UPSC SYLLABUS DECODED

❑ GENERAL STUDIES 2 DECODED - Polity, Governance, Social

Justice and International Relations

1. Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features,

Amendments, Significant Provisions and Basic Structure.

→ Historical Evolution of Constitution

→ Features of Constitution
→ Presidential vs. Parliamentary Type of Government
→ Important Amendment (e.g. 42nd CAA) + Amendment Procedure
→ Basic Structure & Judicial Review (Judgments)
→ FR, DPSP, Preamble
Q. Constitution is living document. Justify.

2. Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States, Issues and
Challenges Pertaining to the Federal Structure, Devolution of Powers and
Finances up to Local Levels and Challenges Therein.

→ Regulating, Development and Service Providing Function of State.

→ India Federal or Quasi-Federal?
→ Misuse of Article 356.
→ Issue Related to Role of Governor – appointment; reservation of bill for
President etc.
→ Inter-state Water Disputes; Formation of New States
→ Devolution of finances to state. (FC role and challenges)
→ Inter-state Council & Zonal Council.
→ Cooperative & Competitive Federalism

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 → Devolution of Fund, Function, Functionaries to Local Bodies.

3. Separation of Powers between various organs Dispute Redressal

Mechanisms and Institutions.

→ Doctrine of Separation of Power & Doctrine of Checks & Balances

→ Tribunals Role, RTI, PIL, Lok Adalat, NALSA – use, misuse & challenges.

4. Comparison of the Indian Constitutional Scheme with that of Other

Countries.

→ USA; UK; JAPAN; NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES -

(written/flexible/separation of power/federal/parliamentary or
presidential etc.)

5. Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning, Conduct of

Business, Powers & Privileges and Issues Arising out of these.

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 → LS vs RJ
→ Role and Function of Parliamentary Committees
→ Power of Speaker & Anti Defection
→ Privileges to MP/MLA needs codification?
→ Reservation of Women in Parliament & Issues.
→ Problem in Parliament – less debate; passing of bill without proper
discussion; Gradual Marginalisation of Parliamentary Committees;
Delegated Legislation

6. Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Executive and the

Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; Pressure
Groups and Formal/Informal Associations and their Role in the Polity.

→ Critically analyze function of President & Governor.

→ Cabinet Secretariat
→ The role of the Supreme Court of India as guardian of the Constitution
and protector of Fundamental Rights
→ Judicial Review, Judicial Activism & Judicial Over-reach
→ Appointment of Judges.
→ Need for Virtual Courts.
→ Pressure Group – Def, Characteristic, Types, Functions, Pressure Groups
Vs Political Parties, Examples, Challenges.

7. Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Act.

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 → 1950 & 1951 Act

8. Appointment to various Constitutional Posts, Powers, Functions and

Responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies

→ CAG; EC; FC; UPSC; Attorney General; Advocate General; NCST – Basic
Intro/Role/pros/challenges/way forward.

9. Statutory, Regulatory and various Quasi-judicial Bodies.

→ NITI Aayog VS PC; NHRC; CVC; CBI; PMO; TRAI; SEBI; RBI; NGT; CCI;
Lokpal and Lokayuktas; NCW

10. Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various

sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.

→ Governance: Meaning and Scope vs Good Governance

→ Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) issues

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 → Role of ICT in Govt Policy Design
→ Atma Nirbhar Bharat; MGNERGA; Digital India; Swachh Bharat Abhiyan;
POSHAN ABHIYAN; AYUSHMAN BHARAT

11.Development Processes and the Development Industry — the Role of

NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities,
institutional and other stakeholders.

→ Self Help Groups – meaning/ importance/ Role/ weakness/ Measures to

Make SHGs Effective / Examples
→ Non-Governmental Organizations - meaning/ importance/ Role/ Issues.
→ Cooperatives Societies – meaning/ need/ constitutional provisions/
Issues (Ministry of Cooperations)

12.Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre

and States and the Performance of these Schemes; Mechanisms, Laws,
Institutions and Bodies constituted for the Protection and Betterment of
these Vulnerable Sections.

→ SC; ST; Minorities; Children; Elderly; Divyang; Women; Transgender

→ Various Mechanism, Acts & Safeguards: The Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act; NCSC; NCST; NCBC; NCW;
NCFPR; National Commission for Minorities; Rights of the Persons with
Disabilities Act; Tribal Sub Plan; Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional

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 Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act; Protection of Women
from Domestic Violence Act; Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of
Children) Act; POSCO; Issue of Marriageable Age for Women; Caste
Census

13.Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social

Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

→ Health – India spending on health; Health Infra in India; Universal Health

Coverage; Digital Health Mission; Maternal & Adolescent Health;
National Health Mission; Govt Initiatives
→ Education – Spending; NEP; Dropout rate; ASER Report; Digital Literacy;
Govt Initiatives
→ Human Resources – Demographic Dividend reap through Skill; Skill
Development for Atma Nirbhar; Skill Development Initiatives
→ SDGs and India

14. Issues relating to Poverty and Hunger.

→ Poverty definition; data; Causes; Poverty and unemployment; Linkage

between poverty and development; Poverty alleviation prog (National
Food Security Act, Mid-day Meal Scheme, MGNREGA)

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 → Impact of LPG on poverty
→ Relation between Poverty & Hunger
→ Food security programmes and issues
→ Issue of Hidden Hunger
Quotes Various Reports

15. Important Aspects of Governance, Transparency and Accountability, E-

governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential;
Citizens Charters, Transparency & Accountability and institutional and
other measures.

→ Governance / Good Governance/ Ethical Governance – various

dimensions/ need/ challenges
→ E-Governance –Def/ Different Models/ Potential/ Good Examples/
Limitations/ in Judiciary & Legislatures
→ Citizens Charters (CC) - Def/ Component/ features/ Sevottam
Framework/ Issues in CC implementation
→ Transparency & Accountability - Whistleblowers Act; Anti-corruption
Bodies; Social audit; Decentralization Measures

16.Role of Civil Services in a Democracy.

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 → Need & Role for civil services in Democracy.
→ Roles - Policy formulation; Policy implementation; Policy evaluation
→ Issues- Redtapism; Elitism; Low Salary
→ Reforms- Lateral Entry

17.India and its Neighborhood- Relations.

→ China; Pakistan; Myanmar; Bhutan; Bangladesh; Sri Lanka; Afghanistan;

Nepal; Maldives

18.Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India

and/or affecting India’s interests.

→ Bilateral – USA, UK, RUSSIA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, EU, AFRICAN NATIONS

→ SAARC; BRICS; BIMSTEC; G-20; IBSA; SCO; RECP & ASEAN; Multilateral
Nuclear Export Regulatory Regimes: Wassenaar, MTCR, Australia Group;
Raisina Dialogue;
→ AUKUS Security Alliance; QUAD; US, Japan, Australia reviving ‘Blue Dot’;
→ Act East Policy
→ OBOR; WTO; UNSC; TRADE WARS etc.

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 19.Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on
India’s interests, Indian Diaspora.

→ Soft Power of India; Distribution across the Globe; Role Played; Govt
Initiatives (Pravasi Bharatiya Divas; Merging of OCI & PIO); Issues

20.Important International Institution

→ UN; WB; IMF; WTO; WEF; Artic Council

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