Knowledge Refreshment - UPSC CSE Information

2. The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will consist of two papers of Objective type (multiple choice questions) and carry a maximum of 200 marks in each paper.

This examination is meant to serve as a screening test only; the marks obtained in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Civil Services (Main) Examination will not be counted for determining their final order of merit.
The number of candidates to be admitted to the Civil Services (Main) Examination will be about twelve to thirteen times the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year through this Examination.
Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination in the year will be eligible for admission to the Civil Services (Main) Examination of that year provided they are otherwise eligible for admission to the Civil Services (Main) Examination.

Note I: The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be qualified for Civil Services (Main) Examination based on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks of 33% in General Studies Paper-II of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as may be determined by the Commission.

Note II: There will be negative marking for incorrect answers as detailed below:

(i) There are four alternatives for the answers to every question. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.

(ii) If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers happen to be correct and there will be same penalty as above for that question.

(iii). If a question is left blank i.e. no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.

Civil Services Examination Structure

The examination process is divided into two primary stages: the Preliminary Examination and the Main Examination.

I. Preliminary Examination

The Preliminary stage consists of two compulsory objective-type (Multiple Choice) papers. Each paper has a duration of two hours.

General Studies Paper I: 200 Marks
General Studies Paper II (CSAT): 200 Marks

Important Rules:

Language: Both papers are set in English and Hindi.
Qualifying Criteria: General Studies Paper II is a qualifying paper. You must score a minimum of 33% to proceed.
Purpose: This stage serves as a screening test; marks are not counted for the final merit list.

II. Main Examination

The Main Examination consists of a written segment followed by a personality test. The written portion includes nine total papers, two of which are qualifying and seven of which are counted for merit.

Qualifying Papers

The marks for these two papers are not included in the final ranking, but candidates must pass them.

Paper A (Indian Language): 300 Marks (Selected from the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution)
Paper B (English): 300 Marks

Papers Counted for Merit

These seven papers form the basis of your final score:

Paper I (Essay): 250 Marks
Paper II (General Studies I): 250 Marks (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)
Paper III (General Studies II): 250 Marks (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations)
Paper IV (General Studies III): 250 Marks (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)
Paper V (General Studies IV): 250 Marks (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)
Paper VI (Optional Subject Paper 1): 250 Marks
Paper VII (Optional Subject Paper 2): 250 Marks

Written Test Sub-Total: 1750 Marks

Final Selection

Personality Test (Interview): 275 Marks
Grand Total (Written + Interview): 2025 Marks

Syllabus for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination

It is highly recommended that candidates thoroughly review this syllabus before beginning their preparation, as topics are subject to periodic revisions.

Paper I: General Studies

Total Marks: 200
Duration: 2 Hours

This paper focuses on broad awareness and foundational knowledge across the following key areas:

Current Affairs: Events of national and international importance.
History: History of India and the Indian National Movement.
Geography: Physical, social, and economic geography of both India and the world.
Polity & Governance: The Constitution, political systems, Panchayati Raj, public policy, and rights-based issues.
Economic & Social Development: Sustainable development, poverty alleviation, inclusion, demographics, and social sector initiatives.
Environment & Ecology: General issues regarding environmental ecology, biodiversity, and climate change (no subject specialization required).
General Science: Basic principles and contemporary developments in science.

Paper II: General Studies (CSAT)

Total Marks: 200
Duration: 2 Hours

This paper assesses the analytical and aptitude skills of the candidate:

Comprehension: Ability to understand and interpret written passages.
Communication: Interpersonal skills and effective communication.
Logic: Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
Decision Making: Practical problem-solving and decision-making scenarios.
Mental Ability: General mental ability and spatial reasoning.
Basic Numeracy: Numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc. (Class X level).
Data Interpretation: Charts, graphs, tables, and data sufficiency (Class X level).

Critical Examination Rules

Qualifying Marks: Paper II is a qualifying paper. Candidates must secure a minimum of 33% to be considered for the next stage.
Question Format: All questions in both papers are Objective Type (Multiple Choice Questions).
Mandatory Attendance: Candidates must appear in both Paper I and Paper II. Failure to attend both papers will result in automatic disqualification, regardless of individual paper scores.

UPSC Civil Services Main Examination Syllabus

The Main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates, rather than merely the range of their information and memory.

The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers (Paper II to Paper V) will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study. The questions are designed to test a candidate’s general awareness of a variety of subjects that have relevance for a career in the Civil Services. Questions will test the candidate’s basic understanding of all relevant issues, as well as their ability to analyze and take a view on conflicting socio-economic goals, objectives, and demands. Candidates must give relevant, meaningful, and succinct answers.

The scope of the syllabus for optional subject papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) is broadly of the honours degree level (i.e., a level higher than a bachelor’s degree and lower than a master’s degree). In the case of Engineering, Medical Science, and Law, the level corresponds to the bachelor’s degree.

Qualifying Papers on Indian Languages and English

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

English Language Pattern:

Comprehension of given passages.
Précis Writing.
Usage and Vocabulary.
Short Essays.

Indian Languages Pattern:

Comprehension of given passages.
Précis Writing.
Usage and Vocabulary.
Short Essays.
Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa.

Note 1: The papers on Indian Languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and are of a qualifying nature only. The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.

Note 2: Candidates will have to answer the English and Indian Languages papers in English and the respective Indian language (except where translation is involved).

Paper-I: Essay

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 an orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

Paper-II: General Studies-I

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

Indian Culture: Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature, and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
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: Consolidation and reorganization within the country.
History of the World: Events from the 18th century such as the industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, etc.—their forms and effect on society.
Indian Society: Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
Social Issues: Role of women and women’s organizations, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems, and their remedies.
Globalization: Effects of globalization on Indian society.
Social Empowerment: Communalism, regionalism, and secularism.
World Geography: Salient features of the world’s physical geography.
Natural Resources: Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
Geophysical Phenomena: Important phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunamis, 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-III: General Studies-II

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations

Indian Constitution: Historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions, and basic structure.
Federal 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.
Constitutional Comparison: Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
Legislatures: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges, and issues arising out of these.
Executive and Judiciary: 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.
Representation of People’s Act: Salient features.
Constitutional Bodies: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions, and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
Other Bodies: Statutory, regulatory, and various quasi-judicial bodies.
Government Policies: Interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Development Processes: The development industry—the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Welfare Schemes: 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.
Social Sector/Services: Issues relating to the development and management of Health, Education, and Human Resources.
Poverty and Hunger: Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Governance: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability, and institutional and other measures.
Civil Services: Role of civil services in a democracy.
International Relations: India and its neighborhood relations.
Global Groupings: Bilateral, regional, and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Global Policies: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
International Institutions: Important International institutions, agencies, and fora—their structure and mandate.

Paper-IV: General Studies-III

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

Indian Economy: Issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development, and employment.
Inclusive Growth: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Government Budgeting.
Agriculture: Major crops and 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.
Farm Subsidies & Food Security: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System (PDS)—objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
Food Processing: Scope and significance in India, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
Land Reforms: Land reforms in India.
Liberalization: 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.
Indian Achievements in S&T: Indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Modern Technology Awareness: 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.
Extremism: Linkages between development and the spread of extremism.
Internal Security: 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, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.
Border Security: Security challenges and their management in border areas—linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
Security Forces: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Paper-V: General Studies-IV

Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude

This paper will include questions to test the candidate’s attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life, and their problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced while dealing with society. Questions may utilize 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 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.
Moral Thinkers: Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world.
Ethics in Public Administration: 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, challenges of corruption.
Case Studies: Case studies on the above issues.

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