UPSC Mains 2020-2021 (PDF) for All Optional Subjects Syllabus

UPSC: UPSC Civil Services Exam is conducted by UPSC every year to recruit the candidates for the prestigious All India Services and Central Civil Services in India. A clear understanding of the UPSC IAS exam pattern and syllabus is essential for preparation. The UPSC IAS Mains exam 2020 will be conducted from 8 January 2021 onwards. The exam structure of Mains paper includes 2 qualifying papers and 7 merit-based papers. These 9 papers are as follows: 

Qualifying Papers

1. English
2.  Any One Indian Language from the Eighth Schedule of The Constitution of India

Merit-Based Mains Papers

3. Essay Paper
4. General Studies Paper I
5. General Studies Paper-II
6. General Studies Paper III
7. General Studies Paper IV
8. Optional Paper I
9. Optional Paper-II

Also Check;

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List of UPSC Optional Subjects and Syllabus

UPSC offers a total of 48 optional subjects, out of which any  one subject can be selected by the candidate for both the papers. Each optional comprises of two papers (Paper I and Paper II) carrying  250 marks each, making it a total of 500 marks.

The syllabus of the optional papers is of the graduate degree level. The 48 subjects offered by UPSC include the subjects from all academic domains of - Humanities, Commerce, Engineering, and Medical. Candidates can also take literature subjects as an optional paper. A candidate’s choice of optional can substantially influence their chances of success in the UPSC Mains exam. It has been observed that the marks scored in the optional papers can itself decide your rank in the final merit list.

In this article, we have provided the detailed UPSC Syllabus for IAS Mains optional subjects that will help you decide on your optional subject for the Mains exam. Given below is the list of optional subjects offered by UPSC and the links to the UPSC Optional Subjects syllabus.

UPSC IAS Mains 2021: Tips to Choose the Right Optional Subject

UPSC IAS Mains 2020: Optional Syllabus for all Subjects

UPSC IAS Mains 2020: Optional Syllabus for Literature

UPSC Civil Services Exam is a highly comprehensive and competitive exam with lakhs of aspirants appearing for 800-900 vacancies every year. It is advised that before selecting an optional subject, the aspirant should thoroughly study the syllabus of that subject. Good command over your optional subject can help you score overall high marks in the mains exam and hence helps you in securing a better rank in the final UPSC merit list. 

Also Check: UPSC IAS Mains 2020: Preparation Strategy for Optional Papers