Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission Syllabus

Scheme of Examination

The competitive examination for the Combined State/Senior Subordinate Services

Examination includes three levels sequentially. As:
• Preliminary Examination (Objective or Multiple-Choice Type)
• Main Examination (Conventional type i.e., written examination)
• Oral Test (Personality Test)

Preliminary Examination:
• The preliminary examination for the Combined State / Senior Subordinate
Services Examination will consist of two compulsory question papers. The
answer sheets of which will be in the form of OMR sheets.
• Each question paper will be of two hours duration with 200 marks.
• Both question papers will be objective and multiple-choice type containing 150
and 100 questions respectively.
• First question paper from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and second question paper from
2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

Note:
(1) The second paper of the Preliminary Examination will be qualifying in which a
minimum of 33% marks will be required.
(2) For the purpose of evaluation, it is mandatory for the candidates to appear in
both the papers of the preliminary examination. Therefore, if a candidate does
not appear in both the papers, he/she will be disqualified.
(3) The merit order of the candidates will be determined on the basis of their marks
obtained in the first paper of the preliminary examination.
Main (Written) Examination:

The Main Examination will consist of the following compulsory question papers whose
syllabus is mentioned below.

Compulsory Subjects

1. General Hindi conventional 150

2. Essay conventional 150

3. General Studies – I conventional 200

4. General Studies – II conventional 200

5. General Studies – III conventional 200

6. General Studies – IV conventional 200

7. General Studies - V conventional 200

8. General Studies - VI conventional 200

All question papers will be of conventional type. The duration to solve these question
papers will be 3 hours. Each question paper of General Studies will be of 200 marks.

Note:
(1) Exam timings for 3-hour question paper will be from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and 2
pm to 5 pm.
(2) A candidate shall be required to obtain minimum marks in the General Hindi
question paper as shall be determined by the Government or the Commission, as
the case may be.

Personality Test/Interview (Total Marks 100):

• This examination will be related to subjects of general interest keeping in view
the general awareness, intelligence, character, expression ability, personality
and general suitability of the candidates for service.
 Preliminary Exam Syllabus

Syllabus for Preliminary Examination related to Combined State/Upper

Subordinate Services Examination
Question Paper - 1
(General Studies – I)
Duration – Two hours Marks – 200

• Current events of national and international importance: Candidates must be aware

of current events of national and international importance.

• History of India and Indian National Movement: Under History, special attention has
to be paid to comprehensive knowledge of social, economic and political aspects of
Indian history. On Indian National Movement, candidates are expected to have general
knowledge about the nature and characteristics of the freedom movement, the rise of
nationalism and attainment of independence.

• Geography of India and the World: Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India
and the World: In World Geography, only general knowledge of the subject will be
tested. Under Indian Geography, there will be questions related to the physical, social
and economic geography of the country.

• Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj,

Public Policy, Official Issues etc.: Under Indian Polity, Economy and Culture, there
will be questions on knowledge of the political system of the country including
Panchayati Raj and community development and broad features of India's economic
policy and knowledge of Indian culture.

• Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty Ratings,

Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives etc.: Candidates' knowledge will be tested in
the context of problems of population, environment and urbanization and their
relationship.

• General subjects related to environment and ecology, biodiversity and climate

change: Subject specialization is not required in this subject. Candidates are expected
to have general knowledge of the subject.

• General Science: Questions of General Science will be based on general understanding

and knowledge of science including matters related to everyday experience and
observation, as may be expected of a well-educated person who has not made a special
study of scientific subjects.

Note: Candidates will be expected to have a general knowledge of the above subjects with special
reference to Uttar Pradesh.
 Question Paper – 2
(General Studies – II)
Duration – Two hours Marks – 200

• Comprehension.
• Interpersonal competence which would also include communication skills.
• Logical and analytical ability.
• Decision making and problem solving.
• General intellectual ability.
• Elementary Mathematics up to High School level- Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and
Statistics.
• General English up to high school level.
• General Hindi up to high school level.

Topics to be covered in the syllabus of Elementary Mathematics (up to high school level):
1. Arithmetic:
▪ Number System: Natural, Integer, Rational-Irrational and Real numbers, Divisors of
Integer numbers and Indivisible Integer numbers. LCM and HCF of Integer numbers and
relations among them.
▪ Average.
▪ Ratio and proportion.
▪ Percentage.
▪ Profit-Loss.
▪ Interest- simple and compound.
▪ Work and time.
▪ Speed, time and distance.

