UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024-25 | Civil Services Exams

Get the latest UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024-25 Civil Services Exam. Download the Revised UPSC Syllabus in PDF format for Prelims, Mains and; Interview. UPSC Syllabus 2024 is released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on its official website. UPSC Syllabus is divided into preliminary and main examinations.

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UPSC Civil Services IAS Prelims Syllabus 2024-25
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Contents
Detailed syllabus of UPSC (Prelims) preliminary exam as per official
syllabus
The Prelims examination is the first stage of the Civil services examination. It is a
screening test as the marks scored in this exam are not counted for the declaration of final
ranks. It is only to qualify for the main examination.  
Pattern and marking system of prelims paper of UPSC CSE
As per the official syllabus, the preliminary exam is of objective type consisting of two
papers: Paper-I and Paper-II. There are four alternatives for the answers to every question.
For each question for which a wrong answer has been marked by the candidate, one-third
(0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty. 
If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be considered wrong. No marks will be
counted for unattempted questions, nor any marks will be deducted. 

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The question paper is set in both languages: English and Hindi.  Each paper will be of two
hours. Blind candidates and candidates with Locomotor Disability and Cerebral Palsy will,
however, be allowed an extra time of twenty minutes per hour for each paper. 
Even though it is a screening test, it plays a huge role in clearing the exam. Its syllabus acts
as a founding block for the main examination preparation as well.  
Although UPSC provides with an outline of the topics that need to be covered, it is crucial for
candidates to have a clear and elaborative understanding of the syllabus. With the help of
this blog, an insight into the detailed syllabus will be provided. 
UPSC Civil Services IAS Prelims detailed syllabus Paper-I as per
official syllabus 
History of India and the Indian National Movement 
SUB- TOPICS: Ancient and Medieval History of India 
Prehistoric India and Indus Valley Civilization 
Early and Later Vedic civilization 
Buddhism and Jainism and their contributions to Indian culture 
Early Janpath’s and early European Invasions 
The Mauryan Empire 
Post Mauryan kingdoms and the Early Kingdoms in Southern India 
The Gupta Empire and their Successors (Maukhari, Maitraka, Pushyabhuti (Harsha)) 
Kingdoms of Deccan and Pallava dynasty 
Imperial Cholas and their contributions for spreading Indian culture to the Far East 
Early Medieval developments in India 
Delhi Sultanate (Political and Administrative policies and their contribution to the field of
Economy, Art, Science and Technology etc.) 
Kingdoms of Vijaya Nagar and Bhamini Sultanate 
The Mughal Empire (Political and Administrative policies and their contribution to the
field of Economy, Art, Science and Technology, etc) 
Other Regional Kingdoms of Medieval Kingdom (Kingdoms in Kashmir, Bengal etc.,) 
The Bhakti and The Sufi Movement and its contribution to Indian culture 
The Marathas and other regional kingdoms after the fall of Mughal Empire and the
arrival of Europeans 
SUB -TOPICS: Modern India -Indian National Movement 
India in the Late Eighteenth Century 
The advent of Europeans and the British Conquests 

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India under the Company’s rule (Administrative structure, Developments, reforms in
various fields, etc.) 
The revolt of 1858 and its aftermath (Administrative Changes) 
Socio-Religious movement in the first half of 19th Century 
Freedom Struggle under Moderate Phase and political organizations prior to 1885 
Freedom Struggle under Extremist Phase (1905-1917) including Home Rule
Movements 
India and Neighbourhood policy 
Socio-Religious movement in the latter half of 19th Century and early 20th century 
The Gandhian Era of Indian freedom struggle 
Growth of revolutionary organisations in India and abroad 
Peasants and Tribal Movements and the growth of women movements in colonial India
and after independence 
Committees in Education, Police, etc prior and after Independence 
After Independence: 
Consolidation of India after Independence(Territorial consolidation, State reorganization
and Tribal policies, etc) 
Foreign Policy and developments in Nehruvian Era 
Political developments till Indira Gandhi 
India under Indira Gandhi (JP movement, emergencies etc) 
India during Rajiv Gandhi (Srilankan war, Political developments, etc) 
India since Rajiv Gandhi till today(Foreign Policies, political developments etc.) 
SUB- TOPICS: Indian art and culture 
Indian Architecture, Sculpture and Pottery 
Indian Paintings 
Indian Handicrafts 
UNESCO’s World Heritage sites of India 
UNESCO’S Intangible Culture Heritage 
Languages in India 
Indian Literature 
Schools of Philosophy 
Martial Arts in India 
Cultural Institutions in India 
Languages 
Science and Technology throughout ages 
Calenders 
Fairs and Festivals 
Coins 

