UPSC GS 1 Syllabus: Download UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus PDF

UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus

History, Art & Culture, and Geography are the three primary subjects that are covered in the GS 1 Syllabus. The GS Paper 1 of the UPSC Exam includes subjects like Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society, and consists of 250 marks.

The score obtained in this paper is added to the UPSC Marksheet during the estimation of results. You can ace the exam with the assistance of the UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 syllabus, which will help you establish a strategy for your exam preparation.

UPSC GS 2 Syllabus	UPSC GS Syllabus
UPSC GS 3 Syllabus	UPSC GS 4 Syllabus

GS Paper 1 Syllabus Overview

Get an understanding of the pattern, frequency, and other relevant details before undergoing the GS 1 syllabus for UPSC. The overview of the UPSC GS Paper 1 syllabus includes:

Subjects	Sub Topics of GS 1 Syllabus for UPSC
History	Modern History, World History, Art & Culture
Geography	Human Geography, Physical Geography of India and the World
Indian Society	Demography, Social Issues, and Developments in Indian Society

UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus PDF

The UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus PDF comes in handy during the preparation of UPSC Prelims and Mains. It helps us to segregate topics according to the relevance of the Prelims and Mains Syllabus and cover them accordingly.

UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus PDF

Above is the compiled PDF for the UPSC GS 1 Syllabus. Download the GS 1 syllabus and keep it accessible at all times while preparing for the IAS exam.

Official UPSC GS 1 Syllabus

It is clear from the UPSC Mains GS 1 syllabus that the paper broadly covers History, Art & Culture, and Geography. To ace the UPSC GS 1 Syllabus of the Mains exam, one needs to know in detail all the topics covered in the subject so that, while writing solutions, one can interlink and present full-fledged answers.

GS 1 Modern History Syllabus

The Modern Indian History section of UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 syllabus includes events from the middle of the eighteenth century until the present significant events, personalities, and issues. It also includes the freedom struggle, its various stages, and vital contributions/contributors from distinct parts of the country.

The UPSC GS 1 syllabus also includes the post-independence consolidation and reorganization within India.

UPSC GS 1 Syllabus for Modern History
Topics	Sub Topics
Modern Indian History	Socio-Economic Condition of People British Conquest of India European Penetration of India Uprisings Against British Pre 1857 Socio-cultural Reform Movements Growth of Nationalism in India Revolt of 1857 Rediscovery of India’s Past Political, Economic & Administrative Unification of the Country Role of Press Formation of INC Early Political Movements Role of Western Education Era of Moderates, etc.
Freedom Struggle	Swadeshi & Boycott Movement Wavell Plan Morley-Minto Reforms Peasant Movements Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms Round Table Conferences Non-Cooperation & Khilafat Movement Growth of Communalism Simon Commission and Nehru Report Civil Disobedience Movement Surat Split Cripps Mission August Offer Cabinet Mission, etc.
Post-Independence Consolidation and Reorganization	Nation Building Partition and Its Aftermath Integration of Princely States Reorganisation of States Issue of Official Language Tribal Consolidation Regional Aspirations Foreign Policy Non-Aligned Movement Panchsheel Wars with Pakistan & China Nuclear Policy, etc.

UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus for World History

UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus includes events from the 18th century such as the industrial revolution, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, etc. their forms and effect on society, redrawing of federal boundaries, world wars, colonization, and decolonization. The detailed coverage of topics of the UPSC GS 1 syllabus is as follows:

UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus for World History
Russian Revolution	The US as a Strong Power	Treaties
The Great Depression	End of the War & Peace	Fascism & Nazism
Theatres of the War	Democracies	League of Nations
Vietnam War	Consequences of the War	The Holocaust
US Entry into the War	World War II	Asia & Africa
Korean War	Renaissance	Capitalism
Socialism	Cuban Crisis	Discovery of Sea Routes

UPSC GS 1 Syllabus for Art & Culture

Most of the questions ranging from Ancient and Medieval History are asked from the UPSC GS Paper 1 syllabus of the Art & Culture section. The UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 syllabus of the Art & Culture section covers the salient aspects of art forms, Literature, and Architecture from ancient to modern times. The following topics are covered comprehensively in the UPSC GS 1 Syllabus:

GS1 Syllabus for Art & Culture
Indian Art Forms	Martial Arts	Folk Dance Forms
Contribution of Buddhism & Jainism to the Development of Indian Architecture	Temple Architecture	Drama/Theatre
Classical Music	Medieval Literature	Early Dravidian Literature
Puppetry	Pottery	Modern Architecture
Ancient Indian Literature	Trends in Medieval Literature	Modern Indian Literature
Women Poets of Bhakti	Harappan Architecture	Classical Sanskrit Literature
Indo-Islamic Architecture	Modern Period	Medieval Architecture

GS Paper 1 Syllabus Geography

The Geography section of the UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus includes the salient features of the world’s physical geography, factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world, and distribution of key natural resources across the world.

UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 syllabus includes the Geophysical phenomena such as Cyclones, Earthquakes, Volcanic activity, Tsunamis, etc., geographical features and their changes in location. The detailed topics covered under the Geography section of the UPSC GS 1 syllabus are as follows:

UPSC GS 1 Syllabus for Geography
Soil Erosion & Conservation	Oceanography	Land Resources
Hydrological Cycle	Cropping Patterns	Water Resources
Forest Resources	Mineral & Energy Resources	Types of Farming
Weather Systems	Soil Geography	Soil & Soil Contents
Soil Forming Factors	Employment & Output	Earth’s Atmosphere – Composition & Structure
Contribution to Economy	Process of Soil Formation	Climatology
Land Utilisation	Food Security	Agricultural Resources

UPSC GS 1 Syllabus for Indian Society

The UPSC GS 1 syllabus for Indian Society includes the Salient features of Indian Society, the Diversity of India, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, the role of women and women’s organizations, urbanization: their problems, and their remedies.

GS 1 syllabus for UPSC also covers the effects of globalization on Indian society and the concepts of social empowerment, communalism, secularism, and regionalism. The topics included in UPSC GS Paper 1 syllabus for Indian Society are as follows:

GS 1 Syllabus for Indian Society
Population Trends in India and Their Implications	Causes and Effects of Overpopulation	Poverty Line
Poverty Alleviation Initiatives	Challenges Faced by Women’s Organisations	Concept of Development and Poverty
Population Aging in India	Consequences of Poverty	Secularism in India
India’s Population Policy & Initiatives	Problems of Urban Areas	Problems of Slums
Globalisation & India	Communalism in Contemporary India	Causes of Communalism
Federalism & Regionalism	Inequality	Causes of Poverty
Women’s Organisations and SHGs	Basic Demography of India	Indian Population

Important Topics in GS Paper 1 Syllabus

To prepare for the upcoming Mains exam, some of the important topics that should be covered and prepared thoroughly from the UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus are:

Important Topics of UPSC Mains GS 1 Syllabus
Important Movements After 1947	American and French Revolutions	Social/Religious Reform Movements	Communism
Diversity in India	Climate Change	Water Bodies	Russian and Industrial Revolution
Women Empowerment	Themes of Ancient Indian History	Temple Architecture	World War I and II

Strategy to Prepare UPSC GS 1 Syllabus

GS 1 Syllabus for UPSC is detailed yet very scoring if you clear all your concepts and basics. A full-fledged preparation technique for UPSC of the General Studies Paper 1 syllabus can assist candidates in obtaining above-average marks and getting the desired IAS, IRS, IPS, or IFS. The strategies to prepare UPSC GS 1 Syllabus are as follows:

• Know GS1 Syllabus and Pattern of the Exam: Students should go through the UPSC Exam Pattern for a better understanding of the exam and to develop an ability to analyze topics asked in every stage of the exam, be it Prelims, Mains, or interview round.
• Comprehend the GS 1 Syllabus: Aspirants should read and apprehend UPSC Syllabus thoroughly. Keeping the entire syllabus at your fingertips will help you create a distinct approach to crack the Prelims and Mains examination.
• Rely on Relevant and Limited Study Sources: You must focus on reading limited books or study materials and revise them frequently. Start with reading NCERT Books to build a strong foundation of your basics, then switch to other advised UPSC Books. Concentrate more on Art & Culture, Geography, and History Books for UPSC. Try covering Indian Society topics through Current Affairs and by studying Ram Ahuja’s book – Social Problems in India.
• Best Study Sources for Important Subjects: Refer to books like Spectrum & Bipin Chandra for studying Modern India and History of Modern India, glance through Class XI NCERT of Art & Culture, or pick Indian Art & Culture by Nitin Singhania. Students can cover Geography topics from the NCERTs of Class XI and XII and then proceed with books by GC Leong and Majid Hussain.
• Solve Last Year’s Questions: A great way to be proficient in the IAS exam is to solve the UPSC Previous Years Question Papers. Analyzing PYQs is of great help as it will aid you in understanding the question trend and the types of questions asked in the exam.
• Don’t Miss Current Affairs: You should read the best UPSC newspapers and magazines regularly and witness the current events related to any particular topic. Make concise notes on the sub-topics and keep updating them. Current Affairs is helpful in developing your analytical skills. Students should keep one source and revise it multiple times. For proper interpretation, you can also check Current Affairs Videos and make notes simultaneously.

Books to Prepare UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus

To cover the UPSC GS 1 Syllabus completely, you must have the best study materials. You must be able to quickly complete the UPSC GS 1 syllabus with the aid of the books and comprehend each subject that will be asked in the exam. For preparing UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 syllabus, we have created a list of the best books suggested by experts. You can choose any of these books to start your exam preparation.

Best Books to Prepare UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus
Book Name	Author/ Publisher
History of Medieval India	Satish Chandra
India After Independence	Bipan Chandra
Social Problems in India	Ram Ahuja
World Geography	Majid Hussain
India’s Struggle for Independence	Bipan Chandra
Ancient India	RS Sharma
Central Physical and Human Geography	GC Leong

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