UPSC Syllabus 2025 for Prelims, Mains & Interview – Download PDF

The UPSC CSE is one of the most popular yet competitive examinations in the country. Lakhs of candidates apply each year, yet only few get selected in the final process.  

While many aspirants are initially enthusiastic and highly motivated when they think of starting their preparation for UPSC CSE.   

But the main question here is why we should focus on the syllabus?  

The syllabus of UPSC is designed to test a wide range of your skills: analytical ability, your knowledge, your decision-making skills, and your overall personality.  

Knowing what to study and how to study is the most crucial part of your preparation. 

So, if you think you have the dedication to become UPSC aspirant, then let’s understand this exam and go through the entire syllabus.    

Because understanding the syllabus in detail would be beneficial in understanding the exam’s structure. 

With UPSC syllabus 2025 being so immense, it will not be an easy journey, but with determination, smart work and focus you can conquer this journey.    

Therefore, on that note let’s discuss all the what’s and why’s of IAS syllabus 2025.   

What is the UPSC Syllabus 2025? 

The official notification for UPSC exam 2025 will be released on 22nd January 2025, hence, it is important for candidates to go through the latest UPSC 2025 syllabus provided along with it. 

The UPSC syllabus has been clearly defined for Prelims and Mains which will help you get an overview and have better understanding of the exam’s nature. 

To begin with, there are 3 stages in the UPSC Civil service examination which are as follows: 

• UPSC Prelims: The first stage of the UPSC exam cycle is the Preliminary exam. There are 2 papers, each containing a total of 100 and 80 objective–based questions respectively.   
• UPSC Mains: The second stage is the Mains exam. There are a total of 9 papers and the exam is descriptive in nature.   
• Personality Test: The final round is the Personal Interview is held to assess the personality of the candidate.   

If you want to know more details regarding UPSC Syllabus 2025 without having to read the entire article, I have prepared a pdf for you on the same, which contains in-depth information regarding the IAS syllabus for prelims, mains and interview.    

You can download this UPSC Syllabus pdf  by just clicking on this button below.   

Before we proceed to the next section, you can click on the latest eligibility criteria for UPSC exam to check the qualifications required for appearing in this exam.  

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2025

The UPSC Prelims consists of two papers – GS Paper 1 and CSAT. It is important to note that the Prelims exam is qualifying in nature.

The syllabus of UPSC Prelims contains both static portion and current affairs.  

1. The General Studies (GS) consists of social science subjects like:

• History
• Polity
• Geography
• Indian economy.  

2. The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) comprises of questions asked from topics like:

• Quantitative Aptitude
• Reasoning Ability
• English Comprehension.  

An important point to note here is that a negative marking of 1/3rd is allotted for wrong answers in both the papers – GS Paper 1 and CSAT. 

While the minimum marks required by the candidates to clear GS Paper is decided by the cutoff released by the UPSC.

For CSAT, the candidates required to score only 33% or 66 marks out of 200 marks to clear the paper.  

Since Prelims is qualifying in nature, the marks scored in both papers will not be considered in your final order of merit, helping you ace the interview round.    

If you want to know about the time limit and total marks in detail, you can go through the UPSC Prelims exam pattern   

UPSC Prelims Syllabus for Paper 1: General Studies (GS)

This GS paper or paper 1 is designed to test your overall knowledge and awareness. The syllabus for GS Paper comprises both static and dynamic portion.  

The UPSC prelims syllabus 2025 for the GS paper consist of topics from a wide range of subjects such as Polity, Geography, History, Economy, Science and Tech, Environment. 

Now, I have written down the list of major topics from the UPSC Prelims syllabus which broadly cover for GS Paper (Paper 1) below: 

• Current events of national and international importance
• History of India and Indian National Movement
• Indian & World Geography – Social, Physical, Economic Geography of the World and India.
• Governance and Polity in India – Rights Issues, Constitution, Public Policy, Political System, Panchayati Raj, etc.
• Social & Economic Development – Social Sector initiatives, Demographics, Sustainable Development, Inclusion, Poverty, etc.
• General issues on Biodiversity, Environmental Ecology, & Climate Change – these topics do not require subject specialization.
• General Science

Now, if you are wondering where to cover all these topics from, read the blog that I have written on best books for UPSC CSE preparation. 

UPSC Prelims Syllabus for Paper 2: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)

The syllabus for CSAT paper includes questions from the subjects like Reasoning & Analysis, Quantitative Aptitude and Reading Comprehension.  

It is conducted to test your reasoning, comprehension, analytical abilities and decision – making skills of the candidates.

Here is the list of major topics of the UPSC syllabus 2025 from which questions are asked in the CSAT Paper: 

• Comprehension
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• Analytical ability and Logical Thinking
• Problem Solving and Decision Making
• General Mental Ability
• Basic Numeracy, i.e. orders of magnitudes, numbers & their relations, etc (class 10 level)
• Interpretation of Data (charts, tables, graphs, data sufficiency, etc. – Also class 10 level)

To effectively prepare your best for the UPSC exam, you can refer to the UPSC preparation strategy & study plan. 

So, this pretty much sums up the IAS syllabus 2025 for the Prelims exam. Now it’s time to discuss the UPSC Mains syllabus in detail.

UPSC Mains Syllabus 2025

The UPSC Mains 2025 is descriptive in nature and the syllabus for the exam consists of total 9 papers. 

This includes 1 essay, 2 language papers, 4 General Studies papers and 2 optional papers. All the papers are to be completed within time duration of 3 hours.   

An important point to note is that all the papers except for the 2 language papers included in the UPSC Mains syllabus 2025 can be written in any of the languages mentioned in Schedule 8th of the Indian Constitution.

Syllabus of UPSC Mains Essay (No topics prescribed)

The UPSC syllabus 2025 for Essay in the Mains exam is not specifically defined. For this paper, you are expected to keep a close watch on the essay topic and to write your points in a concise manner.  

You would need to write 2 essays from a list of given topics in the paper. The maximum marks allotted for this paper is 250 marks.  

The key highlights from the UPSC Mains syllabus are provided in the image below:  

UPSC Mains Syllabus for General Studies 1 (GS 1)

The IAS syllabus for GS 1 includes the Culture, History, Heritage & Geography of India and the World. I have listed down below the points in detail: 

1. Culture of India

• Major aspects of the various Indian art forms,  
• Architecture & literature of India from ancient to modern India. 

2. Modern Indian History 

• Personalities from the mid 18th century to the present, issues, Important events, etc. 
• Stages of the freedom struggle and the people who played a part in it. 
• History from the post-independence perspective and the reorganization and consolidation of the Indian states following that.

3. World History 

• World events from the 18th century onwards and their effects on society & the world at large.  
• Events such as Industrial Revolution, World Wars, delineation of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization,  
• Effects of political philosophies like communism, capitalism, etc. 

 4. Society 

• Society of India, its diversity and important aspects. 
• Population and issues related to it, the role of women and women-led organizations in Indian societies,  
• Poverty, and development-related issues,  
• Urbanization, problems due to it and solutions, etc. 
• Communalism, regionalism, & secularism in India, social empowerment. 
• Globalization and its effects on Indian society.

5. Geography 

• Important natural resources around the globe especially in South Asia and the Indian Subcontinent;  
• factors affecting the location of the primary, secondary and tertiary sector industries across the world along with India. 
• Key geographical phenomena and their causes like tsunamis, earthquakes, cyclones, volcanic activities, etc. 
• The various geographical features and their locations,  
• Changes of features with a location like water bodies and polar ice caps  
• Effects of these changes on flora and fauna. 
• Key features of the planet’s physical geography.

UPSC Syllabus for Mains paper: General studies 2 (GS 2)

The IAS syllabus for GS 2 includes the subjects of Polity, Constitution, Governance, International Relations, and Social Justice. I have listed below the points in detail: 

1. Polity and Indian Constitution 

• Responsibilities and functions of the Union & States,  
• Challenges and issues related to the federal structure,  
• Finances, and devolution of powers down to the local levels, and the challenges that lie therein. 
• Segregation of power between the various government bodies, 
• Redressal mechanisms pertaining to conflict, and dispute management and the various institutions. 
• Organization, structure, and functions of the Judiciary, legislature, & Executive. 
• State and Parliamentary legislatures: 
• Departments & Ministries of the government;  
• Pressure groups and their informal/formal roles and associations in the polity. 
• Key features of the Representation of people’s Act 
• How the various constitutional posts are appointed, their functions, & powers. Also, those of the various constitutional bodies. 
• Various quasi-judicial, statutory, and regulatory bodies. 
• The various governmental interventions and policies are aimed at developing various sectors. 
• The development sector and its processes – the role of SHGs, NGOs, and other associations and groups, institutions, and other stakeholders.

2. Social Justice

• Welfare schemes issued by the Centre and states for vulnerable sections, the performance of these schemes;  
• Laws, mechanisms, bodies and institutions set up for the protection, and development of the vulnerable sections. 
• Issues in development and management of the social/service sectors. 
• Problems pertaining to hunger and poverty. 

3. Governance 

• Key aspects of governance, e-governance- applications, successes, potential, accountability and transparency, models, limitations;  
• Citizen charters, and other measures. 
• The role of Civil Services in a democracy. 

