A COMPREHENSIVE

STRATEGY
By Abhishek Srivastava

UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION

ABHISHEK ● Content Head at Unacademy

SRIVASTAVA ● Top educator | 45mn Watchtime

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“If you know the enemy and
know yourself, you need not
fear the result of a hundred
battles.
If you know yourself but not the
enemy, for every victory gained
you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither the enemy
nor yourself, you will succumb
in every battle.”

Sun Tzu
Government Service

● Group A
● Group B
● Group C
● Group D
 1. Indian Administrative Service 21. Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
2. Indian Foreign Service Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra
3. Indian Police Service & Nagar Haveli Civil Service, Group ‘B’
4. Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service, Group ‘A’
5. Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’ 22. Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
6. Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise) Gr ‘A′ Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra
7. Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A′ & Nagar Haveli Police Service, Grp ‘B’
8. Indian Revenue Service (I.T.), Group ‘A′
9. Indian Ordnance Factories Service, Group ‘A’ 23. Pondicherry Civil Service, Group ‘B’
10. Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’
11. Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’ 24. Pondicherry Police Service, Gr ‘B’
12. Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group ‘A’
13. Indian Railway Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
14. Indian Railway Personnel Service, Group ‘A’
15. Post of Assistant Security Commissioner, in Railway
Protection Force, Group ‘A’
16. Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’
17. Indian Information Service (Junior Grade), Group ‘A’
18. Indian Trade Service, Group "A" (GR.III)
19. Indian Corporate Law Service, Group "A"
20. Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section
Officer′s Grade)
About UPSC ➢ The Civil Services Examination in India is based on the
British Raj - era Imperial Civil Service tests, as well as
Civil the civil service tests conducted by old Indian empires

Services ➢
such as in the Mauryan Empire and Mughal Empire.
At present time it is conducted by the Union Public
Examination Service Commission (UPSC)- a Constitutional body.
➢ The UPSC Civil Services Examination is considered to
(CSE) be the most difficult competitive examination in India. On
an average, 800,000 to 6,000,000 candidates apply
every year and the number of candidates appearing to
sit the preliminary examination is approximately
500,000.
➢ The examination consists of the following each year.
Results are published in mid-May, June.
Scheme of the UPSC CSE
The entire selection process consist of following three phases:

Stage- 1 Stage- 2 Stage- 3

PRELIMINARY TEST MAINS TEST PERSONALITY TEST

★ Qualifying in nature ★ Competitive in nature; Fully
★ Consist of two descriptive tests
different papers- ★ Consists of Four fully
paper-1 and paper-2 Descriptive General Studies
★ Multiple Choice (GS) papers, One essay paper,
Questions (MCQs) two languages and one
Optional subject (two papers)
Some of the qualities to be
judged are mental alertness,
critical powers of assimilation,
clear and logical exposition,
balance of judgement, variety
and depth of interest, ability for
social cohesion and leadership,
and intellectual and moral
integrity.
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
★ This is one day-examination where two papers of 200 marks each are
asked in two different sitting of 2 hours on same day.
★ First paper is of General studies I in which 100 question have been asked
from Polity, History and Science and technology etc. Each correct answer
fetch 2 marks and incorrect response reduces 1/3 rd marks. Total marks
counted will decide the score of the candidate qualification for mains
examination.
★ Second paper is of General studies II in this paper 80 question are asked
from Comprehension , General Mental ability, Reasoning etc. Every incorrect
response will lead to deduction of 1/3 rd marks . This paper is in qualifying in
nature and candidates must secure 1/3 rd marks from 200 to qualify for
mains examination.
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
➢ 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,
General studies I
01 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, Bio-diversity and
Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization.
Comprehension; • Interpersonal skills including communication skills;
➢ General Science.
➢ Logical reasoning and analytical ability; Decision making and
General studies II problem solving;
➢
02 (CSAT) ➢
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);
MARKS IN PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
Papers’ name Duration Nos. of questions Marks
General Studies-1 2 hours 100 200
The paper is competitive and
thus, in order to qualify for Mains
one needs to obtain more than or
equal to Cut-off marks as
prepared by UPSC on basis of the
performance of all candidates in
this paper.

