Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks) Duration: Two hours

• 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
notrequire subject specialization.
• General Science.

Paper II-(200 marks) Duration : Two hours

• 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),
Datainterpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level);
Note 1 :Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with
minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.

Part B—Main Examination

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

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

The scope of the syllabus for optional subject papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) for the
examination is broadly of the honours degree 1evel i.e. a level higher than the bachelors' degree
and lower than the masters' degree. In the case of Engineering, Medical Science and law, the
levelcorresponds to the bachelors' degree.

Syllabi of the papers included in the scheme of Civil Services (Main) Examination are given as
follows :—
QUALIFYING PAPERS ON INDIAN LANGUAGES AND ENGLISH
 The aim of the paper is to test the candidates' ability to read and understand serious
discursive prose, and to express ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian language
concerned.
The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows :
(i) Comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing.
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essays.

Indian Languages :—
(i) comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing.
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essays.
(v) Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa.
Note 1 : The papers on Indian Languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent
standard and will be of qualifying nature only. The marks obtained in these papers will not be
counted for ranking.

PAPER-I
Essay: Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected tokeep
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.
• Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from
ancient to modern times.
• Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present-
significant events, personalities, issues.
• The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions
fromdifferent parts of the country.
• Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

• History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution,
world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political
philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.
• Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

• Role of women and women's organization, population and associated issues, poverty
anddevelopmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
• Effects of globalization on Indian society.
 • Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

• Salient features of world's physical geography.

• Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian
sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector
industries in various parts of the world (including India).
• Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity,
cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features
(including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

PAPER-III
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International
relations.
• Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments,
significantprovisions and basic structure.
• Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining
tothe 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
theirrole in the Polity.
• Salient features of the Representation of People's Act.

• Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities

ofvarious Constitutional Bodies.
• Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues
arisingout of their design and implementation.
• Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs,
variousgroups 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
theprotection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
• Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to
Health,Education, Human Resources.
• Issues relating to poverty and hunger.

• Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance-

applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency
&accountability and institutional and other measures.
• Role of civil services in a democracy.
 • India and its neighborhood- relations.

• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting
India's interests.
• Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's
interests,Indian diaspora.
• Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

PAPER-IV
General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment,
Security and Disaster Management
• Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources,
growth,development and employment.
• Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
• Government Budgeting.
• Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, - different types of irrigation
and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues
andrelated 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
andfood security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
• Food processing and related industries in India- scope' and significance, location,
upstreamand downstream requirements, supply chain management.
• Land reforms in India.
• Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects
onindustrial 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
anddeveloping new technology.
• Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-
technologyand 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-
launderingand its prevention.
 • Security challenges and their management in border areas - linkages of organized crime
withterrorism.
• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.
PAPER-V
General Studies- IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
• This paper will include questions to test the 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-
humanactions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships. Human
Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and
administrators; role offamily society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
• Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour;
moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
• Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and
non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion
towards the weaker-sections.
• Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and
governance.
• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
• Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems;
ethicalconcerns 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
ofEthics, 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
Candidate may choose any optional subject from amongst the List of Optional Subjects given
in Para 2.