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Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India
and the World 
SUB -TOPICS: Physical, Social, Economic Geography of the World 
Solar System & the Earth and basics of latitude and longitude 
Continents, Oceans and Ocean Currents 
Geomorphology (Interior of earth, Internal forces & their impact – Volcanoes,
Earthquakes, Folding, Faulting, External forces & their impact – Weathering, Erosion
etc. 
Climatology (Weather and Climate, Planetary winds, Jet streams, Precipitation,
Distribution of rainfall, cyclone and Anti-cyclones, etc) 
Biogeography (Soil formation, types and biomes based on soil distribution) 
Landforms (due to running water, glaciation, desert landforms, Limestone, chalk and
coastal areas, etc) 
Natural resources and mineral resources and distribution of key natural resources
across the world 
Industries- types and their locational factors 
World Population, Distribution & Density 
Races & Tribes, Settlement & Migration 
Agriculture and major cropping pattern and Agro-Climatic Regions in India 
Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Aquaculture 
Land Reforms and Land use pattern 
Industries- types and their locational factors population, Migration, Settlements 
SUB- TOPICS: Physical, Social, and Economic Geography of India 
Location, Area and Boundaries of India 
Structure and Relief: Physiographic Divisions of India 
Drainage System of India 
Weather, Climate and Seasons of India 
Soils and its distribution in India 
Indian Flora and Fauna, 
Natural resources, mineral resources and distribution of key natural resources across
India 
Agriculture and major cropping pattern and Agro-Climatic Regions in India 
Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Aquaculture 
Land Reforms and Land use pattern in India 
Mineral and Energy Resources of India 
Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj,
Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. 

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SUB -TOPICS: 
The Constitution- Historical underpinnings and Making, Salient Features 
The Preamble, The Union and its Territory, Citizenship 
Fundamental Rights 
Directive Principles & Fundamental Duties 
Amendment of Constitution, Basic Structure of the Constitution, 
Emergency Provisions, Inter-State and Centre-State Relations 
Central Government (President, Vice President, Prime minister, Central Council of
Ministers 

Parliament) 
State Government (Governor, Chief Minister, Council of Ministers) 
Parliament (Parliamentary Committees, Parliamentary Forums, Parliamentary Group)
and State Legislature 
Judiciary: Supreme Court, High Courts, Subordinate Courts and Tribunals 
Local Government: Panchayati Raj, Local Urban Government, Scheduled and Tribal
Areas, Co-operative societies 
Constitutional Bodies and Non-Constitutional Bodies 
Elections, Anti-Defection Laws and Political Parties 
Various provisions of Recent Acts, Constitutional amendment bills and Acts etc. 
Governance and e-governance initiatives 
Important provisions about RTI, Citizen’s Charter & Anti-corruption initiatives 
Role of Civil Society and social audit 
Miscellaneous (Official Language, Rights and Liabilities of the Government,
Authoritative Text of the Constitution in Hindi Language, Special Provision relating to
Certain States, Cases etc) 
Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty,
Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. 
SUB -TOPICS: 
National Income Accounting and Human Development in India  
Central Bank in India and its powers, contribution etc. 
Money and Banking including Banking reforms since Independence 
Capital Markets, Money Markets and its concepts 
Inflation and Unemployment 
Public Finance in India 
Balance of Payments: Definition, Current and Capital Accounts, Convertibility including
FDI, FII etc. 
India and IMF, WTO, WIPO and other International Institutions (NDB, AIIB, etc.) 
Agriculture (Recent trends, Farm distress and government initiatives, Animal
husbandry etc. ) 

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Five-year Plans and Rolling plans 
Economic Reforms since 1991 
Industry and Industrial policies, Labour reforms, Companies Act etc. 
Services sector and policies. 
Infrastructure, Communication and Investment Models 
IPRs (Intellectual Property Rights) and Indian IPR battles 
General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change
– that do not require subject specialization 
SUB -TOPICS: 
Basics about Environment, Ecosystem and Ecology 
Various types of Pollution and its impacts, mitigation etc. 
Protected areas including National parks, Wildlife sanctuaries, etc. 
Bio-Diversity and conservation 
Environment Legislations, National Institutions and Environmental organizations in
India 
International Environmental conventions, Environmental Organizations and their
initiatives 
Climate Change organizations and mitigation strategies, India and Climate change 
Environment Impact Assessment 
Renewable Energy and its development in India 
Environmental issues including sand mining, challenges in the Himalayan ecosystem,
GM crops etc. 
Ocean acidification and Ocean depletion 
India’s National Missions on the environment (8 missions, Bamboo mission, Clean
Ganga etc.,)
Miscellaneous
Sub-topics:
Security Issues and Disaster Management
Science and Technology
Basics of Physics, Chemistry, Bio-logy
Biotechnology
Space technology
IT, Computer and Robotics related updates
Government policies and Initiatives to improve science

