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Essay Writing for Civil Services Examination

• 13 Aug 2018
• 20 min read

Understanding Essay Writing

An essay is a short piece of writing that sheds light on any given topic. M.H. Abrams, the American literary critic, notes that the essay is “Any short composition in prose that undertakes to discuss a matter, express a point of view, or persuade us to accept a thesis on any subject.”

Broadly speaking, there are two types of essays - formal and informal. In the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE), we are concerned with the formal essay. The formal essay is relatively impersonal, the author writes it as an authority and such essays tend to be less emotional. Formal essays can also have factual elements in it, like quoted statistics from a government report etc. It is never in the form of a conversation, never uses first-person references and seldom gets intimate with the audience. In short, a formal essay has a certain degree of seriousness attached to it.

Essay writing for CSE

• For the CSE essay paper, two essays have to be written under 3 hours in the 1000-1200 word limit. Each essay carries 125 marks for a total of 250.
• The essay paper is divided into two sections - A and B, each carrying a choice of 4 essays each, and the aspirant has to choose only one essay from each section.
• The instructions in the syllabus are clear in what is being expected from the aspirant. Aspirants are ‘expected to keep their thoughts closely to the subject and arrange their ideas accordingly.It furthur tates that, credit will be given for effective and coherent expression’.
• The underlined keywords are important because after content, these are the exact parameters on which the essay will be evaluated. 

Beginning Essay Writing

Practice makes perfect. For scoring good marks in the essay, one needs practice. But, before we get to the practising part, we should do some basic homework first. We would start by looking at what a well structured essay is, how it can be planned, what elements can be added to make the essay more scoring, and most importantly, how to do it all within the prescribed time limit.

Basic structure of an essay

The most common method of structuring a essay is breaking it up into paragraphs. In this technique, besides the introduction and the conclusion, there will be body-paragraphs. In these body-paragraphs, the aspirant will have to fit in all his content.

• Body-paragraphs can broadly be supportive, critical or narrative. Ideally, one can start any argument in an aptly phrased narrative paragraph which describe the topic in some detail and then move on to a supportive paragraph containing a few positive facts/ideas on the topic. Though critical paragraphs look best when they are placed last, there are no such rules, and for some topics it can be used as the opening paragraph for the topic.
• The most important part of the essay is perhaps the introduction. First impressions are very important, and a well thought out introduction will definitely make a positive impression on the examiner. We will discuss how to write a proper introduction later in this strategy.
• Similarly, the conclusion is where one can score additional marks if done properly. This will also be discussed later.

Keywords of the essay syllabus

• 'closely': Any deviation from the topic will be tolerated only up to a certain point. One must, therefore, as a rule stick as closely as possible to the topic at hand. Any example, quote, anecdote or reference must be on topic or related closely to it.
• 'arrange': The essay must be in an arranged form. The aspirant is supposed to plan ahead and form a structure of the essay before actually writing it down.
• 'orderly': The ideas or arguments put forward in the essay must follow an order. A haphazard essay that does not flow sequentially, must be avoided at all costs.
• 'concise': The essay and the matter discussed therein must be expressed as precisely possible. Clarity of thought and brevity of expression is what is looked for in the CSE essay.
• 'effective': The essay must be written in a language that makes a strong impression. Thus, one needs to be conveying a point with every sentence, every paragraph. Flowery language is best avoided.
• 'coherent': Coherence is required of all forms of writing, including answer writing, but in the CSE essay one must be extra careful to check that all individual sentences in the essay are making sense. Also, paragraphs as a whole must convey a clear and well thought out exposition on the theme of the essay.

Planning to write an essay

A good essay needs planning. There are three steps to it - defining or understanding what the essay is going to be about in very clear terms, brainstroming on the topic and thirdly, devising the outline of the essay.

Central idea of the thesis statement

• All CSE essays have a thesis statement. For example, in CSE 2016, the following essay was asked— ‘Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare’ . Here the central idea is ‘innovation’. The aspirant is supposed to explore those dimensions of innovation that affect ‘economic growth and social welfare’. In doing so, the aspirant should not veer from the central topic of innovation but if possible add a few related ideas which may supplement the overall central idea that not only socio-economic but also other areas like technology and culture are affected by forces of innovation.
• In another essay asked in CSE— ‘Water disputes between States in federal India’ – the central idea is how the water disputes between various Indian states have played out and what are its various dimensions. Constitutional, legal, social and political dimensions, for ex, are a must for addressing this topic. In order to find out the various dimensions of any given topic we should perform a brainstorming exercise.

Brainstorming for essay writing

• Brainstorming for essay is a crucial step. Brainstorming helps you get all the ideas at one place for quick reference. There are no hard and fast rules, but typically one can begin with the given topic and immediately start listing the things that come to mind. One can ideally devote an entire page for this exercise.

Brainstorming guide

• The first requirement for brainstorming is focus. One should be able to focus single-mindedly on the job at hand, which in this case is jotting down as many points as possible regarding the essay topic.
• Boundaries must also be properly defined. If the topic does not absolutely require a particularly complex point or if it does not require following a difficult train of thought, it should be avoided. Keeping the essay as simple as possible without sacrificing the most valid points is what we should be looking for.
• Then we must set a time limit for the brainstorming session. Ideally, for CSE that time limit works out to about 25 minutes per essay. Within that time limit one is supposed to come up with all the necessary points and plans for writing the essay.
• Another important point to be made here is that aspirants should have a fair understanding regarding  the expectations of the CSE examiner from the essay. Every topic will have some basic ideas that the aspirants must necessarily try to explore or address. During brainstorming such a requirement can be searched for.
• In the brainstorming exercise one may also take help of diagrams, flow-charts, mind-maps etc., if needed. Sometimes doing this may clear things up to a great extent or even save precious time.
• Three things that one must exclusively do while brainstorming are — identify causes and factors, define the various issues and make a list of associated ideas. Doing this is key to success in the entire brainstorming exercise.

Adding elements to the essay

• Any good essay will definitely have a multitude of elements and dimensions to it. For CSE essay writing, there are certain basic rules that one can follow while searching for these elements and dimensions.
• The first of such rules would be to follow and uphold Constitutional values at all times . This is very crucial for essay writing in CSE, that the values enshrined in our Constitution reflect in whatever idea, problem or solution we discuss in the essay. At no point should one try and support an idea that is unconstitutional.
• One must also be democratic while addressing issues . The concepts of ‘freedom and equality’ should be the guiding principles while suggesting solutions and while criticising events or issues.
• Generally, one must also avoid taking absolutist/non-compromising positions . In fact, the best way to handle complex problems is to find the middle ground.
• One must also try not to make sweeping generalisations on any given issue. Instead, there should be hints of patience, justice and understanding in addressing or discussing any given topic.
• Lastly, there are two more things that an aspirant need to keep in mind while attempting the CSE essay. (A) Do not question the topic itself, which is to say, in other words, do not contradict yourself. Pick a position (ideally, the middle path) and stay true to it throughout the essay. (B) Never use positively, things that are universally considered or used in a negative sense, and vice-versa. For ex, one must not say that ‘terrorism’ under certain conditions is equivalent to a freedom struggle, even though quotes like ‘one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’ are quite common.

Elements in an essay

• The three basic elements — social, political and economic — form the bedrock of a good CSE essay.
• To these, one may add other dimensions like Constitutional, legal, technological, technical etc. 
• Another important element is the persona Good personal experiences or anecdotes can no doubt be used to increase the effectiveness of the essay but these should stay within the accepted framework of ethical conduct.

PESTLE Analysis

• Political – Economic – Sociological – Technological – Legal – Environmental Analysis.
• Use PESTLE Analysis to figure out the various aspects, dimensions, factors etc of any given topic.

Outlining the essay

• Before writing the essay, it is best to outline it. To outline an essay means to figure out what to say in the introduction/conclusion, which idea comes where, or even what quote to use for the essay etc.
• Outlining the essay in rough helps us grasp the entirety of the essay before actually writing it. It helps us get the big picture, and also see what we could be missing.
• It is said that once we can figure out the conclusion to our essay, it becomes much easier to not only begin but finish it with confidence.

Writing An Essay 

Sticking to the time limit

In the CSE, one has to write two essays in 3 hours which translates into 1 hour 30 minutes for each essay. Out of this, around 45 minutes to 1 hour will be required to write one essay. One can add another 10 minutes for the revision of one essay. This leaves us with roughly 30 minutes of time to prepare the essay in rough, and it includes time for carrying out the brainstorming and outlining exercises.

How to introduce the essay

• The goal of the introduction should be to arouse the reader’s interest in the topic and to prepare the reader for what is to follow.
• A good introduction to the essay can be a brief explanation of the essay topic itself. It can be made further interesting by adding to it some personal experience, or some relevant anecdotes or quotes
• The introduction should not be confusing or lacking in clarity, rather it should be able to immediately clear up any doubts regarding the topic if there is any.

Writing in paragraphs

• In a stand-alone paragraph, the concluding sentence announces that the paragraph is finished, complete. In an essay, the concluding sentence of a paragraph is more likely to play the role of a transitional device, joining one paragraph to the next.
• Flow is very important in an essay. It is also connected to writing order. Writing orders are of two types
• Known-to-New is the order of writing where the author by choice goes from known (given) concepts to unknown ones. New material is gradually added to build on the unknown.
• Simple-to-Complex is the order of writing where the author first establishes a base of concepts that are easily understood and then develops over it increasingly complex ideas.
• One can use the FREQOES method to add matter to the various paragraphs.

How to conclude the essay

• The essay can be concluded in the following ways - restating the main points in brief and with different wordings (summarizing), suggesting a way forward or a course of action, or adding an interesting personal comment or any relevant anecdote.
• Another way to conclude the essay is by returning to the discussion begun in the introduction. This is called the ‘cyclic return’ and a lot of essays follow this simple method of concluding an essay.
• The conclusion should bear a positive outlook, it should see the silver lining in the clouds. It should also be as clear and concise as possible.

Revising the essay

• To revise, read the essay in its entirety, underlining (preferably with scale and pencil) important words or phrases. Correct spelling or grammatical mistakes if any. Make sure the pages look clean and tidy.
• One may add or omit a few words but it should not be overdone. It is also not advisable that entirely new ideas/sentences are inserted in the essay at the time of revision, unless such information is critical to the essay.

Some tips on essay writing

• One can go through the CSE previous year’s essays and understand the concepts, dimensions and solutions required to solve those. Having a simple understanding of complex social problems is the secret to writing a good essay for the CSE.
• One can also keep handy a small collection of quotes or quotable phrases and citable anecdotes to be used while writing the essay. This keeps one prepared for writing any type of essay.

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UPSC Essay Topics - Important Essay Topics for UPSC Mains 2023

By vajiram & ravi.

Essay Course for UPSC

UPSC CSE Mains 2023 Essay Question Paper

UPSC Mains Optional Test Series

Mentorship Program for UPSC 2024

Understanding UPSC Essay Topics holds significant importance as it evaluates the candidate's ability to analyse, present arguments, and communicate effectively. In this article, we will explore the diverse range of UPSC essay topics, their significance, and essential tips to excel in this section. Get ready to enhance your writing and analytical skills and make a strong impression on the evaluators with well-crafted essays.

UPSC Essay Paper

The Essay paper in the UPSC Mains examination requires candidates to write multiple essays , each on a different topic, chosen from a given list of options. The essay topics for UPSC cover a wide range of issues, including social, economic, political, cultural, and philosophical aspects, both national and international.

The essay paper holds significant weightage in the UPSC Mains examination, contributing 250 marks out of the total 1750 marks . Scoring well in this section can have a considerable impact on the overall ranking and selection for the coveted civil services.

Weekly UPSC Essay Topics By Vajiram & Ravi

The UPSC Essay Paper is an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their proficiency in expressing ideas and analysing complex issues. Vajiram & Ravi Pensive-Weekly Essay Writing Programme provides you with two Essay Topics every Saturday based on the previous year's question papers and the changing trends analysis. You can submit your Essay for peer evaluation on vajiramandravi.com. This will help you nourish your writing skills, give you clarity of thought, and build the capacity to express opinions in a logical and coherent manner.

Important Essay Topics for UPSC 2023

The purpose of the essay paper is to assess the candidate's ability to critically analyse a topic, present well-structured arguments, and communicate their ideas effectively. It also evaluates their knowledge of various issues, their clarity of thought, and their capacity to express opinions in a logical and coherent manner.

Some of the Important Essay Topics to prepare for the UPSC Mains Examination 2023 are:

• Gender Equality
• Environment/Urbanization
• Economic Growth
• Federalism/Decentralization
• Agriculture
• Economics 

UPSC Essay Topics on Philosophy

Every year, UPSC typically provides you with two or more essay topics centred around philosophical thoughts, Indian philosophical schools, or quotes from notable personalities. To effectively address these philosophical topics, you should refer to Philosophy Books to gain a foundational understanding. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Philosophy :

• Everything comes to him, who hustles while he waits.
• We are always blind as we want to be.
• You cannot step twice in the same river.
• A disciplined mind brings happiness.
• The price of Greatness is Responsibility.
• People would rather Believe than Know.
• Mind - A beautiful Servant? Or a dangerous Master?

UPSC Essay Topics on Art and Culture

The UPSC Essay Topics related to Indian society, art, and culture cover a wide range of subjects, offering great diversity. To gain knowledge about the static content on these topics, you should rely on fundamental books on society, as recommended for the exam. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Indian Art and Culture :

• Culture changes with economic development.
• Culture is what we are, Civilization is what we have.
• Social reform is a myth if places of worship are open only to all castes and not to all genders.
• Impact of Globalization on Indian Art and Culture.
• Caste System - India’s Enduring Curse.
• Godmen - A Threat to Indian Art and Culture?

UPSC Essay Topics on Science and Technology

UPSC essay topics on Science and Technology can largely be addressed through current affairs. You may also benefit from consulting a Science and Technology Book for UPSC to compose a comprehensive and well-rounded essay. Here are some UPSC Essay Topics on Science and Technology:

• Deglobalisation is good for the world.
• Science is organised Knowledge. Wisdom is Organised life.
• Technology is a Weapon against Poverty.
• Prioritising Education Technology for Global Growth.
• Technology is the silent factor in International Relations.
• Scientific and Technological Progress cannot be equated with Human Progress.

UPSC Essay Topics on Education

Education stands as one of the preferred UPSC Essay Topics, with an essay related to this subject often appearing in the paper each year. To tackle this topic effectively, you should stay abreast of Current Affairs , incorporating significant changes and advancements in the field. Let's explore some of the Essay topics for UPSC centred around education:

• Self Education is a lifelong curiosity.
• Education Breeds Peace.
• Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
• Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking.
• Schooling is not Education.

UPSC Essay Topics on Polity and Governance

To comprehensively address Polity and Governance topics, you should acquire fundamental knowledge from Polity Books for UPSC and Current Affairs. These resources offer static information about relevant issues and their historical context, which proves valuable while writing UPSC Essay Topics on Polity. Here are some Essay Topics on Polity and Governance:

• The Role of Politics in Development.
• Should Youth in India Consider Politics as a Career?
• Art, Freedom and Creativity will change society faster than politics.
• The politics of Identity is the Politics of the Weak.
• People should not be afraid of their Government. The Government should be afraid of its people.
• Government Surveillance - Good or Bad?

UPSC Essay Topics on Economy

Essays concerning economic growth are frequently included in the Essay Paper. To tackle these topics effectively, you should refer to Economy Notes for UPSC to gain a comprehensive understanding. Once the fundamentals are grasped, you can enhance their essays by incorporating examples, data, and statistics to create a multidimensional perspective. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Economy:

• We don't have to sacrifice a Strong Economy for a Healthy Environment.
• India, a $5 trillion Economy - Dream or Reality?
• Digital Economy: A leveller or a source of Economic Inequality?
• Innovation is the key determinant of social welfare and economic growth.
• Labour Reforms in India and its Role in Economic Growth.

UPSC Essay Topics on Social Issues

Social issues are a significant aspect of the UPSC essay paper, reflecting the candidates' understanding of societal challenges and their ability to propose viable solutions. These essays provide a platform for candidates to analyse, critique, and suggest measures for pressing social concerns. Topics related to social issues in the UPSC Essay paper may include:

• Inclusivity and Plurality are the hallmarks of a Peaceful Society.
• A Gender-sensitive Indian Society is a prerequisite for Women and Child Empowerment.
• The weaker sections of Indian Society - are their Rights and Access to Justice getting Better?

Previous Year UPSC Essay Topics

Practising previous year's essay topics will help you become familiar with the UPSC exam pattern , word limit, and the types of essay questions frequently asked in the Mains Examination. Analysing past essay topics will also allow you to identify recurring themes and trends, enabling you to prioritise their preparation accordingly. Regular practice with past essay topics will instil confidence in you, helping you feel more comfortable and prepared for the actual exam.

• Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence.
• Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
• History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man.
• A ship in the harbour is safe, but that is not what a ship is for.
• The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
• A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities.
• Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.

Tips to Excel in UPSC Essay Paper

• Understand the Topics: Thoroughly comprehend the essay topics, including the keywords and instructions. Choose a topic that aligns with your strengths and interests.
• Plan and Structure: Devote some time to plan your essay. Create an outline and organise your thoughts in a structured manner, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Be Objective: Present balanced arguments and avoid a biased or one-sided approach. Consider multiple perspectives and present a holistic view.
• Provide Examples and Evidence: Support your arguments with relevant examples, data, quotes and evidence to strengthen your essay.
• Maintain Clarity: Write in a clear and concise manner. Use simple language and avoid jargon or overly complex vocabulary.
• Practice Regularly: Regular practice is essential to improve Essay writing skills. Write essays on diverse topics to enhance your versatility.
• Time Management: Allocate appropriate time for planning, writing, and revising each essay to manage time effectively during the examination.
• Revise and Edit: Review your essays for coherence, grammar, and structure. Make necessary edits to refine your work.

FAQs on UPSC Essay Topics

What are the important UPSC Essay Topics?

Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics asked in Mains Examination previously:

• Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have.
• Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
• What is research but a blind date with knowledge?
• Best for an individual is not necessarily best for society.
• Wisdom finds truth.
• Ships don’t sink because of water around them, ships sink because of water that gets into them.
• Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality.
• Technology as the silent factor in international relations.

How do I Prepare for the UPSC Essay?

To prepare for the UPSC essay, focus on understanding the essay syllabus and past topics to identify recurring themes. Regularly practise writing essays on various topics to improve your writing skills and time management. Structure your essays with a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Which is the best source to practise UPSC Essay Topics?

The best sources to prepare Essay for UPSC include official UPSC materials, newspapers, and magazines like The Hindu, Yojana , and Kurukshetra for current affairs, standard books on diverse subjects, government reports and publications, online platforms like PIB and PRS India, UPSC previous year papers for understanding the exam pattern, and regular practice of essay writing on various topics.

© 2024 Vajiram & Ravi. All rights reserved

How to write a Great UPSC Essay for the IAS Mains?

ForumIAS announcing GS Foundation Program for UPSC CSE 2025-26 from 18th June. Click Here for more information.

UPSC Essay is the first Paper you will write

The IAS Mains Exam usually starts with the Essay paper in the first session. So, Essay is effectively the first paper you handle in the Mains. Consequently, it may lead to some stress on the morning of the exam for beginners. Don’t worry, though. You will soon get used to the rigour of  attempting 3 hour papers.

Change in Pattern : 2 UPSC Essays in 3 Hours

An important change brought out by the UPSC from 2014 onward is to ask candidates to write two UPSC essays in 3 hours rather than write a single essay as was the case before. This calls for time management. Equal time should be spent on both the topics. It should not be the case that you spend two and a half hours for writing the first essay and scribble something down for the second one.

This change in pattern from asking a single question to two questions is a good one. Previously the range of marks in the essay varied hugely. Say, from 40 marks to 160 marks out of the total of 250. This year the essay scores seem to have stabilised and the huge variation has reduced. This reduces the luck factor too. If an examiner holds a contrarian view to your first essay and is inclined to award you lesser marks, the second essay on a different topic may appear better to her and so the overall marks do not slide down too much.

A key thing to keep in mind while writing an essay in the Mains exam is that UPSC is not testing your skill as an essayist. They are trying to test whether you will make a good administrator by reading your essay. This can be shown by generally adopting an optimistic view on major issues and by taking an ethical stand. So it does not matter if you do not have a rich vocabulary and a great command over English. You can still get a lot of marks in the Essay paper if you follow some of the tips below.

Points to Remember while writing the UPSC Essay paper:

1. A Great Introduction 2. A Great Conclusion 3. Usage of day-to-day examples 4. Usage of personal anecdotes 5. Quoting famous personalities 6. Small paragraphs 7. A neat handwriting 8. Usage of Sub-Sections 9. Usage of Current Affairs

If you manage to grab the reader’s attention in the introduction. half the job is done. When an examiner is correcting thousands of copies if your introduction stands out (in a good way that is), her job becomes easier as she will now look favorably through the rest of the answer paper.

How to grab the reader’s attention in the introduction?

You can present:

– An interesting fact – A piece of knowledge that is surprising – A very intriguing quote – A short personal anecdote – Provoke the reader through a question – State a paradoxical situation

Most of the times, the examiner reads the introduction and the conclusion fully, but simply skims through the body of the essay. It is not a disadvantage. You just have to use this in your favour.

And how to have a great conclusion?

If you just restate the ideas which you have already mentioned in the body of our essay, the conclusion may feel flat. A memorable and lasting impression should be left on the reader. Hopefully, we should write something that stays on in the reader’s mind long after she has finished correcting your essay. A graceful exit is required. For this you can:

– Try to create a powerful image in the mind of the reader – End with a thought-provoking quotation – Talk about what action can be done – End on an interesting twist of logic

You can quote nationalist leaders of India like Tagore, Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedakar and the like depending on your personal preferences. But the quote should be in keeping with the theme of the essay. And not something you have twisted somehow into the context of the essay. Also, the exact words of the original quote must be written. And not some reproduction in your own words. It leads to you losing credibility in the eyes of the examiner. Especially if the examiner has encountered the quote before, which she most probably has.

As regards the body of the IAS essay, keep these points in mind

– Analyse the topic from various perspectives; historical, geographical, economical, geopolitical, ethical viewpoint etc. It should be a multi-pronged essay. You are aiming to become a generalist administrator and your essay too should show you as one: Not delving too deeply into any esoteric topic but handling a variety of different topics.

– Do not use any advanced term which you learnt while preparing for your optional or your college graduation subject. Like if you have psychology as your optional, do not use any terms in the essay which only a psychologist would know. Or, if you have done economics in your graduation, you should not make the entire essay too economics-oriented and start using complex terms (even if they are with explanation) which only an economist would have encountered before.

Write in a very simple manner . The essay should show your analytical side, yes. But not so analytical that the examiner will have to read an “Introduction to Psychology” handbook before she has to correct your essay. She will just give the minimum marks possible if she is not able to understand what you have written.

– Use short sentences. They are easier to read and comprehend. Long winding sentences would get you nowhere.

– Have a solid thesis statement before you start writing the body of the essay. And mention it in your introduction. The essay must have consistency in thoughts and continuity in presentation. All the arguments which you put forth in the body of your essay should have a single aim. To convince your reader of the central thesis of the essay.

For example, in the UPSC 2014 Essay paper there was a question on whether tourism had great potential in India. So your central thesis could be that you believe that tourism is definitely a high-potential sector in India and with adequate investment in infrastructure it will fulfill its potential. After that every single paragraph in your essay should be about convincing the reader of the validity of your thesis statement. But from various perspectives. Say medical tourism, spiritual tourism, cultural tourism etc.

– Do not adopt an unnecessarily negative tone about any topic. If you are pessimistic about any issue, suggest ways by which you can overcome that problem. Also, it is not advisable to criticize the Government. If you have to absolutely it should be constructive criticism. But generally, refrain from doing so.

– Use short paragraphs . No one likes to read long winding clumps of words. You can occasionally use single-line paragraphs for writing a sentence of impact.

– Give real-life case studies and day to day examples to drive home the point.

Topic selection

As for topic selection for your essay, there will be some tough topics and some relatively easy ones. I do not want to pronounce some categorical statement that certain topics (like philosophical topics) do not give very high marks, so do not write them. Choosing the topic depends on your interest and a basic idea of what your strengths are. Devote the first 10 minutes of the exam to think and choose the topic which you want to write an essay on. It will be worth it. It is a very bad idea to change the topic of your essay during the middle of the exam.

The best way to prepare for the Essay paper is by writing mock essays. Say around ten. Pick the last five year UPSC essay papers. Choose two essays from each paper. And write the two essays in exam conditions by shutting yourself away in a room. Devote exactly three hours to the paper. Then get it evaluated from a trusted teacher or friends or by people who have already cleared the exam. Incorporate the suggestions given in your next exam. Practise and perseverance are the keys to cracking not just the Essay paper of the IAS exam but entering the IAS itself. 🙂

» Index of topics on preparing for Civil Services (Main) Examination.

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How to write an Essay in IAS Exam

One of the biggest mistakes majority of IAS aspirants make during their mains exam preparation is not giving the required attention to their essay paper. You must know how to prepare for essay in UPSC Mains to score expected marks.

The essay paper is crucial. There are two compulsory essays to be written, both of which carry 125 marks each . If you are lagging behind in this section, it means you lose out on a big chunk of marks out of 250!

250 marks can literally make or break your chances at cracking your mains. Therefore, you must take your essay preparations seriously.

In this article, we will cover practical preparatory tips as well as an essay writing strategy that will help you score high in your paper.

The Right Way To Prepare For Your IAS Essay Paper

1. start with an example.

Surf the Internet for essays by toppers and experts. Read their write-ups and understand their approach on the topic. The more you read, the more knowledge you will gain as to what is expected by the UPSC.

2. Open the newspaper’s editorials

The Hindu has the best editorial page of any newspaper in the country. Make it a practice of spending much of your daily newspaper reading time on this section.

Mostly, essay questions are asked out of current affairs . Editorials are an apt gateway to the summation of the entire event, what went wrong, who’s who, and powerful insights into the topic on the whole.

3. Keep quotes handy

Every time you come across an impactful quote/phrase while reading your newspaper/magazine or even casually, make it a point to note it down. Phrases directly said by authorities on the issue at hand are more effective. Introduction with a good quote can make your essay quite interesting.

The opening and closing lines of the essay form the crux of it all. So, make sure you keep it interesting with quotes/phrases.

4. Practice essays on general topics

There are certain themes the UPSC sticks to. These include women, healthcare, development, internet, education, technology, etc.

During practice, you must try to include related data, quotes on the issue said by an authority figure, smart diagrams, case studies, initiatives of the government, etc.

5. Stick to reality and not theory

Agreed that essays are theoretical in nature, and some subjects are unfortunately way too theoretical for you to state realistic points. But a good essay is one, which highlights the topics in the sense of the present. You must avoid technical jargon as much as you could. Stick to current facts, data, and real-life examples.

It is good to give hypothetical examples, but nothing can beat the impact of a real situation that occurred.

For example,

In a topic like “Is gender Equality a myth or possible reality?”: –

Instead of repeatedly focusing on history of women in India, and theoretical paragraphs loaded with how bad a woman’s situation is, focus on data on disparity between male-female employment ratio, school enrollment rates, sex ratio, cases of female feticide, government policies for women’s development etc.

6. Include the crucial parameters

Irrespective of the topic, your essay is good only if it addresses the following parameters:

• Environmental
• International (if the topic demands)

Keep in mind to not get carried away by your passion for the topic. One-sided arguments and aggressive writing tone are detrimental to a good essay.

7. Mind the time

When you practice essay writing, keep an eye on the clock. Right from selecting the right topic, brainstorming the pointers in your head, framing the structure and penning it down, everything must be timed.

8. Seek out help from experts

You are definitely great at what you do, but nothing beats expert guidance! Take your written essays to be evaluated by an expert or someone you look up to as a mentor.

They will help identify and rectify your mistakes with effective feedback.

Let Us Quickly Understand The Best Strategy To Write A Great Essay:

1. It all starts with the right topic

Many candidates make the grave error of selecting an uncommon topic from the options, thinking that unconventionality will get them a higher score.

Do not make this mistake.

Irrespective of the topic, it’s the subject matter that gets the marks home. Select a topic you are confident about. Quickly brainstorm in your mind all the related quotes, data, facts, current issues, examples, government initiates, pros, cons, etc., you can draw on the topic.

If you feel you have enough information, pick that topic.

2. A strong structure is a must

It’s best to outline your essay around the PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE approach. Stick to the past least and more towards the present and future.

Your essay must necessarily have the following components:

• Introduction
• An interesting introduction can be a quote, a hypothetical relatable situation, or a real-life example. Avoid definitions as they’re too cliché. You introduction should clearly hint at what you will be covering in your essay.
• In well-linked, clearly worded, simple sentences analyze your topic.
• In case of debatable topics, discuss both sides.
• For others, keep it straightforward. And less story-like
• Present multiple arguments; examine both sides of an argument
• Give related examples
• Summarize your topic and present your concluding stand. Always end your essay on a visionary note.

I hope this answers all your questions on How to Prepare for Essay in UPSC.

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The UPSC essay paper is one of the nine papers for the IAS main exam. With this, the scores obtained in the UPSC essay topics will also be considered in the merit list. Hence, it is important to cover all the aspects of the UPSC essay syllabus .

In this paper, candidates need to write two essays, each with a word limit of 1000-1200 words. Moreover, they are required to choose one IAS essay topic out of the four options in each section i.e. A and B.

The UPSC essay paper is conducted for 250 marks with one essay UPSC paper for 125 marks. Therefore, aspirants should use the best books and strategies to excel in this section.

In this article, we have compiled all the details of the UPSC IAS essay for the candidates aspiring for the upcoming civil services exam.

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UPSC Essay Paper 2023 Structure

• As per the UPSC exam pattern , the essay paper is one of the nine subjects in the civil services main exam. In this paper, aspirants need to write essays on assigned UPSC essay topics .
• Candidates should practice writing essays on multiple topics in order to learn how to arrange their ideas and execute the same in the proper order.
• Furthermore, the UPSC essay paper will carry 250 marks with an exam duration of 3 hours.

UPSC Essay Previous Year Papers

The previous year’s UPSC essay paper is one of the finest resources to prepare well for this section. This will strengthen their vocabulary and writing skills and also provide them insights into the type of essay topics UPSC asked over the years.

Hence, we have compiled below the official UPSC essay previous paper PDF link for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 for the reference of the candidates.

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Best Strategy for UPSC Essay Writing

UPSC essays must be well-formatted and presented in a manner that the readers can easily understand without any obstacles. Above all, it must include the ideas about the issue mentioned in the question.

Candidates must note that the general essay papers also play an important role in compensating for the less scores in general studies and optional papers. Hence, it is advisable to focus on improving the vocabulary and writing skills from the first leg of the preparation.

Let’s look at the best strategy to score high marks in the UPSC essay topics in the main exam.

• Go through the entire UPSC essay syllabus to cover all the aspects of the section.
• Build a habit of reading newspaper editorials and journals every day. Going by the trend analysis, it is found that many essay questions were asked directly from current affairs in the past few years.
• Next, note down relevant quotes from the books/magazines/journal and implement them whenever required in the essay writing.
• Focus on IAS essay topics related to democracy, environment/urbanization, judiciary, social justice/poverty, philosophies, media & society, education, economic sector, etc as questions can be asked from these topics.
• Pick the essay topic very carefully. Also, it is advised to take some time to think about the topic and collect ideas and thoughts.
• One should make sure that the essay comprises sections like introduction, main body, theme, and conclusion.
• Moreover, aspirants can also reach out to their mentors, experts, seniors, or teachers for feedback on their essay writing. This will allow them to recognize their mistakes and focus more on their weak points for effective preparation.

Read More: How to write an essay for UPSC here!

Best Books for UPSC Essay Writing

Along with the best UPSC essay strategy , aspirants should also choose the finest books that comprise multiple essay topics UPSC for the exam. Here, we have shared below the best books and resources to strengthen the preparation of the general essay section:

• Monthly Current Affairs Magazines by OnlyIAS
• Only IAS Yogana Magazine
• Only IAS Praarambh Post-Independence India
• Only IAS Kurukshetra Magazine
• Only IAS Praarmabh Indian Society
• The Hindu (editorial articles)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. How to score 150 in UPSC essay?

Ans. One can score 150 marks on the UPSC essay paper by managing time effectively throughout the exam and avoiding any kind of deviation from the topic.

Q2. What are the topics for UPSC essay?

Ans. Some of the important IAS essay topics include democracy, environment/urbanization, judiciary, social justice/poverty, philosophies, media & society, education, economic sector, etc

Q3. What is essay paper 1 in UPSC?

Ans. The UPSC essay paper 1 is one of the nine papers for the IAS main exam. In this paper, candidates need to write two essays, each with a word limit of 1000-1200 words. The maximum mark is 250 with a duration of 3 hours.

Q4. Is UPSC essay tough?

Ans. Yes, the UPSC essay paper is moderately tough as per the past year’s exam analysis. However, it also depends on the aspirant knowledge of the topic.

Q5. How many pages is 1,000 words in UPSC?

Ans. 2 pages single-spaced or 4 pages double-spaced is about 1000 words in UPSC.

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DECODING THE ESSAY PAPER FOR UPSC MAINS 2022

Hey All Aspirants….!!!!!

Welcome back to VAJIRAO IAS ACADEMY.

In the previous articles of the series, we are done with the GS papers of the UPSC Mains. Now, in this article, we will be discussing about the “Tips and Strategies for Essay Paper”. You can also have a look at our previous articles in the series “The Race to UPSC CSE 2022”.

Before starting, have a look at instruction given by UPSC for the Essay Paper:

“Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay, to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.”

A relevant question pops out of the mind on seeing the instruction – Is there any significant difference between the General Studies paper and Essay paper in UPSC Mains??

The answer is YES….!!!!! If we go by the perspective of UPSC, the basic difference lies in the fact that, the GS papers will be evaluated on the basis of the content provided whereas, the Essay stands the test of evaluation based not only the content provided but also the structuring of the write-up, language, ideas, views, coherence etc. So, it will be apt for the aspirants to take utmost care in shaping their ideas for any essay topic.

Writing is an art in itself.

The Essay paper weighs 250 marks i.e. an average 14% of the total 1750 marks awarded in the UPSC Mains Exam. Still the paper is mostly ignored by the aspirants as a common thought process is that the essay paper does not require any specific preparation. It can be mingled with the GS preparation itself.

But this might not be the right approach. You need to spend atleast certain few hours of your preparation time for this paper also. The notion that you will write a perfect essay once for all right in the actual exam itself. Many aspirants and even UPSC toppers have confessed to have done the mistakes in their previous attempts.

Now, the second question arises – What all to study for the Essay Paper???

Well, if done smartly, most of the content and ideas for your essay will come out from the GS preparation. Good thing is that, you need cover bulky books separately for it. Apart from the GS papers, the following things can help you streamline tour essay preparation:

Keeping a tab of real-life examples and stories –

Collecting daily life stories and examples pertaining to various social issues or other relevant essay topics appearing in newspapers will hold good to specify in your answers. You can make judicious use of such example in the paper to gain that 1-2 mark extra edge over fellow counterparts.

Reading Particular Magazines –

Specific issues of certain magazines like the Yojana, Kurukshetra, Down to Earth and other such can be referred and it is advisable to make suitable notes for the particular topics separately. These magazines will provide with the latest analytics and facts about the contemporary issues for the society at large.

Non-Fiction Books –

Reading such books will help you in developing a secular and analytic view on particular things. It will also improve your language competency for the essays. Develop a habit of reading non-fictions for example, “My Experiments with truth” by Mahatma Gandhi. But that does not anyway means to indulge yourself in deep learning of such books. Use your free time to enrich your knowledge with them.

Tips and Strategies

• Make a proper list of quotes, saying of the greats and real-life examples collected from newspapers and refer them from time-to-time.
• Develop a set structure of writing an essay. The most common structuring will be the INTRODUCTION-BODY-CONCLUSION pattern.
• Before writing any essay, prepare a rough draft of the topic and brainstorm the ideas, whatever comes to your mind and jolt it down. Prepare a set pattern of those ideas and proceed accordingly.
• Start your essay with a proper introduction containing either any quote, any real-life example, articles of constitution or simply defining the terms included in your essay topic.
• In the Body part, you can breakdown your essay into different sub-topics and sub-headings. Make sure you touch each and every aspect of your topic. Be it Historical, Political, Economic, Cultural, contemporary everything.
• Divide and devote roughly same amount of words for each sub-topics. Do not indulge very deep in a particular one.
• Make your essay presentable. Make use of diagrams, flowcharts, spoke-wheel diagrams etc. It is bound to impress your examiner.
• Pay good amount of attention to the language and vocabulary of your essay. You need not make use of very ornamental languages to fetch good marks. Simple and short sentences will do but should be grammatically error-free.
• In order to ace the paper, the ideas you created for the particular must be conveyed to the examiner convincingly. For this, be to the point in your approach and keep it simple.

Essay paper sometimes become a make-or-break paper in terms of securing a place in the final merit list. The marks awarded, varies between 30 to 16o. You can imagine the fluctuation level. What’s within your reach is a steady preparation for essay. Leave no stone unturned and give your best shot in the mains exam. Success is bound to be yours.

Well, with this in-depth breakdown of the essay paper, we are sure you must have acquired a good idea as to how to ace the paper. We conclude with this, but don’t forget our mantra to achieve success in UPSC:

“Read, Re-read, Write, Revise, Repeat”

Stay tuned for further updates in the series….. Till then…..Think Positive, Stay Healthy…..!!!!!!

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UPSC Essay Topic wise Question Papers of last 31 years (1993-2023) for Civil Services IAS/IPS Exam Free Download

In the UPSC mains examination, essay paper is worth 250 marks and three hours. Here is the topic wise questions from the earlier years for the benefit of civil service IAS IPS aspirants.

1.1 India Since Independence

1.2 federalism, decentralization, 1.3 administration, 1.4 judiciary, 1.5 poverty, social justice, 1.6 indian society, culture and values, 1.7 media, tv & cinema, literature, 2.1 growth vs development, 2.2 environment vs development, 2.4 sectors of economy, 3.1 values in education, 3.2 scheme implementation, 3.3 higher education, 4.1 character, honesty, ethics, 4.2 knowledge, 4.3 compassion, 4.4 truth and reality, 4.5 youth, discipline, 4.6 towards excellence, 5.1 @national politics, 5.2 @world / quote type, 5.3 empowerment overall, 5.4 compared to men, 6.1 globalization, 6.2 international org./ bilateral, 6.3 security, 6.4 history, 7.1 science and religion, 7.2 science and education, 7.3 computer and internet, 7.4 sci-tech: others, appendix: linear paper of upsc essay 2023, appendix: linear paper of upsc essay 2022, appendix: model answer pe free lecture & powerpoint, appendix: syllabus of essay paper in upsc, 1 india: democracy, administration, society, culture.

• Is the Colonial mentality hindering India’s Success? -2013
• In the context of Gandhiji’s views on the matter, explore, on an evolutionary scale, the terms ‘Swadhinata’, ‘Swaraj’ and ‘Dharmarajya’. Critically comment on their contemporary relevance to Indian democracy -2012
• Dreams which should not let India sleep. -2015
• Why should we be proud of being Indians? -2000
• Whither Indian democracy? -1995
• How far has democracy in India delivered the goods? -2003
• What we have not learnt during fifty years of independence. -1997
• What have we gained from our democratic set-up? -2001
• My vision of India in 2001 a.d. -1993
• Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India. -2017
• Water disputes between States in federal India. -2016
• Cooperative federalism : Myth or reality. -2016
• Creation of smaller states and the consequent administrative, economic and developmental implication -2011
• Evaluation of panchayati raj system in India from the point of view of eradication of power to people. -2007
• Water resources should be under the control of the central government. -2004
• The language problem in India: its past, present and prospects. -1998
• There are better practices to “best practices”. -2021
• How should a civil servant conduct himself? -2003
• Politics without ethics is a disaster. -1995
• The VIP cult is a bane of Indian democracy -1996
• Need for transparency in public administration -1996
• The country’s need for a better disaster management system. -2000
• Politics, bureaucracy and business – fatal triangle. -1994
• We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws. -2017
• Justice must reach the poor -2005
• Judicial activism and Indian democracy. -2004
• Judicial activism. -1997
• A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity. (- जिस समाज में अधिक न्याय होता है उस समाज को दान की कम आवश्यकता होती है।) – 2023
• There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless (बिना आर्थिक समृद्धि के सामाजिक न्याय नहीं हो सकता, किन्तु बिना सामाजिक न्याय के आर्थिक समृद्धि निरर्थक है ) -2020
• Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness. -2019
• The focus of health care is increasingly getting skewed towards the ‘haves’ of our society. -2009
• Food security for sustainable national development -2005
• Reservation, politics and empowerment. -1999
• Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have (जो हम है, वह संस्कार; जो हमारे पास है, वह सभ्यता ) -2020
• Indian culture today: a myth or a reality? -2000
• Modernism and our traditional socio-ethical values. -2000
• The composite culture of India. -1998
• The Indian society at the crossroads. -1994
• From traditional Indian philanthropy to the gates-buffet model-a natural progression or a paradigm shift? -2010
• New cults and godmen: a threat to traditional religion -1996
• Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy. -2019
• Responsibility of media in a democracy. -2002
• Role of media in good governance -2008
• Does Indian cinema shape our popular culture or merely reflect it? -2011
• How has satellite television brought about cultural change in Indian mindsets? -2007
• Is sting operation an invasion on privacy? -2014
• Mass media and cultural invasion. -1999
• The misinterpretation and misuse of freedom in India. -1998
• Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world (कवि संसार के अनधिकृत रूप से विधायक होते हैं) – 2022

2 Economy, Development

• Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere. -2018
• Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality. -2016
• Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare. -2016
• Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms. -2016
• Crisis faced in India – moral or economic. -2015
• Was it the policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our country? -2014
• GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the wellbeing of a country-2013
• Can capitalism bring inclusive growth? -2015
• Resource management in the Indian context. -1999
• Economic growth without distributive justice is bound to breed violence. -1993
• Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence (आर्थिक समृद्धि हासिल करने के मामले में वन सर्वोत्तम प्रतिमान होते हैं।) – 2022
• Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India. -2018
• Should a moratorium be imposed on all fresh mining in tribal areas of the country? -2010
• Urbanisation and its hazards -2008
• Protection of ecology and environment is essential for sustained economic development. -2006
• Urbanization is a blessing in disguise. -1997
• Ecological considerations need not hamper development. -1993
• Globalization would finish small-scale industries in India. -2006
• Multinational corporations – saviours or saboteurs -1994
• Special economic zone: boon or bane -2008
• Is the criticism that the ‘Public-Private-Partnership’ (PPP) model for development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context, justified ?-2012
• Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India. -2017
• BPO boom in India. -2007
• Tourism: Can this be the next big thing for India? -2014
• Are our traditional handicrafts doomed to a slow death? -2009

3 Education

• Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in – school. (- शिक्षा वह है जो विद्यालय में विधालय में सीखी गई बातों को भूल जाने के बाद भी शेष रह जाती है।)
• Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms. -2017
• Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil-2015
• Independent thinking should be encouraged right form the childhood. -2007
• Are the standardized tests good measure of academic ability or progress? -2014
• Irrelevance of the classroom. -2001
• Is the growing level of competition good for the youth? -2014
• Literacy is growing very fast, but there is no corresponding growth in education. -1996
• Is an egalitarian society possible by educating the masses ? -2008
• What is real education? -2005
• “Education for all” campaign in India: myth or reality. -2006
• Restructuring of Indian education system. -1995
• Privatization of higher education in India. -2002
• Credit – based higher education system – status, opportunities and challenges -2011

4 Quote based, Philosophy, Ethics

• A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities (हर असमंजस के लिए मुस्कराहट ही चुनिन्दा साधन है) – 2022
• Philosophy of wantlessness is a Utopian, while materialism is a chimera. -2021
• Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me. -2021
• Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication (सरलता चरम परिष्करण है ) -2020
• Ships don’t sink because of water around them ships sink because of water that gets into them (जहाज अपने चारों तरफ के पानी के वजह से नहीं डूबा करते, जहाज पानी के अंदर समां जाने की वजह से डूबता हैं ) -2020
• Life is a long journey between being human and being humane.  (मनुष्य होने और मानव बनने के बीच का लम्बा सफर ही जीवन है)-2020
• Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be -2019
• Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society -2019
• Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success -2019
• Wisdom finds truth -2019
• A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both. -2018
• Customary morality cannot be a guide to modem file. -2018
• Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed. -2016
• Character of an institution is reflected in its leader. -2015
• With greater power comes greater responsibility. -2014
• Words are sharper than the two-edged sword. -2014
• Attitude makes, habit makes character and character makes a man. -2007
• He would reigns within himself and folds his passions and desires and fears is more than a king. -1993
• Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team. (- सोच एक खेल की तरह है, यह तब तक शुरू नहीं होता है जब तक कि एक विपरीत टीम/पक्ष न हो।) – 2023
• Mathematics is the music of reason. (- गणित ज्ञान का संगीत है।) – 2023
• The real is rational and the rational is real. -2021
• Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self (विचारपरक संकल्प स्वयं के शांतचित्त रहने का उत्प्रेरक है )-2020
• ‘The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values. -2018
• A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. -2018
• There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. -2003
• Disinterested intellectual curiosity is the lifeblood of civilisation. -1995
• Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. -2017
• Compassion is the basic of all morality of the world -1993
• Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole. -2015
• Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)-2013
• Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right (केवल इसलिए कि आपके पास विकल्प हैं, इसका यह अर्थ कदापि नहीं है कि उनमें से किसी को भी ठीक होना ही होगा) – 2022
• Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it. -2018
• Truth is lived, not taught -1996
• When money speaks, the truth is silent. -1995
• Search for truth can only be a spiritual problem. -2002
• The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining (छप्पर मरम्मत करने का समय तभी होता है, जब धूप खिली हुई हो) – 2022
• You cannot step twice in the same river (आप उसी नदी में दोबारा नहीं उतर सकते) – 2022
• Discipline means success, anarchy means ruin -2008
• Youth is a blunder, manhood a struggle, old age a regret -1994
• If youth knew, if age could. -2002
• Youth culture today. -1999
• Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India? -2014
• Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic. (- दूरदर्शी निर्णय तभी लिए जाते है अंतर्ज्ञान और तर्क का परस्पर मेल होता है।) – 2023
• Not all who wander are lost. (- भटकने वाले सभी गुम नहीं हो जाते।) – 2023
• Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane (- रचनात्मकता की प्रेरणा अलौकिक ता में चमत्कार ढूंढने के प्रयास से उपजति है) – 2023
• A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for (जहाज बन्दरगाह के भीतर सुरक्षित होता है, परन्तु इसके लिए तो वह होता नहीं है) – 2022
• Quick but steady wins the race. -2015
• Useless life is an early death. -1994
• Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds. -1995
• The paths of glory lead but to the grave. -2002
• The pursuit of excellence. -2001

5 Women empowerment

• Greater political power alone will not improve women’s plight. -1997
• Women’s reservation bill would usher in empowerment for women in India. -2006
• The new emerging women power: the ground realities. -1995
• Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. -2021
• If women ruled the world -2005
• The hand that rocks the cradle -2005
• Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality (पितृ-सत्ता की व्यवस्था नजर मैं बहुत काम आने के बावजूद सामाजिक विषमता की सबसे प्रभावी संरचना है) -2020
• Fulfilment of ‘new woman’ in India is a myth. -2017
• If development is not engendered, it is endangered. -2016
• Whither women’s emancipation? -2004
• Empowerment alone cannot help our women. -2001
• Women empowerment: challenges and prospects. -1999
• Woman is god’s best creation. -1998
• Men have failed: let women take over. -1993
• Managing work and home – is the Indian working woman getting a fair deal ?-2012

6 International issues, Internal Security, History

• South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities. -2019
• Modernisation and westernisation are not identical concepts. -1994
• ‘globalization’ vs. ‘nationalism’ -2009
• National identity and patriotism -2008
• Globalizations and its impact on Indian culture. -2004
• The masks of new imperialism. -2003
• As civilization advances culture declines. -2003
• The implications of globalization for India. -2000
• My vision of an ideal world order. -2001
• India’s contribution to world wisdom. -1998
• The world of the twenty-first century. -1998
• Preparedness of our society for India’s global leadership role. -2010
• Technology as the silent factor in international relations (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संबंधों मैं मौन करक के रूप मैं प्रौद्योगिकी) -2020
• Has the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) lost its relevance in a multipolar world ? -2017
• Restructuring of UNO reflect present realities -1996
• The global order: political and economic -1993
• India’s role in promoting ASEAN co-operation. -2004
• Importance of Indo-US nuclear agreement -2006
• Management of Indian border dispute is a complex task. -2018
• In the Indian context , both human intelligence and technical intelligence are crucial in combating terrorism -2011
• Are we a ‘soft’ state ? -2009
• Good fences make good neighbours -2009
• Is autonomy the best answer to combat balkanization? -2007
• Terrorism and world peace -2005
• True religion cannot be misused. -1997
• History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. -2021
• Geography may remain the same ; history need not. -2010

7 Science-Technology

• Spirituality and scientific temper. -2003
• Science and Mysticism : Are they compatible ?-2012
• What is research, but a blind date with knowledge! -2021
• Modern technological education and human values. -2002
• Value-based science and education. -1999
• The march of science and the erosion of human values. -2001
• The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced. -2021
• Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling. -2019
• ‘Social media’ is inherently a selfish medium. -2017
• Cyberspace and Internet : Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run -2016
• Increasing computerization would lead to the creation of a dehumanized society. -2006
• The cyberworld: its charms and challenges. -2000
• Computer: the harbinger of silent revolution. -1993
• Technology cannot replace manpower. -2015
• Science and technology is the panacea for the growth and security of the nation-2013
• The modern doctor and his patients. -1997
• The lure of space. -2004

Section-A (write any one)

• Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team. (- सोच एक खेल की तरह है, यह तब तक शुरू नहीं होता है जब तक कि एक विपरीत टीम/पक्ष न हो।)
• Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic. (- दूरदर्शी निर्णय तभी लिए जाते है अंतर्ज्ञान और तर्क का परस्पर मेल होता है।)
• Not all who wander are lost. (- भटकने वाले सभी गुम नहीं हो जाते।)
• Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane (- रचनात्मकता की प्रेरणा अलौकिक ता में चमत्कार ढूंढने के प्रयास से उपजति है)

Section-B (write any one)

• Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines. (-लड़कियां बंदिशों के तथा लड़के अपेक्षा के बोझ तले दबे हुए होते हैं दोनों ही समान रूप से हानिकारक व्यवस्थाएं हैं।)
• Mathematics is the music of reason. (- गणित ज्ञान का संगीत है।)
• A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity. (- जिस समाज में अधिक न्याय होता है उस समाज को दान की कम आवश्यकता होती है।)

Answer one-one essay from each section in 1000-1200 words

• History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man (इतिहास वैज्ञानिक मनुष्य के रूमानी मनुष्य पर विजय हासिल करने का एक सिलसिला है।) – 2022
• A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for (जहाज बन्दरगाह के भीतर सुरक्षित होता है, परन्तु इसके लिए तो वह होता नहीं है) & 2022
• Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right (केवल इसलिए कि आपके पास विकल्प हैं, इसका यह अर्थ कदापि नहीं है कि उनमें से किसी को भी ठीक होना ही होगा) – 2022

Essay: Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

Showcase your ideas on public policy and current affairs by entering our essay writing competition. Every month, students can choose any one topic and send their essays. Make sure you first prepare well and then write down the essay as it will give you great practice for the actual UPSC essay exam.

• Selected essays will be published on our website with the name of the author.
• Two essays will be reviewed and practice will be given to enhance the essay writing ability.
• They will also get a Free test series for Prelims

We hope more and more students will participate in the Essay contest, which includes topics of current affairs. One should remember that these topics will be useful not only for the IAS exams but also for other competitive exams.

Practice Essay Topics for UPSC

May - June 2024 Essay Contest (Last date is June 30, 2024)

Candidates should send their essay to [email protected]. Please mention your mobile number in your mail .

View: Upsc essay topics

Essay Contest Topics: January - 2021

• In the tussle between a local vaccine and an international vaccine, how does a government decide?
• Is it important to be a good human being and accommodating or should we be aggressive and achieve success?
• How can individuals contribute to the growth of a nation’s economy?
• Should India close down its dams and focus on nuclear and solar energy?

Selected Essay Topics: March 2024

1. Changing trends in the female workforce, how it can be harnessed for better growth. -JNANDEEP BORA (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: December 2023

1. Is the caste barrier breaking due to increased love marriages in India? -SHUVAJYOTI DUTTA

Selected Essay Topics: November 2023

1. Is the caste barrier breaking due to increased love marriages in India? -JNANDEEP BORA (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: August - September 2023

1. Religion Vs Nation - Write an essay on the harmony and the conflict? -Jatin Sethi

2. Poverty and the Indian story of the numbers below the poverty line. What are the solutions? -MUDRA PADMASHALI (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: April 2023

1. Role of Social Media in Indian Politics -Shri Rishija

2. Role of Social Media in Indian Politics -Vinita Murmu (Winner)

3. Role of social media in Indian politics. -JNANDEEP BORA.

4. ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN INDIAN POLITICS -MUDRA PADMASHALI

5. Where are the oil economies headed with the rise of electric vehicles? Discuss the impact on India. -RICHA RAJ (Winner)

6. Future of printed currency. Discuss. -DR. RUPALI KUMARI

7. Role of social media in Indian politics -SANJEEV KUMAR

Selected Essay Topics: March 2023

1. How important is God in a civil society? -Jatin Sethi (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: January 2023

1. BRAIN DRAIN A DECADE AGO AND NOW -Dr Rashmi bhat (Winner)

2. BRAIN DRAIN A DECADE AGO AND NOW -Gudibandi vaishnavi

3. Should a civil servant be honest? How corruption in offices can be monitored? -JNANDEEP BORA.

4. Should a civil servant be honest? How corruption in offices can be monitored? -Jatin Sethi (Winner)

5. India has some of the richest business houses, how does it affect our GDP? -Swagata Sengupta

6. Should a civil servant be honest? How corruption in offices can be monitored? -Mudra Padmashali

Selected Essay Topics: November - December 2022

1. Is being a Hindu more important than being an Indian? should we have to choose? -Kajal Bansal

2. With Rishi Sunak becoming the British PM, does India benefit in any way? -Dr. Rashmi Bhagat

3. Food distribution in India-the way ahead -Mudra Padmashali

4. Is being a Hindu more important than being an Indian? Should we have to choose?” -Jatin Sethi (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: October 2022

1. Analyze the economic status of India vis-a-vis the world economic scenario -Vijay Sridhar

2. Is Success a mind game or sheer hard work? -Mudra Padmashali

Selected Essay Topics: August 2022

1. Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole. -Vijay Sridhar (Winner)

2. Quick but steady wins the race -Mudra p (Winner)

3. Dreams which should not let India sleep -SHUVAJYOTI DUTTA

4. Dreams which should not let India sleep. -Sangeeta Paul

5. Dreams which should not let India sleep. -Muhammad Fasal (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: June 2022

1. Role of money in health and happiness -Jnandeep Bora

2. Role of Money in Health and happiness -Dr.Rashmi Bhat

3. Work life balance how can it be achieved? -Dr. Reshma Bhat

4. Work life balance how can it be achieved? -Ani Ysl

5. Work life balance how can it be achieved? -Sangeeta Paul

6. Role of money in health and happiness -Anusha Kolli (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: April & May 2022

1. How important is that PT/sports class in school? -AISHWARYA THORAM

2. How important is that PT/sports class in school? -Dr.Reshma Bhat

3. How Important is that PT/ sports class in school ? -Abraham Johnson Anchaniyil

4. The effect of war in modern days with reference to Ukaraine and Russia. -SATARUPA MUKHERJEE

5. How important is that PT/Sport class in school? -JNANDEEP BORA

Selected Essay Topics: February & March 2022

1. What is important for the voters of India? Do they carry away by propaganda? -Jayant Joshi

2. What should we do to improve Indians to be honest in public life? -VAISHNAVI GUDIBANDI

3. What is important for the voters of India? Do they carried away by propaganda? -Jayant Joshi

4. What should we do to inspire Indians to be honest in public life? -Twinkle

5. What is important for the voters of India? Do they get carried away by propaganda? -JNANDEEP BORA (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: January 2022

1. India’s economic growth, the way forward -Anusha Kolli

Selected Essay Topics: December 2021

1. Should money weigh over choice passion in the choice of career? -Twinkle

2. The Corona virus, it’s variants and the way forward -Dr. Reshma Bhat (Winner)

3. How useful is celebrating festivals for human society? -Rashmi Bhat

4. How useful is celebrating festivals for human society? -Jayant Joshi

5. How useful is celebrating festivals for human society? -Anusha Kolli (Winner)

6. The Corona Virus , it`s variants and the way forward -Sanjyot Dhavale

7. Should money weigh over choice, passion in the choice of career? -Muhammad Fasal (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: December - 2019

• Are we corrupt as a nation? How can the common man stay away from activities that encourage Corruption? -SRISHAKTHI.M
• Are we corrupt as a nation? How can the common man stay away from activities that encourage Corruption? -ADARSH BAJPAI
• Are we corrupt as a nation? How can the common man stay away from activities that encourage Corruption? -ARPIT SAMANT (Winner)
• Air Pollution, the road ahead. Will using alternate number cars, no firecrackers in Diwali help? -NIVEDITA ROY (Winner)
• Air Pollution, the road ahead. Will using alternate number cars, no firecrackers in Diwali help? -Sangeeta Paul
• Is nationalism above humanism? -ABRAHAM JOHNSON ANCHANIYIL
• Is nationalism above humanism? -Sujeet Kumar (Winner)
• Should India, Pakistan and Bangladesh become one country? List advantages and disadvantages. -JNANDEEP BORA (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: November - 2019

• Unemployment in India and the roadmap ahead. - SADIQUE MD YUSUF SHAIKH (Winner)
• Rural development – what are the possibilities?. - ZEENAT ABDUL KARIM SHAIKH
• Rural development – what are the possibilities?. - NIVEDITA ROY (Winner)
• Can live in relationships be considered a new age form of marriage? - shuvajyoti dutta
• Can live in relationships be considered a new age form of marriage? - JNANDEEP BORA. (Winner)
• What does the youth of India want? Engaging the youth. - Shaoni Chakraborty
• What does the youth of India want? Engaging the youth. - Rachna Gupta (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: October - 2019

• Biased Media is a real threat to Indian Democracy. - Sangeeta paul (Winner)
• Biased Media is a real threat to Indian Democracy. - Surya M
• Rise of Artificial Intelligence : the threat of jobless future through reskilling and upskilling - Maryam Maqsood (Winner)
• Courage to accept and decision to improve are two keys to success - SRISHAKTHI.M (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: September - 2019

• How Important the Role of a Housewife to India’s Economic Growth? - Srishakthi.M
• Feeding India's Billion plus Population , the Roadmap Ahead. - Uday Kiran.D
• What Does Marriage Mean to the Millennials in India? - Surya. M
• What Does Marriage Mean to the Millennials in India? - Abraham Johnson Anchaniyil.
• Feeding India's Billion plus Population , the Roadmap Ahead. - Niharika Tahasheeldar
• Tree Plantation Drives, Are They Enough to Get Sufficient Rains - Prathamesh Mahajan
• Feeding India's Billion plus Population , the Roadmap Ahead. - Krupan.P.M (Winner)
• Feeding India's Billion plus Population , the Roadmap Ahead. - Goutham.R
• What Does Marriage Mean to the Millennials in India? - Jnandeep Bora (Winner)
• How Important the Role of a Housewife to India’s Economic Growth? - Nikita Mehta
• Feeding India's Billion plus Population , the Roadmap Ahead. - Shuvajyoti Dutta

Selected Essay Topics: August - 2019

• Fulfilment of ”new Women” in India Is a Myth - Dr.Rashmi Bhat.
• Fulfilment of ”new Women” in India Is a Myth - Yohalakshmi Nethi Gopalakrishnan
• Farming Has Lost the Ability to Be a Source of Subsistence for Majority of Farmers in India - M.Surya (Winner)
• Is There Enough Employment for the Youth of India? What Can Be Done? - Jnandeep Bora. (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: July - 2019

• Customary Morality Cannot Be a Guide to Modern Life - Karthiayani Nair
• A Good Life Is One Inspired by Love and Guided by Knowledge - Krupan P M (Winner)
• A People That Values Its Privileges above Its Principles, Loses Both - Shuvajyoti Dutta

Selected Essay Topics: June - 2019

• Alternative Technologies for Climate Change. - Surya
• Alternative Technologies for Climate Change. - Sayyed Samreen Roomi
• Poverty Anywhere is a Threat to Prosperity Everywhere. - Durgesh Kumar Singh (Winner)
• Poverty Anywhere is a Threat to Prosperity Everywhere. - Mimansa Sahrawat
• Poverty Anywhere is a Threat to Prosperity Everywhere. - Jnandeep Bora

Selected Essay Topics: May - 2019

• Rise of Religious Terrorism in Sri Lanka - Sayed Nishat Tanaum (Winner)
• India's Decision to Create Indo-pacific Division. - Malavika.R
• The Proposal to Allow Dentist Practice as General Physician. - Reshma Bhat.DR

Selected Essay Topics: April - 2019

• Rahul Gandhi's minimum income guarantee scheme - Harshini Manthripragada (Winner)

Selected Essay Topics: March - 2019

• Priyanka Gandhi and her entry into politics - JNANDEEP BORA (Winner)
• Pulwama terror attack and its aftermath - Amit Aseri (Selected)
• Government announcement of No tax for income till Rs. 5 lakh - Sneha Lad (Selected)

Essay Topics: February - 2019

• 10 Per Cent Reservation For General Category - Veena Goyal (Winner)
• 10 Per Cent Reservation For General Category - Manish Kumar (Selected)
• Economic Offenders in India - Abraham Johnson Achaniyil (Selected)

Essay Topics: January - 2019

• Plastic ban in India - Manish Kumar (Winner)
• Importance of reservation of seats for women in Parliament - Dr Rashmi Bhat (Selected)
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• ClearIAS Prelims-cum-Main Integrated Approach : By this method, we intend for aspirants to prepare for Mains and Prelims in an integrated manner. Overlapping topics should be combined. Non-overlapping topics (subject only for Mains) should be identified and learned separately. By following this method, aspirants will be ready to face the Main exam much earlier than other aspirants who start solely from the Prelims syllabus.
• ClearIAS TTT approach :  We advise you to make ‘ T-T-T ‘ ie. ‘Text-books’, ‘Test-series’, and ‘Techniques’ as the core part of your UPSC preparation strategy.
• ClearIAS Test-based approach : Mock Exams are the fundamental basis of the ClearIAS learning program. Our method of training is such a way that aspirants learn by taking mock exams. ClearIAS Test-series – which integrates learning with test-taking – combines textbooks and techniques to make aspirants exam-ready at the earliest.

Importance of  Text Books for UPSC CSE

You need standard textbooks to learn many subjects mentioned in the UPSC syllabus . Don’t hesitate to invest in good books.

Now, you can buy online the recommended books for UPSC Prelims and Mains .

In the UPSC Civil Services study material list of any serious aspirant, the following categories of materials are recommended.

• Standard IAS Books for Civil Services Exam – Eg: Laxmikanth for Indian Polity.
• School and Graduation Text Books – Eg: NCERT, NIOS, IGNOU etc.
• Newspapers and Magazines – Eg: The Hindu, Yojana, Kurukshetra etc.
• Online UPSC Study Materials – Eg: ClearIAS.com, Government websites like PIB etc.

Importance of  Test Series for UPSC CSE

As you may know, only when tested in an exam atmosphere with negative marking, you can improve your ability to deliver in the actual exam hall.

Try for free the UPSC Prelims online mock exams by ClearIAS – in the new innovative platform which integrates learning with test-taking. You would be surprised to find out how fast you can learn!

Importance of  Techniques for UPSC CSE

Success in UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) = 50% Knowledge + 50% Skills (Strategies).

ClearIAS has developed various techniques to clear the IAS exam with ease. Some of them:

• Memory Techniques
• Question Paper Solving Techniques
• Intelligent Elimination Techniques

IAS Preparation: Guidance and Strategies

You can go through the links below for specific guidance for each stage of UPSC CSE.

• UPSC Prelims Guidance .
• UPSC Mains Guidance .
• UPSC Interview Guidance .

You can read more about  UPSC Exam Guidance here . Also, please find the most popular posts highlighting guidance and strategies for IAS preparation.

• A Note Before You Begin IAS Preparation or Coaching .
• Prelims OR Mains – Which Stage (Topics) Should You Prepare First for the UPSC Civil Services Exam?
• Smart Work for IAS Preparation .
• Strategy and Books for Early Birds To Clear IAS Exam .
• Civil Service Prelims 6 Month Strategy – How Can You Clear UPSC Prelims in 6 Months?
• CSAT – What is the best strategy to prepare for the CSAT?
• 100-Day Action Plan to Clear IAS Prelims
• IAS Books for Civil Services Prelims and Mains Exam Preparation .
• Strategy and Study Plan for Clearing the IAS Mains Exam .
• How To Select IAS Mains Optional As Per The Latest UPSC Syllabus .
• How To Write A Good Essay In Civil Service Mains Exam?
• What to Study for Ethics Paper in IAS Mains GS?
• World History for UPSC Mains: Understanding The Basics .
• Security and Disaster Management for UPSC Mains Exam .
• Indian Society For UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam .
• How to clear the Civil Services prelims?
• How to clear the Civil Services mains?
• How to clear the Civil Services interview?

UPSC Books and Study Materials for Free Download

• NCERT Books Download.
• Yojana Magazine Download.
• Kurukshetra Magazine.
• Pratiyogita Darpan Magazine .
• IGNOU Books .
• ClearIAS downloads .

UPSC Previous Year Question Papers and Mock Exams

• Previous year UPSC question papers
• UPSC prelims mock tests
• UPSC mains mock tests

Most Popular ClearIAS Resources

• ClearIAS Courses
• Guidance Articles
• UPSC eBooks (PDFs)
• ClearIAS Mobile Apps
• Study Materials (Downloads Section)
• UPSC Toppers Strategies

Important links:

• Free Programs of ClearIAS
• Premium Programs of ClearIAS
• UPSC Syllabus (Decoded Notes)
• ClearIAS Blog (Latest Study Materials)

Subscribe to ClearIAS YouTube Channel for FREE Videos:

Subscribe to ClearIAS YouTube Channel  to learn from ClearIAS Videos.

Subscribe to ClearIAS Telegram Channel for FREE Updates:

Join  ClearIAS Telegram Channel to get the latest updates from ClearIAS, which includes study materials and tips to clear the UPSC Civil Services Exam.

Subscribe to ClearIAS Whatsapp Channel for FREE Updates:

Join ClearIAS Whatsapp Channel to get the latest updates from ClearIAS, which includes study materials and tips to clear the UPSC Civil Services Exam.

Book a FREE UPSC Mentorship Session with a ClearIAS Expert

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Do you want to surprise all by cracking UPSC CSE in the shortest possible time?

Register now for a free UPSC Mentorship session  with an expert mentor of ClearIAS!

Reader Interactions

February 1, 2013 at 12:02 pm

sir i will be appearing for ias after 4 years can i start my prepration now and what rank do i require

March 29, 2013 at 2:42 pm

Rank required depends upon the number of vacancies each year Girish…It also depends on your category. For last few years, around 1000 vacancies are reported for all the 24 Civil Services combined. Around half of the seats come under reservation. To get IAS, a general category candidate needs an All India Rank less than 80. The link ‘Till Which Rank Can An Aspirant Get Into IAS, IPS or IFS?‘ would be a good read.

May 16, 2016 at 1:45 pm

Sir, myself Minto OOmmen John. im 26 . Im preparing for IAS Exam next year… can you suggest some study materials (which includes books) which cover all the basic syllabus..

May 26, 2016 at 10:36 pm

dear Sir it’s not a good question .but it’s important for me because Sir I have no any idea about how to prepare IAS . after engineering . Sir I have completed my engineering in previous yr .but I have no idea to which subjects preferred for IAS exam .Sir I have completed my engineering with computer science . so kindly I request you to please help me or guide me . but I want to choose political science it’s happen or not

May 26, 2016 at 10:44 pm

You can take any subject of interest. If you like political science you may take that optional. The single page which may answer all your queries is www.clearias.com/faqs/

August 27, 2016 at 1:46 pm

Sir, Bca degree is enough for graduation .i am bca student integral university frm Lucknow.

October 2, 2018 at 9:41 am

Start ur preparation with NCERT especially from 6-12 th class

May 16, 2017 at 3:22 pm

Sir I’m Tusar . I’m preparing for ias from this yr .can u tell me about d cutoff mark for prelims

November 1, 2016 at 12:03 am

I want free study materials

February 4, 2017 at 3:51 am

Hi! thats a good info all together. i was also looking around the web for some upsc notes and end up here.

May 31, 2013 at 12:01 am

sir, i am preparing for civils now and i am going to appear the exam next year. i have decided to prepare my own notes through different sources i have, but how to start it? and how to prepare notes?should i frame my own questions ? or is it enough to prepare notes for previous questions ?pls suggest me sir.

May 31, 2013 at 10:01 am

When you prepare notes, prepare it point-wise for each topic and not question-answer mode. See an example for the topic ” Indus Valley Civilization” : https://www.clearias.com/indus-valley-civilization/.

Apart from this, you need to write and practice answers for different questions. Try you own questions as well as previous questions by UPSC. This writing practice will surely turnout highly useful for mains. All the best!

May 2, 2015 at 8:10 pm

Thanks a lot sir!

June 4, 2013 at 10:57 am

thanku sir.

June 8, 2013 at 10:06 am

SIR I WANT TO PREPARE FOR IAS WITH MATHS AS ONE OF MY OPTIONAL SUBJECT.MANY OF MY FRIENDS AND TEACHERS ARE DISCOURAGING THAT YOU ARE NEEDED TO GO TROUGH VAST AND DIFFICULT SYLLABUS.IS THIS SUBJECT PREPARATION EASY?? ELSE PLEASE SUGGEST A GOOD OPTIONAL SUBJECT WITH MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.

June 10, 2013 at 10:45 pm

Dear Sudheer,

Every subject including Maths has its own plus and minus. The below mentioned link might give you better insights. After going through the link, refer UPSC syllabus and previous UPSC question papers. Take a decision based on your interest. All the best!

https://www.clearias.com/select-ias-mains-optional-latest-upsc-syllabus/

June 17, 2016 at 4:14 pm

namskaar sir.. mera naam anam h maine b.sc pcm se kiya h but sir meri fmly problm ki vjh se re aa gyi thi phle maine b.sc ko 5 year me comlete kiya h… kya m ias ka exam de skta hu sir…??? mtlb ias k exam k liye m elligible hu…???

August 16, 2013 at 10:42 pm

Sir, What should do the weak students for IAS pre and mains in accurate 1year? Please give your valuable advise now.

October 20, 2013 at 5:03 pm

You may go through the posts : https://www.clearias.com/strategy-and-books-for-early-birds-to-clear-ias-exam/ and https://www.clearias.com/smart-work-ias-preparation/.

April 23, 2018 at 5:12 pm

Hello sir mujh IAS ky liy kya krna chiy plzz

July 27, 2018 at 12:04 am

Actually we cant judge one year preparation is sufficient to crack IAS.. It depends on person to person.. One person will complete one topic in 3hrs, another person will complete that same topic in 6hrs.. The Main thing is hardwork.. Complete the syllabus as soon as possible…

March 11, 2014 at 11:34 am

very nice sir iam preparing for ias it will be useful if you attash some mock test for ias pt paper1

March 21, 2014 at 4:06 pm

sir i am now 29 years…i belong to st category……i have been trying for 6 years….but could not be serious…..several times i have changed my optional………now i determined to take anthropology………so pls help me

June 1, 2014 at 1:53 pm

Sir if I pass ias pre do I have to write ias main on tat year nly or I can take preparation and write next year. Kindly respond

November 18, 2014 at 12:32 pm

Ambika madam i think i clear IAS exam with in 6 month , so why you take most time . Everyone clear exam if they do smart work not hardwork , for another any question contact me on number 9041414194

July 19, 2016 at 4:26 pm

tell me bro how to prepare this exams

July 23, 2016 at 12:29 pm

hii .. i am bio technology 1st year student. i m average student.. i want to give ias exam after Completeng my bio technology course.. i am very passionate about it.. but i m very confused which subject i should talk for the mains exam.. plzz rply if any suggestions thank you..

June 22, 2014 at 7:56 pm

Sir m doin btech write nw hw cn I prepare myself for appaering in the civil services exam from now only I might appear for it after 6 yrs n I am from general category how do I get started..from now only

June 27, 2014 at 4:27 pm

sir please the name of books for hindi medium student for ias

June 28, 2014 at 6:30 pm

Please tell me the books prescribed for economics as optional

July 26, 2014 at 7:07 pm

Dear sir please give the study materials for public administration

July 30, 2014 at 5:41 am

Sir, plz suggest me for ias prelims cum mains book, in market a lots of book have for all papers

August 8, 2014 at 10:18 pm

I want to start my preparation for IAS now. I am 11std now. Sir please suggest me what I have to do .

August 14, 2014 at 7:47 pm

Sir I am going to appear the IAS mains exam after 3 Years. How do i start prepearing for the exam any suggestion……………..

August 18, 2014 at 10:46 am

Sir i am Arts section student

i stdd optnl eng politcl and history

for d IAS point f vw

wch i take 4 ias exam preparation kindly help me sir

August 23, 2014 at 12:33 pm

September 28, 2017 at 11:06 pm

simply go through news paper..the hindi…PIB…news at 9:00 o’clock…

September 1, 2014 at 5:19 pm

Dear sir please give the study materials for public administration in hindi both paper

September 8, 2014 at 11:13 pm

Respected Sir how can i download the environment portion of Dr. Anoob Razak in pdf format of all pages.. Early response is highly solicited in this matter… Really its worthy pdf for preparation of Environment section prepared in presentation by Dr.Razak sir….Please help in this regard.

September 15, 2014 at 12:57 pm

I am pratyush and i want to crack civil services with rank under 100 to get IAS post. I am student of b sc ii . Kindly give your valuable suggestion.

October 2, 2014 at 1:20 am

sir,i am shashi. i have completed b.tech from mechanical.plz give me a suggestion to prepare for IAS easily.

October 13, 2014 at 4:37 pm

sir mene apna optional subject physics chuna h IAS ki preparation k liye.please tell me the min. n best books sir.mere sare frnd mazak udate h ki tujhse to bilkul nhi hone vala kyunki tune physic selwct ki h optinal m please help me sir

November 13, 2014 at 10:47 pm

Sir am Akash Anand i like to do IAS after my degree course am going to do IAS can i start my preparation now which types of books i want to prepare

December 7, 2014 at 10:20 am

sir I want to prepare for IAS but problem is that i am from Hindi medium.. will you provide notes/books for Hindi medium student..???

December 25, 2014 at 8:37 am

Dear sir please give the study materials for public administration in hindi both paper plzz sir help me or mjh top 10 m aana h sir..plzz hlp me suggest me book

November 18, 2016 at 5:27 pm

I am disabled. If can I take botany optional subjects. It good for me ah

January 12, 2015 at 5:58 pm

Book on public administration by M.Laxmikath,the best book book.

January 29, 2015 at 11:29 pm

Hi sir I am 25years old and belongs to General categeory, could you please suggest me that is it the right time to prepare for civils

February 8, 2015 at 9:46 pm

Yes. Start preparation NOW!

December 28, 2016 at 1:54 pm

Hi sir i am 20 years old i want to prepare fo upsc without coaching in hindi meadium i belong to sc catagoery please suggest me right direction

February 4, 2015 at 12:24 am

sir, This is N.Ramana BaBu,completed Intermediate,aimed to complete CA&civils at a time.

is it correct goal………………………………………………………

WILL APPEAR ON

2018-CA (will be completed)

2019-CIVILS(will be completed)

DURATION OF TIME (3 YEARS) 12H / day-CIVILS 2H/ day-CA

I NEED YOUR SUGGESATION…………………………………………… mobile-no:7799296504

February 11, 2015 at 9:52 pm

respected sir, i am nikhil malik ,right now i am in prefinal year of my B.Tech. but i want to prepare for civil services can you please suggest me which subjects from which books i have to study first in order to get brief knowledge of civil services vast syllabus…..???/

February 27, 2015 at 1:11 pm

sir i m in 2nd year of my ug , n i wanna top ias exam in my 1st attempt with completion of my graduation ,,,plz tell me how can i start n what material should i study ….. my optional subject would be public administration

March 1, 2015 at 10:34 pm

Sir, I’m going to step in to my 2nd year UG in a couple of months….I want to start preparing now as I really need to become an IAS. Suggest me some materials, books and suggestions on what topic to start with,how to start preparing. Please help me ASAP.so that I can start early and pass out with flying colors…

March 2, 2015 at 12:36 am

hi, i m going to appear in the 2015 CSAT. please tell me yojana of which all month s should i follow.. i thought it might be from Aug 2014 up to aug 2015. please advice

March 14, 2015 at 7:35 pm

respected sir, iam ANIL NAIK studing btech from electronics and communications i want to start preparation for ias right now piz give me your suggestions and which books should i fallow and my categeory(phc&st)how much rank should i get.plz give your suggestions

June 16, 2016 at 10:33 am

beta balwadi chi kitab wact padega india thabhi yto badhega india

March 23, 2015 at 6:35 pm

I am an Engineer working in a IT company, my friends and family wants me to appear for IAS Examination,can I start my IAS preparation from today onward and secure chance in prelims 2015 i.e. this year 23rd august.

please respond coz its very necessary for me to get experts advice before starting.

March 23, 2015 at 7:40 pm

Yes, if you follow a good time table and get right guidance. The link Strategy for Beginners should be a good starting point.

April 1, 2015 at 7:53 pm

respected sir,this anudeep ,iam going to complete with in 1 year my graduation,.i have to prepare for ias,so can u suggest me that what i have to refer books

April 3, 2015 at 12:32 pm

sir,i have lot of doubts.so please clarify me. now iam studying eee 2nd year.i know ug is required for writing ias.my doubt is,what is preliminary exam and main exam.is there any posible to write exam in tamil that is my mother tongue.please reply me.

April 19, 2015 at 4:33 pm

HAI I WANT TO WRITE INDIAN FOREIGN SERVICE EXAM. WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE?ALSO WHEN ARE THE EXAMS STARTING? Please Reply me. Thanks.

June 6, 2015 at 8:14 pm

Sir Muje aap hindi medium ki M.LAXMIKANT ki BHARAT KI RAJVIYVASTHA OR ECONOMIC KI RAMESH SINGH KI SOFT COPY UPLOAD KARE PLS

June 9, 2015 at 2:50 pm

sir i am a student of B.tech 4 year from electrical branch.so pls guide me about complete syllabus and preparation tips.

June 14, 2015 at 3:53 pm

Hello sir I am about to start preparing for ias but I have a doubt regarding subject_is anthropology is available to choose for prelims in objective questions answer paper?

June 18, 2015 at 10:49 am

Roshni sodi Hello sir i m from Maharashtra state completed m.sc (Botany). mein upsc exams dena chati hu. MInd Mein thopusand queries aati hai upsc study Sstart kaise aur kha se karna chaiye. My bigest problem is that i m from other medium English language ki bhaut problems hai thats is why i m going to give exams in hindi language. and meri grapssing power hindi language mein bhaut achi hai . English improvement ke liye mujko kya refer karna chaiye. English dictionary bhi kaise improve karni chaiye. plzzzzzzzz sir suggest me.

June 23, 2015 at 4:28 pm

Sir plz me suggest for making points to point notes About all the gs papers

June 29, 2015 at 9:53 am

Sir, I have completed my bsc and want to appear the IAS exam but I am confused that from what i will start please suggest.

July 1, 2015 at 11:14 pm

I have completed my BE in Electronics and Communication Engineering. I have applied for the IAS exam for the first time with MAthematics as my optional subject. So kindly help me by telling how to prepare for the exam.

July 3, 2015 at 10:13 am

Roshni sodi sir plzz tell me english improvmenbk liy kya karna chaiy

July 14, 2015 at 12:40 am

Sir i am sheikh waseem from kashmir

I am from general category how much difficult is this exam for mee… According to rank wt is the cutoff in general category….

July 17, 2015 at 3:51 am

Sir, I am osman rasheed…… Can u plz suggest me the study material for preparing preliminary this year. Thank u

August 1, 2015 at 8:51 am

Hello sir, I have read many of your blogs, the queries asked to u and the answers made by you. You have answered them all very sincerely, and in a way that a person can easily get you. I also have a question how to make up a timetable sir

August 1, 2015 at 10:54 am

Hi Niharika, Thanks a lot for the nice comment. Please find how much time is left to you before the exam. If you have more than 6 months, concentrate on mains topics first and then focus on prelims. If you are a beginner, NCERT texts can be a starting source. Daily time table is upto you, but we advise studying all subjects on a daily basis allocating 45-60 min/subject.

August 6, 2015 at 2:54 am

Sir my name is Vaibhav Rai and I am a student of NIT AGARTALA 4th year civil engineering. Sir will you advise to opt for core engineering subject instead of economics or history and of which institute I should join for correspondence course

August 6, 2015 at 11:21 am

Iam a student of nit I want to prepare for civil service exams iqm the beginner what subject should I prefer first

August 6, 2015 at 5:04 pm

Hello sir I am a bsc biotech 1st year student my dream is too become an I.a.s officer bt due too some financial condition I am unable too join classes so what should I do nd which books should I refer nd is 1 year sufficent for the preaparation so called self study eagerly waiting for your reply..

August 7, 2015 at 8:17 pm

Sir can u please provide me a link for some handwritten notes of UPSC Toppers in Anthropology..?

August 15, 2015 at 8:55 pm

R .,Sir… kindly send me the topics .

August 20, 2015 at 8:09 am

Hello clear ias… I pursued my MBA recently. Now preparing for ias 2016.. I wish to take management as optional, many say it has no scope of scoring subject in civil services exams.. I want to know your suggestions on this sir.. and one more thing, my math skils are not so good ,will that be a problem for prelims.. plz enrich me with the proper guidance sire….

August 21, 2015 at 1:15 pm

sir i want to take ohilosophy as optional so what are the books

August 23, 2015 at 3:02 pm

hllo sir, i am in b.tech final year and i want to clear ias 2016.what should be my strategy?i dont want to take any technical subject as optional instead i like theoretical subject with concepts. which subject should i opt for? also sir , if i want to practice sample questions then how can i get it checked by any faculty so that i can improve my answer writing skill?

August 28, 2015 at 11:05 pm

Sir Do you provide full paper wise study material for ias pre and mains in hard copy notes???as i m a service personnel so i can read only 4 to 5 hrs a day,sometimes may be less than that. therefore i want effective study in less time. So can you provide???if yes then pls reply with your contact number i will contact you

September 3, 2015 at 5:51 pm

Sir i am sanjay studing btech from mechanicali want to start preparation for ias right now piz give me your suggestions and which books should i fallow and my categeory(phc&st)how much rank should i get.plz give your suggestions

September 6, 2015 at 11:09 pm

thr r so many group but all lacks good admin .. so all are nothign but information overload with no filtering but this group I like this group best Indian Administrative Service (Raz Kr) : https://www.facebook.com/groups/abwf4india/

September 8, 2015 at 10:48 am

SIR, I am aishwarya doing 1st year BSc …I will be appearing for IAS 4 years later, is it necessary for me to go to any coaching class from now

October 9, 2015 at 8:23 am

Sr pls i want to become ias how to start preparation …pls suggest first step

October 17, 2015 at 8:40 am

Preparation now only started

October 18, 2015 at 1:28 pm

Which newspaper is good to read for ias exam and strategy. Times of india is good for this?

November 4, 2015 at 8:16 pm

sir how many years of preparation is required to become an IAS.

November 6, 2015 at 2:14 pm

Sir i am pushpraj singh and i want to become IAS officer plese tell me that how will i prepearing for prilime

November 7, 2015 at 8:27 am

sir..i m going to appear for upsc d very next year..please suggest me d strategy for its prepn.as well as d perfect study material so that i can achieve my final success in my first attempt itself..plz suggest me sir..

November 8, 2015 at 9:36 pm

Hello sir. I am Reding B.A Part 3 year so how to start IAS study

November 18, 2015 at 10:15 pm

Sir, I’m reading in B.A iii semester, so how to prepare become an IAS officer. Please give some suggestions for me

November 26, 2015 at 12:20 am

sir..am an engineering student doing my 3rd year…i wanted to knw how to prepare for ias exam n i want to get clear in first attempt ..plzzz help me out …n wana knw can i strt studying frm now itself ??? if so then which books to refer ????

May 14, 2018 at 1:31 pm

Yes, Reema are you clearing IAS exams in First Attempts But one think Remember it Hardwork and dedication is more important in your life……

December 4, 2015 at 5:15 pm

Sir, im studying inter1st year cec now can i start preperation for right now for the 2022 civil exams because it it easy to crack the exam .. And when the exam year is syllabus will be change … Or plz suggest me some ways to prepare the exam right now .

December 5, 2015 at 10:30 am

sir, i am studying 3rd year btech . i want to prepare ias and i want to clear it at the end of 2019. i am choosing physics as my optional subject. plz give me right pdf notes to prepare.plz give me right correct web site to prepare.

December 8, 2015 at 11:08 pm

Sir need to know :- 1) if a person graduated through correspondence will he be eligible for IAS. 2) if one has zero knowledge as of now and working in a company & can spend merely 4 hours for study, can he crack this exam in one go 3) please name the books one has to buy in the beginning since in your link so many books name are given which somewhere creates a mess.

December 21, 2015 at 4:49 pm

Sir I want to clear my civil service exam .I am confusing about the study materials so plz help me sir .

December 23, 2015 at 12:22 pm

I am doing job in IT company and this year i have completed my B.tech. But I want to go for civil services so kindly suggest me from where I need to start. Stating that I don’t know actually which subjects I need to take first.

December 28, 2015 at 3:57 pm

dear sir, i am student of ece from government engg colege cbsa,my name is avodh anil raj.iam a 2nd yr stud of b tech,do u sujjest me laxmikant is best for optional, ans the hindu megazine..

January 16, 2016 at 11:59 am

J.Soujanya Dear sir, I am the student of cse engg college I want to prepare for IAS exam so I want to go for civil service plse tell me from where I have to start for reading I dont no anything about the IAS exam but I want to prepare for exam help me by giving notes because i am a married women they will not send me any coaching But i want to become an IAS by following your guidelines

February 6, 2016 at 4:48 pm

Sir,i’m preparing for IAS since last one year,im also master of four subjects like as,Psychology,Chemstry,Law,and English Literature.suggest me which subject would be best as option for me in such Exam.

February 6, 2016 at 4:56 pm

@Majid: All the four subjects you mentioned are available as optional subjects. Refer previous year questions and take the subject you feel as most comfortable.

February 6, 2016 at 5:01 pm

Sir,How much securing is Law subject,in IAS exam?

February 13, 2016 at 10:40 am

Sir I want to crack ias in 2017 is this one year is enough to complete my preparation

February 13, 2016 at 11:04 am

@Sai Tulasi: Yes.

February 13, 2016 at 7:52 pm

Sir mai abi BA 1st part (eco. honrs) me hu. Kya mai optional subject me geography rakh skti hu jbki BA me yeh subject nhi h mera And abhi mujhe kaisi tyyari krni chahiye

May 6, 2016 at 11:59 pm

YES YOU CAN. YOU SHOULD BE SURE AND CONFIDENT. STARTS PREPARATION AND IT IS GOOD TIME TO DECIDE. AAP KO KOI AUR JANKARI CHAHIYE TO AAP MAIL KAR SAKTE HO.

February 15, 2016 at 5:01 pm

Hi , I have two boys, they are their secondary school, but I am aiming them to clear IAS in future as destination, would you please advise what all degree needs to clear before reaching IAS study?

March 10, 2016 at 12:56 pm

Hello Sir/Madam, Would u plz.tell me how much scoriing is Law Subject???

March 20, 2016 at 9:43 pm

Hi sir/ma’am, Where can I get hindi study material for (indian language compulsory) for upsc main exam .

April 7, 2016 at 12:01 am

Hello sir, I am Manoj just little bit confused about choosing IAS preparation or Doing Chartered accountant which is the best to do when it comes to result.

April 24, 2016 at 1:42 pm

Hello sir I am salman now iam finished 1 year b.sc cs and 2yrs more to complete my ug course ..then I want to prepare for civil service xam in what manner I will prepare

May 3, 2016 at 10:57 am

Namaskar!!!!! Sir, I would like to say u with my pleaset that thank u very much for give us various valuable informition of about ias.

May 3, 2016 at 11:06 am

hello sir/madam, thank you very much.Can i became an ias without coaching?

May 6, 2016 at 4:19 pm

sir,i want to preparation for IAS but problem is that i am from hindi medium ….will you provide notes/books /videos for hindi medium .

May 8, 2016 at 7:26 pm

i am ias aspirant so at present i completed my degree first year and wanted to start preparing for prelims my main core subjects in degree are biotechnology biochemistry chemistry how should i start my preparation for prelims what are books to be refered and topics to be prepared for prelims

May 10, 2016 at 12:02 pm

Sir, I want to appear for IAS exam but after 5 years. So plz suggest me that I should start my preparation from now onwards or later?

May 11, 2016 at 11:46 pm

AGR pta Chile to humey bta dena please

May 10, 2016 at 4:59 pm

Sir i am first time trying for ias exam by self study can i clear this exam by self study or this is not possible without coaching

May 24, 2018 at 2:24 am

agar dil me ias ki tsvir h to 101%

May 11, 2016 at 11:45 pm

Sir l am student of B.A from punjab and belong to S.C catagory. Please sir suggest me how can I practise for upsc. Which books are using for upsc practise. And what is the syllabus of upsc. Please help me how I can prepare upsc. After m.a history qualification….

May 12, 2016 at 10:23 am

sir how to study these.? do i have to learn the whole books entirely?

May 14, 2016 at 11:20 am

I belong to ST category n 30 years old due to some personal problem I could not prepare my self for civil service exam till. But now I have decided to do attempt pls help me how can I start my practice with best and even I would like to join some institute as well. Please reply me with your best opinion. How to proceed with best practices.

May 15, 2016 at 9:36 am

Sir,I am a btech student. I am waiting for start my 3 rd year studies. I was a Tamil medium student. When I was entered into the college the communication skills was very difficult for me.I am a middle class family. So give the guidelines for preparing for IAS exam.

May 15, 2016 at 11:17 am

Hi! I’m anil congrats for your success sir I live in village so guide me sir which bookes i’ll refer

May 15, 2016 at 10:32 pm

Hello sir…. I’m pursuing b.e(c.e) in second year…. I want to crack IAS exam… What should I do for good preparation for this exam… By which I could crack this exam…

May 24, 2016 at 11:32 am

Respected Sir, My name is Sravan.I just completed my b.tech 1st year.I have very much interest in civils.Can I start my preparation now or should I wait for some more time sir?

May 24, 2016 at 11:53 am

You may start now. Early the best. Start reading newspapers and NCERT books. Also closely follow clearias.com articles and study-materials.

May 24, 2016 at 5:21 pm

Sir i m 3rd year MBBS student,I want to prepare for IAS exam please suggest me the books I should start with.

May 24, 2016 at 6:43 pm

ClearIAS has been providing free online study materials for UPSC CSE. We hope our study-materials to give your right direction and will help you to understand difficult concepts faster. You need to supplement the same with UPSC exam preparation books, newspapers, NCERT books etc. In final year, to boost your marks for UPSC Prelims, we advise you all to enroll for ClearIAS Prelims test series, which offers high-quality questions and all-India mock-test-platform.

May 24, 2016 at 11:18 pm

Sir mere 10th me 45% or12th me 54% percent hai kya me upsc de ne ke kabil hu ya nhi

May 25, 2016 at 7:56 pm

I am 33 year old and i done my +2 in 2004 can i give the exm of iad

May 25, 2016 at 11:24 pm

Hello sir ,my name ìs sakshi..i am from haryana.sir i just want to know how can i prepare for IAS.plzz tell me about study meterial properly……plzzz sir i need your help

May 26, 2016 at 5:13 pm

AAP KIS MEDIUM SE IAS KI PREPARATION KARNA CHAHTE HAIN AUR KIS YEAR KE EXAM KE LIYE ?

POLITY ECONOMY & GEOGRAPHY SUBJECTS MEIN AAPKI BASIC KNOWLEDGE KYA HAI ?

IN DO BAATON KO JAANE BINA KOI AAPKI HELP KAISE KAR PAYEGA?

May 26, 2016 at 9:37 am

SIR, I am Vipan Sain from yamuna nagar haryana and i appeared in CS-2016. I have done MSc Industrial Chemistry. But the medium of my study is mixed. I have studied in hindi medium upto 10th and after that i have studied in english medium from 12th to MSC. I can learn only science and maths in english and the rest of the subjects like history, geography,public add, constituition of india etc can’t in english. So you are humblly requested, please guide me properly. I shall be thankful to you for this. Thanking you.

Regards: Vipan Sain MOB:9991102010 Email: [email protected]

May 29, 2016 at 11:11 am

Sir,i am ram prakash and belonging at rural area. For ias prelism how many ncert books useful from class 6th to 12th standard.please tells about ncert hindi medium books class wise by name…..thanks

May 29, 2016 at 12:19 pm

I am in bsc 3rd year and I have read all NCERT books, also I read newspaper daily. Please suggest me what would be my next step.?????

May 29, 2016 at 12:23 pm

Get the recommended IAS preparation books mentioned in this website, and follow our free online study materials. Then enroll for ClearIAS Prelims mock test series and check the archives of our main mock tests.

May 29, 2016 at 2:17 pm

hello, can you please suggest me for psychology books or notes. thank you !

May 30, 2016 at 10:32 pm

Nicely compiled. Thanks for making our preperation simple.

June 1, 2016 at 10:55 pm

sir …I m mbbs student 3rd year …and I like this ias exam then plz provide any likely suggestions and my optional subjects in my sub….which optional subj for ias exam ?

June 2, 2016 at 3:24 pm

Respected sir ……Greetings of the day. ……. I am Subodh kumar i have completed my MBA in 2010.I want to prepare for upsc preliminary exam and I fill the form for upsc preliminary 2016 also. So,please suggest me some books.

Graduation -History 2006 MBA -Mkt /HR 2010

Thanks &Regards

Subodh kumar

June 3, 2016 at 10:38 pm

sir , is there is any quantitative aptitude test like reasoning , maths , data interpretation etc in pre exams….??? please guide how to prepare that & which book we should buy?? thankuu…..

June 6, 2016 at 9:11 am

Sir,Iam from manipur Iam kh sahidur rahaman I have giving 6sem for bsc this year.I want to prepare for upsc prelim exam please suggest me how to prepare & guided me properly.

June 7, 2016 at 10:07 am

so without coaching any guidance can we crack the cse exam ? sir.

June 11, 2016 at 7:02 pm

hey clearias.com u have put great info …i have more 4 years left …so how can i start my preparation ..just give me a tip

June 16, 2016 at 7:40 pm

sir I have done engineering in computer science branch now I am not interested in doing mtech as a pg.. I am planning to do ma in geography…Will it anyway help in cracking any of the government exams??. if not .. what are other good options in which I can do PG which are actually beneficial ..

And if ma in geography is a good option what can I do after ma to get a good reputed job ?

June 17, 2016 at 7:53 pm

Hello sir I am a student of class 12 PCM I want to start preparing just after my exam i started reading newspaper and ncert too can you provide me the list of basic books which I may understand now without any help and prepare and also I want to take psychology as an optional is it scoring and easy enough thanks for help and you own a fabulous site it helps me a lot

June 18, 2016 at 12:35 pm

namskaar sir mera naam aman h… maine b.sc pcm se kiya h but sir meri fmly problm ki vjh se re aa gyi thi isliye maine 5 year me b.sc complete kiya h…. sir m ias k exam dene me elligible hu kya plzzzz reply me sir plzzzz…

June 18, 2016 at 12:41 pm

Please provide me all study Materials of IAS preparation to study myself, and also guidelines for my questions with whom I will be connected any time and can take any time help. As I don’t have enough money to join any institute or to pay for online preparation.

June 18, 2016 at 9:58 pm

SIR I HAVE COMPLETED MY SECOND PUC &I WANY BECOME A IAS OFFICER WHICH COURSE SHOUDEI PREFER

June 19, 2016 at 11:07 pm

Sir, Mai Indian Army Mai clerk Ki post par karyrat hui. Mujhe ICS (IAS) Preliminary ke notes our books Ki need hai. IAS optional subjects ke tor par Political Science and International Relationship books ke sath GS and ethics yani Complete books Ki need hai agar aap provide karwa sakte ho to Pl Apne Contact No reply Mai bheje aur provide karwane Ki kripa kare. I will be thankful to you sir. (Hindi Medium).

June 19, 2016 at 11:18 pm

Sir I am Mr Babooram belong to Jodhpur Rajasthan and presently serving in the Indian army on post of Clerk. My optional subject is political Science for ICS-16 and May I request to you to provide notes for ICS prelims and books for the prelims. I will be thankful to you.

Thanks 19 Jun 2016

Mr Babooram 9414297691

June 20, 2016 at 1:32 pm

Sir i have a tattoo on my hand.Is it is a problem for IAS?

July 5, 2016 at 1:13 pm

Hello sir my name is khemu and i m 19 years old, so how should i start preparation for IAS. Because i don’t know what to

Pls respond its very necessary Thank you.

July 8, 2016 at 11:16 am

Sir, i have completed my bsc this year What i should choose now for preparation of ias Kya msc chemistry is k liye theek rahegi….

July 16, 2016 at 9:17 am

Hello sir., My self Tanya Agrawal ,i have passed 12th from science in 2016. Now i have choosen B. A. In graduation for upsc civil service,, plz tell me did i take the right dicision…. And also guide me for my future study..

July 29, 2016 at 7:59 pm

Hello sir my self md muzaffar and i want to become a ias

July 29, 2016 at 9:30 pm

sir, actually I’ve started coaching for ias exam. But i can give 2019 exam because of age so please tell me that how to begin my study

July 30, 2016 at 12:03 am

Sir call me now plz my no- 8120662037

July 31, 2016 at 10:16 am

Please send me the information about all types of UPSC exam and mock test questions paper.

July 31, 2016 at 12:17 pm

sir,mene 12th pass kiya kya me 3sal me IAS ka syllabus complete kr sakta hu.. will you suggest me how to prepare for these exam??

August 4, 2016 at 3:21 pm

Respected sir, Sir i have completed my graduation this year. I have done bsc. in geography from calcutta university. Plz suggest me how to prepare for civil services examination by taking geography as a optional subject and also suggest some preparation tips for general studies mains. Plz suggest me valuable books and readings. Regards,

August 6, 2016 at 7:32 pm

Sir, i have cleared my s.y B.Sc. so i can start preparation for IAS s exam???

August 9, 2016 at 11:37 pm

I’m clg finally yr..I have to prepare in IAS ..so help me

August 14, 2016 at 12:18 pm

Is it a compulsive to join a class for getting prepared for UPSC exams…

August 18, 2016 at 2:03 pm

CLEAR IAS ki site ko Kya ham Hindi me nahi padh sakte Kya.Hindi medium ke liye

August 21, 2016 at 5:46 pm

Sir, I am studying B.E. 3rd year. I am interested o become an I.A.S. Will the time be sufficient? Is it possible without joining any coaching centre?

August 27, 2016 at 11:49 pm

Sir, I’m Usha persuing B.Tech second year.i want to be an I.A.S. So can u please suggest me wat shud i start with?please do reply sir

August 28, 2016 at 5:36 am

Sir I want to write ias exam in Tamil. It is possible..??

May 24, 2018 at 2:25 am

August 28, 2016 at 4:35 pm

Dear Sir, I have completed B Sc in 2010 and just completing B Sc I have gotten a job in Central Govt. But I would like to job in Civil Services can I do. Now I am old just 28 yr. Please tell me age limit and how to preparation to became an IAS officer

August 29, 2016 at 9:46 pm

Hi I am a 2nd zoology student. I want to be an IAS. I shall be grateful if you suggest me some study material , some basic tips & Information & what will better as optional subject. ………….Thanking you……. ph 8972095774

August 29, 2016 at 9:47 pm

Hi I am a 2nd zoology student. I want to be an IAS. I shall be grateful if you suggest me some study material , some basic tips & Information & what will better as optional subject. ………….Thanking you…….

September 12, 2016 at 1:05 am

plz suggests me how i prepare ias exam in hindi i want to give online hindi test for ias pre exam 2017

September 12, 2016 at 4:52 pm

Respected sir /mam can

Anybody crack the exam of IAS without maths as a subject

September 15, 2016 at 6:06 pm

sir i am vagdevi i completed inter now i am going to join verterniary course but now onwards can i start preparation to become an ias officer plz respond sir

September 26, 2016 at 8:55 am

i have ias preparation & gk group than anyone enterested than join my group my contect num is 8115021352 my name is SUSHIL sir

September 30, 2016 at 8:11 am

good morning, sir i need optional subjects notes. can you provide me the same my subjects are philosophy and public administration.

October 9, 2016 at 11:35 am

October 10, 2016 at 7:19 pm

Hello Sir,Sir mene apne IAS k prepration aaj hi start ki h and sir m abhi engineering kr rha hu(civil branch)and sir m apna optional subject civil engineering lena chahta hu bt sir mere friends bolte h ki 4 yr bad m engineering optional subject hat jayega kya y sahi h and abhi mujhe kuch samj nhi aa rha h mere optional subject ka What should i do

October 23, 2016 at 2:31 pm

Sir ..i want to know .how to kept so much things in mind ?because its a very vast syllabus.

November 1, 2016 at 11:19 pm

Sir plz sending me ips material

November 24, 2016 at 10:19 pm

sir,i am studied 3rd year civil engineering.if i will write upsc exam on my final year.that i confirmly to write the upsc exam on my final year which subject i can choose. that following civil engineering,history,geography,public administration.

November 30, 2016 at 3:04 am

Dear Sir/Maam , I really appreciate your hard work for us .The way you write Articles are awesome and i would request you to post some lectures (Articles)on Optional Subject like PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION that will be your most kindness ….

Thanks and Regards, Iftikhar With lots and tons of love

December 4, 2016 at 2:05 pm

sir i m doing a c class job in revenue dept. i m jst 19 years old how can i prepare for ias nd which books i must read???

April 30, 2017 at 3:08 pm

U r eligible only if u r graduate@Rohit

December 5, 2016 at 11:02 pm

how i can join online test prelim paper in hindi suggest me.

December 11, 2016 at 7:22 pm

I want to start preparation for IAS now I am b.sc first year now sir please suggest me what I have to do

December 22, 2016 at 9:39 pm

I have many dreams to become IAS but I have no way to start. I am studying b tech 1 year. How should I start my studies

January 16, 2017 at 9:51 am

Hi online advised team

I ask some questions about me I am only 19 year Present study B.sc To advise me what do this time for become an IAS

And how preparation

January 24, 2017 at 10:18 pm

Sir i am totally confused. I am not able to understand how to prepare for IAS pre and mains . Kindly suggest me notes(WRITERS) so i can start my perpration.

February 3, 2017 at 11:47 pm

Best book for psychology to clear ias preliminary examination

February 10, 2017 at 4:10 pm

Sir I want to give the I a s civil service exam you give me the full information about mains exam which subjects I choose please give all the subjects name thanks

February 21, 2017 at 11:27 pm

Sir my self deepak, i would like to say few things which is i m doing graduation final year from B.A(POL.SCI.) sir how should be require my preparation strategy.. N what is being a point to initial point..? Which books do u prefer me kindly tell me??

March 2, 2017 at 11:43 pm

I cmpltd my B. Com and currently working in ICICI Bank, How can I prepare N which books do I prefer to qualify in this prelims-17

March 23, 2017 at 12:57 am

Sir I’m passed BSc ( mscs )59% and intermediate 51.3% Im eligible for ias or not my life dream of ias please tell me right suggest and which books refer me

April 6, 2017 at 12:46 pm

[email protected]

April 9, 2017 at 7:21 pm

sir, i have jst done wid my class 10 boards exam! sir i hve strong will to became an ias officer… which field would you suggest me to take provided i hve least intrest in science! sir i would be grateful for your guidance !

April 28, 2017 at 10:26 pm

Sir. I am nursing student so i am eligible for IAS or not….

April 30, 2017 at 3:05 pm

Yes,u r eligible @Gayatri

May 20, 2017 at 2:24 am

Sir I am studing in 1st year mechanical engg . I have string will to IAS officer.so that which subject i can choose. Techanical or non techanical.and what difficult occurs when i choose a techanical subject

May 25, 2017 at 11:19 am

suggest books foe Management Optional

May 28, 2017 at 11:38 am

Hello sir My self divyjyoti Pandey. I want to start preparation for IAS.now I am B.A last year.sir please suggest me what I have to do.

June 2, 2017 at 10:46 am

Sir i am now in bsc 1st year I want to become an IAS please guide me……

June 7, 2017 at 9:39 pm

I don’t know proper strategy about IAS criterion .please inform me for my better awareness .

June 29, 2017 at 1:48 pm

Hello sir I have completed puc science I am looking for IAS preparation. I am not understanding optional subjects please help me to know what is the next step?

July 24, 2017 at 9:56 pm

Hai Sir, my self is ganeshkumar ,my wife she is passed BSc Computer Application ,Sir i am totally confused. I am not able to understand how to prepare for IAS pre and mains in my wife . Kindly suggest me notes(WRITERS) so she can start in her perpration.

August 16, 2017 at 10:27 pm

sir i m curently doing be final yr i wil strt upsc prepartion how to prepare and get a good score in upsc

September 6, 2017 at 5:52 pm

In clear IAS in this site the main exams Kannada materials provides

September 12, 2017 at 6:31 am

Sir i want to see the model answers with limited words which i can able to write in upsc mains plssssssss sir do this favour for me

October 19, 2017 at 4:52 pm

sir please suggest optional for upsc im electrical engineering graduate

October 21, 2017 at 5:21 pm

Sir please suggest me that I am a B.Sc student having Chemistry as my honours paper with 46.94% in my graduation. Am I eligible for civil service and can i choose any other subjects like History,Geography,Physics etc as my optional paper than Chemistry for civil service Mains?

November 4, 2017 at 10:51 am

I think there is no percentage criteria of graduation to appera UPSC exam.Just you have to become a graduate from a recognized university.So,nothing to worry about graduation’s percentage.Just focused on UPSC preparation. All the very best!

November 4, 2017 at 10:44 am

Sir,I am an ‘IAS’ aspirent.I have chosen ‘Political Science & International Relation’ as my optional in mains.So,Please can you give me some suggestions regarding my preseparation.Please send your suggestions through my whats app no-7636895255.

December 21, 2017 at 10:28 pm

Hi sir, I have already read your blogs, articles, free study material, test series, Those are very nice…… (Like every person can easily get it )

Now i want to revise my old testseries 2017……. It was very useful for me in the further exams too……. So,pls tell me how will i get the test series again in my account?

December 22, 2017 at 8:51 am

Appreciate your interest in ClearIAS Test Series, and thank you for writing to us.

Irrespective of the date of joining, subscription to ClearIAS Prelims Test Series 2017, has ended for all subscribers on the date of Preliminary Exam, ie 18-06-2017.

Now, as the platform is loaded with ClearIAS Prelims Test Series 2018, all previous test details are deleted.

To ensure quality and stay up-to-date with the latest requirements of UPSC, we provide a new/revised test series every year, once the Prelims is over for next year Prelims. There is nothing unusual in this process and this is how all major test series providers who provide access to students based on a season-based model work.

If you are looking for Prelims 2018, you can now join ClearIAS Prelims Test Series 2018 at a discounted rate. We will be adding lot many additional tests this year (including NCERTs and CSAT). This would give you a massive early advantage and almost 9 months until next year Prelims for the complete coverage of our most probable questions. User account details (username/password etc) of all users will remain the same for Prelims 2018 as well.

December 27, 2017 at 10:18 pm

Sure… I will join in 2018 test series..

Thank you so much for your response….

December 22, 2017 at 5:07 pm

very nice sir i am now in first year of the engineering i think i have to start with my basics now.

January 1, 2018 at 2:45 pm

I impressed by your sincere reply on behalf of the institution I know it is not possible to reply each and every comment but pls help me regarding for my query is that every one told that read newspaper like the Hindu but in that newspaper what to learn and what to leave plz help me????

January 1, 2018 at 7:25 pm

Hi, We have written an article already about how to read ‘The Hindu’. Please use the search option given on clearias.com to find the article. Or just google ClearIAS.com + The Hindu.

January 3, 2018 at 9:21 am

Thanks sir I got my answer

January 10, 2018 at 10:45 am

sir, will the clear ias notes will be enough for the preparation,and if not can you please suggest the books apart from the notes

January 10, 2018 at 12:26 pm

Please also refer recommended IAS books and take ClearIAS mock exams.

January 27, 2018 at 2:34 pm

Sir, I am 3rd year engineering student pursuing dual degree course from IIT Delhi. I will complete my degree both(B.Tech and M.Tech) in June of 2020. Though I could have access to my grade sheet on online portal onward June but I would have stamped certificate in my hand only at the end of November. Can you please tell me whether I am eligible for UPSC 2019 or not?

February 3, 2018 at 12:02 am

Hi sir i am in kuwait i want ias preparation book materials. So how i can purchege book online use full and effective materials please Help me

April 12, 2018 at 6:27 pm

Sir ,iam kasturi from vizag i’ve completed my degree 1st yr .i’ve selected bca group for these two months holidays i want to prepare for basics of civils exams .will u please tell me which kind of book will be correct for me at this time.actually i dont want to waste my holidays sir!so please send me rply

April 22, 2018 at 3:18 pm

Which subject is best for us a exam

April 28, 2018 at 10:54 am

Sir,i am kesavarthini. I want to know the basics and study materials for ias exams. Please reply me sir

May 6, 2018 at 3:22 am

Sir, I completed B,com ca and LLB, actually how many years to take complete IAS (without fail) As I am a female, I have to consider my future (marriage) life and on and on. What next I supposed to do. Please advice and guide me. I complete LLB this year, expecting result

May 14, 2018 at 1:42 pm

Sir Good afternoon…

Respected sir, I abinash Maharana complete B.sc computer science and my dream IAS officer but how to prepare IAS exams without coaching, because we’re poor family and I work night labor So help me how to cover all topics…… And recommend book’s

May 15, 2018 at 4:12 am

Sir, I have completed BSc in mathematics honours but there is a problem, I have completed in five years. Am I eligible for IAS exam preparation? Please guide me sir Thank you

June 14, 2018 at 7:44 am

Sir I am bsc bio student. I want to fight for this but I don’t have all knowledge about it can you provide my any link about its full info.

June 23, 2018 at 11:03 am

Sir main computer science se b. Teck karne ka bad ise optional subject bana sakta hu

July 18, 2018 at 2:13 pm

Sir good afternoon, I want free materials & notes ( UPSC & IAS)

July 19, 2018 at 1:32 am

Hye sir i want to good preparation of UPSC exam

August 25, 2018 at 3:39 pm

sir, there are free notes available chapter wise of NCERT for class 6 and 7 but then after it is not available….please sir kindly help with other standards also it is greatly helpful….thanks in advance.

September 6, 2018 at 9:20 am

Sir. Im a student of 2nd year B.Com.I wanna join your institude.

October 24, 2018 at 2:39 pm

Sir plz help me. I m on duty army job but….I wants to be future planning I. A. S. Officer Plz guide lines 8685868801

November 7, 2018 at 9:37 am

sir i belong to a poor family in a village area and i have no money to join a coaching sir i want to know that is there any fisality in your coaching to coach ourselves who are poor?

November 26, 2018 at 10:52 am

Sir i have only two attempts left for cse ..ie 2019 and 2020,and iam a begginer .so please guide me that is it possible to crack cse with only two attempts left ..currently iam working as an Assistant Teacher in UP ..i can study for 6-7 hours a day .. please sir ..

November 26, 2018 at 11:47 am

Yes, you can. Start from ClearIAS Beginners Guide . This should give you all the details. All the best!

December 15, 2018 at 4:25 pm

Thank you all for commenting. As we have released a new ebook to clarify most of your queries, we are closing this comment thread. It has been pretty long, isn’t it?

