UPSC Polity Syllabus: Indian Polity Syllabus for UPSC Prelims and Mains

UPSC Polity Syllabus

The system of government is called polity, and it is midway between democracy and oligarchy. Polity deals with the government functioning in the country.

It gives an understanding of the country’s executive, legislative, various constitutional authorities, judicial systems, etc. The UPSC Polity Syllabus covers a wide range of topics, namely:

• Constitutional Framework
• System of Government
• State Government
• Central Government
• Constitutional Bodies
• Union Territories of India & Local Government
• Non-Constitutional Bodies
• Emergency Provisions
• Miscellaneous
• Current Affairs

Below, we will provide the Indian Polity Syllabus for UPSC in a more detailed manner.

UPSC Polity Syllabus PDF

Candidates must keep a copy of the Indian polity syllabus for UPSC to ensure they don’t miss out on crucial topics. To get a good score under this section, it is suggested to analyze the entire syllabus and have a thorough understanding of the important topics.

UPSC Polity Syllabus PDF

That is why below we have provided the Indian polity syllabus for UPSC PDF, which the candidates can take a printout and start their preparation for the upcoming UPSC exam.

Topic-Wise Polity Syllabus for UPSC

Indian Polity sums up the entire constitutional framework and function of the political system. Below we have broken down the UPSC Polity Syllabus into smaller sub-topic, which would make your preparation easier.

Make sure you go through all these topics in detail with the help of the best Polity Books for UPSC and other NCERT Books for UPSC.

Topic Wise UPSC Polity Syllabus
Topic	Sub-topic
Constitutional Framework	Historical Background Fundamental Duties Amendment of the Constitution Basic Structure Constitutional Development Making of the Constitution Features of the Constitution Preamble of India The Union & Its Territories Citizenship Fundamental Rights Directive Principles of State Policy
System of Government	Parliamentary System Inter-state Relations Federal System Center-state Relations
State Government	Governor of India State Council of Ministers State Legislature Chief Minister High Courts Subordinate Courts Special Provisions for Some States
Central Government	President of India Vice-President Parliament Central Council of Ministers Cabinet Committee Parliamentary Committee & Forums Supreme Court Prime Minister
Constitutional Bodies	Election Commission UPSC Comptroller & Auditor General of India National Commission for SCs National Commission for STs Attorney General of India Advocate General of State State PCS Finance Commission
Union Territories & Local Government	Union Territories Municipalities Scheduled & Tribal Areas Panchayati Raj System
Non-Constitutional Bodies	Planning Commission National Development Council Lokpal & Lokayukta NITI Aayog Central Information Commission Central Vigilance Commission National Human Rights Commission State Human Rights Commission Central Bureau of Investigation
Emergency Provisions	National Emergency Role of President in the Time of Emergency Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Financial Emergency The 44th Amendment Act Effects and Implications of Emergency Revoking Emergency President’s Rule or State Emergency
Miscellaneous	Cooperative Societies Official Language Tribunals
Current Affairs	Important Schemes (both Central & State)

Polity Syllabus for UPSC Prelims

The UPSC CSE general studies-paper-I Indian polity and governance syllabus is very precise. But it covers a wide range of important concepts and issues to understand.

Indian polity is also a part of the UPSC Prelims Syllabus, and below, we have provided the Prelims Polity syllabus for UPSC.

• Indian polity and governance – Constitution
• Political system
• Panchayati Raj Public Policy, Rights Issues etc. The syllabus for the preliminary examination is epigrammatic.

UPSC Polity Syllabus for Mains

The General Studie Paper-II of the UPSC Mains Syllabus includes the Indian Polity section. Candidates must go through the UPSC Polity Syllabus for Mains before starting their preparation.

• Indian Constitution
• Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States
• comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
• Parliament and State Legislatures
• Appointment to various Constitutional posts
• Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive
• Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act
• Government policies and interventions
• Health, Education, Human Resources
• Development processes and the development industry
• Issues relating to poverty and hunger
• Role of civil services in a democracy
• Important aspects of governance

Strategy to Prepare for UPSC Polity Syllabus

Polity is an important subject for the competitive examination, especially for UPSC CSE. That’s why candidates must follow a strategic approach when it comes to the preparation of the Polity syllabus for UPSC.

Below we have mentioned some effective tips that would help the candidates covering the Indian Polity syllabus for UPSC in an efficient manner.

• Make sure to read NCERTs of Political Sciences for Classes XI and XII to strengthen your foundation of the Polity UPSC syllabus.
• Read the basic Polity books, including M. Laxmikanth and Introduction to Indian Constitution by D.D Basu, to develop a deep understanding of the subject.
• Prepare short notes highlighting the important points which would be helpful during the revision period.
• Go through the Previous Year’s Question Papers to get an idea about the types of questions asked from the syllabus of polity for UPSC in recent years.
• Give as many mock tests as possible, which would help to make necessary rectifications.
• Lastly, read the newspapers as many questions are asked from the recent scheme.

Best Books for UPSC Polity Syllabus

UPSC Books are a must for the UPSC Exam preparation. Below we have added the best books for the Polity syllabus for UPSC that you must have.

• Indian Constitution at Work- Class 11
• Political Theory- Class 11
• Contemporary World Politics- Class 12
• Politics in India Since Independence- Class 12
• Indian Polity book for UPSC- M Laxmikanth
• Introduction to Constitution of India- Durga Das Basu
• Important Acts that Transformed India- Alex Andrews George
• Important judgments that Transformed India- Alex Andrews George.

UPSC Notes
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