Core structure
Aspirants of the Civil Services Examination are at the right place to get the details of the UPSC Syllabus. Here, you will find the complete IAS Syllabus for all the stages of the examination:

• Preliminary Stage – General Studies & CSAT
• Mains Stage – 9 Theory Papers (GS I-IV, Language Papers, Essay & Optional)
• Personality Test – Interview

Upsc prelims exam pattern

UPSC Syllabus for Mains:

IAS Mains Exam Pattern

UPSC Syllabus for IAS Interview:

• Candidates who qualify the UPSC Mains Exam will be called for the ‘Personality Test/Interview’. These candidates will be interviewed by a Board appointed by the UPSC.
• The objective of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in civil services by a board of competent and unbiased observers.
• The Interview test will be 275 marks and the total marks for the written examination is 1750. This sums up to a Grand Total of 2025 Marks, based on which the final merit list will be prepared.

UPSC Notification 2023:

As mentioned in the UPSC Calendar, the CSE notification has been released on 1st February 2023.

The UPSC notification also gives the IAS exam dates as mentioned below:

• The UPSC online application process for the prelims exam will commence on 1st February 2023.
• The IAS Prelims exam is to take place on Sunday, 28th May 2023.
• The UPSC mains exam will take place on 15th September 2023 onward.
• UPSC Personality Test/interview dates will be announced.

UPSC Age Limit – Minimum and Maximum Age for IAS

IAS Eligibility – Age Relaxation & Number of Attempts

UPSC COMPLETE EXAM SYLLABUS

PRELIMS:

• Environment
• Agriculture
• Geography
• History- freedom struggle
• Art & culture
• Polity
• International relations
• Science & technology
• Economy

Mains:

General Studies 1 Paper Syllabus for UPSC Mains

The GS 1 Syllabus for UPSC Mains clarifies that the paper will include geography, art & culture, and history in general. To complete GS Paper 1 of the Mains test, one must thoroughly understand every topic taught in the course.

World History

Indian Society 

• 19th Century Social Reforms Movements and Early Women’s Organisations – Agrarian Struggles and Revolt, Participation in Freedom Struggle
• Basic Demography of India
• Causes and Effects of Over Population
• Causes of Communalism, Poverty and Regionalism
• Challenges faced by Secularism in India, Women’s Organisations and Population Explosion
• Challenges posed by Diversity
• Changing Age Structure of the Indian Population
• Communalism – Its Characteristics
• Communalism in Contemporary India
• Communalism in India in the Past
• Concept of Development and Poverty, Region & Regionalism, Secularism and’ Sons of Soil’
• Consequences of Communalism, Poverty and Regionalism
• Contemporary Women’s Issues &Organisation Response
• Demographic Dividend: Boon or Bane for India
• Different Forms of Regionalism
• Dimensions of Social Empowerment
• Diversity – caste, linguistic, social and religious, race, tribe and ethnicity, culture
• Does Globalisation Cause Poverty?
• Factors Driving Globalisation and Urbanisation
• Family System
• Federalism & Regionalism
• Globalisation& Culture – Homogenisation vs. Glocalisation
• Globalisation& India
• Government Initiatives to Aide Social Empowerment
• Impact of Globalisation on India – Socio-cultural, economic, women, agricultural sector, etc.
• Impact of Urbanisation in Rural Areas
• Indian Model of Secularism
• India’s Population Policy & Initiatives
• Inequality
• Inequality and Exclusion
• Measurement of Poverty – Poverty Line
• Measures to Contain Regionalism and Control & Eradicate Communalism
• Steps to Make India Truly Secular
• Nature & Practice of Secularism in India
• Pluralism
• Population Aging in India
• Population Trends in India and their Implications
• Poverty Alleviation Initiatives
• Poverty as a Social Problem
• Problems of Slums
• Problems of Urban Areas
• Reforms Required and Government Initiatives Taken So Far
• Regionalism in India
• Regionalism in the International Sphere
• Relation between Poverty Reduction and Development: Poverty-Inequality-Development Nexus
• Role of Regional Parties
• Secularism as an Antidote to Communalism
• Secularism in India
• Social Consequences of Urbanisation
• Socio-economic Spread of Poverty
• State of Service Delivery and Challenges posed by Urbanisation
• The policy shift from Trickle Down Economics to Inclusive or Pro-poor Development to Reduce Poverty
• The problem of Rising Urban Poverty
• The resurgence of Women’s Movement in the 70s: Emergence of New Organisations, Approaches, and Issues
• Types of Poverty
• Understanding Globalisation – Its Different Dimensions
• Uniform Civil Code
• Unity
• Unity in Diversity
• Urban Planning and Role of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
• Urbanisation Trends in India and Their Implications – Demographic and Social Dimensions
• Which are the Socially Disadvantaged Groups?
• Who is worst affected by Poverty?
• Women’s Organisations – Empowerment through Action
• Women’s Organisations and SHGs
• Women’s Organisations Post 1947

