PREFACE

Education can be a life-changing point in every child’s life. The

stream and career that is to be chosen in high school and later
in life need a strong foundation base at a primary and secondary
level. A foundation is an early staple for aspirants who are not
only preparing for the IAS examinations but have far-reaching
goals of other competitive examinations ahead of them. With
several years in the field of education, Disha publication has been
working at various levels to be the one-stop solution for quality
education. In this book, we intend to form a strong base for any
future competitive exam candidate and help them recapitulate
the latest pattern and syllabus. This book also mentions the study
techniques and preparation tips for students with illustrative
examples added for better understanding and to ensure they build
up their skills in a motivated manner.
 Table of Contents
So. Name

1. What is UPSC?

2. All India Services

3. UPSC Civil Services Toppers 2019

4. Recruitment Process of IAS/ ICS

5. Plan of Prelims and Mains Exam

6. Planning for Prelims and Mains Exam

7. Parts and Schedules of Indian Constitution

8. Syllabus of Exam

9. Success stories of Toppers

 What is UPSC?
At the time of political uprising in India, the demand for an independent body for the recruitment of civil
servants came up. This led to the establishment of first Public Service Commission on October 1st 1926. The
constituent assembly, after the promulgation of Constitution on January 26th 1950, was renamed as Union
Public Service Commission.
In the Constitution, the provisions of UPSC are listed under the Article 315. Including the Chairperson, the
commission constitutes 9 to 11 members.
In India, UPSC, being a central recruiting agency plays an important role in the recruitment of individuals for
the post of Civil Services, Engineering, Medical and Forest Services etc.

Classification of Services- Group A, B, C & D

Part XIV of Indian Constitution provides for different types or classes of services for India. The name of the
chapter is Services under- Union and the States. The Constitution has not elaborated the types and categories
of services. In accordance with the Constitution we divide the services into the followings categories —All India
Services (AIS), State Services, and Local and Municipal Services. There are four groups of central services—
Central Services Group A, Central Services Group B, Central Services Group C and Central Services Group D.
Group of Services Pay Levels Pay Scale Name of Service Work Profile
IAF/Navy/Army (Indian Armed
Higher Administra-
Forces), AIS Officers (All India
tive,
Services), Engineers, Bureau-
Executive Responsi-
15,600– 39,100/- crats, Scientists in the organi-
A (Gazetted) 10-18 bility,
sations like DRDO, ISRO, CSIR,
Senior Management
BARC and Central India Civil
positions in ministries
Services (IAS, IRS, IPS, IFS, IRS,
and field organization.
IRTS).

5
 Sub-Inspectors, Inspector, Middle and Junior
Junior Engineer, TGT and Administrative and
PGT School Teachers, Staff Executive Responsi-
B (Gazetted / Non
6-9 9,300 – 34,800 /- Nurse, Translator, Jr. Offi- bility,
Gazetted)
cers, Technical Assistants, Middle Management
Accountants, Accounts Officer, positions in ministries
Instructors, Section Officers. and field organization.
Supervisory,
Clerks, Tax assistant, Typist in
Operative tasks,
courts, Stenographer, Primary
C 1-5 5,200 – 20,200 /- Render clerical in
Teachers, Assistant Sub-In-
ministries and field
spector, Store Keeper.
organization.
Peons, sweeper, gatekeeper,
Operating routine
D 0 - cleaner, Mali, Guard, Barber,
duties.
Cook, semi-skilled workers.

6

All India Services • Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
• Indian Forest Service (IFS)
• Indian Police Service (IPS)
Central Civil Services
State Civil Services
State Forest Services
State Police Services
Non-State Civil
Services
Others
List of Group A Services in UPSC
Public Services of India
• Central Labour Service (CLS)
• Central Engineering Services (CES)
• Central Engineering Services (Roads) (CES(Roads))
• Central Secretariat Service (CSS)
• Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS)
• Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS)
• Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS)
• Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS)
• Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES)
• Indian Defence Service of Engineers (IDSE)
• Indian Economic Service (IES)
• Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
• Indian Information Service (IIS)
• Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS)
• Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service (IPTAFS)
• Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE)
• Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME)
• Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE)
• Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE)
• Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS)
• Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS)
• Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS)
• Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS)
• Indian Revenue Service (IRS)
• Indian Revenue Service (Custom & Indirect Taxes) (IRS-C&IT)
• Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) (IRS-IT)
• Indian Statistical Service (ISS)
• Indian Telecommunication Service (ITS)
• Indian Radio Regulatory Service (IRRS)
• Indian Trade Service (ITrS)
• Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) (1957–2019)
• Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS)
• Provincial Civil Service (PCS)
• Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS)
• Tamil Nadu Civil Service (TNCS)
• West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS)
• Karnataka Forest Service (KFS)
• Provincial Forest Service (PFS)
• Provincial Police Service (PPS)
• West Bengal Police Service (WBPS)
• Provincial Development Service (PDS)
• Provincial Finance and Accounts Service (PFAS)
• Provincial Secretariat Service (PSS)
• Provincial Transport Service (PTS)
• Rajasthan Accounts Service (RAcS)
• West Bengal Judicial Service (WBJS)
• West Bengal Legal Service (WBLS)
• Civil Services of India
• State civil services of India
7
 UPSC Vacancies
The number of vacancies fixed by Union Public Service Commission through Civil Services Examination varies
from year to year. Vacancies for year 2021 will be notified in IAS 2021 notifications, which is to scheduled to
be released on February 10.
Since the number of vacancies are decreasing every year, the competition has become even more tougher.
However, this year, the number of vacancies are expected to increase as the Indian Railway may send
requisition for Indian Railway Management Services.
89 more candidates were recommended in UPSC CSE 2019. In UPSC 2020, 927 candidates were recommended
initially but after the addition of 89 candidates, the list has now grown to 1006 candidates.
UPSC notified 796 vacancies for the year of 2021 with 24 vacancies for Pwd Category. Although the number of
recruitments is not certain for other categories but in case of IAS Officers, Baswan Committee recommended
to recruit 180 IAS Officers each year to fill the recruitment gap.

All India Services

Civil Service Exam is conducted for the recruitment of candidates for various posts under All India Services
and Central services. Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS), Indian Foreign Services
(IFS) are considered as All India Services while recruitment in other services comes under Central Services.
The officials of All India Services are recruited and trained by the Union Government ( the Centre) and serve
in various State Government (the States) as well as centre (which is why IRS is a “central service” and not All
India Service as it serves only the central government). Officers are organized into different cadres. Twenty-
four states have their own cadres but there are three joint cadres as well.

Indian Administrative Services

The top-most service of Civil Service Exam is Indian Administrative Services. Initially, there were 927 vacancies

8
but after the addition of more 89 vacancies, the list has grown to 1006. According to the Baswan Committee,
180 IAS officers must be recruited every year to reduce the recruitment gap. People who can secure their rank
under 180 can secure their selection as an IAS officers.
An IAS Officer works to formulate and modify policies. The implementation entails disbursements of funds,
which calls for personal supervision. In each Ministry, you will supervise the allotment and proper utilization
of funds by the field officers in your Ministry.
Half of the career of IAS Officers is spent in the State where they have been allotted. In the initial years,
when the officers are on probation, they are attached to the Secretariat, various training schools, field
offices and to the district collector’s office. After the completion of probation, the IAS officer is appointed as
Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM). Here, you will be looking after the law and order, general administration,
revenue work and developmental work that is assigned to you in that work span. In next three scales Senior
Scale, Junior Administrative Grade and Selection Grade an IAS have to serve as District Magistrate, Director
of any government department, Chief Managing Director of a Public Sector Unit. In the super time scale
they appointed as Secretaries or Divisional Commissioners. The highest post in the State is that of the Chief
Secretary. At the top of the hierarchy of IAS officers is the Cabinet Secretary followed by Secretary/ Additional
Secretary, Joint Secretary, Director, Under Secretary and then the Junior Scale Officers.

IAS Pay Scale and Grades

The IAS salary is governed by the grades of the IAS officers. The grades are assigned to the IAS officers based
on their number of years in the services. The IAS officers are regularly upgraded to the upper grade based on
their years of experience. Sometimes they are promoted based on their performance.
The IAS Salary structure is divided into eight grades. Each grade has a fixed basic pay and grade pay. This
component of IAS Salary is fixed throughout the grade. The IAS salary comprises of the basic pay, grade pay,
Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), Medical Allowance, Conveyance Allowance.
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The DA depends on the city of posting and it differs from city to city. In the same way, HRA is also dependent
on the residence of the IAS officer. If he is availing the housing facility provided by the government then he
will be entitled to the HRA. All the allowances differ from officer to officer.
DA is the most important component of IAS salary and it is increased by the government from time to time.
It is increased up to 103% of the basic salary. Union government periodically revise the DA for the employees
and sometimes merge it with the basic salary.
HRA ranges from 8% to 24% of the basic salary. The pay structure as devised by the 7th pay commission does
not provide the detail of the salary but provides clear information regarding the maximum and minimum
salary of IAS officers within a grade. The payscale is further supported by Grade Pay, DA, HRD and several
other benefits.

IAS Pay Level and Posts

The salary of an IAS officer is further explained as per the number of service years and the Pay Level as
following.
Pay Level
Basic Pay (INR) Post
(years in service)
Sub-divisional magistrate in District Administration
10
56100 Undersecretary in State Secretariat
(1-4 years)
Assistant Secretary in Central Secretariat
Additional district magistrate in District Administration
11
67,700 Deputy Secretary in State Secretariat
(5-8 years)
Under-Secretary in Central Secretariat
District magistrate in District Administration
12
78,800 Joint Secretary in State Secretariat
(9-12 year)
Deputy Secretary in Central Secretariat
District magistrate in District Administration
13
1,18,500 Special secretary-cum-director in State Secretariat
(13-16 years)
Director in Central Secretariat
Divisional commissioner in District Administration
14
1,44,200 Secretary-cum-commissioner in State Secretariat
(16-24 years)
Joint Secretary in Central Secretariat
Divisional commissioner in District Administration
15
1,82,200 Principal Secretary in State Secretariat
(25-30 years)
Additional secretary in Central Secretariat
16
2,05,400 Additional Chief Secretary in State Secretariat
(30-33 years)
17 Chief Secretary in State Secretariat
2,25,000
(34-36 years) Secretary in Central Secretariat
18
2,50,000 Cabinet Secretary of India
(37+ years)

Indian Police Services

Indian Police Service or IPS is one of the All India Service. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year
after India got independence. It’s not a law enforcement agency, rather a civil service in which the officials are
selected on the basis of their professional; merit list.

10
During the probation period, an IPS officer has to undergo the job training
for two years under the Superintendent of Police of a district, in the
state they have been appointed. On completing your two year
probation, you will be confirmed as a three star Assistant
Superintendent of Police (A.S.P.). As Superintendent of Police, Senior
Superintendent of Police of a District and as Deputy Inspector General
of a Range you will be exclusively responsible for the prevention and
detection of crime. In cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, the law
and order duties are the exclusive responsibility of the police force. In
these cities the ASP, SP, and the DIG are called Assistant Commissioner
of Police (ACPO), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and
Commissioner of Police (CP). The Director General of Police (DG) is the
head of the entire Police force of a state.
With the passage of time Indian Police Service’s objectives were
updated and redefined, the rules and functions of an Indian Police
Service Officer are as follows:
• To fulfill duties based on border responsibilities, in the areas
of maintenance of public peace and order, crime prevention,
investigation, and detection, collection of intelligence, VIP security,
counter-terrorism, border policing, railway policing, tackling
smuggling, drug trafficking, economic offences, corruption in
public life, disaster management, enforcement of socio-economic
legislation, bio-diversity and protection of environmental laws etc.
• Leading and commanding the Intelligence Agencies like Research
and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Intelligence Bureau(IB), Central Bureau
of Investigations (CBI), Crime Investigation Department (CID) etc.,
Indian Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, Civil and Armed Police
Forces in all the states and union territories.
• Leading and commanding the Para-Military Forces of India (PMF)
which include the Central Police Organizations (CPO) and Central
Paramilitary Forces (CPF) such as Border Security Force (BSF),
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police
(ITBP), National Security Guard (NSG), Central Industrial Security
Force (CISF), Vigilance Organizations, Indian Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.
• Serve as the head of the departments in policy making in the Ministries and Departments of Central and
State Governments. They also head Public Sector Undertakings both at centre and states.
• To interact and coordinate closely with the members of other All India Services and Central Civil Services.
They also have to keep an alignment and co-ordination with the Indian Armed Forces primarily with the
elite Indian Army.
• Endeavour to inculcate in the police forces under their command such values and norms as would help
them serve the people better.
Indian Police Gazzetted and Non Gazzetted Officers’ Rank
Position in the state
Other positions or designation in the state government(s) or the Government of India (GOI)[
government(s)

11
12

Director General of State
Police Force
• Director general of police Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA)
Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB)
Special director in IB
Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA)
Commissioner of Police of Delhi
Director General of a Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)
Special Director General in CAPFs
Special Director in IB
Special Director in CBI
Director General of Bureau of police Research and Development
Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau

Director of National Crime Records Bureau

Special Commissioner of Police in Delhi
Commissioner of Police (City Police Commissionerate)
• Additional director
Additional Director General in NIA
general of police
Additional Director in IB
Additional Director in CBI
Additional Director General in CAPFs.
Joint commissioner of police in Delhi
• Commissioner of police (city police commissionerate)
• Inspector general of Inspector General in CAPFs
police Inspector General in NIA
Joint Director in IB
Joint Director in CBI
Joint Director in SVPNPA.
Additional commissioner of police in Delhi
• Commissioner of police (city police commissionerate)
• Deputy inspector general Deputy inspector general in CAPFs
of police Deputy inspector general in NIA
Deputy Director in IB
Deputy Inspector General in CBI
Deputy Director in SVPNPA.

Superintendent of
Deputy commissioner of police in Delhi.
police (selection grade)

Superintendent of Police Deputy commissioner of police in Delhi.

Additional Superintendent of
Additional deputy commissioner of police in Delhi.
Police

Deputy Superintendent of
Assistant commissioner of police in Delhi.
Police

Indian Forest Services

India was the first country in the world to introduce the scientific forest management. The first one was
established under the British Raj and was called as Imperial Forest Department.
The modern Indian Forest Services was established in 1966, after independence. It was formed under All India
Services Act 1951 was passed, for protection, conservation and regeneration of forest department.
Ranks of the Indian Forest Service are as follows:

13
• Assistant Conservator of Forests - Probationary Officer,
• Divisional Forest Officer (DFOs)
• Deputy Conservator of Forests
• Conservator of Forests (CFs)
• Chief Conservator of Forests (CCFs)
• Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Addl. PCCFs)
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF)
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF) - highest post in a State
• Director General of Forests (India) - highest post at Centre
The training of the forest officers is held at Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy to harden the officers so
that they become capable to serve in the most difficult terrains. Now the government is also providing the
Hari Singh fellowships to Forest officers to help them get specialization in the field of Remote Sensing and
Geographical Information System.
They also work for several National and International organizations related to forest management, wildlife
management and environment. Few examples of such organizations are:-
• Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
• International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, SAARC Forestry Centre
• Forest Survey of India, Wildlife Institute of India
• Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)
• Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA)
• Directorate of Forest Education
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
Equivalent Ranks:
S Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Indian Police Service Indian Forest Service Indian Revenue Service
No (IPS) (IFoS) (IRS)
1 Assistant Collector Assistant Superintendent Assistant Conservator Assistant Commissioner of
of Police of Forests Income Tax
2 Collector/Deputy Commissioner/ Additional Superintendent Deputy Conservator Deputy Commissioner of
Deputy Secretary / Deputy Directors of Police/ Superintendent of Forests Income Tax
of Police
3 Collector/ Deputy Commissioner / Senior Superintendent of Deputy Conservator Joint Commissioner of
Additional Secretary / Joint Secretary Police of Forests Income Tax
/ Directors
4 Deputy Inspector General Conservator of For- Additional Commissioner of
of Police ests Income Tax
5 Secretary/ Commissioner & Secre- Inspector General of Police Chief Conservator of Commissioner of Income
tary Forests Tax
6 Principal Secretary/Financial Com- Additional Director Gener- Additional Principal Chief Commissioner of
missioners al of Police Chief Conservator of Income tax
Forests
7 Director General of Police Principal Chief Con- Director General of Customs
servator of Forests & Excise/Board & Tribunal
Members

14
 8 Chief Secretary/Chairman Adminis- Director General of Police Principal Chief Con- CBDT Chairman/Board
trative Tribunal etc (Head of State) servator of Forests Chairman etc
(Head of State)
Cadre Allocation Policy – Five Zones
There are five zones in which state cadres/joint cadres have been divided:
State Cadres/ Joint Cadres for UPSC – All India Services
Zones State Cadres
Zone-I AGMUT, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana
Zone-II Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha
Zone-III Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh
Zone-IV West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura

Zone-V Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala

UPSC Civil Services Toppers 2019
Rank Name Marks
1 Pradeep Singh 1072
2 Jatin Kishore 1063
3 Pratibha Verma 1062
4 Himanshu Jain 1051
5 Jeydev C S 1050
6 Visakha Yadav 1046
7 Ganesh Kumar Baskar 1046
8 Abhishek Saraf 1045
9 Ravi Jain 1043
10 Sanjitha Mohapatra. 1042
UPSC Civil Services Toppers 1990- 2019
Year Toppers Name State
2019 Pradeep Singh Haryana
2018 Kanishk Kataria Rajasthan
2017 Anudeep Durishetty Telangana
2016 Nanini Karnataka
2015 Tina Dabi Delhi
2014 Ira Singhal Delhi
2013 Gaurav Agarwal Rajasthan
2012 Haritha V Kumar Kerala
2011 Shena Aggarwal Haryana
2010 S Divyadarshini Tamil Nadu
2009 Shah Faesal Jammu & Kashmir
2008 Shubhra Saxena Uttar Pradesh
2007 Adapa Karthik Andhra Pradesh
2006 Mutyalaraju Revu Andhra Pradesh
2005 Mona Pruthi Haryana

15
 2004 S Nagarajan Tamil Nadu
2003 Roopa Mishra Odisha
2002 Ankur Garg Punjab Punjab
2001 Alok Ranjan Jha Bihar
2000 Vijayalakshmi Bidari Karnataka
1999 Sorabh Babu Uttar Pradesh
1998 Bhawna Garg Punjab
1997 Devesh Kumar Bihar
1996 Sunil Kumar Barnwal Bihar
1995 Iqbal Dhaliwal Tamil Nadu
1994 Ashutosh Jindal Delhi
1993 Srivatsa Krishna Karnataka
1992 Shri Anurag Srivastava Uttar Pradesh
1991 Raju Narayana Swamy Kerala
1990 Lakshmi Narayana Andhra Pradesh

Given Below is the List of All India Services and their Last Rank in 2019
Last Rank
Services
General EWS OBC SC ST
IAS 72 18 52 25 13

IFS 12 2 6 3 1

IPS 60 15 42 23 10

Group A 196 134 109 64 35

Group B 57 14 42 14 8

Recruitment Process of IAS/ ICS

The Union Public Service Commission conducts the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination which is common
for the candidates applying for Civil Services Examination and Indian Forest Service Examination. It acts as a
screening mechanism for selection of candidates for the Civil Services (Main) Examination and Indian Forest
Service (Main) Examination.
The number of vacancies may undergo change after getting firm number of vacancies from Cadre Controlling
Authorities. Reservation will be made for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other
Backward Classes (OBC) and Physically Disabled Categories in respect of vacancies as may be fixed by the
Government.
CSE 201…: Important Dates
Date of Notification: ... April, 201...
Last Date to Apply: ... May, 201...
Exam Date: ...June/July/August, 201...
Civil Services (Main): ... October/November/December, 201...
(A) CENTRES OF EXAMINATION.

16
Examination Centres
(i) Centres for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination.
Agartala Gaya Navi Mumbai
Agra Ghaziabad Panaji (Goa)
Ajmer Gorakhpur Patna
Ahmedabad Gurgaon Port Blair
Aizawl Gwalior Puducherry
Aligarh Hyderabad Pune
Allahabad Imphal Raipur
Ananthapuru Indore Rajkot
Aurangabad Itanagar Ranchi
Bengaluru Jabalpur Sambalpur
Bareilly Jaipur Shillong
Bhopal Jammu Shimla
Bilaspur Jodhpur Siliguri
Chandigarh Jorhat Srinagar
Chennai Kochi Thane
Coimbatore Kohima Thiruvananthapuram
Cuttack Kolkata Tiruchirapalli
Dehradun Kozhikode (Calicut) Tirupati
Delhi Lucknow Udaipur
Dharwar Ludhiana Varanasi
Dispur Madurai Vellore
Faridabad Mumbai Vijayawada
Gangtok Mysore Vishakhapatnam
Gautam Buddh Nagar Nagpur Warangal
(II) Centres for Civil Services (Main) Examination
Ahmedabad Dehradun Mumbai
Aizawl Delhi Patna
Allahabad Dispur (Guwahati) Raipur
Bangaluru Hyderabad Ranchi
Bhopal Jaipur Shillong
Chandigarh Jammu Shimla
Chennai Kolkata Thiruvananthapuram
Cuttak Lucknow Vijayawada
ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS
(i) Nationality
For the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.
For other services, a candidate must be either:
a citizen of India, or
a subject of Nepal, or
17
18
a subject of Bhutan, or
a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the
intention of permanently settling in India,
or
a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri
Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of
Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention
of permanently settling in India.
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall
be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued
by the Government of India. Provided further that candidates belonging
to categories (b), (c) and (d) above will not be eligible for appointment
to the Indian Foreign Service. A candidate in whose case a certificate of
eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of
appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has
been issued to him/her by the Government of India.
(ii) Age Limits
A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have
attained the age of 32 years on the 1st of August, 2018, (or Prelims exam
year) i.e. he/she must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1986
and not later than 1st August, 1997.
The upper age limit prescribed above will be relaxable:
upto a maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste
or a Scheduled Tribe.
upto a maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other
Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such
candidates.
upto a maximum of five years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir
during the period from the 1st January, 1980 to the 31st December, 1989.
upto a maximum of three years in the case of Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during
hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof.
upto a maximum of five years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs
who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st August, 2018 (Prelims exam year) and have
been released:
(a) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one
year from 1st August, 2018) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or
inefficiency, or
(b) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service, or
(c) on invalidment.
Upto a maximum of five years in the case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment
of five years Military Service as on 1st August, 2018 and whose assignment has been extended beyond five
years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment
and that they will be released on three months notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of

19
appointment.
upto a maximum of 10 years in the case of blind, deaf-mute and orthopedically handicapped persons.
General* OBC* SC/ST* PH*
Minimum: 21 yrs Minimum: 21 yrs Minimum: 21 yrs Minimum: 21 yrs
Maximum: 32 yrs Maximum: 35 yrs Maximum: 37 yrs Maximum: 42 yrs
(iii) Minimum Educational Qualifications
The candidate must hold a degree of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State
Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to
be deemed as a University Under Section-3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an
equivalent qualification.
NOTE I: Candidates who have appeared at an examination the passing of which would render them educationally
qualified for the Commission’s examination but have not been informed of the results as also the candidates
who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary
Examination. All candidates who are declared qualified by the Commission for taking the Civil Services (Main)
Examination will be required to produce proof of passing the requisite examination with their application for
the Main Examination failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the Main Examination.
NOTE II: In exceptional cases the Union Public Service Commission may treat a candidate who has not any of
the foregoing qualifications as a qualified candidate provided that he/she has passed examination conducted
by the other Institutions, the standard of which in the opinion of the Commission justifies his/her admission
to the examination.
NOTE III: Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications which are recognised by Government
as equivalent to professional and technical degree would also be eligible for admission to the examination.
NOTE IV: Candidates who have passed the final professional M.B.B.S. or any other Medical Examination but
have not completed their internship by the time of submission of their applications for the Civil Services
(Main) Examination, will be provisionally admitted to the Examination provided they submit along with their
application a copy of certificate from the concerned authority of the University/ Institution that they had
passed the requisite final professional medical examination. In such cases, the candidates will be required
to produce at the time of their interview original Degree or a certificate from the concerned competent
authority of the University/Institution that they had completed all requirements (including completion of
internship) for the award of the Degree.
(iv) Number of Attempts
General OBC SC/ST PH
6 attempts 9 attempts No restriction on the General: 9 attempts
number of attempts OBC: 9 attempts
SC/ST: No restriction
(v) Physical Standards
Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to Civil Services Examination,
201… as per guidelines given in Appendix-III of Rules for Examination published in the Gazette of India
Extraordinary dated (notifications) 20…
Fee
Candidates (except Female/SC/ ST/PH Candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to
pay fee of ` 100/- (Rupees One Hundred only) either by remitting the money in any Branch of SBI by Cash, or
by using net banking facility of State Bank of India/etc. for Preliminary Test.
Candidates admitted to the Main Examination will be required to pay a further fee of ` 200/-
20
How to Apply?
Candidates are required to apply online using the website http://www.upsconline.nic.in
Detailed instructions for filling up online applications are available on the above mentioned website.
Reservation Criteria
Candidates seeking reservation/ relaxation benefits available for SC/ST/ OBC/PH/Ex-servicemen must ensure
that they are entitled to such reservation/ relaxation as per eligibility prescribed in the Rules/Notice. They
should also be in possession of all the requisite certificates in the prescribed format in support of their claim
as stipulated in the Rules/ Notice for such benefits, and these certificates should be dated earlier than the due
date (closing date) of the application for Civil Services (Prelims) Examination, 2018…

Plan of Prelims and Mains Exam

PLAN OF EXAMINATION
The competitive examination comprises two successive stages:
Civil Services (Preliminary) Examinations (Objective Type) for the selection of candidates for Main Examination;
and
Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various
services and posts.
The Preliminary Examination will consist of two papers of Objective type (multiple choice questions) and
carry a maximum of 400 marks in the subjects set out in subsection (A) of Section-II. This examination is
meant to serve as a screening test only; the marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination by the candidates
who are declared qualified for admission to the Main Examination will not be counted for determining their
final order of merit. The number of candidates to be admitted to the Main Examination will be about twelve
to thirteen times the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year in the various Services
and Posts. Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Preliminary
Examination in the year will be eligible for admission to the Main Examination of that year provided they are
otherwise eligible for admission to the Main Examination.
Candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Main Examination as may be
fixed by the Commission at their discretion, shall be summoned by them for interview for a Personality Test
vide sub-section ‘C’ of Section-II. Marks obtained in the papers will be counted for ranking. The number of
candidates to be summoned for interview will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. Marks thus
obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination (written part as well as interview) would determine their
final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various Services keeping in view their ranks in the examination
and the preferences expressed by them for the various Services and Posts.
Scheme and subjects for the Preliminary and Main Examinations:
A. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
The Examination shall comprise two compulsory papers of 200 marks each.
Prelims Paper Duration Questions Marks
Paper I - General Studies 2 Hours 100 200
Paper II* - Aptitude 2 Hours 80 200
Total 400
[*In General Studies Paper - II, minimum qualifying marks is 33%. You will be selected for Mains Exam based
on total marks of General Studies Paper - I.]
NOTE: (i) Both the question papers will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions).

21
(ii) The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English. However, questions relating to English
Language Comprehension skills of Class X level will be tested through passages from English Language only
without providing Hindi translation thereof in the question paper.
(iii) Details of the syllabi are indicated in Part A of Section III.
(iv) Each paper will be of two hours duration. Blind candidates will however; be allowed an extra time of
twenty minutes at each paper.
B. MAINS EXAMINATION
Civil Services (Main) Pattern
The pattern has changed from 2015 Main Examination. The new pattern is:
S. No. Paper Subject Marks
1 Paper A Indian Language 300
(Qualifying)
2 Paper B English (Qualifying) 300
3 Paper I Essay 250
4 Paper II General Studies – I 250
5 Paper III General Studies – II 250
6 Paper IV General Studies - III 250
7 Paper V General Studies - IV 250
8 Paper VI Optional Subject Paper 1 250
9 Paper VII Optional Subject Paper 2 250
Total 1750
Interview (Personality 275
Test)
Grand Total 2025
Negative Marking in CSAT(PT)
There is negative marking for incorrect answers for all questions except some of the questions where the
negative marking will be inbuilt in the form of different marks being awarded to the most appropriate and
not-so-appropriate answer for such questions. If you give a wrong answer, one-third of the marks assigned to
that question will be deducted as penalty.
Selection for Main
Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Preliminary Examination
in the year will be eligible for admission to the Main Examination of that year provided they are otherwise
eligible for admission to the Main Examination.
Candidates may choose any optional subject from amongst the list of subjects given in para 2 below (Group
1). However, a candidate can opt for the literatures of a language, indicated in Group-2 below para 2, as an
optional subject, only if the candidate has graduated in the literature of that particular language as the main
subject.
NOTE:
Marks obtained by the candidates for all papers (Paper I-VII) will be counted for merit ranking. However, the
Commission will have the discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all papers of the examination.
For the Language medium/ literature of languages, the scripts to be used by the candidates will be as under:
Language Script Language Script

22
23
 Assamese Assamese Oriya Oriya
Bengali Bengali Punjabi Gurumukhi
Gujarati Gujarati Sanskrit Devanagari
Hindi Devanagari Sindhi Devanagari or Arabic
Kannada Kannada Tamil Tamil
Kashmiri Persian Telugu Telugu
Konkani Devanagari Urdu Persian
Malayalam Malayalam Bodo Devanagari
Manipuri Bengali Dogri Devanagari
Marathi Devanagari Maithilli Devanagari
Nepali Devanagari Santhali Devanagari or Olchiki
Note: For Santhali language, question paper will be printed in Devanagari script; but candidates will be free
to answer either in Devanagari script or in Olchiki.
2. List of optional subjects for Main Examination:
Group-1
Agriculture
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Anthropology
Botany
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Commerce and Accountancy
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Geography
Geology
History
Law
Management
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Science
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science and International Relations
Psychology
Public Administration
Sociology
Statistics

24
Zoology
Group-2
Literature of any one of the following languages:
Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri,
Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English.
NOTE:
The question papers for the examination will be of conventional (essay) type.
Each paper will be of 3 hours duration.
Candidates will have the option to answer all the question papers, except Section 2 of the Paper-I (English
comprehension and English précis) in English or Hindi. If the candidate has had his/ her graduation in any
of the following language mediums using the particular language medium for qualifying the graduate level
examination, then he/she may opt for that particular language medium to answer all the question papers,
except Section 2 of the Paper-I (English comprehension and English précis).
Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri,
Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu
Candidates exercising the option to answer Papers in any one of the languages mentioned above may, if they
so desire, give English version within brackets of only the description of the technical terms, if any, in addition
to the version in the language opted by them. Candidates should, however, note that if they misuse the
above rule, a deduction will be made on this account from the total marks otherwise accruing to them and in
extreme cases; their script(s) will not be valued for being in an unauthorized medium.
The question papers (other than the literature of language papers) will be set in Hindi and English only.
The details of the syllabi are set out in Part B of Section III.
General Instructions (Preliminary as well as Main Examination):
Candidates must write the papers in their own hand. In no circumstances will they be allowed the help of a
scribe to write the answers for them. However, blind candidates and candidates with Locomotor Disability
and Cerebral Pasly where dominant (writing) extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance
of function (minimum of 40% impairment) will be allowed to write the examination with the help of a scribe
in both the civil Service (Preliminary) as well as in the Civil Services (Main) Examination.
Compensatory time of twenty minutes per hour shall be permitted for the Blind candidates and the candidates
with locomotor disability and cerebral palsy where dominant (writing) extremity is affected to the extent of
slowing the performance of function (minimum of 40% impairment) in both the civil Services (Preliminary)
as well as in the Civil Services (Main) Examination. However, no scribe shall be permitted to such candidates.
NOTE 1: The eligibility conditions of a scribe, his/her conduct inside the examination hall and the manner
in which and extent to which he/she can help the blind candidate in writing the Civil Services Examination
shall be governed by the instructions issued by the UPSC in this regard. Violation of all or any of the said
instructions shall entail the cancellation of the candidature of the blind candidate in addition to any other
action that the UPSC may take against the scribe.
NOTE 2: For purpose of these rules the candidate shall be deemed to be a blind candidate if the percentage
of visual impairment is 40% or more. The criteria for determining the percentage of visual impairment shall
be as follows:
All with corrections
Category 0 6/9-6/18 6/24 to 6/36 20%
Category I 6/18-6/36 6/60 to nil 40%

25
Category II 6/60-4/60 or field of
vision 10-20° 3/60 to nil 75%
Category III 3/60-1/60
or field of to nil vision 10º F.C. at 1 ft to nil 100%
Category IV FC. at 1 ft to nil field of F.C. at 1 ft to nil field of 100%
vision 100° vision 100°
One eyed person 6/6 F.C. at 1 ft to nil 30%
NOTE 3: For availing of the concession admissible to a blind candidate, the candidate concerned shall produce
a certificate in the prescribed proforma from a Medical Board constituted by the Central/State Governments
alongwith his application for the Main Examination.
NOTE 4:
The concession admissible to blind candidates shall not be admissible to those suffering from Myopia.
The Commission have discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all the subjects of the examination.
If a candidate’s handwriting is not easily legible, a deduction will be made on this account from the total
marks otherwise accruing to him.
Marks will not be allotted for mere superficial knowledge.
Credit will be given for orderly, effective and exact expression combined with due economy of words in all
subjects of the examination.
In the question papers, wherever required, SI units will be used.
Candidates should use only international form of Indian numerals (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.) while answering
question papers.
Candidates will be allowed the use of Scientific (Non-Programmable type) Calculators at the conventional
(Essay) type examination of UPSC. Programmable type calculators will however not be allowed and the use of
such calculators shall tantamount to resorting to unfair means by the candidates. Loaning or interchanging of
calculators in the Examination Hall is not permitted.
It is also important to note that candidates are not permitted to use calculators for answering objective type
papers (Test Booklets). They should not therefore, bring the same inside the Examination Hall.
C. INTERVIEW TEST
The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record of his/her career. He/she
will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal
suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers.
The test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. In broad terms this is really an assessment
of not only his/her intellectual qualities but also social traits and his/her interest in current affairs. 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, intellectual
and moral integrity.
The technique of the interview is not that of a strict cross-examination but of a natural, though directed and
purposive conversation which is intended to reveal the mental qualities of the candidate.
The interview test is not intended to be a test either of the specialised or general knowledge of the candidates
which has been already tested through their written papers. Candidates are expected to have taken an
intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic study but also in the events which are
happening around them both within and outside their own state or country as well as in modern currents of
thought and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well educated youth.

26
27
 Planning for Prelims and Mains Exam
A. PLANNING FOR PRELIMS PREPARATION
Tips & Planning for General Studies Paper-I
For facing Prelims General Studies Paper I, they need to be well aware and well informed of being updated
will help them in attempting a large number of questions. It involves both clarity about the basics as well as
abreast of current affairs and contemporary developments. It includes areas like Indian National Movement,
Indian Polity, Basic Economic Understanding, Geography, Science and Technology, etc. While the dynamic
part includes Current Affairs, GK has no proper definition and syllabus making it quite vast subject.
Since the syllabus does not give much detail of the topics to be studied under each subject it is expected
to gain knowledge of them that should be slightly below the graduation level but definitely above the high
school level.
There are about 100 questions to be answered in two hours, each question carries two marks. It means there
is about 1.2 minute to answer each question. So speed and accuracy is essential to tackle this examination.
While the correct answer will fetch 2 marks, a wrong answer means a loss of 0.66 marks i.e. 1/3rd from the
correct tally of score.
The 100 questions in Paper I can be grouped into three categories:
Multiple Choice Questions - Single response correct
Multiple Choice Questions - Multiple response correct
Multiple Choice Questions - Matching type
The number of questions asked from different sections varies each time and there is no fixed rule for this. The
nature of questions asked are generally on basic principles, their application, factual information and current
affairs. Some questions are based on applied aspects of principles and factual information. It has been found
that many of the questions overlap with more than one section of the syllabus.
The answer to the question requires analytical bend of mind. So mere reading of NCERT high school text
books is now insufficient for the preparation of the prelims and in depth reading is required to handle such
questions. The best way should be to adopt an integrated approach for preparation combining it with Mains,
and one should make efforts to understand the principles and then strive to find their applications in daily life.
The new addition in the syllabus since 2011 is on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change. So
it is wise to prepare these areas from the view-point of the Main Examination.
Considering the nature of the examination the tactics must be to focus on greater rather than intensive
coverage. One is expected to know everything at the same time. However, only basics of each of the discipline
are needed, so aspirants study basic concepts and facts as possible, avoiding the in depth preparations at
Prelims stage.
Tips & Strategies for GS/CSAT Paper 2
The Prelims Paper II (CSAT) assesses comprehension, abstract reasoning, analysis competency, problem
solving ability, judgment and decision making ability of the candidates. Unlike paper 1 where quantity of
questions is a major determinant for the static section, paper 2 cannot be tamed without solving dynamic
questions that requires on the spot mental ability.
Paper-II Syllabus comprises of seven subjects and is in the nature of Aptitude Test.
Comprehension,
Interpersonal skills including communication skills,
Logical reasoning and analytical ability,
Decision making and problem solving,

28
General mental ability,
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.),
Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc.).
There are simple preparation tips to score well in the CSAT (Prelims) - PAPER II:
Identify strong areas of comprehension and aptitude the aspirants have in.
Solve these questions first to ensure that they get the answers right.
Do not waste too much time if get stuck in a particular question.
They should at least be 70% sure of the answer if do not want to lose too many marks in negative marking.
Practise as many mock tests as possible to be aware of what kind of mistakes they make while solving different
kind of problems or aptitude questions.
Practise questions on Permutations & Combinations, Logical Reasoning and Probability.
SUBJECT-WISE PLANNING FOR PRELIMS
Planning for Current Events
Current Affairs questions are asked from the core disciplines or say subjects, for example, science and
technology, Polity, History, Geography, Economics, and environment. So, we must give importance to current
affairs from all perspectives, i.e. subjects, Prelim, Main and Personality Test.
These questions can be asked based on Government Initiatives/Policies, policies of India which have
international importance– Look East Policy, International Institutions – IMF, WB, UNSC, etc. International
Agreements – Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), etc. Human Rights Issues, Social Sector Initiatives, Sustainable
Development, etc.

Syllabus of IAS Exam

SYLLABUS
A. Syllabus for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examinations
Paper I - General Studies (200 marks/Duration: 2 hours)
Current Affairs: 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, Bio-diversity and Climate Change (that do not require subject
specialization).
General Science.
Paper II – Aptitude (200 marks/Duration: 2 hours)
Comprehension
Interpersonal skills including communication skills
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision-making and problem-solving
General mental ability

29
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level),
Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. - Class X level)
[Note: Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum
qualifying marks fixed at 33%]
B. Syllabus for Civil Services (Main) Examinations
Paper-A and B:
There will be two qualifying papers in any Indian language and English each of 300 marks.
The aim of the paper is to test the candidates ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and
how they express their ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian Language concerned.
The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows:
Paper-A: Indian Languages:
Comprehension of given passages
Precis Writing
Usage and Vocabulary
Short Essays
Translation from English to the Indian language and vice-versa.
Paper-B: English
Comprehension of given passages
Precis Writing
Usage and Vocabulary
Short Essays
[Note 1: The Papers on Indian Languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will
be of qualifying nature only. The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.
Note 2: The 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-250 Marks
Candidates are required to write two essays on a specific topic. The choice of subjects will be given. They are
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.
Paper-II
General Studies-I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society (250 marks).
Indian culture covers 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. and their
forms and effect on the society.
30
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
Role of women and women’s organizations, 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 subcontinent);
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-III
General Studies-II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations (250 marks).
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 neighbourhood- relations.
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

31
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-IV
General Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster
Management) of 250 marks which may include following topics:
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, nano-technology, 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 non-state 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-V
General Studies -IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) of 250 marks which may include following topics:
This paper will include questions to test the candidates’ 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 utilise 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
32
values.
Attitude: content, structure, functions; 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 the 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.

PAPER-VI & PAPER VII

Optional Subject Papers I & II
List of optional subjects for Main Examination:
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Anthropology, Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering,
Commerce and Accountancy, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geography, Geology, History, Law,
Management; Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science
and International Relations, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics and Zoology.
Literature of any one of the following languages:
Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri,
Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English.
Candidates may choose any optional subject from the list of subjects.

33
[Note: The candidates would be allowed to use any one language from the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution
or English as the medium of writing the examination.

Indian Constitution Parts and Schedules

Constitution of India is the longest written document of India and is the Supreme law of our country.
Formulation of this document began on 6 December 1946 and it completed on 26 November 1949 but came
into force on 26 January 1950.
The time when the Constitution was formed, it had 395 articles divided in 22 parts and 8 schedules. But after
many Amendments , it now have 448 articles in 25 parts, 12 schedules.
Parts of Indian Constitution:
Parts Subject Articles

Part I The Union and its territory Art. 1 to 4

Part II Citizenship Art. 5 to 11

Part III Fundamental Rights Art. 12 to 35

Part IV Directive Principles Art. 36 to 51

Part IVA Fundamental Duties Art. 51A

The Union
Chapter I - The Executive (Art.52 to 78) Chapter II - Parliament (Art.79 to 122)
Part V Chapter III - Legislative Powers of President (Art.123) Art. 52 to 151
Chapter IV - The Union Judiciary (Art. 124 to 147)
Chapter V - Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (Art.148 to 151)

The States
Chapter I - General (Art.152)
Chapter II - The Executive (Art.153 to 167)
Part VI Chapter III - The State Legislature (Art.168 to 212) Art. 152 to 237
Chapter IV - Legislative Powers of Governor (Art.213)
Chapter V - The High Courts (Art.214 to 232)
Chapter VI - Subordinate Courts (Art.233 to 237)

States in the B part of the First schedule

Part VII
Repealed by Const. (7th Amendment) Act, 1956

Part VIII The Union Territories Art. 239 to 242

Part IX The Panchayats Art. 243 to 243O

Part IXA The Muncipalities Art. 243P to 243ZG

Part IXB Co-operative Societies Art. 243H to 243ZT

Part X The Scheduled and Tribal Areas Art. 244 to 244A

Relations between the Union and the States

Part XI Chapter I - Legislative Relations (Art.245 to 255) Art. 245 to 263
Chapter II - Administrative Relations (Art.256 to 263)

34
 Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits
Chapter I - Finance (Art.264 to 291)
Chapter II - Borrowing (Art.292 to 293)
Part XII Art. 264 to 300A
Chapter III - Property, Contracts, Rights, Liabilities, Obligations and Suits
(Art.294 to 300)
Chapter IV - Right to Property (Art.300-A)
Part XIII Trade, Commerce and Intercourse within the Territory of India Art. 301 to 307

Part XIV Services under the Union and the States Art. 308 to 323

Part XIVA Tribunals Art. 323A to 323B

Part XV Elections Art. 324 to 329A

Part XVI Special provisions relation to certain classes Art. 330 to 342
Official Language
Chapter I - Language of the Union (Art.343 to 344)
Chapter II - Regional Languages (Art.345 to 347)
Part XVII Art. 343 to 351
Chapter III-Language of the Supreme Court, High Courts, and so on (Art.348 to
349)
Chapter IV-Special Directives (Art.350 to 351)
Part XVIII Emergency Provisions Art. 352 to 360

Part XIX Miscellaneous Art. 361 to 367

Part XX Amendment of the Constitution Art. 368

Part XXI Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions Art. 369 to 392

Part XXII Short title, commencement, authoritative text in Hindi and repeals A Art. 393 to 395

Indian Constitution Schedules:

Indian Constitution originally had eight schedules. Four more schedules were added by different amendments,
now making a total tally of twelve. Schedules are basically tables which contains additional details not
mentioned in the articles.
Indian Constitution Schedules 1- 12
First schedule - The list of states and union territories and their territories
Second schedule - Provisions of the President, Governors of States, Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House
of the People and the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of States and the Speaker and the Deputy
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council of a State,
the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts and the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India the list of
states and union territories and their territories.
Third Schedule - The Forms of Oaths or Affirmations
Fourth Schedule - Provisions as to the allocation of seats in the Council of States.
Fifth Schedule - Provisions as to the Administration and Control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes
Sixth Schedule - Provisions as to the Administration of Tribal Areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and
Mizoram.
Seventh Schedule - The Union list, State list and the concurrent list.
Eighth Schedule - The list of recognized languages
Ninth Schedule - Provisions as to validation of certain Acts and Regulations.
Tenth Schedule - Provisions as to disqualification on ground of defection.
Eleventh Schedule - The powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats.
Twelfth Schedule -The powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities.

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 Success Stories of Toppers
Tapasya Parihar
This feisty woman from an underdeveloped village of Narsinghpur has bagged 23rd rank in the
UPSC results announced on Friday. Tapasya Parihar hails from Jowa village that has just over 800
people. It’s about 10km from Narsinghpur district headquarters and has a literacy rate of 63%.
The law student cracked the exam in just her second attempt after she failing to get through the preliminary
examination in her first appearance. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took to Twitter to praise the
“farmer’s daughter from Narsinghpur”. “Madhya Pradesh is proud of her daughter. Go ahead and achieve
more success. My blessings are with you,” he tweeted.

M Sivaguru Prabakaran
In 2004, M Sivaguru Prabakaran gave up his dream of pursuing an engineering degree as his family couldn’t
afford the money to help him attend counselling session in Chennai. What followed was an extraordinary
tale of grit and determination that took the son of an alcoholic from Melaottankadu village in Pattukottai in
Thanjavur district to the platforms of the St Thomas Mount Railway Station and the hallways of IIT Madras.
In the near future, as an IAS officer, he could possibly move to the hallowed precincts of Fort St George. An
alcoholic father meant that much of the earning burden fell on his mother and sister, who made ends meet
weaving coconut fronds. When he couldn’t pursue engineering, he decided to work to support the family. “I
worked as a sawmill operator for two years and did a bit of farming. Whatever money I could muster, I spent
some towards my family and saved some for my education. I wasn’t prepared to let go of my dreams,” he said.

Ansar Ahmad Shaikh (21 yrs old)- Auto Driver’s Son

Ansar Ahmad Shaikh has become the youngest candidate to crack the UPSC Civil Services exam at the age of
21 with an all India rank of 361 in his very first attempt in 2015. Ansar sheikh, the son of an auto-rickshaw
driver and brother of a mechanic, hails from a marginalised family from the Jalna village of Maharashtra.
Despite his vulnerable economic conditions, Ansar excelled in studies from the very start and landed in the
prestigious college course of B. A in Political Science, Pune. Driven by a strong will, he used to work 12 hours
a day straight for three consecutive years while preparing for his UPSC exam.
He has defied all odds, including religious discrimination, to crack the most prestigious competitive UPSC
examination of India. Coming from a poor conservative Muslim family, his achievement is really worth
applauding. He has become a source of inspiration for many poor aspirants trying hard to make a mark in this
world of cut-throat competition.
According to this budding civil servant, coming from a backward underdeveloped region and belonging to a
minority community has acted more as an insight for him to study the horizontal differences that exist in the
society. Moreover, his first-hand tryst with social ostracisation has also provided him with vivid solutions to
such deep-rooted problems as an administrator.

Kuldeep Dwivedi (27 yrs old) IPS- Security Guard’s Son

Kuldeep Dwivedi has managed to secure an all India rank 242 in the civil service exam conducted by UPSC in
2015. Kuldeep Dwivedi, son of a security Guard at Lucknow University has proved that no obstacle is too great
to stop your will to succeed. His father Surya Kant Dwivedi works at the University of Lucknow as a security
guard and struggles to make end meets for his family of five.
But Surya Kant’s feeble economic conditions didn’t stop him from encouraging his son to pursue a career in
the most beloved job in the Indian society. He supported his son’s ambition morally as well as economically
as much as he could. Even after the results were declared, it was difficult for the whole family to believe that

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their youngest son has achieved such a great milestone in life.
It took time for Kuldeep Dwivedi to explain to his family what it meant to rank in the Civil Services Examination
conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). He is youngest of three brothers and a sister,
wanted to become a Civil Servant since he was a child.
Kuldeep Dwivedi graduated in 2009 from Allahabad University and completed his post graduation in 2011. He
has proved that hard work is not dependent on circumstances and keeping faith in the most important ability.
His success is a shining example of determination and single-minded focus.

What do toppers say?

“There was always a latent desire in me to prepare for civil services as this is considered to be the most
prestigious service. But the desire got wings during my job at Oil India Limited where I got exposed to the
ways administration can help people. Moreover, I also got an opportunity to serve as Presiding Officer in two
different elections which strengthened my conviction for civil services.” - Abhilash Baranwal
“I used to analyze where my demotivation is coming from; and I worked on that. Solving the problem which
is the reason behind the lack of motivation is very important.” - Anu Kumari
“Patience and perseverance are a sine qua non for this exam. There’s no one formula, but, self analyzing the
pulse of UPSC, trusting intuition regarding what information is or is not important as segregation is vital when
there’s overload of material.” - Vallari Mahendra Gaikwad

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38
The roots of
Education are bitter,
but the fruit is Sweet.
-Aristotle