4. International Relations 

• India and its relationship with its Neighbours 
• Various international groupings and agreements involving India and other states. 
• The effects of policies and politics of other countries on Indian interests and the Indian diaspora. 
• Key international entities, institutions, agencies, their mandates, and structures. 

UPSC Syllabus for Mains paper: General studies 3 (GS 3)

The UPSC Mains syllabus for GS 3 includes the subjects of Economic Development, Environment, Disaster Management & Security, Technology, and Biodiversity. I have listed below the points in detail:

1. Economy 

• The economy of Indian and planning-related issues. 
• Government budgeting. 
• Inclusive growth and issues/challenges associated with it. 
• Liberalization and its effects on the economy (post-1991). 
• Infrastructure – Ports, Airports, Roads, Energy, Railways, etc. 
• Investment models like PPP, etc. 

2. Agriculture 

• Predominant cropping patterns in various parts of the nation, various types of irrigation techniques and systems, storage, marketing, transportation of agricultural produce,  
• Challenges/issues related to it; use of e-technology in the agricultural sector. 
• Rearing of animals and the economics related to it. 
• Industries related to food processing and its kind in India – significance and scope, upstream-downstream requirements, location, supply chain management. 
• Problems related to indirect and direct farm subsidies and minimum support prices;  
• Objectives of Public Distribution System, functioning and its limitations, revamping; 
• Food security and buffer stock issues; technological missions. 
• Land reforms in India 

3. Science & Technology

• Recent technological developments and their effects. 
• Indians and their achievements in science & technology. 
• Indigenous technological innovation and the development of new tech. 
• General Awareness of Space, IT, Robotics, Computers, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. 
• Problems related to intellectual property rights.
  

4. Environmen

• Conservation 
• Pollution of the environment and its degradation 
• EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) 
• Disaster Management (Act, laws, etc.) 

5. Security 

• Challenges to internal security (non-state actors and external state) 
• How extremism develops and spreads. 
• Internal security challenges pertaining to the communication networks. 
• Fundamentals of cyber security; money laundering and how to prevent it. 
• Challenges to security and managing security in border areas;  
• The connection between organized crime and terrorism. 
• The names of the various security agencies and forces and their mandates. 

UPSC Syllabus for Mains paper: General studies 4 (GS 4)

The IAS syllabus for GS 4 includes topics that will test you on your sense of Integrity, Ethics, and Aptitude. 

The GS 4 paper contains questions to check the approach and attitude that you might employ in situations requiring integrity and uprightness, problem-solving capabilities. The syllabus of the paper also includes some case – studies.  

I have listed below the major topics from the UPSC GS 4 Syllabus in detail: 

1. Human Interface & Ethics 

• The essence of ethics, the determinants & consequences in human interaction. 
• Dimensions of Ethics 
• Ethics in public and private relationships 
• Human values. 
• The role of one’s family, society, and educational institutes in developing ethical and moral values in him/her.

2. Attitude 

• The content of attitude. 
• The influence of attitude in behavior and thought. 
• The relation of attitude to behavior and thought. 
• Political and Moral attitudes. 
• Persuasion and social influence. 

3. Aptitude

• The foundational values and aptitude of civil services. 
• Integrity 
• Non-partisanship and impartiality. 
• Objectivity 
• Dedication to serving the public 
• Compassion towards society’s weaker sections. 

4. Emotional Intelligence

• The concept of emotional intelligence
• The application and utility of emotional intelligence.

5. Contributions of Philosophers and Thinkers 

• From the world and India to the concepts of morality. 

6. Ethics in Public Administration and Civil/public service values 

• Associated problems and Status 
• Dilemmas and Ethical concerns in private institutions and the government 
• Regulation, rules, laws, and conscience as the source of ethical guidance 
• Ethical governance and Accountability 
• Consolidation of moral and ethical values in governance 
• Ethical Issues in funding and international relations 
• Corporate governance. 

7. Probity in Governance 

• Concept of public service 
• Governance & probity and its philosophical basis 
• Transparency & information sharing 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 

UPSC Mains Syllabus for Optional subject (2 papers – Paper 1 and paper 2)

For the optional subject papers, you need to choose a subject of which you have an in-depth understanding. 

The UPSC allows you to choose one optional subject from out of a total of 26 different subjects. There’ll be 2 papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2 of 250 marks each pertaining to the subject that you choose. 

Having said that, I have shared a table listing all the optional subjects for UPSC, below: 

UPSC Syllabus for Language Papers: (Any Indian Language & English)

Literature subjects for language papers likewise the UPSC optional subjects, are a part of the Mains Exam, in these papers there’d be: 

• An essay question of 100 marks where you’d have to select one out of a few given topics. 
• 5-6 questions related to reading comprehension: of a maximum of 60 marks. 
• Precis writing questions worth 60 marks which you’d have to attempt on special answer sheets with grid lines. 
• Translation-based questions: English to the chosen Indian language & vice versa for 20 marks each, totaling 40 marks. 
• Questions based on grammar, synonyms, sentence corrections, and basic language usage, of a total of 40 marks. 

