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UPSC Free Material – Download UPSC Notes and Free UPSC Study Material PDF

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: November 14th, 2023

UPSC Free Material: UPSC Notes compiled here are curated by exam experts using all the recommended textbooks and exam trends. Going through free UPSC study material is crucial for aspirants who are planning to appear for the upcoming IAS exam. With the advancement of the internet and technology, everything is available online. So, what are you waiting for? Get UPSC Free Materials here for all subjects of the Prelims and Mains examination and clear the exam with flying colors.

For your convenience, UPSC Notes PDF has been categorized as per subjects as the majority of them are common in Prelims and Mains. Download free UPSC Material and IAS notes from this article to level up your preparation.

UPSC Free Material 2023

The UPSC Free Material prepares a solid foundation of knowledge for the IAS exam. After completing the chapters from suggested books, one should also refer to the crisp and concise IAS Notes for last-minute preparation.

Through this article, we will be covering the exhaustive UPSC study material and notes, both topic-wise and subject-wise. And the best part is you can access these PDFs for free on your device.

Subject-Wise UPSC Notes

Obtain the subject-wise UPSC Notes and study material for the Prelims and Mains exam preparation. These notes are prepared by our experts based on the trends of the questions asked in the exam papers.

Free UPSC Material for Prelims and Mains

Clearing the IAS exam requires dedication, determination, and perseverance. When a candidate makes a decision to sit for the exam, he/she should foremost see the complete subject-wise syllabus. Though the syllabus for Prelims and Mains is integrated, one should focus on them separately from time to time. The UPSC free material covers both the Prelims and Mains topics, along with a special focus on the CSAT syllabus too.

The IAS study material is basically a set of compiled books and topic-wise UPSC notes. The complete UPSC free material compiles the best books and resources in one place, to help the students achieve their dream of being civil servants. It is essential that the candidate follows these notes with the right preparation strategy.

UPSC Notes PDF

UPSC notes PDF is essential for the ideal preparation of both Prelims and Mains examinations. Here is a list of UPSC free material PDFs that may prove beneficial during the preparation. The list will be updated from time to time.

UPSC Study Material
Environmental Movements Ryotwari System
Article 12 UPSC Notes Unification of Germany
Article 21 UPSC Study Material Mahalwari System UPSC free Material
National Human Rights Commission FEMA Act UPSC Study Material
CAG UPSC Notes RTE Free UPSC Material
Writs UPSC Notes Citizenship UPSC Study Material
Judicial Activism Hydroelectric Power Plants UPSC Notes
Ramsar Sites UPSC Notes Cabinet Ministers of India
Viceroy of India Battle of Buxar UPSC Study Material
DPSP Free UPSC Material Rivers of India

How to Make UPSC Notes?

Making relevant notes for UPSC is an important skill required for exam preparation. Since the IAS syllabus is too vast, it is recommended that students keep revising every piece of information regularly to retain it for a longer time.

  • The first step to note-making is analyzing the syllabus thoroughly. Notes should be organized based on the subjects included in the syllabus.
  • Try reading the most simplest books like NCERT in one go without highlighting any points, just to understand a major gist of the topic.
  • Use sticky notes to separate the chapters. Always prepare UPSC notes using bullets as paragraphs can be a bit problematic to filter out important points in future.
  • Best IAS notes are those that are written in short sentences. Try to make notes as crisp as possible by rephrasing the sentences from books and magazines and making them in a way so that they are simpler to understand.
  • UPSC notes can be better prepared and managed using loose sheets. It is an easier way to store information as compared to bulky registers.
  • A pictographic representation is always better than wordy information. Therefore, students should create flow charts wherever possible, for example, in the case of a chain of events in History. UPSC notes can be easily read and revised in the form of flow charts.
  • UPSC candidates can install an app called Evernote, which is a note-taking and task management application that will help them to create, edit, and update UPSC notes digitally; hence saving a lot of time.

Is Note-Making Important for UPSC?

