Syllabus for UPSC Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

UPSC Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Syllabus

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is conducted in three stages: Preliminary Exam, Main Exam, and Interview. Below is a comprehensive syllabus for each stage:

1. Preliminary Examination

The Preliminary Examination is composed of two objective-type papers (multiple-choice questions) and serves as a screening test.

Paper I: General Studies (GS) – 200 Marks

Current Events: National and international importance.
History of India: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern history.
Geography: Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
Polity: Indian Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Economic and Social Development: Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change: General issues related to environmental ecology and climate change that do not require subject specialization.
General Science: Basic concepts and applications.

Paper II: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) – 200 Marks

Comprehension: Reading and understanding of passages.
Interpersonal Skills: Communication skills.
Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability: Problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Decision Making and Problem Solving: Practical application of logical reasoning.
General Mental Ability: Basic arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.
Basic Numeracy: Numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc. (Class X level).
Data Interpretation: Charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc.

Note:

Paper-II (CSAT) is of qualifying nature and candidates need to score at least 33% to qualify.

2. Main Examination

The Main Examination consists of nine papers, of which seven are considered for the final ranking. The other two papers are qualifying in nature.

Qualifying Papers

Paper A: Indian Language – 300 Marks (Candidates can choose any one of the Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution).
Paper B: English – 300 Marks.

Papers to be Counted for Merit

Paper I: Essay – 250 Marks

Paper II: General Studies I (GS I) – 250 Marks

Indian Heritage and Culture
History and Geography of the World and Society
Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature, and Architecture from ancient to modern times
Modern Indian history from about the middle of the 18th century until the present
The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
History of the world including events from the 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawing of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, etc.
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems, and their remedies.
Effects of globalization on Indian society.
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
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, tsunamis, Volcanic activity, cyclones, etc., geographical features, and their location.

Paper III: General Studies II (GS II) – 250 Marks

Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions, and basic structure.
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues, and challenges related 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, 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.
Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions, and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
Statutory, regulatory, and various quasi-judicial bodies.
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.
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.
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
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.
India and its neighborhood- 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 IV: General Studies III (GS III) – 250 Marks

Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development, and employment.
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Government Budgeting.
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.
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 & 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.
Conservation, environmental pollution, and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Disaster and disaster management.
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, the 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 organized crime with terrorism.
Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Paper V: General Studies IV (GS IV) – 250 Marks

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; the role of family, society, and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Attitude: Content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behavior; 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, and challenges of corruption.
Case Studies on the above issues.

Paper VI & VII: Optional Subject Papers I & II – 250 Marks each

Candidates can choose any one subject from a list of optional subjects provided by UPSC. Each optional subject has two papers (Paper I and Paper II).

3. Interview/Personality Test

Personality Test/Interview – 275 Marks

The candidate will be interviewed by a Board appointed by the UPSC, which will have a record of the candidate’s career. The candidate will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The objective of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers.