UPSC CSE Syllabus 2026
Complete subject-wise and topic-wise syllabus for UPSC CSE, taken from the official notification.
General Studies (Paper I) · Prelims
- •Current events of national and international importance
- •History of India and the Indian National Movement
- •Indian and World Geography
- •Indian Polity and Governance (Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues)
- •Economic and Social Development
- •Environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change
- •General science
CSAT (Paper II, qualifying) · Prelims
- •Comprehension
- •Interpersonal skills including communication
- •Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- •Decision-making and problem-solving
- •General mental ability
- •Basic numeracy (Class 10 level) and data interpretation
General Studies Paper I · Mains
- •Indian culture, art forms, literature and architecture
- •Modern Indian history from the 18th century
- •The Indian freedom struggle
- •Post-independence consolidation
- •World history (18th century onward)
- •Indian society: diversity, women, poverty, social empowerment
- •Geography of India and the world: physical, economic, social
General Studies Paper II · Mains
- •Indian Constitution: historical underpinnings, features, amendments
- •Functions and responsibilities of the Union and States
- •Separation of powers, dispute redressal mechanisms
- •Government policies and interventions
- •Development processes and the role of NGOs/civil society
- •India and its neighbourhood relations
- •Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements
- •International institutions and their structure, mandate
General Studies Paper III · Mains
- •Indian economy: planning, resource mobilisation, growth, development
- •Government budgeting
- •Agriculture, food processing, land reforms
- •Industrial policy, infrastructure
- •Science and technology developments
- •Environment, biodiversity, disaster management
- •Internal security and external state/non-state actor challenges
General Studies Paper IV · Mains
- •Ethics and human interface
- •Attitude, aptitude and foundational values for civil service
- •Emotional intelligence
- •Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers
- •Public/civil service values and ethics in public administration
- •Probity in governance, case studies on ethical dilemmas
Optional Subject · Mains
- •Candidate chooses one subject from a list of around 48 options (e.g. Public Administration, Sociology, Geography, History, Political Science, Literature subjects, Mathematics, Physics, and several engineering/science subjects)
- •Each optional has its own detailed syllabus not covered here — see the specific subject syllabus on the official UPSC notification