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UPSC IAS Syllabus 2026
UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
UPSC IAS Syllabus 2026 — Prelims, Mains & Interview Complete Guide
Prelims: 24 May 2026 | Mains: 21 August 2026 | Official Site: upsc.gov.in
UPSC IAS 2026 — Exam Overview
Conducting Body
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Name
Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2026
Services Included
IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS aur 20+ other services
Prelims Date 2026
24 May 2026
Mains Date 2026
21 August 2026 (onwards)
Age Limit
21–32 years (UR) | OBC: 35 | SC/ST: 37
Attempts
General: 6 | OBC: 9 | SC/ST: Unlimited
Application Fee
General/OBC/EWS: ₹100 | Women/SC/ST/PwBD: Free
Official Website
upsc.gov.in
UPSC IAS Exam Structure — Teen Stages
1
Prelims
Objective Type | 400 Marks | Qualifying
24 May 2026
→
2
Mains
Descriptive | 1750 Marks | Counts in Merit
21 Aug 2026
→
3
Interview
Personality Test | 275 Marks | Counts in Merit
New Delhi, UPSC
💡 Important: Prelims marks final merit mein count nahi hote. Sirf Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 marks ka final merit banata hai.
📘 UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2026
GS Paper 1 — Exam Pattern
Detail
GS Paper 1
GS Paper 2 (CSAT)
Total Questions
100
80
Total Marks
200
200
Marks per Question
2 marks
2.5 marks
Negative Marking
0.66 per wrong
0.83 per wrong
Duration
2 Hours
2 Hours
Nature
Counts in Merit Qualifying (33% = 66 marks)
GS Paper 1 Syllabus — Subject-wise Topics
Subject
Key Topics
Current Affairs
National aur International events, Government schemes, Awards, Sports, Important days
History of India
Ancient, Medieval, Modern India — Freedom struggle, Social reform movements, Important personalities
Indian & World Geography
Physical, Social, Economic geography — Rivers, Mountains, Climate, Soil, Natural resources
Indian Polity & Governance
Constitution, Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Parliament, Judiciary, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy
Economic & Social Development
Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social sector initiatives
Environment & Ecology
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental degradation, National Parks, Conservation
General Science
Physics, Chemistry, Biology basics — Space tech, Defence tech, Health & Disease
💡 High Weight Areas: Polity + Economy + Environment = 60–70 questions in recent papers (PYQ data 2021–2025)
GS Paper 2 (CSAT) Syllabus
Comprehension passages (Reading & understanding)
Interpersonal skills including communication skills
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision making and problem solving
General mental ability
Basic numeracy (Class 10 level) — Numbers, Percentage, Ratio, Time & Work
Data interpretation — Charts, Graphs, Tables
English Language comprehension skills
📗 UPSC Mains Syllabus 2026
Mains Exam Pattern — 9 Papers
Paper
Subject
Marks
Nature
Paper A
Indian Language (Compulsory)
300
Qualifying
Paper B
English (Compulsory)
300
Qualifying
Paper 1
Essay
250
Counts in Merit
Paper 2
General Studies 1 — History, Heritage, Geography
250
Counts in Merit
Paper 3
General Studies 2 — Governance, Polity, IR
250
Counts in Merit
Paper 4
General Studies 3 — Economy, Tech, Environment, Security
250
Counts in Merit
Paper 5
General Studies 4 — Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude
250
Counts in Merit
Paper 6
Optional Subject — Paper 1
250
Counts in Merit
Paper 7
Optional Subject — Paper 2
250
Counts in Merit
Total (Merit Counted)
1750
+ Interview 275
Mains GS Papers — Subject-wise Topics
📌 GS Paper 1 — Indian Heritage, History & Geography
Indian culture — Art forms, Literature, Architecture from ancient to modern times
Modern Indian History — Events from 18th century to Independence
Post-independence consolidation and reorganization
World History — Colonialism, World Wars, Cold War, Decolonization
Indian Society — Features, Diversity, Regionalism, Communalism, Secularism
Population aur associated issues, poverty, developmental issues
Physical Geography — Geophysical phenomena, earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones
Distribution of key natural resources, factors of industrial location
📌 GS Paper 2 — Governance, Polity & International Relations
Indian Constitution — Historical underpinnings, Amendments, Significant provisions
Separation of powers — Parliament, Executive, Judiciary
Federal structure, Centre-State relations, local bodies
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections, mechanisms for protection
Government policies and interventions for development
International relations — India and its neighbourhood, bilateral relations
Important international institutions, agencies, and fora
📌 GS Paper 3 — Economy, Technology, Environment & Security
Indian Economy — Planning, Mobilization, Growth, Development, Employment
Agriculture — Major crops, irrigation, e-technology for farmers
Infrastructure — Energy, Ports, Roads, Railways, Airports
Science & Technology — Developments, Indigenization, IPR, Space, Defence
Environment & Ecology — Conservation, Environmental pollution, Disaster Management
Internal Security — Challenges, Linkages with organized crime, money laundering
Border management, Cyber security, Communication networks
📌 GS Paper 4 — Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Ethics and Human Interface — Essence, Determinants, Consequences of ethics in human actions
Attitude — Content, Structure, Function, Moral aur political attitudes
Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service
Emotional intelligence — Concepts, utilities in administration
Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world
Public/Civil service values — Integrity, Impartiality, Tolerance, Compassion
Corporate governance — Concept, Case studies on ethical issues
UPSC Optional Subjects 2026 — Popular Choices
Category
Subject Name
Most Popular
Political Science & IR (PSIR), History, Geography, Sociology, Public Administration, Anthropology
Science/Technical
Medical Science, Engineering (Civil/Mech/Elect), Agriculture, Zoology, Botany, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
Humanities
Economics, Philosophy, Psychology, Management, Commerce & Accountancy, Law
Literature
Hindi, English, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi + 15 more
Total 48 optional subjects available. Ek subject choose karna hota hai aur uske 2 papers (500 marks total) dene hote hain.
🎤 UPSC Interview (Personality Test) 2026
Total Marks
275 Marks
Venue
UPSC Office, New Delhi
What is tested?
Mental alertness, Critical powers, Balance of judgment, Variety of interest, Social cohesion, Leadership
Duration
Approx 25–45 minutes
Marks in Final Merit
Haan — Mains + Interview = Final Ranking
❓ UPSC IAS Syllabus 2026 — Frequently Asked Questions
UPSC IAS Prelims 2026 kab hai?
24 May 2026 ko Prelims exam hoga. Mains 21 August 2026 se shuru hoga. Notification upsc.gov.in pe available hai.
UPSC Prelims mein CSAT qualify karna kitna important hai?
CSAT mein sirf 33% (66 marks out of 200) chahiye. Ye qualifying hai — marks count nahi hote. Lekin fail kiya toh Mains nahi milega. Neglect mat karo.
UPSC IAS ki final merit list kaise banti hai?
Mains (1750 marks) + Interview (275 marks) = 2025 total marks . Inhi marks se final ranking aur service allocation hoti hai. Prelims sirf screening ke liye hai.
UPSC preparation ke liye kitna time chahiye?
Minimum 12–18 months serious preparation zaroori hai. Agar regular job ke saath pad rahe ho toh 2 saal. NCERTs se start karo, PYQs regularly solve karo, aur current affairs daily padho.
UPSC IAS ke liye best optional subject kaun sa hai?
Koi universal "best" optional nahi hota. Ye 3 cheezein dekho: aapki interest, GS syllabus ke saath overlap, aur coaching/resources availability. Popular choices: PSIR, History, Geography, Sociology, Anthropology .
UPSC syllabus 2026 mein koi naya change hai?
2026 mein koi major syllabus change announce nahi hua hai. Syllabus wahi hai jo official notification mein diya gaya hai. Hamesha upsc.gov.in pe official notification se confirm karein.
UPSC Mains mein negative marking hai?
Nahi . UPSC Mains descriptive type hai — koi negative marking nahi. Interview mein bhi koi penalty nahi. Sirf Prelims mein negative marking (1/3rd) hoti hai.
UPSC ka application fee kitna hai?
General/OBC/EWS candidates ke liye sirf ₹100 . Women candidates, SC, ST aur PwBD candidates ke liye fee completely exempt hai. Apply upsc.gov.in pe OTR platform se hota hai.
🔗 UPSC Related Pages