Which is the easiest optional subject in UPSC syllabus?

Hi Vikas, Choosing an optional is a difficult task. One can't choose an optional based on one's academic background. It depends on the factors like - Availability of the material Availability of reliable faculty / mentor with a proven track record. For eg., M. K. Mohanty for Public Administration (Synergy), Upendra's for Sociology (runs his classes in South Delhi), etc. One needs to also figure out their own way of understanding and interest in any particular subject. Good luck.

Is sociology the best scoring subject for UPSC?

There is no best-scoring optional subject in the UPSC. This is because optional markings vary as per trends, which change every year. Usually these are popular optional subjects: 1. Sociology 2. Anthropology 3. Political Science 4. Geography 5. Public Administration These five subjects have higher score trends and are more popular among aspirants. The sociology optional syllabus is comparatively less demanding and can be completed in three months. Also, you have a better chance of scoring well in this subject with good writing practice. However, toppers have scored well in subjects such as mathematics, literature, and Physics as well. This shows that if you have good command over your subject, you can do well in any optional. Therefore, your criteria for choosing an optional must be your interest and study level.

How to choose optional subject for the exam UPSC. Mathematics is a good optional subject for this exam?

It should be a subject to which you are familiar and is of our interest. Some subjects like Public Administration, Sociology, History, Political Science are easy to grasp and are in allignment with subject matter of general studies. You can choose subjects - of graduation / PG - of your interest - which is easy to prepare Mathematics is a good and scoring choice if you have good comment over concepts. You can also consult a experienced person teaching for IAS preparation for more guidance.

What are the five fundamental subjects of IAS syllabus?

The candidates should prepare the five fundamental subjects as mentioned for the IAS prelims exam. These fundamental subjects are History Geography Economy Polity Current Affairs Environment issues General Science The candidates should also prepare the Environmental issues because they have gained more importance in the recent years.

What are the key features of the IES syllabus?

The key features of the IES (Indian Engineering Services) syllabus include a comprehensive coverage of various subjects and stages as outlined by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the Engineering Services Examination (ESE). Here are the main features: Preliminary Exam: This stage includes two papers - Paper-I covering General Studies and Engineering Aptitude, and Paper-II focusing on specific engineering disciplines like Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics & Telecommunication engineering. Main Exam: The Main exam comprises two conventional type papers in Engineering Discipline specific to the candidate's chosen field, each lasting three hours with a maximum of 600 marks (300 Marks in each paper). Importance of Syllabus: Understanding the IES syllabus is crucial for candidates aiming to excel in the exam, as it is based on the engineering graduation curriculum and helps in preparing for various technical managerial posts in sectors like Railways, Telecom, Border Roads, CPWD, and more. These features collectively define the structure, subjects, and focus areas of the IES syllabus, guiding candidates in their preparation for the Engineering Services Examination.

Which topics are mentioned in the IAS Ethics Syllabus for the main exam?

The Ethics paper in the UPSC IAS main exam is a relatively new paper. It is recently introduced and the candidates are required to prepare all the topics mentioned in the official syllabus and the case studies. The candidates face difficulty in answering the questions having case studies because the questions have the inter-twined problem involving the problem related to more than one basic principle of probity in the administration. The candidates are tested for their clarity of the behaviour in the Public life. It tests, how the candidate prioritise and choose from the various options available to them. The UPSC mentioned the following broad topics in the IAS Ethics Syllabus: Ethics and Human Interface: Attitude Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Emotional intelligence Probity in Governance Ethics, Codes of Conduct

How many hours of study are required for IAS?

All the IAS toppers and mentors suggest that a consistent and quality study of 8-10 hours over a period of over one year is required in IAS preparation. The number of hours does not matter, it is the quality of study that matters. The candidates should read, understand, learn extensively. Moreover, the candidates should think the solution of the ongoing Socio-Economic problems of the Common man and devise a sustainable solution to those problems. The Study of hours will also depend on the affinity of the candidate towards a subject, their previous knowledge and the stage of exam for which they are preparing.

