Paper I - General Studies

No. of Questions100
Total Marks200
Duration2 Hours
Negative Marking-0.66
  • Current events of national and international importance.
  • History of India and the 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 (no subject specialization required).
  • General Science.

Paper II - CSAT

No. of Questions80
Total Marks200
Duration2 Hours
Negative Marking-0.83
  • 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)

Note: Paper II is qualifying in nature (minimum 33% marks required).

Mains Examination Overview

PaperSubjectMarks
Paper AIndian Language (Qualifying)300
Paper BEnglish (Qualifying)300
Paper IEssay250
Paper IIGS-I (History, Geography, Society)250
Paper IIIGS-II (Polity, Governance, IR)250
Paper IVGS-III (Tech, Econ, Bio-div, Security)250
Paper VGS-IV (Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude)250
Paper VIOptional Paper I250
Paper VIIOptional Paper II250
TotalWritten Test1750
Paper I: Essay
Candidates will be required to write essays on specific topics. Expected to keep closely to the subject, arrange ideas in orderly fashion, and write concisely.
Paper II: General Studies I
  • Indian Heritage and Culture, Art Forms, Literature and Architecture.
  • Modern Indian History (mid-18th century to present).
  • The Freedom Struggle.
  • Post-independence consolidation.
  • History of the World (Industrial revolution, world wars, colonization, etc.).
  • Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity, Role of Women, Poverty, Urbanization.
  • World’s Physical Geography, Natural Resources, Geophysical phenomena (earthquakes, Tsunami, etc.).
Paper III: General Studies II
  • Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations.
  • Functions of Union and States, Separation of powers.
  • Parliament and State Legislatures.
  • Structure of Executive and Judiciary.
  • Representation of People’s Act.
  • Government policies, Welfare schemes, NGOs, SHGs.
  • Issues relating to Poverty and Hunger.
  • Governance, Transparency, E-governance.
  • India and its neighborhood relations.
  • Bilateral, regional and global groupings.
Paper IV: General Studies III
  • Indian Economy, Resource mobilization, Inclusive growth, Budgeting.
  • Major crops, Irrigation, E-technology in aid of farmers.
  • Food processing, Land reforms.
  • Liberalization, Infrastructure (Energy, Ports, Roads, etc.).
  • Science and Technology (IT, Space, Robotics, Nano-tech).
  • Environment Conservation, Pollution, EIA.
  • Disaster Management.
  • Internal Security, Extremism, Cyber security, Money-laundering.
Paper V: General Studies IV
  • Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude.
  • Ethics and Human Interface.
  • Attitude: content, structure, function.
  • Aptitude for Civil Service (integrity, impartiality, empathy).
  • Emotional intelligence.
  • Moral thinkers from India and World.
  • Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration.
  • Probity in Governance (RTI, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters).
  • Case Studies on above issues.

Select a subject to view the detailed syllabus:

Agriculture
Paper I: Ecology, Cropping patterns, Forestry, Weeds, Soil science, Soil conservation, Irrigation, Farm management, Agricultural extension.

Paper II: Cell structure, Genetics, Plant breeding, Seed production, Plant physiology, Horticulture, Pests and diseases, Food production and nutrition.
Anthropology
Paper I: Meaning and scope, Human Evolution, Primates, Biological basis of life, Prehistoric Archaeology, Culture, Society, Marriage, Family, Kinship, Religion, Anthropological theories, Research methods, Human Genetics, Race.

Paper II: Indian Culture and Civilization (Paleolithic to Harappan), Caste system, Impact of Buddhism/Islam/Christianity, Indian Village, Tribal situation in India, Ethnicity, Problems of exploitation.
History
Paper I: Sources, Pre-history, Indus Valley, Aryans, Mauryan Empire, Guptas, Early Medieval India, Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, Marathas, 18th Century.

Paper II: European Penetration, British Expansion, Social/Religious Reform, Indian National Movement (Gandhi, Congress), Constitutional Developments, Enlightenment, Industrialization, World Wars, Cold War, Decolonization.
Geography
Paper I (Principles): Geomorphology, Climatology, Oceanography, Biogeography, Environmental Geography, Human Geography, Economic Geography, Population, Regional Planning.

Paper II (India): Physical Setting, Resources, Agriculture, Industry, Transport/Trade, Cultural Setting, Settlements, Regional Development, Political Aspects, Contemporary Issues.
Political Science & IR
Paper I: Political Theory, Theories of State, Justice, Equality, Rights, Democracy, Ideologies (Liberalism, Marxism, etc.), Indian Political Thought, Western Political Thought, Indian Government and Politics, Constitution, Federalism.

Paper II: Comparative Politics, Globalization, International Relations Theories, Key Concepts (Security, Power), UN, Regionalization, Indian Foreign Policy (Neighbours, Global South, Nuclear question).
Sociology
Paper I: Sociology as Discipline, Science, Research Methods, Thinkers (Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Parsons, Merton, Mead), Stratification, Work, Politics, Religion, Kinship, Social Change.

Paper II (Indian Society): Perspectives (Indology, Marxist), Social Structure (Caste, Tribal, Agrarian, Kinship), Social Changes (Planning, Green Revolution, Industrialization, Social Movements, Population).
Public Administration
Paper I: Admin Theory, Administrative Thought, Admin Behaviour, Organisations, Accountability, Admin Law, Comparative PA, Development Dynamics, Personnel Admin, Public Policy, Financial Admin.

Paper II (Indian): Evolution, Constitutional framework, PSU, Union Govt, Plans, State Govt, District Admin, Civil Services, Financial Management, Reforms, Rural Development, Urban Local Govt, Law and Order.
Economics
Paper I: Advanced Micro/Macro Economics, Money-Banking, Public Finance, International Economics (Trade, Balance of Payments, WTO), Growth and Development.

Paper II: Indian Economy (Pre & Post Independence), Land System, Green Revolution, Liberalization, New Economic Policy, Banking Reforms, Fiscal Responsibility.
Science & Engineering Subjects

Includes syllabi for:

  • Botany: Microbiology, Cryptogams, Phanerogams, Cell Biology, Genetics, Plant Breeding.
  • Chemistry: Atomic Structure, Bonding, Thermodynamics, Electrochemistry, Kinetics, Organic Chemistry mechanisms, Polymers.
  • Physics: Mechanics, Optics, Electricity & Magnetism, Quantum Mechanics, Nuclear Physics, Solid State Physics.
  • Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Calculus, Analytic Geometry, Differential Equations, Statics/Dynamics, Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Linear Programming.
  • Civil Engineering: Mechanics, Strength of Materials, Structural Analysis, Steel/Concrete Design, Fluid Mechanics, Soil Mechanics, Construction, Surveying, Hydrology.
  • Mechanical Engineering: Mechanics, Theory of Machines, Manufacturing, Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Engines, Power Plants.
  • Electrical Engineering: Circuits, Signals, EM Theory, Analog/Digital Electronics, Energy Conversion, Power Systems, Control Systems.
Other Subjects & Literatures

Medical Science: Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Forensic Medicine, General Medicine, Surgery, SPM.

Psychology: Foundations, Methods, Development, Learning, Memory, Thinking, Intelligence, Personality, Attitudes, Issues and Applications.

Philosophy: History of Philosophy (Indian & Western), Socio-Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion.

Law: Constitutional & Admin Law, International Law, Law of Crimes, Torts, Contracts, Mercantile Law.

Commerce: Accounting, Finance, Org Theory, HRM, Industrial Relations.

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