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UPSC IAS Syllabus 2026 â Prelims, Mains & Interview Complete Guide
Prelims: 24 May 2026 | Mains: 21 August 2026 | Official Site: upsc.gov.in
UPSC IAS 2026 â 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 | 21â32 years (UR) | OBC: 35 | SC/ST: 37 |
| Attempts | General: 6 | OBC: 9 | SC/ST: Unlimited |
| Application Fee | General/OBC/EWS: âš100 | Women/SC/ST/PwBD: Free |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC IAS Exam Structure â Teen Stages
1
Prelims
Objective Type | 400 Marks | Qualifying
24 May 2026
â
2
Mains
Descriptive | 1750 Marks | Counts in Merit
21 Aug 2026
â
3
Interview
Personality Test | 275 Marks | Counts in Merit
New Delhi, UPSC
đĄ Important: Prelims marks final merit mein count nahi hote. Sirf Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 marks ka final merit banata hai.
đ UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2026
GS Paper 1 â 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 â 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 â Freedom struggle, Social reform movements, Important personalities |
| Indian & World Geography | Physical, Social, Economic geography â 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 â Space tech, Defence tech, Health & Disease |
đĄ High Weight Areas: Polity + Economy + Environment = 60â70 questions in recent papers (PYQ data 2021â2025)
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) â Numbers, Percentage, Ratio, Time & Work
- Data interpretation â Charts, Graphs, Tables
- English Language comprehension skills
đ UPSC Mains Syllabus 2026
Mains Exam Pattern â 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 â History, Heritage, Geography | 250 | Counts in Merit |
| Paper 3 | General Studies 2 â Governance, Polity, IR | 250 | Counts in Merit |
| Paper 4 | General Studies 3 â Economy, Tech, Environment, Security | 250 | Counts in Merit |
| Paper 5 | General Studies 4 â Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude | 250 | Counts in Merit |
| Paper 6 | Optional Subject â Paper 1 | 250 | Counts in Merit |
| Paper 7 | Optional Subject â Paper 2 | 250 | Counts in Merit |
| Total (Merit Counted) | 1750 | + Interview 275 | |
Mains GS Papers â Subject-wise Topics
đ GS Paper 1 â Indian Heritage, History & Geography
- Indian culture â Art forms, Literature, Architecture from ancient to modern times
- Modern Indian History â Events from 18th century to Independence
- Post-independence consolidation and reorganization
- World History â Colonialism, World Wars, Cold War, Decolonization
- Indian Society â Features, Diversity, Regionalism, Communalism, Secularism
- Population aur associated issues, poverty, developmental issues
- Physical Geography â Geophysical phenomena, earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones
- Distribution of key natural resources, factors of industrial location
đ GS Paper 2 â Governance, Polity & International Relations
- Indian Constitution â Historical underpinnings, Amendments, Significant provisions
- Separation of powers â 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 â India and its neighbourhood, bilateral relations
- Important international institutions, agencies, and fora
đ GS Paper 3 â Economy, Technology, Environment & Security
- Indian Economy â Planning, Mobilization, Growth, Development, Employment
- Agriculture â Major crops, irrigation, e-technology for farmers
- Infrastructure â Energy, Ports, Roads, Railways, Airports
- Science & Technology â Developments, Indigenization, IPR, Space, Defence
- Environment & Ecology â Conservation, Environmental pollution, Disaster Management
- Internal Security â Challenges, Linkages with organized crime, money laundering
- Border management, Cyber security, Communication networks
đ GS Paper 4 â Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
- Ethics and Human Interface â Essence, Determinants, Consequences of ethics in human actions
- Attitude â Content, Structure, Function, Moral aur political attitudes
- Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service
- Emotional intelligence â Concepts, utilities in administration
- Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world
- Public/Civil service values â Integrity, Impartiality, Tolerance, Compassion
- Corporate governance â Concept, Case studies on ethical issues
UPSC Optional Subjects 2026 â 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.
đ¤ 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 25â45 minutes |
| Marks in Final Merit | Haan â Mains + Interview = Final Ranking |
â UPSC IAS Syllabus 2026 â Frequently Asked Questions
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