Official UPSC Syllabus 2024 for Prelim & Mains
The UPSC exam is known for its rigorous selection process and is the gateway to a career in the Indian civil services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and several other central government services.
UPSC Syllabus Official Website Overview
| Particulars | Prelims | Mains |
|---|---|---|
| No. of Papers | Two | Nine |
| Types of Questions | Objective Type | Descriptive Type |
| Duration of Exam | 2 hours each | 3 hours each |
| Total Marks | 400 | 1750 |
| Medium of Exam | English & Hindi | English & Hindi (except language paper) |
| Negative Marking | ⅓rd mark | No negative marking |
| Marks Counted in Merit | No | Yes |
UPSC Exam Pattern 2024
| UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper | Subjects | Marks | No. of Question | Duration |
| I | General Studies (GS) | 200 | 100 | 2 hours (9:30 AM to 11:30 AM) |
| II | CSAT | 200 | 80 | 2 hours (2:30 PM to 4:30 PM) |
UPSC Mains Exam
| Qualifying Papers | Marks | |
| Paper-A | One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution |
300 |
| Paper-B | English | 300 |
| Papers Counted for Merit | ||
| Paper-I | Essay | 250 |
| Paper-II | General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) | 250 |
| Paper-III | General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations) | 250 |
| Paper-IV | Genera Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 250 |
| Paper-V | General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) | 250 |
| Paper-VI | Optional Subject – Paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper-VII | Optional Subject – Paper 2 | 250 |
| Sub Total (Written Test) | 1750 | |
| Personality Test | 275 | |
| Grand Total | 2025 | |
UPSC Prelims Exam Syllabus 2024
| Paper I – (200 marks) | Paper II – (200 marks) |
|---|---|
| – Current Events of National and International Importance. | – Comprehension; Interpersonal Skills including Communication Skills. |
| – History of India and Indian National Movement. | – Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability. |
| – Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World. | – Decision Making and Problem Solving. |
| – Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. | – General Mental Ability. |
| – Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. | – Basic Numeracy (Numbers and their Relations, Orders of Magnitude, etc.) (Class X level). |
| – General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. | – Data Interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level). |
| – General Science. |
UPSC Mains Syllabus
General Studies I Syllabus
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society:
- Indian culture covers the salient features of Literature, Art Forms, and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
- Modern Indian history include the significant events, personalities, issues during the middle of the eighteenth century until the present
- Various stages and important contributors and contributions from different parts of the country in ‘The Freedom Struggle’
- Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country
- History of the world includes events, forms and effects on the society from the 18th century like world wars, the industrial revolution, colonization, redraw of national boundaries, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.
- Salient aspects of Diversity of India and Indian Society
- Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and remedies
- Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism
- 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
- Effects of globalization on Indian society
- 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
- Salient features of world’s physical geography.
UPSC Mains General Studies II Syllabus
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
- Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
- Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions
- Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these
- Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies
- 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
- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
- Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
- 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
- Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
- Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures
- Issues relating to poverty and hunger
- Role of civil services in a democracy
- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
- India and its neighborhood- relations
- Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate
- Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora
UPSC Mains General Studies III Syllabus
Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management:
- Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
- Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
- Government Budgeting.
- Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
- 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
- Economics of animal-rearing.
- Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
- 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
- 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 and technology;
- Indigenisation of technology and developing new technology.
- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
- Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
- Disaster and disaster management.
- Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
- Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
- 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
- Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate
- Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism
UPSC Mains General Studies IV Syllabus
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude: This paper includes questions to check the candidate’s attitude and approach towards the issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and their problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by them while dealing with society. Questions may utilize the case study approach to determine these aspects and cover area
- 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.
UPSC Syllabus for Interview 2024
- The UPSC Interview, also known as the Personality Test, is the final stage of the examination. There is no defined syllabus for the interview, and questions can cover a wide range of issues.
- Candidates who qualify for the UPSC Mains Exam will be called for the Personality Test/Interview conducted 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. The board consists of competent and unbiased observers.
- The interview is designed as a purposive conversation to explore the candidate’s mental qualities and analytical ability.
- The Interview test carries 275 marks, while the total marks for the written examination are 1750, resulting in a Grand Total of 2025 Marks.
- The final merit list is prepared based on the cumulative marks obtained in the written examination and the Interview test.
UPSC Syllabus FAQs
1. What is UPSC Syllabus?
Answer – Candidates should go through the detailed latest UPSC syllabus, before appearing for IAS Exam. In order to crack the UPSC CSE 2023, you first need to go through the updated UPSC Syllabus and focus on each & every topic which is repeatedly asked in the examination. UPSC syllabus for the Prelims exam covers two papers namely General Studies and CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test).
2. Is latest UPSC Exam Pattern out?
Answer – Latest UPSC Exam Pattern has been released with UPSC Notification 2023.
4. How to apply for Examinations conducted by the UPSC?
Answer – Candidates can apply online for the UPSC Examinations by accessing the online portal hosted on the UPSC’s website (https://upsconline.nic.in).