General Studies-2 (CSAT) 2 hours 80 200

This paper is qualifying in nature
and one just needs to get 33% of
200 marks to be eligible to sit for
Mains examination

Total 400
STRATEGY FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
UPSC CSE (Prelims) has emerged as the most “trickiest” exam in the country,
if not in the world, in recent time. Most of the questions are tricky and needs
rational thinking, good amount of knowledge and a mature enough common
sense to eliminate the incorrect options. If anyone can does that, he/she will get
cleared this phase easily and most importantly, at every attempt as the trend has
been observed.

However, at the same time, a strategy to clear this stage only through academic
knowledge is nearly impossible. There are examples of numerous individuals who
work really hard but still don’t clear this stage. Thus, this clearly necessitates
having a comprehensive strategy for both part- preparation as well as actual
examination
STRATEGY FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
For this purpose, we can devise this Two Pronged Strategy :

★ Strategy of ‘What’ and ‘How’ to study (Essential Preparatory resources).

★ Strategy for inside the Examination Hall (To tackle the questions inside the
examination hall in best possible manner)

Aim of this strategy is to score in the range of 150-160 out of 200 in GS paper 1
(Cutoff range expected 105-115 for CSE , 132-138 for IFS ). But eventually you
will have to end up having your own unique plan, depending upon your
strengths and weaknesses (post taking at least 10-15 Mock tests).
STRATEGY OF ‘WHAT’ TO STUDY
Broadly, for Prelims, a bare minimum would be following three pillars of
preparation:

★ Syllabus of CSE which is available on UPSC website.

★ Good understanding and multiple revisions of previous 10 years question of
preliminary examination
★ Essential textbooks, especially NCERTs and a couple of advanced books in
order to built up concept and and one daily news paper say, The Hindu to
know the current development going on.
Strategies to clear Preliminary
★ UPSC Prelims nowadays has become too daisy to handle. There is
absolutely no certainty. However, if one prepares with firm resolution and
smart strategy, Prelims could be conquered convincingly.
★ There are two broad strategies to clear prelims:
○ Broad reading; less revision
○ Narrow reading; multiple revision rounds
★ Each of these strategies has their own set of ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’. Also, these
strategies suit for different personalities types.
Broad Reading; Less Revision
★ This type of strategy is suitable for those people who like reading extensively
and have deep interests for almost everything on earth- from the history of
ancient civilizations to the recent exploration of Mars.
★ Under this strategy, people can read whatever ( but relevant!) comes in their
way and there's literally no limit on resources that one can refer.
Relevance of this strategy!
★ In the new format of UPSC CSE Prelims, the scope of questions appearing in
Prelims has expanded tremendously. In such scenario, this strategy becomes
very much relevant given that one retained most of the things he reads.
Broad Reading; Less Revision
For example, consider the following question (UPSC CSE Prelims 2015, 2016)

1. Which of the following Kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha?
1. Avanti
2. Gandhara
3. Kosala
4. Magadha
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2 and 4
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1,3 and 4
Broad Reading; Less Revision
Now we know that the correct answer is C. However, what is most important here is to
take note of the nature of question. It can be said safely that people who have studied
extensively with genuine interest would be able to answer this question more convincingly.

The success of this “Read Broadly” strategy essentially depends upon following three
factors:
● The ‘elimination-based’ MCQ questions
● Ability of aspirant to apply the accumulated knowledge.
● A through understanding of previous years papers of UPSC CSE.
A gross negative of this strategy however is that students need to devote a lot of time.
People with lengthy optionals such as History, Geography, Mathematics, etc. may not find
enough time to adopt this strategy.
Narrow Reading; Multiple Revision
This strategy is opposite of the previous strategy. Unlike previous one, here students
need to keep their resources limited and focus should be on maximum revision. This is
somewhat traditional method of preparation.
Relevance of this strategy!
This strategy is time and tested and its success lies in the ‘Static’ part of the question
paper. Since aspirants focus over revision, they get most of the questions in static subjects
such as Polity, Geography, History etc. correct. This helps them to clear the cut-off marks
and thereby to clear Prelims.
Multiple revision also makes sure that aspirants are well versed with all important resources
that they have studied throughout the year. This instil much needed confidence among
them.
SYLLABUS IS THE
GUIDING LIGHT
● There could not be more genuine
guiding light for you than the “Syllabus”
itself. Aspirants should literally
remember the entire syllabus.
● To have the reasonable familiarity with
the syllabus, aspirants should always
keep a printout of the syllabus on
the study table and should see that
as often as one can.
● Syllabus act like a lighthouse which
helps you to maintain the right direction.
 WHY PAST PAPERS ARE IMPORTANT FOR
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION?
For example: Consider the following question:Q. At one of the places in India, if you stand on
the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few
kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the seafloor
when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at:

