UPSC Mains Syllabus for IAS Exam, The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) conducts CSE exams all over India to select qualified candidates for Central and All-India Civil Service posts. These services include the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
The UPSC CSE exam is attempted by lakhs of candidates nationwide. For this reason, it is one of the toughest exams that is cracked by a selected few.
With the UPSC mains exams scheduled for September 2024, it’s important to be aware of the UPSC syllabus for IAS and the examination structure, which will give you an upper hand in the preparations. This article will discuss the UPSC mains syllabus which will help you take your first step confidently.
UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024
UPSC exam syllabus consists of 3 phases i.e. the prelims, the mains, and the personal interview. With prelims already conducted in May 2024, those who have cleared the cut-off for both papers have qualified for UPSC mains.
The UPSC preliminary exams are not a part of the UPSC mains syllabus because the ranking in the UPSC civil service exam depends on the mains exams and the interview, which are the 2nd and 3rd phases.
The purpose of mains exams is to test the candidate’s in-depth understanding. This is done by analyzing the answering ability of the candidate, based on the concise and coherent factor in their written answers.
The main syllabus consists of written and interview (personality test) exams. The written phase (i.e. phase 2) consists of 9 papers, of which the marks for 7 papers are considered for qualification criteria. Here, each exam values 250 marks which makes mains exams a total of 1750 marks.
Since the marks for 7 papers are considered, this doesn’t mean the remaining 2 papers (Paper A & Paper B) don’t hold any value. You still need to score a minimum of 25% in the rest 2, which are of 300 marks each.
The below UPSC mains syllabus will give you good clarity to boost your preparation:
Paper A & Paper B: Language Papers (Indian & English)
All papers including Paper A & Paper B are compulsory to attempt. Although they are of a qualifying nature where marks aren’t taken into consideration for ranking, if you score below 25% in any paper, your remaining attempts will be fruitless.
Both papers follow a similar pattern which consists of:
- An essay of 100 marks. You can choose any 1 essay topic.
- A comprehension passage of 60 marks with questions and answers.
- A 60-mark precise writing which has a separate grid structure for answers.
- Translation of English to your chosen and vice-versa of 20 marks each
- The remaining 40 marks are dedicated to the grammar and basic language section.
UPSC examinations allow you to choose your essay topic, as well as the desired Indian language, giving you an advantage to score through your plus points.
Below is the UPSC syllabus for the remaining 7 papers, whose marks are counted for merit ranking:
2 optional subjects (Paper 6 and Paper 7) of 250 marks each. The list of subject options can be found here.
Paper 1: Essay. You don’t have any syllabus for this but you have to write well because the UPSC boards look for exact and effective expressions conveyed in your topic.
Paper 2: General Studies 1
- Indian and World History
- Indian culture
- Modern Indian culture
- World History
- Events, forms and effects on society since the 18th century
- Society
- Indian society and diversity
- Globalization effects on India
- Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism
- Role of women and women’s organizations,
- Population and associated issues
- Poverty and developmental issues
- Geography
Paper 3: General Studies 2
- Indian constitution
- Parliament and State Legislatures
- Role of civil services in a democracy
- poverty and hunger-related issues
- Representation of People’s Act features
- Executive and the Judiciary – Structure, functioning, and organisation
- Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States
- Ministries and Departments of the Government
- Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
- Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and the States and the performance of these schemes
- Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector
- International relations.
Paper 4: General Studies 3
- Economy
- Effects of liberalisation on the economy
- Investment models
- Indian economy
- Infrastructure
- Government Budgeting
- Agriculture
- Environment
- Conservation,
- Environmental pollution and degradation
- Environmental impact assessment
- Science and technology
- intellectual property rights
- Indian achievements in science and technology
- General awareness in the science and technology field
- Recent developments and their effects on day-to-day life.
- Disaster management – Laws and acts
- Security
Paper 5: General Studies 4
- Ethics and Human Interface
- Dimensions of Ethics
- Ethics in private and public relationships
- Human Values
- Essence of ethics
- Attitude
- Content, structure and function of attitude
- Influence of attitude in thought and behavior
- Relation of attitude to thought and behavior
- Moral and Political attitudes
- Social influence and persuasion
- Aptitude
- Aptitude and foundational values of Civil Service
- Integrity
- Impartiality and non-partisanship
- Objectivity
- Dedication to public service
- Empathy, tolerance and compassion toward the weaker sections of society
- Emotional intelligence
- Contributions of Thinkers and Philosophers
- Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration
- Probity in governance
- Concept of public service
- The 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
UPSC Interview Syllabus
The IAS interview has no syllabus as such because the interview is conducted considering your individual background i.e. your personal information is your syllabus. Sure enough, you will be curious to get a glimpse of what is asked in the interview and here it is.
The interview tests your mental alertness, critical assimilation power, logical and intellectual abilities, assesses your interest areas with depth, social cohesion and leadership abilities, and other essential traits like moral integrity.
To make sure you aren’t taken by surprise during the interview, be prepared to answer personal questions about your ethnicity, hometown, social community, personal education institution, etc.
You should also be thoroughly prepared to explain your interests and hobbies well, and anything that your CV mentions – your experiences, challenges, learnings, and contributions. Finally, your social traits and intellectual abilities in relation to current affairs will be judged well.
