What is UPSC?
The Union Public Service Commission also simply referred to as the UPSC is India’s central recruiting agency. Civil Services Examination (UPSC) is one of the most competitive and prestigious exams, popularly known as IAS is conducted by UPSC to recruit candidates for Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service, and several other Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ Central Services/ Posts.
UPSC is a Constitutional Body under Article 315-323 Part XIV Chapter II of the Constitution of India to discharge their duties, functions and obligations assigned under Article 320. The UPSC conducts various examinations in accordance with the Rules of examination as notified by the Government of India in a just, fair and impartial manner for making a merit based selection and recommendation of candidates for various Group A and Group B Services of the Govt. of India.
Civil Services offers premier job opportunities and a challenging career. The selected candidates play a major role in managing the bureaucracy of both the central and the state governments, holding strategic posts across the country.
These candidates recruited as officers are involved in various responsibilities like the framing of the policies, implementation, law, and order, general administration, development of new projects, etc. These officers will get a chance to work as authoritative posts like Sub-Divisional Magistrate, District Magistrate, Divisional Commissioner, Principal Secretaries/Financial Commissioners, Chief Secretary of state or central government.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension, is the cadre controlling authority.
Full form of UPSC
The full form of UPSC is Union Public Service Commission.
UPSC CSE Full Form
The full form of UPSC CSE is UPSC Civil Services Examination where UPSC is the conducting body.
UPSC History: When did UPSC start in India?
The British East India Company introduced the concept of a Civil Service exam in 1854. Initially, the examinations for the Indian Civil Service were conducted only in London. In 1864, the first Indian, Shri Satyendranath Tagore brother of Shri Rabindranath Tagore succeeded in this exam. It was only after the Montagu Chelmsford reforms that Indian civil service exams began to be held in India.
The Public Service Commission was set up in India for the first time on October 1, 1926. It was set up under the Government of India Act, 1919 and the strong recommendations made by the Lee Commission in 1924. Sir Ross Barker, member of the Home Civil Service, United Kingdom was the first Chairman of the Commission.
With the introduction of the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950, the Federal Public Service Commission came to be recognized as the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Hence, UPSC was formed as the central commission for conducting government job examinations. The commission is headquartered at Dholpur House, in New Delhi and functions through its own secretariat.
What are the Functions of UPSC?
The functions of the UPSC under Article 320 of the Constitution include the following:
- Framing and amendment of the Recruitment Rules for services and posts under the Government.
- Managing disciplinary cases related to different Civil Services or officers.
- Conduct the recruitment examinations for appointment to the services of the Union.
- Direct recruitment of aspirants by selection through interviews.
- Appointment of officers in the cadre on promotion/deputation/ absorption.
- Advising the Government on any matter assigned to the Commission by the President of India.
What are the exams conducted by UPSC for selection into civil services?
- Civil Services Examination (CSE)
- Engineering Services Examination (ESE).
- Indian Forestry Services Examination (IFoS).
- Central Armed Police Forces Examination (CAPF).
- Indian Economic Service and Indian Statistical Service (IES/ISS).
- Combined Geo-Scientist and Geologist Examination.
- Combined Medical Services (CMS).
- Special Class Railway Apprentices Exam (SCRA).
- Limited Departmental Competitive Examination for selection of Assistant Commandant. (Executive) in CISF.
What are the exams conducted by UPSC for selection into defence services?
- National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination – NDA & NA (I).
- National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination – NDA & NA (II).
- Combined Defense Services Exam – CDS (I).
- Combined Defense Services Exam – CDS (II).
Why to Choose Civil Services as a Career?
Civil Services work as the backbone of the administrative machinery of the country. Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) are three of the most preferable services under this. IAS is most sought after among these services as IAS officers get the opportunity to serve on higher strategic positions in the Union Government and State Governments.
About the UPSC CSE Examination Process
In order to get selected into these coveted services, candidates have to appear in the Civil Services Exam (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and should pass a three-phase selection process. The three phases are the
- Civil Services Preliminary Exam (Prelims),
- Civil Services (Main) Examination (Mains),
- and the Personality Test (Interview).
How to Apply
- Candidates are required to apply Online using the official website of UPSC that is www.upsconline.nic.in.
- Candidates need to complete the Online Application Form containing two stages viz. Part-I and Part-II as per the instructions available in the above mentioned website.
- The candidates are required to pay a fee of Rs.100/- Rupees One Hundred only) [excepting SC/ST/ Female/Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates who are exempted from payment of fee] either by depositing the money in any branch of State Bank of India by cash, or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India or by using any Visa/Master/RuPay Credit/ Debit Card.
- Before start filling up Online Application form, a candidate must have his/her photograph and signature duly scanned in the jpg format in such a manner that each file should not exceed 40 KB and must not be less than 3 KB in size for the photograph and 1 KB for the signature.
- Applicants should avoid submitting multiple applications. In case of multiple applications, the applications with higher Registration ID will be considered by the Commission.
- The applicants must ensure that while filling their Application Form, they are providing their valid and active E-Mail IDs as the Commission may use electronic mode of communication while contacting them at different stages of examination process.
Plan of Examination
The Civil Services Examination consists of two successive stages:
- Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective type) for the selection of candidates for the Main Examination; and
- Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various Services and posts.
*Candidates who are declared qualified for Civil Services (Main) Examination; have to submit a Detailed Application Form (DAF).
First Stage Details
- The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination comprises two papers of 200 marks each i.e. General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper-II.
- GS Paper-II (also known as CSAT i.e. Civil Service Aptitude Test) is of qualifying in nature and in which a candidate has to secure 33% marks only.
