UPSC Prelims Syllabus

General Studies Paper – I

• Current events of national and international importance.
• History of India and Indian National Movement.
• Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of
India and the World.
• Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati
Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty,
Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate
Change – that do not require subject specialisation
• General Science
CSAT/ General Studies Paper-II
• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem-solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) –
Class X level)
• Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data suf ciency, etc. – Class X
level)

Detailed Syllabus

UPSC Prelims Syllabus - History

Art and Culture Syllabus for Prelims
1. Architecture

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2. Sculpture
3. Paintings (Mural & Miniature)
4. Pottery Tradition
5. Numismatics
6. Performing Arts (Dance, Music, Theatre, Martial Arts)
7. Religion in India
8. Langauge and Literature
9. National and Regional Festivals
10. Indian Puppetry

Ancient History Syllabus for Prelims

1. Prehistoric Times
2. Indus Valley Civilisation
3. Rig Vedic Period
4. Later Vedic Period
5. Jainism
6. Buddhism
7. Mahajanapadas
8. Mauryan Period
9. Post-Mauryan Period
10. Gupta Period
11. Harshavardhan Period
12. Sangam Period (South-Indian Dynasties)

Medieval History Syllabus for Prelims

1. Major Dynasties of Early Medieval India (Pratiharas, Pallavas, Chalukyas,
Rashtrakutas)
2. Cholas and South-Indian Kingdoms
3. Early Muslim Invasions
4. The Delhi Sultanate

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5. The struggle for Empire in North India Afghans, Rajputs & Mughals
6. Establishment of the North-Indian Empire
7. The Mughal Empire
8. Marathas and the Other Indian States
9. The decline of the Mughal Empire
10. Vijaynagar Empire

Modern History Syllabus for Prelims

1. The Advent of Europeans In India
2. British Expansion in India
3. Administration Before 1857
4. Economic policies of The British
5. Impact of British Administration
6. Revolt of 1857
7. Administrative Changes After 1857
8. Development of Civil Services
9. Development of Education
10. Development of Press
11. Socio-Religious Reforms
12. Important Personalities
13. Peasant, Tribal and Other Movement
14. Revolutionary Nationalism
15. Indian National Movement - 1 - (1905 - 1918)
16. Indian National Movement - 2 - (1918 - 1929)
17. Indian National Movement - 3 - (1929 - 1947)
18. Governor General during British India
19. Constitutional Development in India

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Post Independence History Syllabus for Prelims

• India’s post-independence consolidation (Territorial consolidation, State
reorganisation and Tribal policies, etc)
• Foreign policy changes and trends during the Nehruvian era
• Indira Gandhi’s rule in India (JP movement, emergencies etc) and political
developments
• India’s Rajiv Gandhi era (Srilankan war, Political developments, etc)
• India since Rajiv Gandhi and now (Foreign Policies, political developments
etc.)
UPSC Prelims Syllabus - Geography

Fundamentals of Geography (Physical Geography)

General Geography
1. Universe
2. Earth Evolution
Geomorphology
1. Earth’s Interior
2. Geology and Rock System
3. Geomorphic Process
4. Earthquakes and Volcanism
5. Distribution of Continents and Oceans
6. Landforms and their evolution
7. Landforms across the world
◦ Rivers and lakes (Factual)
◦ Mountain and Peaks (Factual)
◦ Plateaus (Factual)
Oceanography
1. Hydrosphere
2. Submarine Relief Features

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3. Temperature and Salinity

4. Waves, Oceans, Currents, Tides
5. Marine Resources
6. Ocean, Deposits and Corals
Climatology
1. Atmosphere
2. Inversion of Temperature
3. Insolation and Heat Budget
4. Air Mass, Fronts, Cyclones and Jet Streams
5. Wind and Pressure Belts
6. Precipitation
7. Climate Zones of the World
Bio Geography
Soil Characteristics
Vegetation Resources
Human and Economic Geography
1. Demography and Census
2. Human Development
3. Economic Activities
4. Transport and Communication
5. International Trade
6. Settlement
Indian Geography
1. Physiography of India
2. Drainage System
3. Climate
4. Soils in India
5. Natural Vegetation
6. Population
7. Settlements and Urbanisation

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8. Land Resource
9. Mineral Resource
10. Energy Resource
11. Agriculture and Basic Terminology
12. Recent development in agriculture
13. Productivity of Crops
14. Industry
15. Transport
16. Recent developments in Industry and Transport
World Regional Geography
1. Continents, Countries, and Cities
2. Location in News

