. Integrate and understand the focus on each topic based on its demand in the papers. You will be doing an integrated preparation for all three stages when you begin. So knowing all the syllabus and its relative importance in each paper is important.

Divide the syllabus into manageable sections and create a study plan for each subject. Allot time realistically based on the complexity and weightage of each subject. Choose study materials that align closely with the syllabus. Avoid using outdated or irrelevant material.

Hence, the UPSC Exam syllabus serves as a valuable guide for candidates, and should be used effectively to have a clear framework for preparation. By adhering to the syllabus, candidates can make the most of their study time, reduce anxiety, and enhance their chances of success in the exam.

A thorough understanding of the UPSC syllabus is very important for the candidates to achieve their dream of becoming a civil servant. Every year UPSC conducts Civil Services Examination (CSE) to recruit for the various key Civil Services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), etc. The Civil Services Examination comprises two successive stages

(i) Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective Type) for the selection of candidates for Main Examination; and

(ii) Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various Services and posts.

The Following is the complete syllabus of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and Civil Services (Main) Examination.

About Civil Services Preliminary Examination

The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers of Objective type (MCQs) and carry a maximum of 400 marks (two compulsory Papers of 200 marks each).

Syllabus for Civil Services Preliminary Examination

IAS Exam Syllabus, UPSC Exam Syllabus

General Studies paper I (Total Marks- 200 & 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.

General Studies paper II (Total Marks- 200 & 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);

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

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About the Civil Services Main Examination

The Civil Services (Main) Examination is a written examination and consists of 9 papers of conventional essay type, two of them are Qualifying Papers and the rest of the Papers are counted for merit. Each paper will be of three hours duration.

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 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.

Syllabus for Civil Services Main Examination

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

English paper

  • Comprehension of given passages.
  • Précis Writing.
  • Usage and Vocabulary.
  • Short Essays

Indian Languages paper:

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

Essay paper:

There is no prescribed syllabus for this paper. 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.

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 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.

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-governanceapplications, 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.

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.

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.

Optional Subject Papers I & II

Candidate may choose any optional subject from amongst the List of Optional Subjects:

  1. Psychology
  2. Public Administration
  3. Sociology
  4. Statistics
  5. Zoology
  6. Management
  7. Mathematics
  8. Medical Science
  9. Philosophy
  10. Physics
  11. Geology
  12. History
  13. Law
  14. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
  15. Mechanical Engineering
  16. Political Science and International relations
  17. Anthropology
  18. Civil Engineering
  19. Chemistry
  20. Botany
  21. Commerce & Accountancy
  22. Electrical Engineering
  23. Geography
  24. 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.

How Final ranking is Decided?

  • The marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Main Examination will not be counted for determining their final order of merit.
  • Marks obtained for all the compulsory papers (Paper-I to Paper-VII) and Marks obtained in Interview for Personality Test will be counted for ranking.
  • Candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Main Examination as may be fixed by the Commission at their discretion, shall be summoned by them for an interview for a Personality Test. The number of candidates to be summoned for interview will be about twice of the number of vacancies to be filled. The interview will carry 275 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks).
  • Marks thus obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination (written part as well as interview) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various Services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and the preferences expressed by them for the various Services and posts.