UPSC CSE Syllabus 2024 for Prelims, Mains or Optional Subjects

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) syllabus for 2024 assesses candidates in three stages: The three phases which are; Preliminary examination, Mains examination and Personality test.

Preliminary Stage:

This consists of two papers: For the multiple choice serving kind the General Studies (GS) and Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). In GS paper, the syllabi as like as current affairs, history, geography, polity, economy, environment, science are incorporated. The paper of CSAT in this particular case aims as assessment of the candidate’s knowledge, arithmetic ability and reasoning ability. This stage narrows down the persons that will be allowed to take the mains examination.

Mains Stage:

This stage includes nine theory papers:The nine theory papers are grouped in this stage:
1. IAS general study syllabus papers having the aspects related to the cultural, political, social, economic and international facets of India.
2. Two Language papers any one of the candidate’s choice and one paper in English.
3. An essay paper.
4. Two papers on an optional subject of the candidate’s choice.

Personality Test:

The last examination is an interview on personality and speech fluency, civil services suitability, and aptitude outlook including mental speed, reasoning ability, and society’s cooperative attitude.

Preparation also refers to effort which is properly plan and mapped out, as well as an understanding of what the Syllabus for a given test involves and Harold regular study and practice. Guru’s Ashram IAS affair of offers intensive information with tips to the way in which the aspirants could cover the stages with ease.

UPSC Preliminary Exam Syllabus – Civil Services

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Prelims is the first step of the journey to one of the toughest examinations in India. Year 2023 had more than 11 lakh candidates applying and 2022 having almost 10 lakh applicants meaning high competition. It is important to grasp with the syllabus of the IAS Prelims because this examination acts like a qualifying stage to the Mains.

For starters, the basic prerequisites include knowledge of the exam pattern and syllabi. The Prelims comprises two papers: There is General Studies (GS) and the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). Subjects that are tested in GS paper include Current affairs, history, geography, polity, economy, environment, and Science, while the CSAT paper involves tests on Comprehension, logical reasoning, and quantitative ability.

Ideally, the preparation for UPSC 2024 should start in February 2023 to give candidates adequate time to prepare for the exams. It is vital to note that this extensive timeline is necessary to allow the candidates to build strong concepts, eliminate doubts, and plan their study phase well and minimize disturbances. Endeavour that is steady and sustained over the above mentioned period greatly augments the probability of success in the UPSC 2024 exam.

Prelims	General Studies Paper I	General Studies Paper II (CSAT)
Number of questions	100	80
Marks per question	2	2.5
Total Marks	200	200
Negative Marking	-0.66 marks for every incorrect answer. (ie. 1/3rd of the maximum marks for the question)	-0.83 marks for every incorrect answer. (ie. 1/3rd of the maximum marks for the question)
Significance	Counted for selection into the next stage (Mains). But not counted for the final ranking after Mains and Interview.	Not counted for selection into the next stage (Mains). This paper is qualifying in nature. However, the candidate needs 33% marks (67/200 marks)

UPSC Syllabus – Civil Services Mains Exam

Mains	Subject	Marks
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	General Studies – III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Security and Disaster Management)	250
Paper–V	General Studies – IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)	250
Paper–VI	Optional Subject – Paper I	250
Paper–VII	Optional Subject – Paper II	250
Qualifying Paper A	Indian Language	300
Qualifying Paper B	English Language	300

UPSC Prelims Syllabus

Preliminary Exam Overview

Feature	Details
Number of Papers	2 compulsory papers
Type of Questions	Objective (MCQ) type
Total Maximum Marks	400 (200 each paper)
Duration of Exam	2 hrs. each (20 minutes per hour extra time for blind candidates & candidate with Locomotor Disability & Cerebral Palsy [minimum 40% impairment])
Negative Marking	1/3rd of the marks assigned to a question
Medium of Exam	Bilingual (Hindi & English)

General Studies Paper-I Syllabus

It has 100 questions broadly covering the following topics, carrying a maximum of 200 marks to be solved in 2 hours.

Topics
Current events of National & International importance.
History of India & Indian National Movement.
Indian & World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India & the World.
Indian Polity & Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Economic & Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity & climate change – that do not require subject specialization.
General Science.

UPSC Syllabus for General Studies Paper-II (CSAT)

It comprises 80 questions from the following topics carrying a maximum of 200 marks to be solved in 2 hours.

