If you're starting from scratch, your preparation should always follow the official UPSC syllabus and previous years' questions. The detailed syllabus is included in the Civil Services Examination notification published by UPSC.
1. Complete UPSC Syllabus
A. Prelims GS Paper I One-Year Preparation Plan
- Current Affairs
- National and International events
- Government schemes
- Reports and indices
- International organizations
- History
- Ancient India
- Medieval India
- Modern India
- Indian National Movement
- Art & Culture
- Geography
- Physical Geography
- Indian Geography
- World Geography
- Mapping
- Polity
- Constitution
- Fundamental Rights
- DPSP
- Parliament
- Judiciary
- President & Governor
- Local Government
- Constitutional Bodies
- Economy
- Basic Economics
- Inflation
- Banking
- Budget
- Taxation
- Agriculture
- External Sector
- Environment
- Biodiversity
- National Parks
- Climate Change
- Pollution
- International Conventions
- Science & Technology
- Basic Science
- Space
- Biotechnology
- AI
- Defence Technology
B. CSAT
- Reading Comprehension
- Logical Reasoning
- Analytical Ability
- Decision Making
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Data Interpretation
C. Mains
Essay (Paper I)
- Two essays
- Social
- Economic
- Political
- Ethical
- Philosophical
GS-I
- Indian Heritage & Culture
- Ancient, Medieval & Modern History
- Freedom Struggle
- Post-independence India
- World History
- Indian Society
- Women
- Poverty
- Globalization
- Geography
- Disaster Management basics
GS-II
- Constitution
- Governance
- Parliament
- Judiciary
- Executive
- Federalism
- Elections
- Welfare Schemes
- NGOs
- International Relations
GS-III
- Economy
- Agriculture
- Infrastructure
- Science & Technology
- Environment
- Internal Security
- Disaster Management
GS-IV (Ethics)
- Ethics
- Integrity
- Aptitude
- Emotional Intelligence
- Public Service Values
- Probity
- Case Studies
Optional Subject
Choose one subject (two papers), such as:
- Geography
- History
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Public Administration
- Mathematics
- Literature, etc.
Interview
Tests:
- Personality
- Leadership
- Communication
- Decision-making
- Awareness
- Balance of judgment
2. Subject-wise Strategy
| Subject | Main Sources |
|---|---|
| Polity | M. Laxmikanth + Constitution |
| Modern History | Spectrum by Rajiv Ahir |
| Ancient & Medieval | NCERT |
| Art & Culture | Nitin Singhania |
| Geography | NCERT + GC Leong + Atlas |
| Economy | NCERT + basic economy text + Budget & Economic Survey |
| Environment | Shankar IAS |
| Science & Tech | Current affairs + NCERT basics |
| Ethics | Lexicon (or equivalent) + case-study practice |
| Current Affairs | The Hindu, PIB, PRS, monthly magazines |