World 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 Tsunami, Volcanic activity, earthquakes, cyclones etc., geographical features and their location changes in critical geographical features (including Water-bodies and Ice-caps) and flora and fauna and the effects of such changes

General Studies 2 Paper Syllabus for UPSC Mains

The GS 2 paper has the following 3 subjects.

• Polity & Governance
• Welfare
• International Relations

Indian Constitution          

• Historical underpinnings of the constitution
• Evolution of the Constitution
• Salient features
• Basic structure
• Amendments
• Significant provisions
• Challenges in the devolution of power
• Comparison of India’s constitutional scheme with other countries
• Devolution of finances and powers up to the local government level
• Dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions
• Responsibilities and functions of the states and the Union territories
• Issues and challenges related to the Federal Structure
• Separation of powers between various organs of the govt.

Governance & Polity       

– Parliament and State Legislatures

– Structure

– Functioning

– Conduct of Business

– Powers & Privileges

– Issues arising out of the Powers and Privileges of legislative bodies

• Executive and Judiciary

• Structure
• Organization
• Functioning
• Ministries and departments of the government

• Pressure groups
• Formal & Informal associations and their role in the polity
• Salient features of the People’s Representation Act

Governance 

• Appointment to various constitutional posts
• Powers, functions and responsibilities of various constitutional bodies
• Development processes and the development of industry
• Government policies and interventions for the development of various sectors
• Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability
• Issues arising out of the design and implementation of government intervention
• Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
• The role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
• e-governance

• applications
• models
• successes
• limitations and potential
• citizens charters
• Transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.

• Role of Civil Services in a Democracy

Social Justice        

• Issues related to poverty and hunger

Issues related to the development and management of the social sector/Services relating to Health, Education, and Human Resources

• Mechanisms, laws, institutions, and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections of the population

• The performance of welfare schemes
• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the centre and states

International Relations    

• India and its neighborhood
• Relations between India and the neighboring countries
• 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
• Important International institutions and agencies
• Indian diaspora – Its structure and mandate

General Studies 3 Paper Syllabus for UPSC Mains

• Economy
• Agriculture
• Science
• Environment
• Internal Security
• Disaster Management

GS 4 Syllabus mains

Ethics and Human Interface      

• The Essence of Ethics
• Determinants and Consequences of Ethics in Human Interaction
• Dimensions of Ethics
• Ethics in public and private relationships
• Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, and administrators
• Role of society, family, and educational institutions in inculcating ethical and moral values

Attitude       

• Content, structure, and function of attitude
• Influence of attitude in thought and behavior
• Relation of attitude to thought and behavior
• Political and moral attitudes
• Social influence and persuasion

Aptitude       

• Aptitude and foundational values of Civil Service
• Integrity
• Impartiality and non-partisanship
• Objectivity
• Dedication to public service
• Empathy, compassion, and tolerance towards the weaker sections of the society

Emotional Intelligence     

• Concepts of emotional intelligence
• Utility and application of emotional intelligence in governance and administration

Contributions of Thinkers and Philosophers 

• Contributions of philosophers and moral thinkers from India and the world to the concepts of morality

Public/ Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration         

• Status and associated 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     

• Challenges of corruption
• Citizen’s Charters
• Codes of Conduct
• Codes of ethics

Concept of public service

• Information sharing and transparency in government
• Quality of service delivery
• Right to Information
• The philosophical basis of governance and probity
• Utilization of public funds
• Work culture