UPSC Prelims Syllabus - Environment and Ecology

Environmental Ecology
1. Origin of Life Forms
2. Basic Concepts of Ecology
3. Ecosystem Functions
4. Population Ecology
5. Adaptation of Species and Interactions
6. Terrestrial Ecosystem
7. Aquatic Ecosystem
8. Nutrient Cycling
Biodiversity
1. Basics of Biodiversity
2. Animal and Plant Diversity
3. Threats to Biodiversity
4. Biodiversity Conservation
◦ National Parks
◦ Wildlife Sanctuaries

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◦ Biosphere Reserves
◦ Species-based conservation programmes
◦ Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas
5. Estuaries
6. Mangroves
7. Coral Reefs
8. Wetlands
9. Resource Degradation and Management
10. Environmental Pollution
11. Climate Change
12. Environmental Governance
UPSC Prelims Syllabus - Indian Polity
1. Evolution of the Constitution
2. Salient Features of the Indian Constitution
3. Union Territories
4. Citizenship
5. Fundamental Rights
6. Directive Principles of State Policy
7. Fundamental Duties
8. System of Governance
9. Union Executive
10. Union Legislature
11. State Executive
12. State Legislature
13. Local Government
14. UT and Special Areas
15. Judiciary
16. Constitutional & Non-Constitutional Bodies
17. Political Dynamics (Political Parties, Elections, Pressure Groups)
Governance

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1. Governing Institutions in India

2. Audit and other Transparency initiatives
3. Role of SHG, NGOs, Civil Society
4. Social Sector Bills
5. Welfare Schemes
International Relations
• India's foreign policy
• India's relations with other countries.
• Important Organisation

UPSC Prelims Syllabus - Economics

Basic Concepts
1. Macroeconomic Concepts
2. Microeconomic Concepts
Economic Measurements
1. National Income & Its Calculation
2. Economic Growth and Development
3. In ation
Money & Banking
1. Money Function & Classi cation
2. Financial Markets & Its Instruments
3. Banking Structure in India
Public Finance in India
1. Budgeting
2. Fiscal Policy
3. Centre-state Distribution
4. Tax Structure in India
Planning
1. Meaning, Objective & History
2. Planning Institutions

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3. Five-Year Plans in India

4. NITI Aayog
Open Economy
1. Foreign Trade Concepts
2. International Organisations
3. Exchange Rate
4. Trade Agreements
5. Recent Development
Economic Sectors
1. Poverty
2. Employment and Unemployment
3. Government Schemes and Programmes

UPSC Prelims Syllabus - Science and Technology

Science and Technology in India
1. Policy Development of S&T in India
2. Different Organisations Institutions and Various Departments for the S&T
SPACE
1. Space Research Programme, Orbits and Launch
2. Satellites, Launch Vehicles and India Satellite Programmes
3. Recent Development
IT & COMMUNICATION
1. Different Regulatory Bodies in India for ICT
2. Computer Terminology and Fundamental
3. Mobile Generations and Technology
4. Internet, Types of Networks and e-Governance
5. Spectrum Policy, Broad Band Policy
MATERIALS, NANO TECHNOLOGY & ROBOTICS
1. Superconductivity Laser, Arti cial Intelligence
2. Superconductivity Laser, Arti cial Intelligence

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3. Nano Technology
Defence Technology and Submarines
Nuclear Technology
1. Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Fuels
2. Nuclear Programme in India
3. Organisation Institutions
4. Radioactivity
IPR and Other Miscellaneous Issues
Biotechnology
1. Biotechnology in India
2. Genetics and Biotechnology
3. Biological fuel generation
4. Environmental Biotechnology
5. Plant and Forest Biotechnology
6. Animal and insect biotechnology
7. Food and Beverage Biotechnology
8. Protection of biotechnological inventions
9. Recent Development in Biotechnology

General Science
Biology
1. Origin of Life and Cells
2. Genetics
3. Classi cation of Living Things
4. Evolution of Life
5. Tissues
6. Endocrine System
7. Respiratory System
8. The Transport System in Organisms
9. Skeletal and Muscular Systems

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10. Reproductive System

11. Excretory System
12. Nutrition
13. Diseases - TB
14. Economic Zoology
15. Recent Development

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