Can I opt for maths as an optional subject in UPSC?

Hi Saumy, Yes, you can opt for mathematics as an optional subject for UPSC civil services examination. Some of the popular books for the paper I are: Linear Algebra : Schaums outline on Linear Algebra: this book has explained linear algebra in a far better and simpler manner than Krishna Series. Due to its clarity, it can be read quickly also. Krishna Series on Matrices Calculus : Krishna Series on Differential calculus Krishna Series on Integral calculus Mathematical Analysis by Malik and Arora : a must read book for both Paper I and II Analytical Geometry : Krishna Series on Analytical Geometry : this book is better than Shantinarayan and has many solved examples Krishna Series on Analytical Solid Geometry : for Conicoids, Generating Lines Ordinary Differential Equations: Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations by MD Raisinghania Advanced Differential Equations by MD Raisinghania : required for Laplace Transforms (Paper-I) and Boundary value problems (Paper-II) Dynamics and Statics Krishna Series on Statics Krishna Series on Dynamics Vector Analysis Krishna Series on Vector Calculus (~ 330 pages) Schaums outline on Vector Analysis For Paper II: Abstract Algebra: This being my favourite topic, I had referred many books. But as many candidates find this topic tough, I would suggest referring to following books. Abstract Algebra, Group Theory by R Kumar (Vardhaman Publications) Abstract Algebra, Ring Theory by R Kumar (Vardhaman Publications) Abstract Algebra by Joseph Gallian (optional) Real Analysis: Mathematical Analysis by Malik and Arora Real Analysis by MD Raisinghania Complex Analysis: Krishna Series Linear Programming: Operations Research by JK Sharma or Kanti Swarup or Krishna Series Partial Differential Equations: ODE and PDE by MD Raisinghania Engineering Maths by Grewal : for boundary value problems Advanced Differential Equations by M.D Raisinghania (for boundary value problems) Numerical Analysis and Computer programming: Numerical Methods by Jain and Iyengar (but questions are not coming from this book from past few years) Numerical Analysis chapter from Grewal, Engineering Mathematics For Algorithms and flowcharts, I am having soft copy of a book which I will share. Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics: Fluid Dynamics by MD Raisinghania Krishna Series, Dynamics for Moment of Inertia and D Alemberts Principle Krishna Series, Rigid Dynamics for Lagrangian and Hamiltonian

Which are the best subject options for UPSC exam?

For choosing optional subject, you have to choose the subject of your interest, because optional subject is one wherein you can show all your creativity to score high marks. Also, you need to check the previous mark history of optional subjects and also the assistance which you get on choosing an optional subject. The most popular optional subjects among UPSC Aspirants are Anthropology, Sociology and Public Administration.

UPSC Syllabus 2024: Download Syllabus PDF for Prelims, Mains & Interview

Q: How many papers are there in the IAS main exam?

As the name suggest, the IAS main exam has 9 descriptive papers. The details of these papers are given below: Paper Description Marks A One of the Indian language to be selected by the candidate from the languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the constitution (Qualifying only) 300 B English (Qualifying Only) 300 1 Essay 250 2 General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) 250 3 General Studies –II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations) 250 4 General Studies –III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) 250 5 General Studies –IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) 250 6 Optional Subject - Paper 1 250 7 Optional Subject - Paper 2 250

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Rachit Kumar SaxenaManager-Editorial

Updated on Sep 5, 2024 17:28 IST

The selection in the UPSC exam depends on the ability of the candidates to answer the questions which are based on the topics of the syllabus and their dynamic interactions. The candidates should be able to answer those questions which are not directly linked to the UPSC syllabus. The Union Public Service Commission does not ask direct questions. The Commission ask multi-disciplinary questions in the UPSC prelims and main exam. The candidates are suggested to internalise the UPSC syllabus so that they can inter-relate the underlying concepts. The Commission conducted the UPSC CSE Prelims 2024 exam on June 16, 2024, based on the UPSC syllabus as notified in the official notification.

Also Read: UPSC Exam Timing 2024

The candidates are also expected to research and prepare the ancillary topics and the inter-relationship of the subjects. Nothing happens in isolation and everything is connected to everything. The candidates should incorporate this psychology in studying for the UPSC CSE 2024. UPSC syllabus covers all aspects of life and the candidates are required to prepare the UPSC syllabus topics and inferred sub-topics in that way. The UPSC 2024 syllabus provides the locus for the UPSC preparation. The candidates are required to internalise the syllabus and the UPSC CSE exam pattern before appearing in the exam. The UPSC syllabus and exam pattern go hand in hand in the preparation. Both these components are mentioned in the official notification only. The UPSC syllabus only provides the contours of topics and does not go into the details but actually, the candidates are expected to deep dive into the details of the topics mentioned in the syllabus.

Also Read: UPSC CSE Prelims Result 2024 Live Updates

Table of Contents

UPSC Syllabus 2024
UPSC Syllabus 2024 - Ethics Paper
UPSC Syllabus: List of Optional Subjects
UPSC Syllabus 2024 - Optional Subjects
Syllabus of Other UPSC Exams
UPSC 2024 Exam Pattern
UPSC Syllabus 2024 FAQs

UPSC Syllabus 2024

The Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) did not change the UPSC syllabus and continued with the old syllabus and exam pattern. The Commission will conduct the UPSC prelims exam based on the UPSC CSE 2024 syllabus as mentioned in the official notification. The candidates should prepare the UPSC syllabus in an integrated manner because there is no limit of question which can be asked in the UPSC Prelims exam. UPSC prelims syllabus is not very well defined and the candidates require a proper explanation for each topic given in the UPSC notification. UPSC Syllabus 2024 pdf is available here after the release of the official notification. UPSC's main syllabus with factual and current enhancements can serve the candidates for the prelims exam. UPSC 2024 recruitment process started with the release of notification. UPSC syllabus and exam pattern go hand in hand and hence explained here in the same way.

The candidates should prepare all the topics mentioned in the UPSC syllabus. The Commission releases the UPSC syllabus with the official notification every year. The candidates should read the official UPSC syllabus in the light of previous year question papers to know the most important and frequent topics asked in the UPSC exam. The candidates need to prepare the topics mentioned in the syllabus as well as the inter-relation of the topics with themselves and the current events occurring in the country and around the world. The candidates must prepare all the topics mentioned in the official syllabus because the Commission does not mention the weightage of any topic and can ask any number of questions from any topic.

The candidates can see below all the details about the UPSC CSE 2024 syllabus for prelims and the main exam. UPSC prelims syllabus as given in the official CSE notification is given below:

UPSC Syllabus for Prelims - General Studies Paper 1

As per the official notification, the UPSC prelims 2024 will be the qualifying exam only and the marks secured in the prelims exam will not be counted for the final UPSC result 2024.

Current events of national and international importance.
History of India and Indian National Movement
Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and Climate Change–that do not require subject specialisation.
General Science.

UPSC has given precedence to current events of national and international importance over others. This underlines the importance of current affairs in the IAS preparation. The current events are the most important component in the UPSC prelims 2024 exam because the current events section is not limited to India only. It has the highest vertical and horizontal expansion. It is the ever-increasing section where information is added on a daily basis. The candidates can see here the strategy to prepare Current Events of National and Internation importance.

See here: UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024 {in Detail}

UPSC Syllabus for Prelims - General Studies Paper 2(CSAT)

The UPSC CSAT paper comprises eighty questions. Each question carries 2.5 marks. The candidates need to secure only 33% marks in this paper to qualify the CSAT paper. The topics of the UPSC CSAT syllabus are given below.

Comprehension
Interpersonal skills including communication skills
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision-making and problem-solving
General mental ability
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.)(Class X level), data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. — Class X level)

UPSC Syllabus 2024 - Main Exam

The UPSC main exam is conducted as a descriptive exam. The candidates need to appear in all the papers and qualify in all the exam. It implies to score more than or equal to the UPSC cutoff for each paper and the overall cutoff for the main (written) exam. There are 9 descriptive-type papers in the UPSC main exam and the syllabus of all of them are released separately in the official notification.

UPSC Syllabus 2024 - General Studies I

The Commission notifies the General Studies paper I syllabus in detail as follows.

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

Salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times (Indian Culture)
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 18^th century such as the industrial revolution, world wars, re-drawal 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 the world’s physical geography
Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India)
Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, volcanic activity, cyclones etc., geographical features and their location changes in critical geographical features (including water bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes

Also Read: Most important topics for IAS 2022

UPSC Syllabus 2024 - General Studies Paper-II

This paper is most dynamic as the questions have been asked from the Current events of national and international importance.

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations

Constitution of India - 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 settings with other countries
Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, the 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 the 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

Also Read: Current Affairs 2022 Topics for IAS Exam

UPSC Syllabus 2024 - General Studies Paper III

This paper requires constant up-gradation of the notes because of the dynamic topics given in the IAS main syllabus.

Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, 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, 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, the role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cybersecurity; 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

UPSC Syllabus 2024 - Ethics Paper

The ethical aptitude of the candidates is tested in this paper. It was introduced recently in the IAS main exam scheme.

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

This paper will include questions to test the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced 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; the 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 nonpartisanship, 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 and challenges of corruption.
Case Studies on the above issues.

UPSC Syllabus: List of Optional Subjects

UPSC prescribes 25 optional subjects for the candidates to choose from. The optional subject carries 500 out of 1750 marks which is around 30 per cent of the total marks. So the candidates should select the optional subject wisely. The list of optional subjects is given below:

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
Zoology

UPSC List of Literature Optional Subjects

There are 23 literature subjects available as optional subjects. The candidates can choose the Literature of any one of the following languages as their optional subject:

Assamese	Bengali	Bodo
Dogri	Gujarati	Hindi
Kannada	Kashmiri	Konkani
Maithili	Malayalam	Manipuri
Marathi	Nepali	Odia
Punjabi	Sanskrit	Santhali
Sindhi	Tamil	Telugu
Urdu	English

The above list is taken from the official UPSC syllabus PDF. It can be changed in case the UPSC removes or add any other subject in the official list.

UPSC Syllabus 2024 - Optional Subjects

The candidates can download the UPSC syllabus 2023 for the optional subjects.

Download Here: UPSC Syllabus 2023 PDF

Syllabus of Other UPSC Exams

UPSC conducts various exams and the candidates should read and understand the UPSC syllabus for every exam before starting the UPSC preparation for that exam. The UPSC syllabus and the UPSC question paper both simultaneously define the locus of the UPSC preparation for any exam. The UPSC syllabus for various exams is given below.

UPSC CAPF Syllabus	IES Syllabus	UPSC CMS syllabus
CDS Syllabus	NDA Syllabus

The candidates can download the UPSC syllabus pdf for various exams from the links given above.

See here: UPSC Exam Calendar 2022-23

UPSC 2024 Exam Pattern

UPSC conducts the IAS exam every year to recruit candidates for various Group A and B services. The exam stages for the UPSC 2024 exam will be

Prelims Exam {Qualifying Only}
Main (written) Exam
Main (Personality Test)

UPSC prelims is a screening exam only, the marks secured in the UPSC prelims are not considered in final merit. UPSC prelims 2024 exam will comprise two objective-type question papers.

General Studies Paper-I
General Studies Paper-II (CSAT)

CSAT means Civil Services Aptitude Test. The second paper is popularly called as CSAT paper by the IAS aspirants. UPSC CSAT 2024 paper will be qualifying in nature only {within the prelims exam}. The candidates can see here the complete details about the UPSC IAS exam pattern.