(a) Bhavnagar

(b) Bheemunipatnam

(c) Chandipur

(d) Nagapattinam

Chandipur-on-sea and Gopalpur-on-sea are frequently mentioned in past year papers of

UPSC. This question is an improvisation of these places mentioned in the options of those
papers. But if someone approached this question from academic bent, he will get the wrong!
ROLE OF NCERTs IN PRELIMINARY
EXAMINATION?
● NCERTs are crucial for General Studies (GS) papers in
both- Prelims as well as Mains.
● They provide the fundamental understanding of all
subjects be it Polity, Economy, Geography,
Environmental science or Indian society.
● Reading NCERTs for UPSC CSE especially is more
important because UPSC, unlike other examination,
seeks your understanding of a subject and its
application. NCERTs provides you the most
convenient and fastest way to build basic
understanding of a discipline.
● There would be questions in both stages where one can
simply answer the question if he had studied the NCERTs
with a purpose to understand the subject.
HOW TO READ NCERTs?

● Underline in the 1st reading (ONLY IMPORTANT CONCEPTS).

● Read and optimise the underlined stuff in the 2nd reading.
● Make crisp notes of NCERTs in the final reading and from now onwards
forget those books and just rely on your notes.
● Revise them monthly and after 4-5 iterations, you will reach the level that you
may require around 4-5 hours only to revise entire NCERT books from class 6
to class 12.
● Always remember, it's not about reading and finishing the books but to
remember those concepts, facts then recall them in the prelims and
reproduce them in the mains examination.
NOTE MAKING: HOW RELEVANT FOR PRELIMS?

‘Note making’ is said to be masterstroke of Toppers. It has been conclusively

found that people who prepared notes during Civil Services Examination (CSE)
preparation got good marks in General Studies Papers at both stages.
However, the perplexing question here is should we make Notes for Prelims or
Mains or Integrated for both? The objective of making notes is to revise
important concepts and information well prior to the examination so that
these could be recalled correctly and quickly in the examination hall.
Since there are easy availability of well-researched Prelims oriented notes in the
market, it is wise to not make notes exclusively for Prelims. But aspirants should
maintain ‘Integrated Notes (for both Prelims and Mains)’ of information which they
think is important.
 Advance

Basic

Foundation
 NCERTs Basics Advance Revision &
Strategy Micro-notes
- Pattern
WHY - Syllabus
UPSC? - PYQs**
- Planner
Optional Subject

Answer writing

100 Days for Prelims

25 Mock Tests
Revised
 abhishek10

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Standard Text books** (not mandatory)
● Art and Culture Indian Art and Culture – Nitin Singhania
● Indian Polity- Lakshmikant
● Ancient History India’s Ancient Past – R.S. Sharma. (Ancient India – Text Book)
● Medieval History - History Of Medieval India – Satish Chandra
● Modern History - A Brief History of Modern India – Spectrum
● Physical Geography Physical Geography – Savindra Singh
● Indian Geography- Geography of India – Majid Husain
● World Geography - World Geography – Majid Husain
● Indian Economy Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh
● Environment & Ecology Environment for Civil Services Prelims and Mains – Khuller
● Science & Technology Science and Technology in India – Ravi P Agrahari
● Essay Writing Strategy Essays for Civil Services – Pulkit Khare
● International Relations International Relations – Pavneet Singh
● Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude – Subha Rao
● Governance & Social Issues Governance in India – Laxmikanth
● Post Independence - Snehil Tripathi
● World History - Norman Lowe
● Indian Society - Social Problems In India – Ram Ahuja
● Internal security - Challenges to Internal Security of India – Ashok Kumar
BOOK LIST FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
Current events of national and international importance.
● The Hindu, Indian Express ( pick up only those things which are not covered in Hindu).
● If you feel you didn’t really care for Facts while reading newspapers, fret not ! Just
before few months of Prelims there would be flood of subject materials for Prelims in the
market. Get some of them and read to prepare the Current Affairs section well.

History of India and Indian National Movement.

