SYLLABI FOR THE EXAMINATION

Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks) Duration: Two hours
1) Current events of national and international importance.
2) History of India and Indian National Movement.
3) Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the
World.
4) Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public
Policy, Rights
5) Issues, etc.
6) Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion,
Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
7) General issues on Environmental ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change - that do
not require subject specialization.
8) General Science.
Paper II- (200 marks) Duration: Two hours
1) Comprehension.
2) Interpersonal skills including communication skills;
3) Logical reasoning and analytical ability;
4) Decision making and problem solving;
5) General mental ability;
6) Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X
level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X
level);
Part B—Main Examination
Paper A and B: QUALIFYING PAPERS ON INDIAN LANGUAGES AND ENGLISH
English:
(i) Comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing.
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essays.
Indian Languages:
(i) comprehension of given passages.
(ii) Precis Writing.
(iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
(iv) Short Essays.
(v) Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa.
PAPER I: Essay
Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep
closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write
concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

PAPER-II: General Studies-I

Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
• Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture
from ancient to modern times.
• Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the
present- significant events, personalities, issues.
• The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions
from different parts of the country.
• Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
• History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial
revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization,
political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and
effect on the society.
• Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
• Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty
and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems, and their remedies.
• Effects of globalization on Indian society.
• Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
• Salient features of world’s physical geography.
• Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the
Indian subcontinent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and
tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
• Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity,
cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical
features (including waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of
such changes.

PAPER-III: General Studies- II

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
• Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments,
significant provisions and basic structure.
• 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.
 • Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and
institutions.
• Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
• Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers
& privileges and issues arising out of these.
• 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.
• Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
• Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of
various Constitutional Bodies.
• Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues
arising out of their design and implementation.
• Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs,
various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
• 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.
• Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to
Health, Education, Human Resources.
• Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
• Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance-
applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters,
transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
• Role of civil services in a democracy.
• India and its neighbourhood- relations.
• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or
affecting India’s interests.
• Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s
interests, Indian diaspora.
• Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

PAPER-IV: General Studies-III

Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster
Management
• Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth,
development, and employment.
• Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
• Government Budgeting.
 • Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, - different types of
irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural
produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
• Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices;
Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of
buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
• Food processing and related industries in India- scope’ and significance, location,
upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
• Land reforms in India.
• Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects
on industrial growth.
• Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
• Investment models.
• Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday
life.
• Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and
developing new technology.
• Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-
technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
• Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact
assessment.
• Disaster and disaster management.
• Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
• Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
• Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and
social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security;
money-laundering and its prevention.
• Security challenges and their management in border areas - linkages of organized
crime with terrorism.
• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

PAPER-V: General Studies- IV

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
This paper will include questions to test the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues
relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem solving approach to various issues
and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society. Questions may utilise the case study
approach to determine these aspects.
The following broad areas will be covered:
• Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-
human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships.
 Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and
administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating
values.
• Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and
behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
• Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-
partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and
compassion towards the weaker sections.
• Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration
and governance.
• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
• Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems;
ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules,
regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical
governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in
international relations and funding; corporate governance.
• Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance
and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to
Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture,
Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
• Case Studies on above issues.

PAPER-VI & PAPER VII: Optional Subject Papers I & II

PAPER—I
1.Advanced Microeconomics:
a) Marshallian and Walrasian Approaches to Price determination.
b) Alternative Distribution Theories: Ricardo, Kaldor, Kalecki.
c) Markets Structure: Monopolistic Competition, Duopoly, Oligopoly.
d) Modern Welfare Criteria: Pareto Hicks and Scitovsky, Arrow’s Impossibility
Theorem, A. K. Sen’s Social Welfare Function.
2. Advance Macro Economics:
Approaches to Employment Income and Interest Rate determination: Classical, Keynes (IS-
LM) curve, Neo-classical synthesis and New classical, Theories of Interest Rate
determination and Interest Rate Structure.
3. Money-Banking and Finance:
a) Demand for and Supply of Money: Money Multiplier Quantity Theory of Money
(Fisher, Pigou and Friedman) and Keynes’ Theory on Demand for Money, Goals and
Instruments of Monetary Management in Closed and Open Economies. Relation
between the Central Bank and the Treasury. Proposal for ceiling on growth rate of
money.
 b) Public Finance and its Role in market economy: in stabilization of supply, allocation
of resources and in distribution and development. Sources of Government revenue,
forms of Taxes and Subsidies, their incidence and effects. Limits to taxation, loans,
crowding-out effects and limits to borrowings. Public expenditure and its effects.
4. International Economics:
(a) Old and New theories of International Trade.
a. Comparative advantage,
b. Terms of Trade and offer curve.
c. Product cycle and Strategic trade theories.
d. Trade as an engine of growth and theories of underdevelopment in an open
economy.
(b) Forms of protection: Tariff and quota.
(c) Balance of Payments Adjustments: Alternative Approaches.
a. Price versus income, income adjustments under fixed exchange rates.
b. Theories of Policy mix.
c. Exchange rate adjustments under capital mobility.
d. Floating Rates and their implications for developing Countries: Currency
Boards.
e. Trade Policy and Developing Countries.
f. BOP, adjustments and Policy Coordination in open economy macro-model.
g. Speculative attacks.
h. Trade Blocks and Monetary Unions.
i. WTO: Trims, TRIPS, Domestic Measures, Different Rounds of WTO talks.
5. Growth and Development:
a. Theories of growth: Harrod’s model.
b. Lewis model of development with surplus labour.
c. Balanced Unbalanced Growth.
d. human capitals and Economic Growth.
e. Research and Development and Economic Growth.
(b) Process of Economic Development of less developed countries: Myrdal and Kuznets on
economic development and structural change: Role of Agriculture in Economic Development
of less developed countries.
(c) Economic Development and International Trade and Investment, Role of Multinationals.
(d) Planning and economic Development: changing role of Markets and Planning, Private-
Public Partnership.
(e) Welfare indicators and measures of growth—Human development indices. The basic
needs approach.
(f) Development and Environmental Sustainability—Renewable and Non Renewable
Resources, Environmental Degradation, Intergenerational equity development.
PAPER-II
1. Indian Economy in Pre-Independence Era:
Land System and its changes, Commercialization of agriculture Drain theory, Laissez faire
theory and critique. Manufacture and Transport: Jute, Cotton, Railways, Money and Credit.
2. Indian Economy after Independence:
A. The Pre-Liberalization Era:
a. Contribution of Vakil, Gadgil and V.K.R.V. Rao.
b. Agriculture: Land Reforms and land tenure system, Green Revolution and
capital formation in agriculture.
c. Industry Trends in composition and growth, Role of public and private sector,
small scale and cottage industries.
d. National and Per capita income: patterns, trends, aggregate and Sectoral
composition and changes therein.
e. Broad factors determining National Income and distribution, Measures of
poverty, Trends in poverty and inequality.
B. The Post Liberalization Era:
a. New Economic Reform and Agriculture: Agriculture and WTO, Food
processing, subsidies, Agricultural prices and public distribution system,
Impact of public expenditure on agricultural growth.
b. New Economic Policy and Industry: Strategy of industrialization,
Privatization, Disinvestments, Role of foreign direct investment and
multinationals.
c. New Economic Policy and Trade: Intellectual property rights: Implications of
TRIPS, TRIMS, GATS and new EXIM policy.
d. New Exchange Rate Regime: Partial and full convertibility, Capital account
convertibility.
e. New Economic Policy and Public Finance: Fiscal Responsibility Act, Twelfth
Finance Commission and Fiscal Federalism and Fiscal Consolidation.
f. New Economic Policy and Monetary system. Role of RBI under the new
regime.
g. Planning: From central Planning to indicative planning, Relation between
planning and markets for growth and decentralized planning: 73rd and 74th
Constitutional amendments.
h. New Economic Policy and Employment: Employment and poverty, Rural
wages, Employment Generation, Poverty alleviation schemes, New Rural,
Employment Guarantee Scheme.