2. Algebra:
▪ Factors of polynomials, LCM and HCF of polynomials and relations between them,
remainder theorem, simple simultaneous equations, quadratic equations.
▪ Set Theory: Sets, subsets, proper subsets, empty set, operations between sets (union,
intersection, difference, symmetric difference), Venn diagrams.

3. Geometry:
▪ Theorems related to the construction and properties of triangle, rectangle, square, trapezium
and circle and their perimeter and area.
▪ Volume and surface area of sphere, right circular cylinder, right circular cone and cube.

4. Statistics: Collection of data, classification of data, frequency, frequency distribution, tabulation,

cumulative frequency, representation of data, bar chart, pie chart, histogram, frequency polygon,
cumulative frequency curve, measures of central tendency-arithmetic mean, median and mode.
General English Upto Class X Level:
▪ Comprehension
▪ Active Voice and Passive Voice
▪ Parts of Speech
▪ Transformation of Sentences
▪ Direct and Indirect Speech
▪ Punctuation and Spellings
▪ Words & Meanings
▪ Vocabulary & Usage
▪ Idioms and Phrases
▪ Fill in the Blanks

Topics to be included in the syllabus of General Hindi (up to high school level):
▪ Hindi alphabet, punctuation marks
▪ Word formation, sentence formation, meaning
▪ Word-form
▪ Sandhi, Samas
▪ Verbs
▪ Polysemantic words
▪ Antonyms
▪ Synonyms
▪ Idioms and proverbs
▪ Tatsam and Tadbhav, Desi, Videshi (word repository)
▪ Spelling
▪ Understanding meaning
▪ Errors in the use of Hindi language
▪ Main dialects of Uttar Pradesh

Main Exam Syllabus

Instructions and Syllabus for Main (Written) Examination of Combined State/Upper
Subordinate Services Examination
1. The Commission will not allow any candidate to appear in the main (written) examination without
an admit card. The decision of the Commission regarding the qualification/eligibility of any
candidate for admission to the examination will be final.
2. Candidates are cautioned to write their roll number only in the prescribed place in the answer sheet
otherwise their marks will be deducted as a penalty. Candidates should not write their name anywhere
in the answer sheet otherwise they may be declared ineligible for the exam.
3. If the handwriting of the candidate is unclear/unreadable then there may be deduction from the total
marks obtained by him/her.
4. Candidates may write answers to the question papers in English Roman script or in Hindi Devnagri
script or in Urdu/Persian script, but they must answer the language question paper in the same
language unless otherwise specified in the question.
5. The question papers will be in English script and Hindi Devnagri script only.
6. The syllabus for the question papers in the General Studies subject will be of the level required of a
candidate holding a bachelor’s degree from a university, save as otherwise mentioned.
 सामान्य हिन्दी:

1. Comprehension of the given prose section and question-answer.

2. Condensation.
3. Government and semi-government letter writing, telegram writing, office orders, notification,
circulars.
4. Vocabulary knowledge and usage
(a) Prefix and suffix
(b) Antonyms
(c) One word for a phrase
(d) Spelling and sentence correction
5. Proverbs and idioms.

Essay:

• Essays can be written in Hindi, English or Urdu.

• There will be 3 sections in the essay question paper. In each section, you will have to write an essay
of 700 (seven hundred) words on one topic. Each section will be of 50-50 marks. All the three sections
will have essay questions based on the following topics.

Clause (a) Clause (b) Clause (c)

Literature and Science, Environment and

National and international developments
culture Technology

Natural calamities: Landslides, earthquakes,

Social sector Economic sector
floods, droughts etc.

Agriculture, Industry and

Political area National Development Plans and Projects
Trade

Mains Exam Syllabus for General Studies Paper 01 to 06:

General Studies – I
1. History of Indian Culture will include important aspects of art forms, literature and architecture
from ancient to modern times.
2. Modern Indian History (1757 A.D. to 1957 A.D.)- Important events, personalities and
problems etc.
3. Freedom struggle- its various phases and important people who contributed to it from different
parts of the country and their contribution.
4. Integration and reorganization within the country after independence (till 1965 AD).
5. World History will include events from the 18th century to the mid-twentieth century such as
French Revolution 1789, Industrial Revolution, World Wars, redrawing of national boundaries,
colonialism, decolonisation, forms of political philosophies like communism, capitalism,
socialism, Nazism, fascism etc. and their impact on society etc.
6. Main features of Indian society and culture.
7. Role of women's society and women's organisations, population and related problems, poverty
and developmental issues, urbanisation, their problems and solutions.
8. Meaning of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation and their impact on economy, polity
and social structure of Indian society.
9. Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism.
10. Distribution of major natural resources of the world- water, soils and forests, in South and
Southeast Asia (with special reference to India).
11. Main features of physical geography- earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activities, cyclones, sea
water currents, winds and ice rivers.
12. Marine resources of India and their potential.
13. Human Migration-Refugee problem of the world - with reference to the Indian Subcontinent.
14. Frontiers and Boundaries- in the context of Indian Subcontinent.
15. Population and settlement- types and patterns, urbanisation, smart cities and smart villages.

General Studies – II

1. Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant

provisions and basic structure. Role of the Supreme Court in the evolution of the basic
provisions of the Constitution.
2. Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges relating to
the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances to local levels and challenges thereof.
3. Role of Finance Commission in Centre-State financial relations.
4. Separation of powers, dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions. Emergence and use of
alternative dispute redressal mechanisms.
5. Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with other major democratic countries.
6. Parliament and State Legislatures- structure, functions, transaction of business, powers and
privileges and related matters.
7. Structure, organisation and functions of the executive and the judiciary- ministries and
departments of the government, influential groups and formal/informal associations and their
role in governance. Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
8. Main features of the Representation of the People Act.
9. Appointment to various constitutional posts, powers, functions and their responsibilities.
10. Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies, including NITI Aayog their features
and functions.
11. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors, issues in their
design and implementation and Information Communication Technology (ICT).
12. Development processes- role of NGOs, self-help groups, various groups and associations,
donor aid agencies, institutional and other stakeholders.
13. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and the States and
the performance of these schemes, mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies created for the
protection and well-being of these vulnerable sections.
14. Matters relating to development and management of social sector/services relating to health,
education, human resources.
15. Issues related to poverty and hunger and their implications for the political system.
16. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance-applications,
models, successes, limitations and prospects, Citizens' Charter, transparency and
accountability and institutional and other measures.
17. Role of civil services in the context of emerging trends in democracy.
18. India and its relations with its neighbouring countries.
19. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements concerning India and/or affecting
India's interests.
20. Impact of the policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests
and NRIs.
21. Important international institutions, organizations and forums- their structure, mandate and
functions.
22. Current events of regional, national and international importance.
 General Studies – III

1. Economic Planning in India, Objectives and Achievements, Role of NITI Aayog, Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
2. Issues of poverty, unemployment, social justice and inclusive growth.
3. Components of the government budget and the financial system.
4. Major crops, different types of irrigation methods and irrigation systems, storage, transportation
and marketing of agricultural produce, e-technology to assist farmers.
5. Issues related to indirect and direct agricultural subsidies and minimum support price, Public
Distribution System-objectives, implementation, limitations, strengthening food security and
buffer stocks, technical campaigns related to agriculture.
6. Food processing and related industries in India- scope and importance, location, upstream
and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
7. Land reforms after independence in India.
8. Effects of globalisation and liberalisation in India, changes in industrial policy and their impact
on industrial development.
9. Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports and Railways etc.
10. Science and Technology-India's Science and Technology Policy in development and national
security, its application in daily life.
11. Achievements of Indians in Science and Technology, Indigenisation of technology.
Development of new technologies, Transfer of technology, Dual application and technically
useful technologies.
12. Awareness in the field of Information and Communication Technology, Space Technology,
Computers, Energy Sources, Nanotechnology, Microbiology, Biotechnology. Issues related to
Intellectual Property Rights and Digital Rights.
13. Environmental protection and ecosystem, wild life conservation, biodiversity, environmental
pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
14. Disaster: Disaster mitigation and management as a non-traditional security and safety
challenge.
15. Challenges of International Security- Issues of nuclear proliferation, causes and spread of
extremism, communication systems, role of media and social networking, basis of cyber
security, money laundering and human trafficking.
16. Challenges to internal security of India- terrorism, corruption, insurgency and organised crime.
17. Role, types and governance of security forces, higher defence organisation in India.
18. Issues related to agriculture, horticulture, forestry and animal husbandry.
 General Studies – IV

1. Ethics and Human Relations: Essence of ethics in human activities, its determinants and
consequences: Dimensions of ethics, Ethics in private and public relations.
2. Attitude: Its effects and relations in terms of content, structure, function, thought and
behaviour, creating moral and political attitudes, social influence and consent.
3. Aptitude and core values for civil service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship,
objectivity, devotion to public service, sympathy towards weaker sections, tolerance and
compassion.
4. Emotional Intelligence: Concepts and dimensions, their utility and applications in
administration and governance.
5. Contribution of moral thinkers and philosophers of India and the world.
6. Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administrations: Status and Problems,
Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Public and Private Institutions, Laws, Rules, Regulations
and Conscience as Sources of Ethical Guidance, Accountability and Ethical Governance,
Strengthening of Ethical Values in the System, Ethical Issues in International Relations and
Funding, Corporate Governance.
7. Integrity in Governance: Concept of public service, philosophical basis of governance and
integrity, information sharing and transparency in Government, Right to Information, Code of
Ethics, Code of Conduct, Citizens’ Charter, Work Culture, Quality of Service Delivery,
Utilization of Public Funds, Challenges of Corruption.
8. Case studies on above topics.

