UPSC CSE SYLLABUS

Preliminary Examination Syllabus

Paper :1- 200 Marks

● 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

Paper :2- 200 Marks

● 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 sufficiency etc. — Class X level);
UPSC CSE SYLLABUS

Mains Examination Syllabus

General Studies-I
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.

Art & Culture:

• Topic 1: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture
from ancient to modern times.

Modern History:
● Topic 2: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the
present significant events, personalities, issues,
● Topic 3: The Freedom Struggle - its various stages and important contributors/
contributions from different parts of the country.

Post-independence:
• Topic 4: Post Independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

World History:
• Topic 5: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution,
world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies
like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

Indian Society:
● Topic 6: Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
● Topic 7: Role of women and women's organization, population and associated issues,
poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
● Topic 8: Effects of globalization on Indian society.
● Topic 9: Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

Physical Geography:
• Topic 10: Salient features of world's physical geography.
Human and Economic Geography:
• Topic 11: 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).

Geophysical Phenomenon :
• Торіс 12: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity,
cyclone 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.

General Studies- II
Polity: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
Indian Polity:
● Topic 1: Historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions
and basic structure.
● Topic 2: 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.
● Topic 3: Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms
and institutions.
● Topic 4: Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
● Topic 5: Parliament and State legislatures-structure, functioning, conduct of business,
powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
● Topic 6: 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.
● Topic 7: Salient features of the Representation of People's Act.
● Topic 8: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and
responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
● Topic 9: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Governance:
● Topic 10: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and
issues arising out of their design and implementation.
● Topic 11: Development processes and the development industry — the role of NGOs,
 ●
SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other
stakeholders.
● Topic 12: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-
governance, applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters,
transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
● Topic 13: Role of civil services in a democracy.

Social Justice:
● Topic 14: 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.
● Topic 15: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services
relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
● Topic 16: Issues relating to poverty and hunger.

International relations:
● Topic 17: India and its neighbourhood relations.
● Topic 18: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or
affecting India's interests.
● Topic 19: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's
interests, Indian diaspora.
● Topic 20: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure,
mandate.

General Studies-III
Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security & Disaster
Management

Indian Economy:
● Topic 1: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources,
growth, development and employment.
● Topic 2: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
● Topic 3: Government Budgeting.
● Topic 4: 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.
● Topic 5: 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.
 ●

stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.

● Topic 6: Food processing and related industries in India- scope' and significance,
location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
● Topic 7: Land reforms in India.
● Topic 8: Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their
effects on industrial growth.
● Topic 9: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
● Topic 10: Investment models.

Science and Technology:

● Topic 11: Science and Technology - Developments and their applications and effects in
everyday life.
● Topic 12: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology
and developing new technology.
● Topic 13: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology,
biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Environment and Ecology:

• Topic 14: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact
assessment.

Disaster management:
• Topic 15: Disaster and disaster management.

Internal Security:
● Topic 17: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal
security.
● Topic 18: Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media
and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security;
money-launder-ing and its prevention.
● Topic 19: Security challenges and their management in border areas - linkages of
organized crime with terrorism.
● Topic 20: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

General Studies -IV

Ethics,Integrity and Aptitude
• Topic 1: 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.
• Topic 2: Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and
behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
• Topic 3: Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and
nonpartisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion
towards the weaker-sections.
• Topic 4: Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration
and governance.
Topic 5: Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
• Topic 6: 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.
• Topic 7: 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, challenges of corruption.
• Topic 8: Case Studies on above issues.
GEOGRAPHY OPTIONAL
PAPER -I
PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHY

Physical Geography:
Geomorphology :
. Factors controlling landform development;
. endogenetic and exogenetic forces;
. Origin and evolution of the earth's crusts;
. Fundamentals of geomagnetism;
. Physical conditions of the earth's interior;
. Geosynclines; Continental drift;
. Isostasy;
. Plate tectonics;
. Recent views on mountain building;
. Volcanicity;
. Earthquakes and Tsunamis;
. Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Land scape development;
. Denudation chronology;
. Channel morphology;
. Erosion surfaces;
. Slope development;
. Applied Geomorphology;
. Geomorphology, economic, geology and environment.

Climatology:
. Temperature and pressure belts of the world;
. Heat budget of the earth;
. Atmospheric circulation;
. Atmospheric stability and instability.
. Planetary and local winds;
. Monsoons and jet streams;
. Air masses and fronto;
. Temperate and tropical cyclones;
. Types and distribution of precipitation;
. Weather and Climate;
. Koppen's, Thornthwaite's and Trewar Tha's classification of world climate;
 . Hydrological cycle;
. Global climatic change, and role and response of man in climatic changes Applied
climatology and Urban climate.

Oceanography:
. Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans;
. Temperature and salinity of the oceans;
. Heat and salt budgets, Ocean deposits;
Waves, currents and tides;
. Marine resources;
. biotic, mineral and energy resources;
. Coral reefs coral bleaching;
. Sea-level changes;
. Law of the sea and marine pollution.

Biogeography:
. Genesis of soils;
. Classification and distribution of soils;
. Soil profile;
. Soil erosion, Degradation and conservation;
. Factors influencing world distribution of plants and animals;
. Problems of deforestation and conservation measures;
. Social forestry, agro-forestry;
. Wild life;
. Major gene pool centres.