➔ Ancient India – Old 11th NCERT + TNT Textbook (11th Standard)
➔ Medieval India – Old 11th NCERT.
➔ Art and Culture – 11th Fine Arts book is a treasure trove. But don’t make the mistake of
reading it just once or twice. Each word is crucial. To be read 4-5 times and related
aspects googled (esp the monuments, and it is interesting too) . Also,
➔ Indian National Movement – Bipin Chandra’s Struggle for Independence/Spectrum for
Revision + TNT Textbook (12th Standard)
BOOK LIST FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the
World.
➔ Class 11th and 12th New NCERTS
➔ GC Leong for Physical Geography
➔ A good Atlas for Map practice
Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy,
Rights Issues, etc.
➔ Laxmikanth’s Indian Polity as the primary source with bare constitution(PM Bakshi).
➔ DD Basu for specific topics like local governance, scheduled areas, salient features etc.**

Economic and Social Development Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion,

Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
➔ Economic Survey. But please do read it once fully before using any XYZ summary notes .
➔ Budget 2019-20 Summary. India Year Book for sector specific datas and facts.
➔ Class 12th NCERT for Macroeconomics basics .
➔ Investopedia/Arthpedia for understanding any economic term you have issues with
➔ Yojana – 1 to 2 chapters from each month’s copy. Others get repetitive.
BOOK LIST FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change –
➔ A good textbook for ecology and environment concepts
➔ Google “Environmental organizations” and open the Wikipedia page. The list there from
A-Z should be casually read over a period of 2 weeks. Be curious and wise to know your
requirements.
➔ Ministry of Environment Website. It has good amount of information. Be wise and have
an eye on previous year questions to know your limits of searching !

General Science
➔ Do read Science and Technology issues which are very much in the news from online
sources. Make notes out of them. Revise well before the examination.
➔ Unacademy videos on emerging issues in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and engineering
technology. Rest don’t waste much time here. Trust your common sense.
ROLE OF MOCK TESTS IN PREPARATION
➔ Mock Tests are extremely important in preparation of Prelims examination.
➔ Spend more time in analysing your performance. Identify your weak and strong areas
and work accordingly to maintain a balance.
➔ Do all your experiments in Mock examinations and don’t repeat the mistakes in the
actual examination. Take note of your time management while giving mock tests.
➔ Develop confidence from each of the mock test examination. Don’t be worried too much
about score in these mock tests.
OBSERVATIONS
➔ Integrated study has to be the way forward, since no silos exist between subjects now as well
as current affairs.
➔ For basics, ‘N’ number of sources would do more harm than good. Same holds true for
current affairs section.
➔ Economic survey is compulsory beyond doubt. And almost all economy questions found a
basis in this survey. All important schemes asked which can be asked in the exam are
generally mentioned as one liners here.
➔ Read ‘India Year Book (IYB)’ only from facts point of view. Don’t spend too much time on this
➔ Test series are a must, but again unless at least 15-20 papers revised, won't really stick on.
Two months prior to examination date, start giving mocks in exams like conditions only.
➔ Maintain a diary of observations, wherein all your errors/ doubtful questions as well as
good observations are written down. Last one week before exam,revise that one diary
very well.
STRATEGY FOR PAPER-2
(CSAT)
KNOW YOUR EXAMINATION: CSAT
As of now, CSAT stands as “qualifying” paper. Students need to get only 33% of the total
marks in order to become eligible for Mains.

Nature of CSAT Paper:

The CSAT is described either as a tricky affair or a cakewalk depending upon who you ask.
Candidates strong in mathematics or with a science/engineering background generally find it
easy and don’t necessarily spend a lot of time for it. They just practice a few mock papers or
previous years’ UPSC CSAT question papers. But for candidates who find CSAT on the
tougher side, it is prudent to have a strategy for it so that you can get the minimum required
marks.
SYLLABUS OF GENERAL STUDIES -2 (CSAT)
The syllabus of GS-2 (CSAT) paper replicates the papers of various Bank recruitments. The
syllabus is brief. It contains comprehension, logical reasoning, general mental ability etc.
➔ Comprehension
➔ Interpersonal skills including communication skills
➔ Logical reasoning and analytical ability
➔ Decision making and problem-solving
➔ General mental ability
➔ Basic numeracy (Numbers and their relation, order of magnitude etc. of Class X level)
➔ Data interpretation (Charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc of Class X level)
SYLLABUS OF GENERAL STUDIES -2 (CSAT)
Recent developments in CSAT Paper:
➔ Following 2014-changes in the UPSC CSE (Prelims) scheme,UPSC has increased the
difficulty level of this paper.
➔ To be precise, the Commission has increased the difficulty level and number of
Comprehensions, Basic numeracy, General Mental Ability, and Logical reasoning.
➔ Decision-making questions which were of 20 marks and Class X level English
comprehension questions were also removed.
➔ Time-consuming nature of questions have been incorporating in the paper and the paper
has been deliberately designed lengthier.
STRATEGY FOR GENERAL STUDIES -2 (CSAT)