Topics
Comprehension.
Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
Logical reasoning & analytical ability.
Decision making & problem solving.
General mental ability.
Basic numeracy (numbers & their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)

CSAT is a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. It is mandatory for a candidate to appear in both the Papers of the IAS Prelim Exam for the purpose of evaluation.

UPSC Mains Syllabus

The Civil Services Main Examination consists of written examination and interview (personality test). Civil Services Main Examination consists of following papers divided into 2 categories – qualifying & papers to be counted for merit.

Qualifying Papers

Paper	Subject	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 to be Counted for Merit

Paper	Subject	Marks
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 Syllabus for Qualifying Papers (Indian Languages and English)

The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows:

English Language

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

Indian Languages

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

UPSC Essay Syllabus

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.

UPSC GS Papers Syllabus

GS Paper 1: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
Indian culture: Art Forms, literature, Architecture from ancient to modern times Modern Indian history: Significant events, personalities, issues The Freedom Struggle: Various stages, important contributors/contributions Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within India History of the world: Events from 18th century, industrial revolution, world wars, etc. Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India Role of women, population issues, poverty, urbanization Effects of globalization on Indian society Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism, secularism Salient features of world’s physical geography, natural resources distribution Geophysical phenomena, geographical features, flora, fauna, environmental changes
GS Paper 2: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations
Indian Constitution: Historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments Functions and responsibilities of Union and States, federal structure Separation of powers, dispute redressal mechanisms Comparison of Indian constitutional scheme with other countries Parliament and State legislatures: Structure, functioning, powers & privileges Executive and Judiciary: Ministries, Departments, pressure groups Salient features of Representation of People’s Act Constitutional Bodies, statutory, regulatory, quasi-judicial bodies Government policies, development sectors, social sector/services Welfare schemes, vulnerable sections, laws, institutions Issues in governance, transparency, accountability, e-governance Role of civil services, India and its neighborhood, international relations Global groupings, agreements, policies affecting India International institutions, agencies, their structure, mandate
GS Paper 3: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
Indian Economy: Planning, resources mobilization, growth, development, employment Inclusive growth, issues arising, government budgeting Cropping patterns, irrigation systems, agricultural produce, e-technology Farm subsidies, minimum support prices, Public Distribution System Food processing, related industries, supply chain management Land reforms, liberalization effects on economy, industrial policy Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Investment models, science & technology developments, applications Achievements in science & technology, IT, Space, Computers, biotechnology Environmental conservation, pollution, impact assessment Disaster management, extremism, internal security challenges Cyber security basics, money-laundering prevention, border security Security forces, agencies, mandates, challenges management
GS Paper 4: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants, consequences in human actions Dimensions of ethics, public-private relationships, Human Values Role of family, society, educational institutions in inculcating values Attitude: Content, structure, function, moral and political attitudes Social influence, persuasion, aptitude for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality Objectivity, dedication, empathy, tolerance, compassion Emotional intelligence concepts, utilities, application in administration Moral thinkers, philosophers from India, world contributions Public/Civil service values, Ethics in Public administration Ethical concerns, dilemmas in governance, private institutions Laws, rules, regulations, conscience as ethical guidance sources Accountability, ethical governance, moral values in governance Ethical issues in international relations, funding, corporate governance Probity in Governance: Public service concept, governance philosophical basis Information sharing, transparency in government, Right to Information Ethical issues case studies on governance, corruption challenges

UPSC Prelims and Mains Books

Since the UPSC exam is quite competitive, the candidates are encouraged to have the best materials for understanding; the NCERT books are among the best. Therefore, students are advised to get their NCERT books prescription as these are considered to be one of the best and easy to understand books containing all the basic concepts required for the particular exam.

Key books essential for UPSC preparation include:Key books essential for UPSC preparation include:

UPSC Prelims Books

Subject	Books
History	India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
Geography	Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong World Atlas (Orient Black Swan)
Indian Polity	Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth
Economics	Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania Economic Development & Policies in India – Jain & Ohri
International Relations	Current Affairs
CSAT	Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R S Aggarwal

UPSC Mains Books

Subject	UPSC Books
History, Indian Heritage & Culture [GS Paper 1]	Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
Geography [GS Paper 1]	Geography of India by Majid Husain World Geography by Majid Husain Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT Class 11
Polity & International Relations [GS Paper 2]	Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu International Relations: Pushpesh Pant
Economy [GS Paper 3]	Indian Economy – Nitin Singhania Environment and Disaster Management – Tata McGraw Hill Challenges to Internal Security of India – Ashok Kumar
Ethics [GS Paper 4]	Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudhary