In this article, we shall know the complete details of UPSC Exams. How can you become an IAS officer? Let’s begin our article, UPSC Syllabus 2022 pdf
By – Jitendra and Poonam (UPSC Aspirants)
Table of Contents
- What is U.P.S.C Job?
- Who Started U.P.S.C in India?
- Who is U.P.S.C’s current Chairman?
- What is the Function of U.P.S.C
- What are the Eligibility Criteria?
- UPSC syllabus 2021 pdf
- Phase- I Civil Services Objective Type (Preliminary)
- Syllabus for General Studies
- Phase –II Civil Services Descriptive Type (Main)
- List of Optional Subject
- Phase – 3 Interviews or Personality Test – 275 Marks
- Job Categories in UPSC
- Types of civil Services
- What is the Salary of an I.A.S officer?
- What are the facilities provided to U.P.S.C Officers?
- Training in LBSNAA
- What is Daily Routine at LBSNAA?
- Training Programme of Officers Trainee
- 1.Foundation Course
- 2.Bharat Darshan:
- Table of Officers Trainee Academy
- 3.District Training
- Training Experience at LBSNAA
- What is Cadre in UPSC?
- List of UPSC Toppers
- List of UPSC Books
- Indian History and Culture
- Indian Geography and Old Geography
- Indian Polity and Constitution
- Indian Economy
- Science and Technology
- General Studies II: (Civil Services Aptitude Test CSAT)
- Best English Grammar and Translation Book
- Best Essay Books for UPSC
- Current Affairs
What is U.P.S.C Job?
The full form of U.P.S.C (Union Public Service Commission) is the central recut ring agency in India.
It is an Independent Constitutional body mentioned in Articles 315 to 323 in Part 14 of the constitution.
It contains elaborate provisions regarding the composition, appointments, and removal of members-only with the independent powers and functions of the UPSC.
Who Started U.P.S.C in India?
Charles Cornwallis is the father of Civil Services in India. It was known as I.C.S (Imperial Civil Service) in British Rules.
Who is U.P.S.C’s current Chairman?
The UPSC consist of a chairman and other members appointed by the President of India.
The first U.P.S.C Chairman was Sir Ross (October 1926). Professor Pradeep Kumar Joshi is the current chairman of U.P.S.C.
What is the Function of U.P.S.C
It conducts examinations for all Indian Services, Central Services, and Public Services of the centrally administrated territories.
It assists the state (if requested by two or more states to do so) in framing and operating schemes of joint recruitment for any services for which candidates possessing special qualification is required.
The Civil Services Examination (C.S.E) is a nationwide competitive examination in India for the recruitment to the various civil services of the Government including I.A.S, I.P.S, I.F.S ( Forest and Foreign) Services.
What are the Eligibility Criteria?
Cracking UPSC becomes very easy with the right strategies. The selection percentage is a few because an aspirant has to qualify three stages to become a civil servant – Prelims, Mains and Interview.
Following are the eligibility criteria required:
The age will be calculated from the birth year to the 1st, August of the notification year.
Category | Age Limit | No. of Attempts |
General | 32 | 6 |
O.B.C | 35 | 9 |
SC/ST | 37 | unlimited (untill age expire) |
EWS (Economically Weaker Section) | 32 | 6 |
Defence Service Personnel | 35 | 9 |
Physsically Disabled | 35 | 9 |
The aspirant must be graduated with any stream from well-recognized colleges/universities.
The bachelor appearing candidates can also apply for the Preliminary Examination but he has to show submit the proof of bachelor degree while giving the main exam.
The aspirant having any professional or technical degree is also eligible for IAS Exam.
UPSC syllabus 2021 pdf
The UPSC Civil Services Exam is conducted in three phases.
Phase- I Civil Services Objective Type (Preliminary)
It is the first stage of the UPSC Exam that can be also given by an appearing Bachelor candidate.
The Preliminary Exam is composed of two components. To qualify for the Civil Services Prelims, an aspirant must attempt and clear both papers.
1. General Studies I: This is of objective type exam for 200 marks and duration is 2hrs.
2.General Studies II: (Civil Services Aptitude Test CSAT): This is also an objective type exam for 200 marks and duration is 2hrs.
Syllabus for General Studies
Paper I
Subject | Detailed Syllabus |
Geography Geography of India and Concep t of Physical Geogrpahy | Physical Geography Human Geography Economic Geography World Geography |
Polity Indian Polity and Governance Issues | Union Executives State Executives Federalism in India Judicial System Panchayati Raj |
History History of India and Indian Freedom Struggle | Ancient History of India Medieval History of India Modern History 1857 to 1947 Indian National Movement
|
Economy Indian Economy and Social Development | Basic Principles of Indian Economy Social Schemes of Government Social Development Through Economic Empowerment Sustainable Development Demographics
|
General Science Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Technology | General Principles Latest Science and Technological Development |
Environment and Ecology | General Principles Climate Change and Climate Summits and Conferences |
Current Events It covers all the events of National and International Importance | Current Affairs Current affairs with all dimensions |
Paper-II
Reading Comprehension |
English Language Comprehension Skill (Based on Class 10th) |
Interpersonal skills including communication skills |
Logical reasoning and analytical ability |
General mental ability |
Data Interpretation |
Phase –II Civil Services Descriptive Type (Main)
The candidate qualifying Preliminary Exam will further be eligible for Mains Exam. It is a descriptive type of exam. It includes 9 papers with a sum of 1750 marks of which two are qualifying papers of 300 marks each.
The two qualifying papers are:
1. One of the Indian Languages (Allowed by UPSC) 300 Marks
2.English Language paper 300 Marks
Structure of language paper (Qualifying Papers)
1. Short Essays
2. Comprehension of the given passages
3. Précis Writing – 60 Marks
4. Translation from English to Indian Language and vice-versa
5. Grammar and Basic language usage -40 marks
The next seven papers can be written in any language prescribed in the constitution of India.
Paper 3 Essay – 250 Marks
An essay on a specific topic has to be attempted in the candidate’s language choice.
Paper – 4 GS Paper – I 250 Marks
- Indian Heritage and Culture
- Indian History
- Indian Society
- World History
- World Geography
- Geo- physical phenomena
Paper 5 GS Paper II – 250 Marks
- Indian Constitution
- India’s relation with neighbouring countries
- International institutions
- Role of Civil Services in a democracy
- Governance
- Polity
- Social Justice and International relations
- Welfares Schemes
- Statutory
- Regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies
Paper – 6 GS Paper III 250 Marks
- Environment
- Economic Development
- Indian Economy and its various sectors
- Inclusive Growth
- Government budgeting
- Land Reforms
- Biodiversity
- Security and Disaster Management
- Technology
Paper 7 GS Paper IV 250 Marks
- Attitude
- Aptitude
- Emotional Intelligence
- Ethics and Human Interface
- Public or Civil Service Value
- Probity in Governance
- Case studies on the above topics
Paper 8 Optional Paper – I 250 Marks
- Opted by the Aspirant
Paper – 9 250 Marks
- Opted by the Aspirant
List of Optional Subject
1.Agriculture
2.Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
3.Anthropology
4.Botany
5.Chemistry
6.Civil Engineering
7.Commerce and Accountancy
8.Economics
9.Electrical Engineering
10.Geography
11.Geology
12.History
13.Law
14.Management
15.Mathematics
16.Mechanical Engineering
17.Medical Science
18.Philosophy
19.Physics
20.Political Science and International Relations
21.Psychology
22.Public Administration
23.Sociology
24.Statistics
25.Zoology
Phase – 3 Interviews or Personality Test – 275 Marks
The Personality Test will be conducted for 275 Marks.
The written examination is of 1750 and the final merit list will be prepared on 2025 Marks.
The Interview is just to explore the mental and analytical ability of the candidate.
Job Categories in UPSC
There are mainly three categories of civil services – All India Civil Services, Group ‘A’ Civil Services, and Group ‘B’ Civil Services. Among them, the most popular services are the Indian Administrative Service (I.A.S), Indian Police Services (I.P.S), Indian Revenue Service (I.R.S), and Indian Foreign Service (I.F.S). The service is allotted to the candidates based on ranking.
Types of civil Services
There are mainly three types of Civil Services.
1.All India Civil Services
a. Indian Administrative Service (I.A.S)
b. Indian Police Service (I.P.S)
c. Indian Forest Service (IFoS)
2.Group – ‘A’ Civil Services
a.Indian Revenue Service (I.R.S)
b.Indian Foreign Service (I.F.S)
c.Indian Corporate Law Service (I.C.L.S)
d.Indian Postal Service (I.P.o.S)
e.Indian Audit and Accounts Service (I.A.A.S)
f.Indian Civil Accounts Service (I.C.A.S)
g.Indian Defence Accounts Service (I.D.A.S)
h.Indian Defence Estates Service (I.D.E.S)
i.Indian Information Service (I.I.S)
j.Indian Ordnance Factories Service (I.O.F.S)
k.Indian Communication Finance Services (I.C.F.S)
l.Indian Railway Accounts Service (I.R.A.S)
m.Indian Railway Personnel Service (I.R.P.S)
n.Indian Railway Traffic Service (I.R.T.S)
o.Indian Trade Service (I.T.S)
p.Railway Protection Force (R.P.F)
3.Group ‘B’ Civil Services
a.Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service
b.Delhi Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (D.A.N.I.C.S)
c.Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service (D.A.N.I.P.S)
d.Pondicherry Civil Service
e.Pondicherry Police Service.
What is the Salary of an I.A.S officer?
The basic pay of an I.A.S officer starts at 56,100 per month after the recommendation of the 7th pay commission.
The highest salary, 2,50,000 per month is given to a Cabinet Secretary.
Apart from the salary, An I.A.S officer gets Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, Medical Allowance, Travel allowance, and many others. The salary varies as per their levels.
What are the facilities provided to U.P.S.C Officers?
The officers get a big residence bungalow with a garden in it.
They are provided with a very comfortable and luxurious vehicle along with a chauffeur as the mean of transport.
They are provided cooks, maidservants, gardeners, and security officers 24X7.
All their expenses are managed by the government of India.
Pension and Post-retirement Perks
A civil servant gets a lifetime pension and post-retirement benefits. They can be appointed to various commissions as heads and several times Government of India appoints them as the highest post.
Training in LBSNAA
LBSNAA stands for Lal Bhadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. It is named after our former Prime Minister Lt. Lal Bhadur Shastri. It was founded in 1958 in Uttrakhand state.
It is situated in Mussoorie, 35 km by road from the railhead at Dehradun and some 270 km. north of Delhi and is a top training centre for civil service in India. It is at a height of 6580ft and spreads in 189 acres.
All the officers are trained at LBSNAA. UPSC conducts a common exam for all services and later categories as per secured ranks.
All the selected candidates are trained together for three months under a common foundation course. Later, they are shifted to different places according to their services.
Different Workshops and seminars are held from time to time in LBSNAA to keep the officers motivated and enhance their skills.
All the fitness and physical activities sessions are done. The officers also celebrate the festivals of their religion.
After the completion of training, the trainees get a degree of M.A in public management.
What is Daily Routine at LBSNAA?
Morning Schedule: an Officer Trainee (O.T) gets up by 6 am for morning exercise at the Polo Ground for 60 minutes.
Thereafter, They get an hour and a half to get ready with breakfast and report for the classroom sessions. The session begins at 9:30 am.
Afternoon Schedule: Almost 5-6 sessions are given of about 55 minutes. The classes are taken on various subjects of social, political, History, economics, Law, ICT, Public Administration and Management, and Behavioral Science.
Evening Schedule: The evening routine is not fixed. The routine varies from time to time for extra-curricular activities, sports, riding.
The OT shares their daily experience at the dinner table and plans their next day.
Training Programme of Officers Trainee
1.Foundation Course
The complete training period for the officers is 2 years. This starts from August to December.
All the selected candidates of Grade A Central Services and All India Services get an invitation letter to join the foundation course.
Later, trainees officers of different services are sent to their respective academics.
IFS officers go to the Foreign services Institute in New Delhi and I.P.S joins Sardar Vallabbhai Patel National Police Academy and I.A.S trainees continue their training at LBSNAA.
2.Bharat Darshan:
This is an educational tour for officers trainees. This lasts up to eight weeks.
The trainees visit many important places in India. They go to different PSUs, NGOs, and Armed services to collect very strong experiences.
They also get an opportunity to meet various district administrations.
Table of Officers Trainee Academy
Service | Institution | Location |
I A S | Lal Bhadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) | Mussoorie |
I P S | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) | Hyderabad |
I F S | Foreign Service Institute | New Delhi |
I Fo S | Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) | Dehradun |
I R S | National Academy of Direct Taxes | Nagpur |
2. Phase I- This phase usually takes place from Feb. to May that includes core training of IAS trainees.
3.District Training
In May, I.A.S gets posted in a different district as an Assistant Collector for almost 11 months to collect some ground experience.
4. Phase II- The O.Ts reach at Mussorie again for the next 2 months of training. They share their learning from phase I. Special sessions are organised with the distinguished subject matter expert.
5.At the final, all the Officers Trainees are deputed in New Delhi under the respective Joint Secretaries for some months.
Besides the learning, they get live working experience of the Central Government and Central State Co-ordination.
Training Experience at LBSNAA
There are four buildings- Karmashila, Dhruvshila, Gyanshila, Aadharshila for academic classes.
There are 3 buildings – Ganga, Kaveri, and Narmada for hostels.
The officer mess is within the academy. The place is full of brotherhood and fraternity.
The academy owns a large sports complex, a big library, computer centres with wi-fi for officers’ use.
What is Cadre in UPSC?
The state cadres have been categorized into five zones. The Officers Trainees have to select a cadre for service.
Zones | Cadres |
Zone I | AGMUT, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttrakhand |
Zone II | Bihar, Jharkhand, Odhisa and Uttar Pradesh |
Zone III | Chattishgarh, Gujrat, Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh |
Zone IV | Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura Sikkim and West Bengal |
Zone V | Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu |
List of UPSC Toppers
Topper Name | State | Year |
Pradeep Singh | Haryana | 2019 |
Kanishka Kataria | Rajasthan | 2018 |
Anudeep Durishetty | Telangana | 2017 |
Nanini | Karnataka | 2016 |
Tina Dabi | Delhi | 2015 |
Ira Singhal | Delhi | 2014 |
Gaurav Agarwal | Rajasthan | 2013 |
Haritha V Kumar | Kerala | 2012 |
Sneha Aggarwal | Haryana | 2011 |
S Divyadarshini | Tamil Nadu | 2010 |
List of UPSC Books
Ncert Books (from 6th to 12th Social Studies) Visit the NCERT Website
Indian History and Culture
1.India’s Ancient Past By R S Sharma
2.History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
3. History of Modern India by Bipin Chandra
4. India’s Struggle for Independence (For Mains Only) by Bipin Chandra
5. Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
6. History of Modern India by Raji v Ahir ( Spectrum Books)
Indian Geography and Old Geography
1.Oxford School Atlas
2. Geography of India by Majid Husain
3. Physical and Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong
Indian Polity and Constitution
1.Indian Polity for Civil Service Examination by M. Laxmikant
2. Introduction to the Constitution of India (For Mains Only) by D.D Basu
Indian Economy
1.Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
Science and Technology
1.Science and Technology by Ravi P. Agrahari
General Studies II: (Civil Services Aptitude Test CSAT)
1.Analytical Reasoning by M. K Pandey
2. Verbal and Non- verbal Reasoning by R.S Agrawal
Best English Grammar and Translation Book
Best Essay Books for UPSC
1.151 Essays for IAS /PCS or Other Competitive Exams (English Edition) by Disha Experts
2.Select Essays for Civil Services Examination (English Edition)
3.Essay for Civil Services Examination by Pulkit Khare (English Edition)
4.Essay for UPSC Civil Services (Hindi Edition) by Nishant Jain (I.A.S) and Ganga Singh Rajpurohit (I.A.S)
5.Nibandh (Hindi Edition) by Drishti IAS
Current Affairs
1.Indian Year Book
2.Yojna Magazine
3.Kurukshetra Magazine
4.Science Reporter
5.The Hindu and Indian Express Newspaper
6.Rajya Sabha T.V
7.Press information Bureau
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Nice sir jee….and thanks
welcome
There is good information for UPSC and it is very helpfull for the students who prepare for upsc
Thanks a lot
Thank U so much dear Pawan sir .. for the wonderful opportunity.. it’s an amazing mind blowing and informative article anyone can understand easily to the process of UPSC preparation and it’s a one of the most important or informative to the beginners who wants to be the part of the service …… Jai Hind
Thanks a lot
Thank you sir….
It’s a vryy nyc info for upsc aspirants
Please sir suggest books for upsc…. It’s my humble request to you….
You can check the book list for UPSC now….. It’s uploaded on my Website….
Thank you sir….
Please sir suggest books for upsc…. It’s my humble request to you….