While English language is a compulsory subject for language paper, the following is the list of 22 subjects from which you can pick your most appropriate literature subject for language paper: 

Factors for Choosing Optional and Language Subjects

It is imperative that you choose your optional and language subjects after proper consideration. These are some factors that you should keep in mind:

1. Analyzing the optional subjects: My initial advice is to analyze the optional syllabus. It’s important to consider the length of the syllabus and the general studies subjects to be covered. 
2. Familiarity with the subject: Although aspirants come from different streams, the optional subject should be a leverage. Therefore, it’s advisable to choose an optional subject that you are familiar with. 
3. Having reliable study materials: Preparing for a 500 marks optional paper is no cakewalk and require appropriate study resources. Ensure you have access to good study material for the relevant subject.  
4. Choosing a subject of interest: Avoid going after a subject with high success ratio. Instead, select a subject based on your interest. You will be assessed on your answers’ understandability, thus you should pick a subject that you have an interest in or are comfortable with. 

The best strategy is to score about 52-55% in your optional paper to ensure an overall good score as the marks obtained in optional and GS papers can determine the final selection of a candidate.  

In case you have commerce and management as your subjects, you can check the UPSC commerce and management syllabus we have provided.  

What is the syllabus for the IAS Interview?

There is no specific IAS Interview syllabus per se, as the purpose of this interview is to assess the personality of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers.  

Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.  

The interview consists of 275 marks. here are some points you should look at:

1. Try preparing for questions that may revolve around your personal details like ethnicity, hometown, community, childhood, your educational institutions, etc.  
2. Prepare for questions that will revolve around your interests and hobbies.  
3. Prepare for all questions related to your experiences mentioned on your CV and what challenges and learnings you have applied from them.  
4. Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest in the current events taking place both within and outside their own state or country as well as in modern currents of thought and in new discoveries.  
5. Prepare for hypothetical questions by practicing situation- based questions before the interview.  

The interview round not only evaluates the candidate intellectually but also judges the candidate’s social traits and interest in current affairs.  

You can take a careful look at the trends in latest UPSC cutoffs to maximize your preparation and score well in the exam.  

How is Analyze UPSC Syllabus 2025?

Analyzing the UPSC syllabus 2025 before starting your exam preparation is important for aspirants in multiple ways.

The first step in analyzing the syllabus is to carefully go through it and divide the subjects in topic-wise manner.

The next step you must take is to segregate these topics into these two sections as it contains both static and dynamic portion. 

Third, gather all the study resources and cross check if all these topics are covered. 

Lastly, go through the previous year papers to identify the important topics and assess their weightage.

Repeat the entire process daily until you memorize the syllabus entirely. There are various advantages to analyzing the IAS syllabus beforehand, as given below:
 

• Familiarity with the syllabus helps in assessing your strengths and weaknesses.  
• Strategizing a study plan becomes easy with detailed knowledge of the syllabus.  
• Once you analyze the syllabus well, it also helps in selection of your optional subject.  

A thorough analysis is the foundation of a good strategy. You can check the analysis of Commerce and Management optional subject. 

How to cover UPSC syllabus 2025? 

It is essential to understand the UPSC Syllabus 2025. Once you know the syllabus thoroughly, you can start strategizing a study plan to cover all the syllabus.  

• There are various books available on the market, so it is important to carefully make a concise booklist after researching.  
• Always have the printout of UPSC syllabus laid Infront of you to easily track your progress. You can also refer to the syllabus I have provided above.  
• Practice UPSC previous year question papers after covering every section for efficient learning. You can check IAS past year papers to know the type of questions asked.     
• Revision is 85% of the game. Hence, to improve your retention, you must revise.  

So, to master the UPSC IAS Syllabus 2025, consistency is the key. It’s always advised to keep reading interdisciplinary subjects or books for light reading sessions in between breaks. Basically, the quest for knowledge should never end.  

Before I conclude you can also check the UPSC mock tests we have provided to ensure holistic preparation strategy that will secure your chances of success in the upcoming UPSC examination. 

Conclusion

I hope all your questions related to UPSC syllabus are solved now. My aim was to set out to clear every question about the UPSC, and I hope you can navigate well through this journey.

Now, may your path ahead be as smooth as a well-planned strategy, and may success greet you at every turn.

The UPSC syllabus 2025 is of three stages, which include the Prelims, Mains and the Interview, in a detailed and section-wise manner. 

All the best and stay motivated!!