Environmental Geography :
. Principle ecology;
. Human ecological adaptations;
. Influence of man on ecology and environment;
. Global and regional ecological changes and imbalances;
. Ecosystem their management and conservation;
. Environmental degradation, management and conservation;
. Biodiversity and sustainable development;
. Environmental policy;
. Environmental hazards and remedial measures;
. Environmental education and legislation.
Human Geography:
Perspectives in Human Geography :
. Areal differentiation;
. Regional synthesis;
. Dichotomy and dualism;
. Environmentalism;
. Quantitative revolution and locational analysis;
. Radical, behavioural, human and welfare approaches;
. Languages, religions and secularisation;
. Cultural regions of the world;
. Human development indix.

Economic Geography :
. World economic development: measurement and problems;
. World resources and their distribution;
. Energy crisis;
. the limits to growth;
. World agriculture: typology of agricultural regions;
. Agricultural inputs and productivity;
. Food and nutritions problems;
. Food security;
. famine: causes, effects and remedies;
. World industries: location patterns and problems;
. Patterns of world trade.

Population and Settlement Geography:

. Growth and distribution of world population;
. Demographic attributes;
. Causes and consequences of migration;
. Concepts of over-under-and optimum population;
. Population theories, world population problems and policies, Social well-being and quality
of life;
. Population as social capital.
. Types and patterns of rural settlements;
. Environmental issues in rural settlements;
. Hierarchy of urban settlements;
. Urban morphology;
. Concept of primate city and rank-size rule;
 . Functional classification of towns;
. Sphere of urban influence;
. Rural-urban fringe;
. Satellite towns;
. Problems and remedies of urbanization;
. Sustainable development of cities.

Regional Planning:
. Concept of a region;
. Types of regions and methods of regionalisation;
. Growth centres and growth poles;
. Regional imbalances;
. Regional development strategies;
. Environmental issues in regional planning;
. Planning for sustainable development.

Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography:

. System analysis in Human geography;
. Malthusian, Marxian and demographic transition models;
. Central Place theories of Christaller and Losch;
. Perroux and Boudeville;
. Von Thunen's model of agricultural location;
. Weber's model of industrial location;
. Ostov's model of stages of growth.
. Heart-land and Rimland theories;
. Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.

PAPER-II
GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA

Physical Setting :
. Space relationship of India with neighbouring countries;
. Structure and relief;
. Drainage system and watersheds;
. Physiographic regions;
. Mechanism of Indian monsoons and rainfall patterns;
. Tropical cyclones and western disturbances;
. Floods and droughts;
 . Climatic regions;
. Natural vegetation, Soil types and their distributions.

Resources :
. Land, surface and ground water, energy, minerals, biotic and marine resources, Forest and
wild life resources and their conservation;
. Energy crisis.

Agriculture :
. Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power;
. Institutional factors;
. land holdings, land tenure and land reforms;
. Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land
capability;
. Agro and social-forestry;
. Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications;
. Significance of dry farming; Livestock resources and white revolution;
. Aqua-culture;
. Sericulture, Agriculture and poultry;
. Agricultural regionalisation;
. Agro-climatic zones;
. Agro-ecological regions.

Industry:
. Evolution of industries;
. Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel, aluminium, fertiliser, paper,
chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage and ago-based industries;
. Industrial houses and complexes including public sector underkings;
. Industrial regionalisation;
. New industrial policy;
. Multinationals and liberalisation;
. Special Economic Zones;
. Tourism including ecotourism.

Transport, Communication and Trade :

. Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline net works and their complementary roles in
regional development;
. Growing importance of ports on national and foreign trade;
 . Trade balance;
. Trade Policy;
. Export processing zones;
. Developments in communication and information technology and their impacts on
economy and society;
. Indian space programme.

Cultural Setting :
. Historical Perspective of Indian Society;
. Racial linguistic and ethnic diversities;
. religious minorities;
. Major tribes, tribal areas and their problems;
. Cultural regions;
. Growth, distribution and density of population;
. Demographic attributes: sex-ratio, age structure, literacy rate, work-force, dependency
ratio, longevity;
. migration (inter-regional, interaregional and international) and associated problems;
. Population problems and policies;
. Health indicators.

Settlements:
. Types, patterns and morphology of rural settlements;
. Urban developments;
. Morphology of Indian cities;
. Functional classification of Indian cities;
. Conurbations and metropolitan regions;
. Urban sprawl;
. Slums and associated problems;
. Town planning;
. Problems of urbanisation and remedies.

Regional Development and Planning:

. Experience of regional planning in India;
. Five Year Plans;
. Integrated rural development programmes;
. Panchayati Raj and decentralised planning;
. Command area development;
. Watershed management;
. Planning for backward area, desert, drought-prone, hill tribal area development;
 . Multi-level planning;
. Regional planning and development of island territories.

Political Aspects :
. Geographical basis of Indian federalism;
. State reorganisation;
. Emergence of new states;
. Regional consciousness and inter-state issues;
. International boundary of India and related issues;
. Cross-border terrorism;
. India's role in world affairs;
. Geopolitics of South Asia and Indian Ocean realm.

Contemporary Issues :
. Ecological issues:
. Environmental hazards: landslides, earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods and droughts,
epidemics;
. Issues related to environmental pollution;
. Changes in patterns of land use;
. Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management;
. Population explosion and food security;
. Environmental degradation;
. Deforestation, desertification and soil erosion;
. Problems of agrarian and industrial unrest;
. Regional disparities in economic development;
. Concept of sustainable growth and development;
. Environmental awareness;
. Linkage of rivers;
. Globalisation and Indian economy.

NOTE: Candidates will be required to answer one

compulsory map question pertinent to subjects covered by this paper.