Download our ebook “UPSC Civil Services Exam – The Beginner’s Guide to Success” from the “Start” section in the Menu.

Don’t lose out without playing the right game!

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The Insights IAS Secure Initiative for UPSC Mains Answer Writing practice enables you to practice daily answer writing, enhancing your skills and boosting your scores with regular feedback, expert tips, and strategies. Let consistency be the hallmark of your preparation and utilize UPSC Mains Answer Writing practice initiative wisely

Click on EACH question to post/upload you answers.

How to Follow Secure Initiative?

How to self-evaluate your answer , mission – 2024: yearlong timetable, join ipm 4.0 to get an assured review of 2 secure answers everyday, general studies – 1.

1. The erosion of the traditional Indian family structure, due to various causes, has significant socio-economic and cultural impacts. Examine.

Reference: Insights on India

2. Menstrual leave policies can boost women’s labour participation by improving workplace inclusivity, though careful implementation is needed to avoid stigma and discrimination. Critically analyse.

Reference: Live Mint ,  Insights on India

General Studies – 2

3. The bifurcation of states in India, though aimed at enhancing administrative efficiency and addressing regional aspirations, presents significant challenges that require careful consideration. Critically analyse.

Reference: The Hindu

General Studies – 3

4. Increased capital expenditure is vital for India’s economic development. Critically examine.

Reference: moneycontrol.com

5. Addressing baby trafficking requires a comprehensive approach that targets both the supply and demand sides of this heinous practice. Analyse.

Answer the following questions in 250 words(15 marks each):

6. India’s steady decline in freshwater resources presents a significant challenge for urban centres. However, treated and reused wastewater can serve as a highly valuable resource, mitigating pressure on existing freshwater resources and enhancing the quality of rivers and aquifers. Analyse.

Reference: The Print ,  Insights on India

7. Making healthcare in India more accessible and affordable is essential for improving public health, fostering economic stability, and promoting social equity. Discuss. Suggest steps to make healthcare more accessible and affordable.

8. In the context of India, both coalition governments and single-party majority governments have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages. Which type of government do you believe is more suited for India in the present day? State your own opinion.

Reference: The Hindu ,  Live Mint

9. Policymakers need to carefully weigh the benefits and risks associated with herbicide-tolerant (Ht) rice and consider alternative sustainable agricultural practices that ensure economic viability for farmers, protect the environment, and safeguard national food security. Examine.

Reference: Down to Earth

10. The widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India faces several key challenges. Addressing these challenges is essential to overcome the barriers to EV adoption and pave the way for a cleaner and more sustainable transportation future in India. Evaluate.

Reference: Live Mint

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Environment and Ecology Notes

Amruta Patil

Jun 7, 2024

IAS Exam Latest Updates

• 07 June, 2024 : UPSC Admit Card 2024 Live; Download IAS Prelims Call Letter here
• 05 June, 2024 : IAS Prelims 2024 Last Minute Tips: Strategies to Crack UPSC Prelims

One of the most essential subjects in the civil service examination is Environment and Ecology. In both the UPSC Prelims and Mains, questions from this area have been asked often. As a result, it is critical to obtain notes on crucial Environment themes in preparation for the UPSC Civil services Examination. These Notes are also useful for State Services Examinations.

The UPSC Prelims Syllabus and UPSC Mains Syllabus both include environmental and related themes (GS III). Also, Environment-related subjects occasionally appear in the UPSC Civil services Mains Examination Essay paper.

On this page, we are Providing authentic study notes for the Environment and Ecology Subject which is part of the UPSC Civil services examination Prelims GS Paper 1 and GS III of UPSC CS Mains Examination.

Table of Contents

Environment and Ecology

Terrestrial ecosystem.

• Aquatic Ecosystem
• Environmental Pollution

Renewable Energy

Environmental issues, environment impact assessment.

• Biodiversity

Indian Biodiversity

• Animal Diversity of India

Plant Diversity of India

• Marine Organisms
• Protected Area Network
• Wildlife Conservation Efforts
• Climate Change

Mitigation Strategies

Climate change and disaster risk reduction.

• India and Climate Change

Climate Change Organisations

Other organizations and initiatives, important terms associated with environment and climate change, act and policies associated with environment, institutions and measures.

• International Conventions

Environmental Issues and Health Effects

• Miscellaneous Topics in Environment

Environment and Ecology Master Page

• Environment
• Environmental Ecology
• History of Ecology
• Levels of Organisations in Ecology
• Structure of a Community

(a) Ecosystem

• Difference Between Environment and Ecosystem
• Difference Between Environment and Ecology
• Difference Between Ecology and Ecosystem

(b) Components of Ecosystem

• Components of Ecosystem
• Abiotic Components
• Biotic Components
• Primary Producers - Autotrophs
• Consumers – Heterotrophs or Phagotrophs
• Micro Consumers - Saprotrophs (Decomposers or Osmotrophs)

(c) Classification of an Ecosystem

• Classification of Ecosystems
• Natural Ecosystem
• Homeostasis in Ecosystem
• Goods and Services Provided by Ecosystems
• Types of Niche Types of Food Chains
• Aquatic Zones

(d) Funtions of Ecosystem

• Functions of an Ecosystem
• Energy Flow

(e) Food Chain

• Types of Food Chains
• Grazing Food Chain
• Detritus Food Chain

(f) Ecological Pyramids

• Ecological Pyramids
• Pyramid of Numbers
• Pyramid of Biomass
• The Inverted Pyramid of Biomass
• Pyramid of Energy

(g) Pollutants and Tropic Level

• Pollutants And Trophic Level
• Bioaccumulation
• Biomagnification
• Biotic Interaction

(h) Types of Biotic Interaction

• Types of Biotic Interaction
• Commensalism
• Competition
• Predation and Parasitism

(i) Biogeochemical Cycle

• Biogeochemical Cycle
• Nutrient Cycling
• Gaseous Cycles
• Sedimentary Cycle
• Water Cycle (Hydrologic)
• Carbon Cycle
• Nitrogen Cycle
• Phosphorus Cycle
• Sulphur Cycle

(j) Ecological Succession

• Ecological Succession
• Primary Succession
• Secondary Succession
• Autogenic and Allogenic Succession
• Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Succession

(a) Terrestrial Ecosystem

• Terrestrial Ecosystems
• Forest Ecosystem
• Tundra Forests
• Coniferous Forest (Boreal Forest)
• Temperate Deciduous Forest
• Temperate Evergreen Forest
• Temperate Rain Forests
• Tropical Rain Forests
• Tropical Seasonal Forests
• Subtropical Rain Forests

(c) Indian Forest Types

• Indian Forest Types
• Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests
• Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests
• Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests
• Littoral and Swamp
• Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest
• Tropical Thorn Forests
• Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest
• Subtropical Broad-Leaved Forests
• Sub Tropical Pine Forests
• Subtropical Dry Evergreen Forests
• Montane Wet Temperate Forests
• Himalayan Moist Temperate Forest
• Himalayan Dry Temperate Forest
• Subalpine Forest
• Moist Alpine Scrub
• Dry Alpine Scrub
• Importance of Forest
• Afforestation
• Indian State of Forest Report

(d) Deforestation

• Deforestation
• Causes of Deforestation
• Impact of Deforestation

(e) Grassland Ecosystem

• Grassland Ecosytem
• Types of Grasslands
• Economic Importance of Grasslands

(f) Desert Ecosystem

• Desert Ecosystem
• Water Conservation Practices in Desert
• Hot desert/ Thar desert
• Cold Desert/ Temperate Desert

(g) Desertification

• Desertification
• Causes of Desertification

(a) Types of Aquatic Ecosystems

• Fresh Water Ecosystems
• Marine Ecosystems
• Brackish Water Ecosystems

(b) Aquatic Organisms

• Aquatic Organisms

(c) Factors Limiting the Productivity of Aquatic Habitats

• Factors Limiting the Productivity of Aquatic Habitats
• Photic zone
• Aphotic zone
• Dissolved oxygen
• Transparency

(d) Lake Ecosystems

• Lake Ecosystems
• Aging of Lakes
• Characteristics of Oligotrophic and Eutrophic Lakes
• Removal of the Nutrients from a Lake
• Ameenpur Lake - First Biodiversity Heritage Site

(e) Eutrophication

• Eutrophication
• Natural Eutrophication
• Effects of Eutrophication

(f) Change in Ecosystem

• Change in Ecosystem
• Harmful Algal Blooms

(g) Wetlands Ecosystem

• Wetlands Classification
• Inland Wetland
• Coastal Wetland
• Functions of Wetlands
• Comparison Between Lake and Wetlands
• Wetlands in India
• National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP)
• Criteria for Identification of Wetlands of National Importance
• Montreux Record
• Montreux Record Sites in India
• Neknampur Lake - First FTW Lake

(h) Estuary Ecosystem

• Estuary Ecosystem
• Environmental Benefits of Estuary Ecosystem

(i) Mangroves Ecosystem

• Characteristics of Mangroves
• Role of Mangroves

(j) Coral Reefs

• Coral Reefs
• Cold Water Corals
• Threats to Coral Reefs
• Coral Bleaching
• Xenobiotics

(k) Ganga Action Plan

• Ganga Action Plan
• Clean Ganga Fund

(a) Environmental Pollution

• Classifications of Pollutants
• Causes of Pollution

(b) Air Pollution

• Air Pollution
• Major Air Pollutants
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM)
• Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
• Formation of Smog
• Effects of Smog
• Urban Air Pollution
• Indoor Air Pollution
• Composition of Fly Ash
• Effects of Air Pollution
• Control Measures of Air Pollution
• National Air Quality Monitoring Programme
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
• National Air Quality Index
• Air Pollution in India
• Steps Taken to Reduce Air Pollution in Delhi

(c) Water Pollution

• Water Pollution
• Point Sources of Water Pollution
• Nonpoint Sources of Water Pollution
• Ground Water Pollution
• Marine Pollution
• Effects of Water Pollution
• Dissolved Oxygen – Effects of Water Pollution
• Biological Oxygen Demand
• Chemical Oxygen Demand
• Effects of Water Pollution on Human Health
• Control Measures of Water Pollution

(d) Soil Pollution

• Soil Pollution
• Causes of Soil Pollution
• Sources of Soil Pollution
• Industrial Wastes
• Fertilizers and Manures
• Radioactive Wastes
• Types of Soil Pollution
• Effects of Soil Pollution
• Effects of Soil Pollution on the Environment
• Measures to Control Soil Pollution
• Four R’s

(e) Noise Pollution

• Noise Pollution
• Impact of Noise Pollution
• Measure to Control Noise Pollution

(f) Radioactive Pollution

• Radioactive Pollution
• Types of Radiation
• Sources of Radioactive Pollution
• Natural Sources of Radioactive Pollution
• Man Made Sources of Radioactive Pollution
• Effects of Radioactive Pollution
• Measures to Control Radioactive Pollution
• E–Waste

(g) Solid Waste

• Solid Waste
• Plastic Waste
• Effects of Solid Waste
• Types of Solid Waste
• Municipal Solid Waste
• Hazardous Waste
• Hospital Waste
• Treatment of Solid Saste
• Disposal of Solid Waste
• Sanitary Landfills
• Incineration Plants
• Vermiculture
• Waste Minimization Circles (WMC)

(h) Thermal Pollution

• Thermal Pollution
• Sources of Thermal Pollution
• Measures to Control Thermal Pollution

(i) Plastic Pollution

• Plastic Pollution
• Sources of Plastic Pollution
• Impact of Plastic Pollution
• Measures to Control Plastic Pollution
• Impact of Microparticles

(j) Bioremediation

• Bioremediation
• Bioremediation Strategies
• In situ Bioremediation Techniques
• Biosparging
• Bioaugmentation
• Ex situ Bioremediation Techniques
• Bioreactors
• Genetic Engineering Approaches
• Phytoremediation
• Types of Phytoremediation
• Mycoremediation
• Advantages of Bioremediation
• Disadvantages of Bioremediation

(k) Environment Pollution and Health

• Environmental Pollution and Health

(l) Acid Rain

• Types of Acid Deposition
• Sources of Compounds Causing Acid Rain
• Characteristics of Acid Rain
• Difference Between Normal and Anthropogenic Acidified Lakes
• Impact Of Acid Rain
• Measures to Control Acid Rain
• RENEWABLE ENERGY
• Installed Power Generation Capacity in India
• International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

(a) Solar Energy

• Solar Energy
• Photovoltaic Electricity
• Solar-Thermal Electricity
• Solar Thermal Technology
• Concentrated Solar Power
• Potential of Solar Energy in India
• International Solar Alliance
• Luminescent Solar Concentrators

(b) Wind Energy

• Wind Energy
• Working of Wind Turbines
• National Offshore Wind Energy Policy, 2015

(c) Hydro Power

• Hydro Power
• Types of Hydro Power Plant
• Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant

(d) Ocean Thermal Energy

• Ocean Thermal Energy
• Wave Energy
• Tidal Energy

(e) Biomass

• Anaerobic Digestion
• Combustion/Incineration
• Pyrolysis/Gasification
• Cogeneration
• Waste to Energy

(f) Geothermal Energy

• Geothermal Energy

(g) Fuel Cells

• Environmental Issues in Indian Himalayan Region
• Role of Indian Himalayan Region in Indian Climate
• Urbanization in the Himalayas
• Participatory Conservation of Lakes in the Region
• Conservation of Dal Lake
• Impact of Commercial Tourism on the Environment
• Sand Mining in India
• Economic Consequences of Sand Mining
• Environmental Consequences of Sand Mining
• C urrent Rules and Policies in Operation in Relation to Sand Mining
• Guidelines for Sustainable Sand & Minor Mineral Mining
• Environmental Impacts of Palm Oil Production
• Impact of Radiation From Mobile Phone Towers on Human Beings And Wildlife
• G.E Trees and G.M crops
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
• Need for EIA
• Components of EIA
• EIA Risk Assessment
• Environment Management Plan
• Drawbacks of Environmental Impact Assessment
• Recommendations of Environmental Impact Assessment

(a) Levels of Biodiversity

• Levels of Biodiversity
• Genetic Diversity
• Species Diversity
• Community Diversity

(b) Measures of Biodiversity

• Measurement of Biodiversity
• Species Richness
• Alpha Diversity
• Beta Diversity
• Gamma Diversity
• Species Evenness

(c) Services Provided by Biodiversity

• Services Provided by Biodiversity

(d) Biodiversity Conservation

• Causes for Biodiversity Loss
• Biodiversity Conservation
• Ex-situ Conservation
• In-situ Conservation
• Botanical Garden
• Zoological Park

(e) The Red Data Book

• The Red Data Book
• IUCN Classification
• Extinct (EX)
• Extinct in the Wild (EW)
• Critically Endangered (CR)
• Endangered (EN)
• Vulnerable (VU)
• Near Threatened (NT)
• Least Concern (LC)
• Data Deficient (DD)
• Not Evaluated (NE)

(f) Convention on Biological Diversity

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity
• Nagoya—Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol
• Nagoya Protocol
• AICHI Biodiversity Targets
• Indian Biodiversity Diverse Landscape
• Biomes of India
• Biogeographic Zones
• Biogeographic Provinces
• Wildlife of India
• Himalayan Mountain System
• Peninsular Region
• Wildlife of Tropical Rainforest Region
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Mangrove Swamps of Sunderbans
• Schedule Animals of WPA 1972

(a) Critically Endangered Animals in India

• Critically Endangered Animals in India
• Critically Endangered Mammals
• Critically Endangered Marine Mammals

(b) Critically Endangered Birds

• Critically Endangered Birds
• Bird’s Migration

(d) Wildlife Diseases

• Wildlife Diseases

(e) Other Issues

• Species Extinction
• Man - Animal Conflict
• Plant Classification
• Effect of Abiotic Components on Plants Insectivorous Plants

(a) Insectivorous Plants in India

• Insectivorus Plants in India
• Drosera or Sundew
• Utricularia or Bladderworts
• Pinguicula or Butterwort

(b) Invasive Alien Species

• Invasive Alien Species
• Invasive Alien Flora of India

(c) Medicinal Plants in India

• Medicinal Plants in India

(d) Tree Characters

• Deciduous Trees
• Evergreen Trees
• Annual Rings
• Sapwood (Xylem)
• Pneumatophore
• Storage Roots
• Factors Affecting the Biodiversity of Phytoplankton
• Zooplankton
• Protected Areas

(a) National Initiatives

• Wild Life Sanctuary
• National Park
• Difference Between National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
• Conservation Reserve and Community Reserves

(b) Global Initiatives

• Global Initiatives for the Environment
• Man and Biosphere Programme UNESCO
• Biosphere Reserve - Core Zone, Buffer Zone, Transition Zone
• Structure and Design of Biosphere Reserves
• Criteria for Selection of BRs
• World Network of Biosphere Reserves
• Biodiversity Hot Spots
• Indian Biodiversity Hot Spots
• Biodiversity Coldspots
• World Heritage Sites
• International Year of Biodiversity
• International Day for Biological Diversity

(a) Tiger(En)

• Project Tiger
• Tiger Reserves
• National Tiger Conservation Authority
• International Cooperation for Project Tiger

(b) Elephant(En)

• Project Elephant
• Elephant Corridor
• Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme

(c) Vulture

• Project Vulture
• Vulture Restaurants
• Saving Asia’s Vultures From Extinction (SAVE)

(d) Rhino (Vu)

• Project Rhino
• Indian Rhino Vision 2020

(e) Snow Leopard (Vu)

• Project Snow Leopard
• Secure Himalaya Project

(f) Other Initiatives

• Sea Turtle Project
• Indian Crocodile Conservation Project
• Project Hangul
• Captive Breeding
• Project Dolphin
• Government Measures are Taken to Prevent the Menace Of Wild Animal Entry into

(a) Global Warming and Climate Change

• Global Warming
• Causes of Climate Change
• Global Warming Potential
• Receding Glaciers A Symptom Of Global Climate Change

(b) Green House Effect

• Greenhouse Effect
• Green House Gases
• Water Vapor as Green House Gas
• Carbon Dioxide as Green House Gas
• Carbon Dioxide Levels -Keeling Curve
• Methane as Green House Gas
• Nitrous Oxide as Green House Gas
• Fluorinated Gases as Green House Gases
• Hydrofluorocarbons
• Perfluorocarbons
• Sulfur Hexafluoride
• Black Carbon
• Brown Carbon

(c) Ocean Acidification

• Ocean Acidification
• Effect of Ocean Acidification

(d) Arctic Amplification

• Arctic Amplification

(e) Methane and Climate Change

• Methane Global Tracker Report
• Global Methane Assessment 2030:Baseline Report
• Global Methane Hub
• Climate and Clean Air Coalition
• Global Methane Pledge
• International Methane Emissions Observatory
• Global Methane Initiative
• MARS - Methane Alert Response System
• EMIT Mission
• Biomethanation

(f) Ozone Depletion

• Ozone Depletion
• Ozone Depleting Substances
• Role of Polar Stratospheric Clouds in Ozone Depletion
• Environmental Effects Of Ozone Depletion