General Studies – V

1. History, civilization, culture and ancient cities of Uttar Pradesh.

2. Architecture of Uttar Pradesh, its importance and maintenance, museums, archives and
archaeology.
3. Contribution of Uttar Pradesh in the freedom struggle of India before and after 1857.
4. Famous freedom fighters and personalities of Uttar Pradesh.
5. 5. Rural, Urban and Tribal Issues in Uttar Pradesh: Social Structure, Festivals, Fairs,
Music, Folk Dances, Language and Literature/Dialects, Social Customs and Tourism.
6. Polity of Uttar Pradesh- Government system, Governor, Chief Minister, Council of
Ministers, Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, Centre-State relations.
7. Public Services in Uttar Pradesh, Public Service Commission, Audit, Attorney General, High
Court and its jurisdiction.
8. Uttar Pradesh special state selection criteria, official language, consolidated fund and
contingency fund, political parties and State Election Commission.
9. Local Self Government in Uttar Pradesh: Urban and Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights
Issues.
10. Uttar Pradesh Good Governance, Corruption Prevention, Lokayukta, Citizen Charter, E-
Governance Right to Information, Samadhan Yojana.
11. Land reforms in Uttar Pradesh and its impact.
12. Security related issues in Uttar Pradesh-
▪ Relationship between spread and growth of extremism.
▪ Role of communication networks, media and social networking sites in posing
challenges to internal security from external, state and inter-state actors.
▪ Basic rules of cyber security, money laundering and its prevention.
▪ Various security forces and agencies and their mandates/charters.
▪ Security challenges in border areas and their management, relationship of organised
crime with terrorism.
13. Law and order and civil rights protection in Uttar Pradesh.
14. Health and medical issues in Uttar Pradesh.
15. Education system in Uttar Pradesh.
16. Role of Uttar Pradesh in the development of India.
17. Contemporary events of Uttar Pradesh.
18. Jal Shakti Mission and other central schemes and their implementation.
19. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Uttar Pradesh: Issues, Contribution and
Impact.
20. Tourism in Uttar Pradesh: Issues and Prospects.
21. Innovation in various sectors in Uttar Pradesh: its issues and its impact on employment
and socio-economic development in the society.

General Studies – VI

1. Economic scenario of Uttar Pradesh: Salient features of economy and state budget,
importance of infrastructure and physical resources.
2. Trade, commerce and industry of Uttar Pradesh.
3. Public welfare schemes, projects and planned development, human resources and skill
development of Uttar Pradesh Government.
4. Investment issues and impact in Uttar Pradesh.
5. Public finance and fiscal policy of Uttar Pradesh, tax and economic reforms, One District One
Product Policy.
6. Planning and management of renewable energy and non-renewable energy resources in Uttar
Pradesh.
7. Demography, Population and Census of Uttar Pradesh.
8. Commercialization of agriculture and production of agricultural crops in Uttar Pradesh.
9. New forestry policy of Uttar Pradesh.
10. Agriculture and Social Forestry of Uttar Pradesh.
11. Agricultural diversity in Uttar Pradesh, agricultural problems and their solutions.
12. Development index in different regions of Uttar Pradesh.
13. Geography of Uttar Pradesh: Geographical location, relief and structure, climate, irrigation,
minerals, drainage system and vegetation.
14. National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh.
15. Transport system in Uttar Pradesh.
16. Industrial development, power resources and infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh.
17. Pollution and environmental issues in Uttar Pradesh, Pollution Control Board and their
functions.
18. Natural resources of Uttar Pradesh: Soil, water, air, forests, grasslands, wetlands.
19. Issues related to climate change and weather forecasting of Uttar Pradesh.
20. Habitat ecosystem-structure and functions, adjustment, fauna and flora in the context of Uttar
Pradesh.
21. Issues, spread and efforts of science and technology in Uttar Pradesh.
22. Fisheries, grapes, silk, flowers, horticulture and plant production in Uttar Pradesh and their
impact on the development of Uttar Pradesh.
23. To encourage public and private partnership in the development of Uttar Pradesh.