For Comprehension:
➔ The General Studies Paper II (CSAT) exam generally contains 7-8 long and short
passages in the comprehension part.
➔ Reading and understanding the passage is an art. Most of the reading comprehension
questions are often inferential in nature and required a thorough reading of the passage.
Candidates need to develop a reading habit to troubleshoot the problem arises in
comprehension.
➔ Reading newspaper editorials, magazines like Frontline, Yojana is more than enough to
sharpen your reading skills.
➔ One has to read in detail with a sheer mind. If you are not able to get the meaning of the
article completely, make a resolve not to move from the same until it is done.
➔ Develop a habit of reading/ referring to a Dictionary and applying it in daily life
conversation.
STRATEGY FOR GENERAL STUDIES -2 (CSAT)

➔ When you read an article, read it with a preconception and examine carefully to extract
the essence of passage and understand author what to tell us.
➔ This will ease the process of answering the questions like-‘Important message
conveyed by the passage’, ‘With reference to the passage, the following assumptions
have been made’, ‘The author’s central focus is on’ etc.

Logical reasoning
➔ The level of difficulty of the reasoning section in the CSAT paper is not high.
➔ A candidate can solve the questions if one is familiar with the types of questions in the
reasoning section.
➔ There is no need of searching books exclusively for logical reasoning. Daily practice and
solving previous year question paper will help you to crack this barrier.
STRATEGY FOR GENERAL STUDIES -2 (CSAT)

General mental ability, Basic Numeracy & Data Interpretation

➔ This is the area where most of the candidates feel uncomfortable especially if they are
not good at mathematics. But the reality is you need not master in mathematics to crack
the CSAT.
➔ The questions on Basic numeracy in the CSAT paper are of the Class X Level.
According to the trend, it is very important to give special attention to this area.
➔ Daily practice can only bring you success. For some questions, you can even apply
common logic to solve the question. Understanding of the basic concepts and formulas
will enable to crack this section.
➔ Refer to a book which covers the topics comprehensively like Quantitative Aptitude by R
S Aggarwal, Cracking CSAT- Arihant Publications or GS Manual TMH.
➔ Knowing the principles and concepts of statistics are enough to deal with data
interpretation section.
STRATEGY FOR GENERAL STUDIES -2 (CSAT)

Overall Strategy for CSAT Paper

➔ Throughout your study ensure that you are giving enough practice time and
attention for General Studies Paper II (CSAT).
➔ The best strategy would be to solve 10-15 questions daily starting from now,
especially complex comprehensions.
➔ Along with that start solving the previous year question paper also.
➔ For all those aspirants who are not comfortable with CSAT paper, start loving
CSAT; if you can love your enemy, you already have victory.
 UPSC CSE MAINS layout
● Paper – A ● Paper-III
○ Language -300 Marks ○ General Studies -II: 250 Marks
○ Candidate can take any Modern Indian ○ (Governance, Constitution, Polity,
language Social Justice and International
○ but this paper is of qualifying nature relations)
● Paper – B ● Paper-IV
○ English -300 Marks ○ General Studies -III 250 Marks
○ This paper is of qualifying nature ○ (Technology, Economic Development,
● Paper – I Biodiversity, Environment, Security and
○ Essay – 250 Marks Disaster Management)
○ Can be written in the medium or ● Paper-V
language of the candidate’s choice ○ General Studies -IV 250 Marks
● Paper-II ○ (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)
○ General Studies-I 250 Marks ● Paper-VI | Optional Subject – Paper 1 -250
○ (Indian Heritage and Culture, Marks
○ History and Geography of the World and ● Paper-VII | Optional Subject – Paper II -250
Society) Marks
Paper 1: Essay (250 marks)

● Essay writing is important part of UPSC Mains Syllabus, for Paper 1.