- Objective type (Multiple Choice Questions) is asked in this stage. Marks obtained in this stage are counted only to decide merit in the preliminary examination, not for final selection. Clearing the Prelims makes one eligible for the next stage of the exam.
Second Stage Details
- Civil Services (Main) Examination is the ‘written stage’ of the examination. It consists of nine papers of which, marks of only seven papers are counted in deciding the final merit list. In the remaining two papers, a candidate has to secure the minimum qualifying marks decided by UPSC each year. The question papers for the Mains examination are of conventional (essay) type.
- The Civil Services Personality Test consists of a board of members for assessing the candidate’s personality. A candidate is 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 caliber of a candidate.
*Final rank of a candidate in merit list depends upon the marks scored in the second stage only i.e. written and Interview.
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-1 | Essay | 250 |
| Paper-2 | General Studies–I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society) | 250 |
| Paper-3 | General Studies–II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations) | 250 |
| Paper-4 | General Studies–III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 250 |
| Paper-5 | General Studies–IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude) | 250 |
| Paper-6 | Optional Subject – Paper 1 | 250 |
| Optional Subject – Paper 2 | 250 | |
| Paper-7 | Sub Total (Written test) Personality Test Grand Total | 1750 275 2025 |
Two Qualifying Papers are:
- Paper-A (One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution): 300 Marks
- Paper-B (English): 300 Marks
UPSC Eligibility Criteria
- For the IAS and the IPS, a candidate must be a citizen of India. For other services, a candidate must be either a citizen of India or a citizen of some other country (eligible after meeting with some special conditions).
- 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 of examination year. The upper age limit is relaxable, maximum of 5 years for SC/STs candidates and 3 years for OBC candidates. Age relaxation is also applicable for Ex-Defense personnel and candidates with certain disability.
- A candidate must hold a Universities degree, or possess an equivalent qualification for appearing in Civil Services Examination. Candidates who have appeared in the final year of the degree examination and also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination. But such candidates have to produce proof of passing the requisite examination before appearing in the Civil Services (Main) Examination.
*A candidate who got appointed as an IAS or IFS officer in an earlier examination and continues to be a member of that service will not be eligible to compete at this examination. Moreover, a candidate who is appointed to the Indian Police Service will not be eligible to opt for the Indian Police Service in the next exam.
UPSC Posts List
All India Civil Services
- Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
- Indian Police Service (IPS)
- Indian Forest Service (IFoS)
Other ‘Group A’ Services
- Indian P&T Accounts & Finance Service
- Indian Audit and Accounts Service
- Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise)
- Indian Defence Accounts Service
- Indian Revenue Service (I.T.)
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service (Assistant Works Manager, Administration)
- Indian Postal Service
- Indian Civil Accounts Service
- Indian Railway Traffic Service
- Indian Railway Accounts Service
- Indian Railway Personnel Service
- Indian Railway Protection Force (Assistant Security Commissioner)
- Indian Defence Estates Service
- Indian Information Service (Junior Grade)
- Indian Trade Service, Group ‘A’ (Gr. III)
- Indian Corporate Law Service
‘Group B’ Services
- Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service (Section Officer’s Grade)
- Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS)
- Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS)
- Pondicherry Civil Service
- Pondicherry Police Service
List of optional subjects for Main Examination:
The UPSC offers a diverse range of 48 optional subjects. These subjects cater to various academic backgrounds and interests, allowing candidates to choose an area where they excel or possess a natural inclination.
UPSC Syllabus
UPSC Prelims Syllabus for GS Paper (Prelims Paper I)
It has 100 questions broadly covering the following topics, carrying a maximum of 200 marks to be solved in 2 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, Biodiversity, and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization
- General Science
UPSC Prelims Syllabus for CSAT Paper (Prelims Paper-II)
It comprises of 80 questions from the following topics carrying a maximum of 200 marks to be solved in 2 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),
- Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)
General Studies Paper-II of UPSC IAS Exam is a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. It is mandatory for a candidate to appear in both the Papers of UPSC Prelims Exam for the purpose of evaluation.
UPSC Syllabus: Mains General Studies Paper-1
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society:
- Indian Culture – 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.— 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 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.
UPSC Syllabus: Mains General Studies Paper-2
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations:
- 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 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.
UPSC Syllabus: Mains General Studies Paper-3
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 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.
UPSC Syllabus: Mains General Studies Paper-4
Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude: This paper includes questions to check the candidate’s attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life, and his/her problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him/her while dealing with society. Questions may utilize the case study approach to determine these aspects and covers area:
- 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 behavior; 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 the above issues
UPSC IAS Syllabus for Language and Essay Papers
Essay Paper – It is the Paper-I of UPSC Mains
- Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics.
- They will be expected to keep close to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.
Qualifying Papers on Indian Languages and English
Structure of the language papers:
- The types of questions asked are –
- Essay – 100 marks
- Reading comprehension – 60 marks
- Precis Writing – 60 marks
- Translation:
- English to compulsory language (e.g. Hindi) – 20 marks
- Compulsory language to English – 20 marks
- Grammar and basic language usage – 40 marks
- The rest of the seven papers can be written in any of the languages mentioned under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India or in English.
- The aim of the papers 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 broadly be as follows :
- (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.
UPSC SYllabus: IAS Interview/Personality Test (275 Marks)
- Candidates who qualify the UPSC Mains Exam will be called for the ‘Personality Test/Interview’. These candidates will be interviewed by a Board appointed by the UPSC.
- The objective of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in the civil services by a board of competent and unbiased observers.
- The interview is more of a purposive conversation intended to explore the mental qualities and analytical ability of the candidate.
- The Interview test will be of 275 marks and the total marks for written examination is 1750. This sums up to a Grand Total of 2025 Marks based on which the final merit list will be prepared.