(g) Impact of Climate Change

• Impact Of Climate Change
• Climate Change And Health
• Triple Planetary Crisis
• Climate Change Mitigation Strategies
• Carbon Sequestration
• Geologic Sequestration
• Carbon Sink
• Green Carbon
• Blue Carbon
• Blue Carbon Ecosystem
• Blue Carbon Initiative
• Carbon Credit
• Carbon Offsetting
• Geo-Engineering
• Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
• Observed Climate and Weather Changes In India
• India’s National Action Plan On Climate Change
• National Solar Mission
• The National Mission For Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE)
• National Mission On Sustainable Habitat
• National Water Mission (NWM)
• National Mission For Sustaining The Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE)
• National Mission For A Green India
• National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
• The National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC)
• National Bio-Energy Mission
• Intended Nationally Determined Contributions
• Indian Network on Climate Change Assessment
• India’s Policy Structure Relevant To GHG Mitigation
• Introduction of Labelling Programme For Appliances
• Energy Conservation Building Code
• Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)
• Promotion Of Biofuels
• Indian Solar Loan Programme
• National Initiative On Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)
• BSE-Greenex
• Long Term Ecological Observatories (LTEO)
• The National Adaptation Fund For Climate Change (NAFCC)
• Climate Change Organizations
• Kyoto Protocol: Cop-3
• Clean Development Mechanism
• Carbon Trading
• Emission Trading
• Offset Trading
• Bali Climate Change Conference
• Bali Action Plan
• Cop 15 Copenhagen Summit
• ‘ Cop 16 Cancun Summit
• Cancun Agreements
• Green Climate Fund
• Adaptation Fund
• COP 17 Durban Summit
• Paris Climate Change Conference COP 21, 2015
• Nationally Determined Contributions
• Marrakech Climate Change Conference –COP 22, 2016
• Bonn Climate Change Conference - COP 23, 2017
• Fiji’s COP
• Talanoa Dialogue
• Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)
• Climate-Smart Agriculture
• GEF Trust Fund - Climate Change Focal Area
• Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC)
• Global Climate Finance Architecture
• Biocarbon Fund
• Forest Carbon Partnership Facility
• Special Climate Change Fund
• Least Developed Countries Fund
• Global Climate Change Alliance
• UN-REDD Programme
• Amazon Fund (Fundo Amazônia)
• Indonesia Climate Change Trust Fund
• Green Economy
• The Economics Of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)
• Ecological Footprint
• List of Environmental Acts
• Wild Life Protection Act 1972
• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
• National Forest Policy 1988
• The Major Achievements of National Forest Policy, 1988
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002
• The Scheduled Tribes And Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition Of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
• Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy - 2015
• Chemical Safety
• Coastal Regulation Zone, 2011
• Island Protection Zone Notification, 2011
• Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016
• Hazardous Waste Management Rules, 2016
• Construction And Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016
• Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016
• E-Waste Management Rules, 2016
• Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016
• Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017
• The Ozone Depleting Substances Rules
• Institutions and Measures to Save the Environment
• National Green Tribunal (NGT)
• National Wildlife Action Plan
• National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board
• National Afforestation Programme
• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)
• Joint Forest Management (JFM)
• Social Forestry
• Farm Forestry
• Community Forestry
• Extension Forestry
• Recreational Forestry
• National Bamboo Mission
• Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI)
• Lighting A Billion Lives (LABL)
• Urban Services Environmental Rating System (USERS)
• Biodiversity Conservation & Rural Livelihood Improvement Project (BCRLIP)
• National Clean Energy Fund
• National Mission For Electric Mobility
• Science Express - Biodiversity Special (SEBS)
• Environment Education, Awareness & Training (EEAT) Scheme
• National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC)
• Mangroves for the Future
• Important Wildlife Institutions
• The Animal Welfare Board of India
• Central Zoo Authority
• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
• The State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs)
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
• National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP)
• National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)
• Wildlife Trust Of India
• Mission LiFe
• GOBARdhan - Galvanising Organic Bio Agro Resources Dhan
• HPCL - Cowdung to Compressed Biogas Project
• SATAT Initiative - Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation ( SATAT) Initiative
• National Green Hydrogen Mission
• Updated NDCs
• United Nations Conference On Environment and Development (UNCED)
• Local Agenda 21
• Agenda 21 for Culture
• Johannesburg Summit
• COP 11 Hyderabad
• Ramsar Convention On Wetlands
• International Organization Partners
• The Changwon Declaration on Human Well-being and Wetlands
• Traffic: The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network
• Convention On The Conservation Of Migratory Species (CMS)
• Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT)
• The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)
• United Nations Forum On Forests (UNFF)
• The Global Tiger Forum (GTF)
• The Stockholm Convention On POP
• Basel Convention
• Rotterdam Convention
• International Whaling Commission
• Vienna Convention
• Montreal Protocol
• India and Protection of Ozone Layer
• Kigali Agreement
• Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems
• Minamata Convention
• Environment Issues and Health Effects
• REM in Toxicology
• Iodine - 131
• Lead- Toxicology Effects
• Mercury Toxicology Effects
• Fluorine Toxicology Effects
• Lead in Paints
• High Caffeine in Energy Drinks
• Pesticide in Human Blood
• Testing of Pesticide Toxicity
• Diseases Caused By Environmental Degradation
• Minamata Disease
• Yokkaichi Asthma
• Itai-itai Disease
• Blue Baby Syndrome
• Pneumoconiosis
• Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)
• Chipko Movement
• Appiko Movement
• International Standards and Environment
• The National Wastelands Development Board (NWDB)
• Flagship Species
• Keystone Species
• Indicator Species
• Foundation Species
• Charismatic Megafauna
• Umbrella Species
• Meaning and Functions of Environment
• Adaptation Gap Report
• Coal Bed Methane
• Harit Dhara
• Coal Gasification
• Methanol Economy - Conversion of high Coal Ash Coal to Methanol
• Hydrogen Color Codes
• Level Used Cost of Hydrogen
• India’s Green House Gas Emissions
• Net Zero Pledges
• Carbon Leakage
• Carbon Border Tax
• Carbon Bombs
• LINGO - Leave it In the Ground Initiative
• Karakoram Anamoly
• Carbon Budget
• CO2 Equivalent
• Committed Warming
• Runaway Greenhouse Effect
• Climate Tipping Points
• UNEP Production Gap Report
• UN World Water Conference
• Global Alliance for Industry Decarbonisation

Ques: How important is the environment and ecology section for the UPSC prelims and Mains Exam?

From the standpoint of both the IAS Prelims and Mains, the environment and ecology are crucial subjects. About 25 to 30 percent of the general studies paper 1's questions are from this subject. Every year, between 15 and 20 questions are asked in the IAS prelims, which is a large number.

Ques: What are the books and sources for Environment and ecology?

Books and resources for environment and ecology

• The NCERT Textbooks cover geography in classes VI to XI,
• science in classes VII and X, and biology in classes XII (last 4 chapters)
• Hindu Newspaper and Yojana Magazine, Shankar IAS Book on Environment You should also refer to the Science Reporter, Down To Earth, and pratiyogita darpan magazine in addition to the aforementioned reference books.
• Online material of Preppias
• The Environment Ministry's official website

Ques: What should be considered when preparing the environment?

A blend of static and dynamic content is a straightforward strategy for issues relating to the environment. Instead of trying to understand everything there is to know, we should simply relate to one another and learn.

While reading newspapers, one should be able to connect it to the static content.

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• IAS Preparation
• UPSC Preparation Strategy
• UPSC Exam Pattern

Exam Pattern Of UPSC IAS Civil Services Examination

The UPSC Exam pattern is set by the conducting body, i.e., the Union Public Service Commission. It is a yearly conducted examination and the paper pattern for the IAS Exam has been the same since 2013. This article aims to give the reader an overview of the UPSC exam pattern and syllabus for CSE 2024 .

UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus PDF Download PDF Here

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is considered to be the toughest examination in India. It has earned this moniker partly due to the intense competition and partly due to the comprehensive UPSC Syllabus . Apart from that, the exam pattern for UPSC CSE is quite complicated, and a typical examination cycle lasts for almost a year from the preliminary exam until the final results are declared.

For the updated UPSC syllabus exam pattern, check IAS Notification  in the linked article.

UPSC Exam Pattern 2024

The UPSC civil services exam pattern is officially divided into two stages called Preliminary and Main Examination while in practice, it is a three-stage exam. The third being Personality Test/Interview.

As per the IAS exam pattern, candidates who clear the Prelims are eligible for Mains and candidates who clear the Main reach the interview stage.

Stage 1: UPSC CSE Prelims Exam Pattern

The Prelims Exam date is 26th May 2024. Visit the link to get free study material and preparation strategy for UPSC Prelims .

The UPSC exam pattern for the Preliminary stage consists of two papers, conducted on one day. Both the papers comprise objective type questions with multiple choice of answers. The prelims examination is a qualifying stage to filter candidates for the mains exam. The marks secured at this stage are not counted towards the final merit list, though candidates have to prepare well for this exam as cut-offs are unpredictable and depend on the average score every year. The details of UPSC prelims pattern is given below:

To sit for prelims, one has to fill the application using the UPSC Apply Online portal.

Stage 2: UPSC CSE  Mains Exam Pattern

The UPSC exam pattern for the Mains stage consists of 9 papers conducted over 5-7 days. Only those candidates who secure at least the declared cut off in General Studies I and 33% in General Studies II in Prelims will be allowed to appear for the Mains Examination. 

As per the exam pattern of UPSC Mains , all of the papers consist of descriptive answer type questions. It is an exhaustive phase and the total marks in UPSC mains can directly affect your final scores. Thus, the UPSC exam marks for the mains phase are extremely valuable as it acts as a key factor in merit declaration. The details of UPSC syllabus with marks are given below:

All of the mains papers except for the language papers A and B are of a merit ranking nature. Paper A and B are of qualifying nature and candidates must score at least 25% in each for the marks from their Paper I – Paper VII to be given weightage.

Paper A is not compulsory for candidates from the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim as well as candidates with hearing impairment, provided they can prove that they have been exempted from such 2nd or 3rd language courses by their concerned board or university. The Indian Language paper covers any of the languages included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

The subjects which are covered by the General Studies Papers in Mains Exam are:

The Optional subjects for Paper VI and VII of the mains examination have to be any one of the subjects from the following list:

All the papers except the Language papers A and B can be answered in English or any of the languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India. The optional papers can be answered in English even if none of the other papers has been answered by the candidate in English.

Stage 3: UPSC CSE Pattern for Interview

This is the final stage of the IAS Exam before the final results are declared. Officially it is called the Interview/Personality Test and counted as a part of the Mains Examination for merit ranking purposes. From a preparation standpoint, it is considered the third stage as preparation strategies for the written and interview stages are different. As per the IAS exam pattern, this consists of an interview by the UPSC board to assess the candidates’ suitability for a civil services career and associated responsibilities. The board consists of competent and unbiased observers who have a record of the candidates’ career. The board would judge the candidates mental and social traits by asking questions of general interest. Some of the qualities that the board looks for are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, a balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.

The total marks of the UPSC interview stage is 275, thus bringing the total marks for UPSC Mains and Interview for the merit list consideration to 2025.

The whole exam pattern of the UPSC IAS examination is comprehensive, and the competition is intense. One should start preparing in-depth as the examination process lasts for almost a year and not making the cut means starting from scratch the following year.

You can find more information here:

UPSC Books List PDF: Download PDF Here

Apart from the UPSC paper pattern for prelims and mains, candidates can also refer to the links given below for UPSC preparation:

Frequently Asked Questions on UPSC Exam Pattern

Q 1. what are the total marks that can be scored in upsc prelims, q 2. what are the total marks for upsc cse mains, q 3. what is the syllabus for upsc mains, q 4. what is the upsc paper pattern.

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Good evening sir/Madam I have completed bsc in hotel management degree in 2013 Now I am eligible for IAS Can I give exams for IAS

Hi Danial To sit for UPSC Prelims 2020, the minimum educational qualification is a Bachelor’s Degree. The minimum age limit is 21 while the maximum is 32 (Unreserved Category.) Read Eligibility Criteria for UPSC Exam in the linked article.

My date of birth is 21/05/2000 and my graduation is complete in 2021 june..so I’m eligible or not for 2021 upsc examination plz give and question answer…

Hi Prafull As per UPSC Eligibility Criteria , an aspirant has to be a minimum of 21 years of age before or on 1st August of the year of examination. In your case, you will be 21 on 21st May 2021 and if you pass your graduation degree, you can sit for UPSC 2021.

respected mentors, i have completed my degree in economics and i started preparing for upsc, could u plzz suggest or guide me some books to read which will be worthwhile useful

Hi Pradeep You can check the following links to complement your preparation: 1. UPSC Books 2. NCERT Books PDF

I am soon going to be a pharma graduate so what can be the optional subjects for me as none of the pharma subject is mentioned in the syllabus.

Hi Shivanshu UPSC provides a list of 48 optional subjects (25 subjects and 23 languages). One subject from the list can be chosen as your optional subject. Since, there is no such subject called Pharmacy, you can choose any other subject which you are most comfortable with. Read which subject is best for IAS Exam from the linked article.

Hie mam/sir I have completed my bams last year and i am interested in giving upsc exam next year But am little but confused about the prep of upsc can you please tell me the procedure for the preparation of upsc ?

Hi Please check below mentioned links: 1. IAS Exam 2. UPSC Syllabus 3. UPSC Eligibility Criteria

Hello! Need clarification. Do both Optionals consist two different paper each? If yes, do we have the option of selecting between Paper I and II?

No, you have to select one subject for which you will have two papers. Check the list of UPSC Optional Subjects in the linked article.

Respected mentors, I’m completed my graduation in 2020, and I’m interested in civil services so can I start the upsc preparation. Plzzzz suggest me the books of UPSC which will be worthwhile useful.

Hi. Pls. refer to: 1. UPSC Books 2. NCERT Books for UPSC

respected mentor, I am a BE graduate . I am complete my graduate in 2022 . I am interested to write UPSC exam . But i didn’t no the details related to that exam please suggest the inform about that exam.

Hi You should first know the UPSC Eligibility Criteria in detail, which you can find in the linked article. Then, you can follow-up with the following articles: 1. IAS Exam 2. UPSC Notification 3. UPSC Syllabus

respected mentor, i am post graduate in computer science i am interested in upsc exam ,can i apply as optional subject as computer science

Hi Babita There is no such subject as ‘Computer Science’ in the list of optional subjects given by UPSC. You may choose one from the stated Optional Subjects for UPSC .

Sir/Ma’am What is option A compulsory indian language? Is it English or can we take English as option A. And how is it different from English Literature. Is literature same as other optionals like Anthropology etc

Hi Harita Paper A and Paper B are two compulsory language papers. While in Paper A, you have to choose one Indian language. Paper B is English Language paper. English Literature is one of the optional subjects in the list of 48 optional subjects.

sir am currently doing my 2nd year engineering and i hav a dream to become a civil servant so how can i prepare for the upsc exam and should i start my prepration now itself??and what are the tips for prepration??

Hi Prajwal Taking it that you already know the exam pattern, we suggest you go through the UPSC Syllabus thoroughly. Then, you can start with important NCERT Books . Anaylse the UPSC Previous Years’ Question Papers . Make sure to keep yourself updated with current affairs.

I want to take mathematics as an optional subject, Can you please suggest appropriate book / books for this please

Take reference from the link – Mathematics Optional Book List

Respected mentors. My DoB is 25/12/2001. When I will eligible to sit in exam.

Hi Aman You will be eligible to sit for UPSC 2023 and onwards.

My birth year is 1988, will I be eligible?

Hi Arunabh You have to a minimum of 21 as of 1st August of the exam year. Also, one should not be 32 as of 1st August (exam year.) This is for general category. If you fall within the age brackets, you may sit for UPSC Exam. Read IAS eligibility here .

hi, I want to opt for Management as an optional subject for the exam.

please suggest me booklist and resources for the preparation of optional subject only

Hi Please refer to the following posts: 1. Strategy for Management Optional 2. Management Optional book list

Sir how to make revision stratgy of studied topics. I am pursuing graduation this year and complete 2021

Hi You should for frequent revision technique that helps you to stay in touch with what you have learnt. Read more about in the article here

Is there any strategy to start the preparation from the selected subjects ? like starting preparation from the subjects with wider syllabus to the lesser one ?

Start with the subjects you are new to. Strategies vary from person to person w.r.t their interests in subjects and their existing knowledge of the syllabus. Hence, we suggest you take any two subjects per day along with current affairs. You can also make a timetable for UPSC preparation to track your goals.

I have completed my graduation in bsc computer Science, statistics and mathematics. I have interested in the upsc Civil service exam. Please suggest best books for upsc prelims and mains.

Hi Check: 1. NCERT Books for UPSC 2. UPSC Books

I’m from tamilnadu Can I choose my mother tongue to attend my personality test

Yes, you can.

Will I be able to take up the Interview in my mother tongue even if I attended the prelims and the mains in English?

Hi, Yes, a candidate can opt for any one official language of India to be his/her medium of language in an interview.

Hi , Mentor I have Completed my Masters In Psycholgy can I Take This as a Optional Subject in Upsc Exam

Yes, you can go through the Psychology Optional Syllabus for UPSC at the linked article

Hello mentor , which are the subjective type writing papers( descriptive writing ) in upsc mains ? Only essays are their ? There are other descriptive writing paper in upsc mains other than essay writing?

Hi All the papers in UPSC Mains are descriptive-type. Essay, GS I-IV, Hindi Language, English Language, and two optional papers.

hi my birth date is 11/08/2002 can i take upsc in 2023

Hi As per the exiting UPSC Eligibility Criteria , you can sit for UPSC 2024. The minium age should be 21.

Should 2 subjects be selected for the optional exams? Also are the subjects to be selected from a BSc point of view because of question pattern?

Only 1 subject has to be chosen. Any subject from the list of optional subjects can be chosen.

My birth date is 10 3 2007. When I will give upse exam.

You can sit for the 2028 examination going by the current UPSC eligibility criteria .

If a candidates fails at interview of Mains stage does he need to re appear for all three levels again ?

Hi, Yes. As far as the UPSC CSE format is concerned, failing in any of the stages would require candidates to reappear in the prelims of the next year. Learn about UPSC Eligibility Criteria in the linked article.

Does a degree form ignou is valid to appear in civil service exam

Yes, it is valid.

What is the Paper A in the Mains Examination? Also what are the subjects available?

Hi, Get the detailed information about Paper A in UPSC Mains here .

Hello, I have a feeling that I might fail in my bachelor’s. So once I clear it by writing it once again, will I be eligible to give UPSC? Will it affect my chance to try out the UPSC exams? Thank you.

Hi Raja, Candidates who are in their final year or awaiting results are also eligible to appear for UPSC preliminary Examination. All such candidates who are likely to appear for IAS exams must produce proof of having passed the said examination along with the application for the main IAS examination.

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