● Candidates may be required to write an essay on specific topic.
● They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in
orderly fashion and to write concisely Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.
ESSAY PAPER: UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination – 2018

● SECTION – A: Write any one of the following essays in ● Instructions

1000-1200 words (125 marks) ○ Total Marks: 250 marks,
Time duration: 3 hours.
○ Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient
○ The essay must be written
India in the medium authorized
○ A good life is one inspired by love and guided by in the admission certificate
knowledge which must be stated
○ Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere clearly on the cover of this
question-cum-answer
○ Management of Indian border disputes – a complex task
(QCA) booklet in the space
provided.
● SECTION – B: Write any one of the following essays in ○ No marks will be given for
1000-1200 words (125 marks) answers written in the
○ Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life medium other than
○ ‘The past’ is a permanent dimension of human authorized one.
○ Word limit, as specified,
consciousness and values
should be adhered to.
○ A people that values its privileges above its principles ○ Any page or portion of the
loses both page left blank, must be
○ Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it struck off clearly.
 Paper 2: General Studies paper 1 (250 marks)

Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society form the key aspects of it.

● Indian culture will cover the 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 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.
● 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 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, 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.
 Paper 3: General Studies paper 2 (250 marks)

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.

● Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and
basic 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.
● 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 4: General Studies paper 3 (250 marks)
Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management

● 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, nanotechnology, 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 nonstate actors in creating challenges to internal security.
● Challenges to internal security through communication networks, 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 5: General Studies paper 4 (250 marks)

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 his problem solving approach to various issues
and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society. Questions may utilize the case study
approach to determine these aspects. The following broad areas will be covered in
● 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 behaviour;
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 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, challenges of corruption.
● Case Studies on above issues.
Geography Optional Paper 1
Principles of Geography Physical Geography

1. Geomorphology: Factors controlling landform development; endogenetic and exogenetic

forces; Origin and evolution of the earth's crust; Fundamentals of geomagnetism; Physical
conditions of the earth's interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics; Recent
views on mountain building; Vulcanicity; Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Concepts of geomorphic
cycles and Landscape development ; Denudation chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion
surfaces; Slope development ; Applied Geomorphology : Geohydrology, economic geology and
environment.
2. 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 genesis, Temperate and tropical cyclones;
Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; Koppen's, Thornthwaite's and
Trewartha's classification of world climates; Hydrological cycle; Global climatic change and role
and response of man in climatic changes, Applied climatology and Urban climate.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Environmental Geography: Principle of 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
1. 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 secularization; Cultural regions of the world; Human
development index.
2. 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 nutrition problems; Food security; famine:
causes, effects and remedies; World industries:locational patterns and problems; patterns of world
trade.
3. 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: Concepts 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.
4. 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.
5. Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography: Systems 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.
Paper II Geography Of India
1. Physical Setting: Space relationship of India with neighboring 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.

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

3. 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, apiculture and poultry; agricultural
regionalisation; agro-climatic zones; agroecological regions.
4. Industry: Evolution of industries: Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel,
aluminium, fertilizer, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage and agro-based
industries; Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings; Industrial
regionalisation; New industrial policies; Multinationals and liberalization; Special Economic
Zones; Tourism including eco - tourism.

5. Transport, Communication and Trade: Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline
networks 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.
6. 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, intra- regional and
international) and associated problems; Population problems and policies; Health indicators.
7. 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
urbanization and remedies.

8. 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.

9. 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.
10. Contemporary Issues: Ecological issues: Environmental hazards: landslides, earthquakes,
Tsunamis, floods and droughts, epidemics; Issues relating 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.
 GEOGRAPHY OPTIONAL
Paper-I ● Paper-II
● India – A Comprehensive
● Physical Geography – Majid Hussain/ Savindra Singh Geography – Khullar
● Modern Physical Geography – Strahler and Strahler ● Regional Planning in India
(Optional) – Mahesh Chand
● Certificate Physical and Human Geography – Goh ● India Year Book –
Cheng Leong Publication Division
● Physical Geography Made Simple – Rupa Publication ● Yojana and Kurukshetra
● Dictionary of Physical Geography – Penguin Magazines
● Evolution of Geographical Thought – Majid Hussain
● Economic and Social Geography Made Simple – Rupa
Publication
● Models in Geography – Majid Hussain
● Dictionary of Human Geography
● Oxford Student Atlas
How to Study Current Affairs
● The Hindu to be preferred / Indian Express
● Editorials helps in understanding the topics
● Notes as per the GS subjects / Files might help
● Helps Answer writing as well
● Monthly compilation- ensure no topic is missed
● Yojana & Kurukshetra - depends on time availability
● Rajya Sabha TV - Optional
● DTE
Micronotes
● Last mile effort
● Expedite revision
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