UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024: Download the IAS Mains Syllabus 2024 PDF

UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024: Candidates who pass the UPSC Prelims are invited to the mains examination, which consists of nine papers, the marks obtained in seven of which will be used for creating the final merit list, and two papers, English and Indian Language, will be qualifying in nature, with candidates required to score a minimum of 25% in these two papers. The subject-specific mains syllabus is detailed below.

The UPSC syllabus serves as a blueprint for the exams for IAS officers, IPS officers, etc. The syllabus outlines the topics and subjects for the candidates that can be asked in the examination. It becomes crucial to understand every aspect of the examination, including the syllabus and its structure.

UPSC Mains Syllabus

The UPSC main syllabus is the written exam, which consists of 9 papers, including an essay, a general studies paper and an optional subject. The mains examination assesses a candidate's comprehensive knowledge of a certain subject and their ability to express that information in a limited amount of time. The IAS mains examination consists of nine papers, including two qualifying papers of 300 marks each in any Indian language and English. Candidates must score at least 25% in both qualifying papers to be considered for evaluation in their essay, general studies, and optional subject papers.

UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024 Pattern

UPSC conducts the mains examination for the duration of days where on day 1 an essay exam is conducted, days 2 and 3 are reserved for general studies papers, day 4 has an Indian language and English paper and on day 5 an optional paper will be conducted. This year's UPSC mains exam is scheduled to start on September 20. Check the table below for UPSC Mains Exam Date and Schedule.

UPSC Mains Essay 2024 

The UPSC Mains Essay Paper is also known as Paper 1. Candidates will be required to write and compose an essay on the given topic. The applicants will be required to write down and arrange their ideas logically. Candidates who have written clearly and effectively will receive a higher marks.

UPSC Mains General Studies 2024

The UPSC IAS Mains General Studies consists of 4 papers on General Studies, i.e., General Studies I, General Studies II, General Studies III, and General Studies IV. The topics that are covered in each paper are listed below:

• GS Paper I consists of Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
• GS Paper II consists of Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
• GS Paper III consists of Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
• GS Paper IV consists of ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

UPSC Optional Syllabus 2024

UPSC allows candidates to choose one optional subject from the list of subjects. The syllabus will vary as per the subjects. Candidates can click on the direct below on the subject name to read the syllabus of a particular subject. 

UPSC Mains English Syllabus 2024

The UPSC Mains English paper includes a variety of topics that assess the candidates' comprehension, analytical, and writing skills. The topics include essay writing, precise writing, literary comprehension, etc.

Important Schemes for UPSC IAS Prelims Exam,

UPSC Mains Indian Language Syllabus

The candidates need to select one of the languages mentioned in the Indian Schedule. This paper is qualifying in nature. The list of languages is given below.

• Assamese
• Bengali
• English
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Kannada
• Maithili
• Malayalam
• Manipuri
• Marathi
• Punjabi
• Sanskrit
• Sindhi
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Urdu

Read about UPSC IAS Toppers 2023,