UPSC Mains Syllabus

Introduction to UPSC Mains Syllabus

The UPSC Mains is the second stage of the Civil Services Exam. The UPSC Mains exam tests the candidates’ analytical and writing skills on various subjects, such as essay, general studies, and optional subject. The UPSC Mains syllabus is more specialised and requires a deeper understanding of the topics.

In this blog post, we will discuss the UPSC Mains syllabus in detail and provide some additional information that will help you perform better in the exam.

Paper‐1: 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. 

Paper-2: General Studies‐1 (GS1) Syllabus

Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.

Art and Culture from Ancient to Modern Times

• Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. 

Modern History

• 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

• Post-independence consolidation and reorganisation within the country. 

World History

• History of the world will include events from the 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonisation, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society. 

Indian Society

• Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. 
• Role of women and women’s organisation, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanisation, their problems and their remedies. 
• Effects of globalisation on Indian society. 
• Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism. 

Geography

• Salient features of the 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, cyclones 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.

Paper-3: General Studies‐2 (GS2) Syllabus

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.

Indian Constitution & Polity

• 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, organisation 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. 

Social Justice

• Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. 
• Issues relating to poverty and hunger. 

Government Schems

• 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. 

Governance

• 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. 
• Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. 
• Role of civil services in a democracy. 

International Relations

• 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. 

Paper‐4: General Studies‐3 (GS3) Syllabus

Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management

Econmic Development

• Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment. 
• Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. 
• Government Budgeting. 
• Land reforms in India. 
• Effects of liberalisation on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth. 
• Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. 
• Investment models. 

Agriculture

• 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. 

Science and Technology

• 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. 

Environment

• Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. 

Disaster Management

• Disaster and disaster management. 

Security

• 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 organised crime with terrorism. 
• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate. 

Paper‐5: General Studies‐4 (GS4) Syllabus

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 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, Utilisation of public funds, challenges of corruption. 
• Case Studies on above issues. 

Syllabus of Qualifying Language Papers

The aim of the paper is to test the candidates’ ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian language. 

Optional Syllabus

Paper‐6 & 7: Optional Subject Papers 1 & 2

UPSC Say’s,
“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.”

List of Optional Subjects for Main Examination:  

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

Literature of any one of the following languages: 

26. Assamese
27. Bengali
28. Bodo 
29. Dogri 
30. English
31. Gujarati 
32. Hindi
33. Kannada
34. Kashmiri
35. Konkani
36. Maithili
37. Malayalam
38. Manipuri
39. Marathi
40. Nepali
41. Odia
42. Punjabi
43. Sanskrit
44. Santhali
45. Sindhi
46. Tamil
47. Telugu
48. Urdu 

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