UPSC Exam Pattern
Exam Stages & Pattern of UPSC
The Civil Services exam is carried through a three-stage process namely, Prelims, Mains and Interview. While the prelims section tests the basic understanding of topics from an array of subjects like Science, Economics, Social Studies, etc., and aptitudes like verbal ability and comprehension, the Mains UPSC syllabus is much more advanced and comprehensive. The following sections shed more light on the complete exam pattern and the topics covered under each paper.
Prelims
Paper
Type
Marks
Duration
General Studies-I
Qualifying [Not Counted towards Final Ranking]Candidates have to qualify for the cut-off as declared by the commission
200
2 hours
General Studies-II (CSAT)
Qualifying [Not Counted towards Final Ranking, i.e, only 33% marks required]
200
2 hours
Mains
Paper-I
Essay
250
3 hours
Paper-II
General Studies I
250
3 hours
Paper-III
General Studies II
250
3 hours
Paper-IV
General Studies III
250
3 hours
Paper V
General Studies IV
250
3 hours
Paper VI
Optional Subject Paper I
250
3 hours
Paper VII
Optional Subject Paper II
250
3 hours
Paper VIII
Paper A-Indian Language* [Qualifying Paper]
300
3 hours
Paper IX
Paper B-English Language [Qualifying Paper]
300
3 hours
Interview
Personality Test
275
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UPSC Syllabus Prelims
Comprising of two papers on general studies, the preliminary section of the Civil Services Exam acts as a screening test of candidates for eventual selection. Ranging from questions on current affairs, Indian and World Polity, Governance, History, and Basic Sciences to questions testing mental ability, communication and problem-solving skills, the UPSC Syllabus for prelims is vast and only a handful of candidates go through the next stage. Tabulated below are the topic covered under this level:
UPSC Syllabus for General Studies Paper (Prelims Paper I)
General Science
Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, etc
General Issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change
Current Events of National and International Importance
History of India and Indian National Development
India and World Geography
Economic and Social Development
UPSC Syllabus for CSAT Paper (Prelims Paper-II)
General Mental Ability
Logical Reasoning
Decision Making and Problem Solving
Interpersonal Skills
Communication Skills
Basic Numeracy
Data Interpretation
UPSC Syllabus Mains
Coming to the Mains section of the UPSC syllabus, it consists of 9 papers out of which the English Paper and Indian Language Paper are qualifying but securing at least 33% on both is necessary. Further, candidates need to select an optional subject on which two papers of 300 marks each shall be conducted.
Paper
Topics
Essay
Topic-Based
General Studies I
Indian Heritage & Culture, Modern Indian History, Indian Society & Issues, Indian Flora & Fauna, Indian Industries World History & Geography, Disasters, etc
General Studies II
Indian Constitution, Union & States, Indian Political System- Legislature, Executive and Judiciary, Representation of People’s Act, Constitutional Bodies, Govt Policies & Welfare Schemes, Issues, International Issues and Relations, Transnational Institutions, etc
General Studies III
Indian Economy & its Issues-planning, development, mobilization of resources, growth and employment, land Reforms in India, Indian Infrastructure, Investment Models, Technological developments, Security Issues, Biodiversity, Environment, Disaster Management, etc.
General Studies IV
Ethics and HR, Emotional intelligence, Moral and Political Attitude, Contribution of leading Thinkers and Philosophers of the World, Public Service Values, Probity in Governance, Case Studies
Optional Subject Paper I & II
Any One Subject from History; Geography; Economics; Sociology; Public Administration; Philosophy; Psychology; Political Science; Agriculture; Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science; Anthropology; Botany; Chemistry; Civil Engineering; Commerce; Electrical Engineering; Geology; Law; Mathematics, Management; Mechanical Engineering; Medical Science; Physics; Statistics; Zoology or Literature {English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Punjabi Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Kannada, Konkani, Oriya, Nepali, Santhali, Manipuri, Marathi, Maithilli}
Paper A-Indian Language* [Qualifying Paper]
English, Hindi*, Bengali, Assamese, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Sanskrit*, Sindhi**, Punjabi Bodo*, Dogri*, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Kannada, Konkani*, Oriya, Nepali*, Santhali***, Manipuri, Marathi*, Maithili*
*Devanagari** Devanagari or Arabic*** Devanagari or Olchiki [Question paper in Devanagari script but candidates can answer in either Devanagari or Olchiki]
Paper B-English Language [Qualifying Paper]
Essay, Reading Comprehension, Precis Writing, and Translation
List of UPSC Syllabus for Optional Subjects
The UPSC Mains syllabus contains a list of 48 elective subjects, including literature in various languages. Candidates must select one of the “optional subjects” from the following list of subjects:
Agriculture
Animal Husbandry
Economics
Law
Management
History
Mathematics
Botany
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Sociology
Statistics
Psychology
Physics
Medical Science
Mechanical Engineering
Zoology, etc
Public Administration Optional for UPSC
There are mainly two papers in the Public Administration optional for UPSC with Paper 1 having 12 and Paper 2 having 14 subjects.
Public Administration Paper 1 – Administrative Theory
Public Administration Paper 2 –
Indian Administration
Introduction
Evolution of Indian Administration
Administrative Thought
Philosophical and Constitutional Framework of Government
Administrative Behaviour
Public Sector Undertakings
Organizations
Plans and Priorities
Accountability
Union Government and Administration
Administrative Law
Civil Services
Development Dynamics
Financial Management
Comparative Public Administration
State Government and Administration
Public Policy
District Administration since Independence
Personnel Administration
Administrative Reforms Since Independence
Technique of Administrative Empowerment
Rural Development
Financial Administration
Urban Local Government
Law and Order Administration
Significant Issues in Indian Administration
Main topics
Sub Topics
Economic Growth and Development
The basic concept and definition of economy and economics. Its uses and transfer of resources, distributive effects, macro and microeconomic policy, micro-macro balance, the distributive impact of economic policies, development versus growth, determinant of growth and development, concepts such as HPI/MPI, HDI, PQLI, GEM, GDI/GII, TAI, Green index, sustainable development, India’s ranking in the various indices.
Poverty
Definitions, causes, distribution-deprivation, income versus calories, measurement of poverty, the status of poverty, eradication programmes, poverty and resource policy, tribal rights and issues, livelihood mission.
Inclusion
Definition, relevance, types, financial inclusion, recent initiatives.
Demographics
Census Data, populations by gender, by state, by age group, socio-economic status, caste, religion, literacy levels, etc. Trends in human development – interstate comparison, etc.
Fiscal policy
Definition, component, receipts, revenue and capital account, tax revenue, expenditure, budget.
Features of Indian Economy
DIvision of economic activities, poverty, unemployment, HDR, measures to eradicate poverty
Basic Economic Indicators
National income, price index, production, population, foreign trade
Population
Growth, census, consumption pattern (energy)
National income
Concepts, Methods of Calculation
Agriculture
Crops, seasons, agricultural credit agencies, Kisan Credit agencies, land reforms, insurance, green, white, blue, yellow revolutions, irrigation
Industry
Industrial policies (1948, 1956, 1991), small scale industries, key industries, industrial sickness, the different committees, disinvestment, PSU policy, industrial finance
Foreign trade
Composition, direction, EXIM policy, WTO, the balance of payments, measures to improve foreign trade
Money and Banking
Money market, credit control (different rates), commercial banks, cooperative banks, NBFCs, committees, SEBI, stock market developments, the insurance industry, new banking sector reforms, money supply measures, inflation, deflation
Planning commission
Five-year plans
Public finance
Finance commission, taxation, deficit financing, public spending and debt
Anthropology Syllabus UPSC
Anthropology is one of the important topics of UPSC and it’s important to know the syllabus for better preparation and building exam strategy. Here are some of the topics covered in the Anthropology syllabus for UPSC:
Meaning, scope, and development of Anthropology.
Relationship with other disciplines: History, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Life Science, Medical Science.
Main branches of Anthropology, their scope, and relevance
Human Evolution and the Emergence of Man
Phylogenetic status, characteristics
Principles of Prehistoric Archaeology. Chronology: Relative and Absolute Dating methods
Characteristics of Primates
The Nature of Society & Culture
The biological basis of life
Marriage, Family & Kinship
Political organization and Social Control
Tanu Kapoor
February 21, 2022
