SYLLABUS OF MAINS EXAMINATION
QUALIFYING LANGUAGE PAPERS: NOT COUNTED IN FINAL MERIT
ESSAY (250 MARKS)
Candidates are given total 8 essays out of them they’ve write any two essays in 1200 to 1500 words each. I’ve
given the topic wise essay papers since 1993 to 2018 in this book. Please refer to them and focus on those topics in newspapers, reference books and magazines.
GSM1: HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, INDIAN SOCIETY
(250 MARKS)
- Indian culture covers the salient features of Literature, Art Forms, and Architecture from ancient to modern
times. - Modern Indian history include the significant events, personalities, issues during the middle of the eighteenth century until the present
- Various stages and important contributors and contributions from different parts of the country in ‘The
Freedom Struggle’ - Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country
- History of the world includes events, forms and effect on the society from 18th century like world wars,
industrial revolution, colonization, redrawal of national boundaries, decolonization, political philosophies
like communism, capitalism, socialism etc - Salient aspects of Diversity of India and Indian Society
- Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental
issues, urbanization, their problems and remedies - Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism
- 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 - Effects of globalization on Indian society
- Salient features of world’s physical geography
- 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
GSM2: POLITY, GOVERNANCE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (250 MARKS)
- 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 - Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
- Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions
- Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and
issues arising out of these - Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional
Bodies - 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
- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their
design and implementation - Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
- 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 - Health, Education, Human Resources
- Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and
associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to
- Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models,
successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and
other measures - Issues relating to poverty and hunger
- Role of civil services in a democracy
- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
- India and its neighborhood- relations
- Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate
- Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora
GSM2: POLITY, GOVERNANCE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (250 MARKS)
- Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and
employment - Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
- Government Budgeting
- Inclusive growth and issues arising from it
- 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; etechnology in the aid of farmers - Economics of animal-rearing
- Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and
downstream requirements, supply chain management - 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 - 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
- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
- Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues
relating to intellectual property rights - Disaster and disaster management
- Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security
- Linkages between development and spread of extremism
- 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 - Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate
- Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism
GSM4: Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude (250 Marks)
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 utilise 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; role of
family, 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; 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 above issues