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Important Current Affairs for UPSC Prelims (Government schemes, Acts, Bills and
Regulations, Important Judgements, International Organisations and their initiatives,
Index, Reports and Summits, Protected areas and Species) 
UPSC Civil Services IAS Prelims Syllabus Paper-II as per official
syllabus
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 of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper
with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. 
To cover the following topics, candidates are recommended to refer to following sources:  
SUBJECTS  Primary Sources  Secondary sources 
Polity and
Governance 
Laxmikant-
Indian polity
(latest edition)
NCERT XI –
Working of
Indian
Constitution 
Our Constitution – Shubash Kashyap OR 
Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD
Basu, 
Governance in India by M Laxmikanth 
Current updates from Polity and
Governance  & ForumIAS EPIC! Magazine
Ancient and
Medieval
History 
Tamil Nadu
State Board
Books or  
NCERT
Books or
NIOS books 
Indian Culture’s Spectrum Book and CCRT
Website 
Current updates from History & ForumIAS
EPIC! Magazine

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Modern
history  
Modern India
by Bipin
Chandra –
Old NCERT 
A Brief
History of
Modern India
by Rajiv Ahir 
Politics in
India since
independence
(Class XII
NCERT) 
 
Plassey to Partition by Sekhar
Bandyopadhyay OR 
Bipin Chandra’s India’s Struggle for
Independence 
India after Independence by Bipin Chandra 
Current updates from History & ForumIAS
EPIC! Magazine
 
Art and
culture 
NCERT Fine
Arts 
ForumIAS Handouts on Art and Culture  
CCRT  
Nitin Singhania – Indian Art and Culture 
Current updates from Art and
Culture & ForumIAS EPIC! Magazine
Economy  Indian
Economy –
Ramesh
Singh 
Economic
Survey and
Budget
handouts by
ForumIAS
11 and 12th Macro-economics NCERTs 
Current updates from
Economy  & ForumIAS EPIC! Magazine
 
Environment  Shankar IAS
Environment
book 
 
Our Environment – NCERT (VII) 
Ecology: Unit X – Class 12th Biology 
Class 11th NCERT Chemistry: Ch 14:
Environmental Chemistry 
Current updates from
Environment  & ForumIAS EPIC! Magazine

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World and
India
Geography 
NCERT Class
XI:
Fundamentals
of Physical
Geography 
NCERT Class
XI: INDIA –
Physical
Environment 
NCERT Class
XII:
Fundamental
of Human
Geography  
NCERT Class
XII: INDIA –
People and
Economy 
 
GC Leong – Physical and Human Geography 
Current updates
on Geography and Agriculture & ForumIAS
EPIC! Magazine
Note: To keep oneself updated on the following topics, it is recommended to regularly read
The Hindu or The Indian Express newspaper.
FAQs on UPSC Prelims Exam  
What is the purpose of UPSC Prelims? 
The UPSC Prelims is conducted to select candidates for the second stage of the Civil
Services Examination, known as the Main examination. It serves as a screening test to
shortlist candidates for the Main examination. 
What is the syllabus for UPSC Prelims? 
The UPSC Prelims Syllabus includes two papers: Paper-I and Paper-II (CSAT). The Paper 1
syllabus covers a wide range of topics including history, geography, polity, economy, science,
and current affairs. 
How are the questions framed in UPSC Prelims? 
UPSC Prelims questions are objective-type (multiple-choice questions). Each question has
four options, and candidates must select the correct answer. 
Is there negative marking in UPSC Prelims? 
Yes, there is negative marking in UPSC Prelims. One-third of the marks assigned to a
question are deducted for each incorrect answer. 

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What are the best books and resources for UPSC Prelims preparation? 
There are various books and resources available for UPSC Prelims preparation, including
NCERT textbooks, standard reference books, current affairs magazines, and online
resources. The choice of books depends on an individual’s study preferences and strengths. 
How can I stay motivated during UPSC Prelims preparation? 
Staying motivated can be challenging, but setting clear goals, maintaining a routine, seeking
support from family and friends, and periodically assessing your progress can help you stay
on track.