Note-making is quite important for UPSC preparation. Assembling handwritten notes is crucial during the time of revision. UPSC notes should be made in simplified form so that they are easily understandable.

Students must prepare appropriate notes, highlight them, underline the keywords, and mark the important topics and sub-topics that need to be studied again. Notes are easier to comprehend than standard books. Candidates can use the below abbreviations while framing UPSC notes.

Symbol Meaning
etc. and the rest
no. Number
NB important
e.g. for example
w/ with
leads to
Decreases
Increases
is not the same as
= is equal to
+ in addition to
& and

Best Websites for UPSC Free Material

The UPSC study materials you pick have a crucial role in your preparation strategy. Apart from the typical books and magazines, there are a bunch of online resources available. The right kind of UPSC Free Materials will offer an edge during IAS preparation. You can save time by referring to the below reliable online websites and then deciding which can be apt for you.

  • Budget and Economic Survey
  • IGNOU Books
  • IDSA website
  • Indian Council for Global Relations
  • Ministry of External Affairs
  • Ministry of Environment and Forests.
  • NCERT
  • NIOS Online Materials
  • Official Website of UPSC
  • Pratiyogita Darpan Magazine
  • Press Trust of India
  • Press Information Bureau Website, for government updates
  • PRS Website

Geography Notes for UPSC

Geography overlaps with the Environment and Ecology section in the UPSC Exam. This section covers physical, human, and Indian Geography, with an additional focus on the places in the news and their location. To cover Geography, it is necessary to go through the free UPSC material for the same to build a solid foundation.

The broad topics covered under Geography notes for UPSC are as follows:

Serial No UPSC Free Material for Geography
1 Drainage System of India
2 Types of Soil Notes
3 Important Lakes in India
4 El-Nino UPSC Notes
5 Indian Climate Notes
6 Structure of Atmosphere
7 Ocean Currents Notes for UPSC
8 Tropical Cyclone
9 Green Climate Fund (GCF)
10 Major Ports in India
11 Great Indian Bustard
12 Ganga River System

Free UPSC Material for History

History is one of the favorite subjects of the aspirants when it comes to the Prelims and Mains examination. In Prelims, History is covered under GS Paper 1, while in Mains, it is covered under General Studies Paper 1. History itself covers Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Indian History parts, along with Art & Culture.

To cover the topics of the History subject and score good marks in this section, one must refer to the UPSC History Notes for Ancient, Medieval, and Modern History periods.

Modern History Notes for UPSC

Serial No UPSC Free Material for Modern History
1 Government of India Act Notes
2 Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)
3 Indian Independence Act 1947
4 Charter Act 1833 Notes
5 Revolt of 1857
6 Cripps Mission 1942
7 Civil Disobedience Movement
8 Indus Valley Civilization
9 Quit India Movement
10 List of Viceroys in India
11 Simon Commission
12 Battle of Plassey Notes

Free UPSC Material for Medieval History

Serial No UPSC Notes for Medieval History
1 Babur
2 Akbar
3 Deccan Sultanates
4 Tughlaq Dynasty Notes
5 Khilji Dynasty

Ancient History Notes for UPSC

Serial No UPSC Free Material for Ancient History
1 Mahajanapadas
2 Gupta Empire Notes
3 Prehistoric Period
4 Mauryan Empire
5 Slave Dynasty
6 Vedas Notes
7 Buddhism
8 Ashoka Inscription
9 Chera Dynasty
10 Magadha Empire

Art and Culture UPSC Notes

The UPSC Prelims, every year emphasize on Art & Culture part. Though Art and Culture are not directly mentioned in the syllabus, questions related to art, architecture, literature, and culture in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern India are asked.

Questions from this section are often related to the incidents happening in the news. Check the list to compile all the relevant Art & Culture study material for UPSC in one place.

Serial No Free UPSC Material for Art and Culture
1 Indian Monuments and their builders (state-wise)
2 Dances of India
3 Indian Paintings Study Notes for UPSC
4 Pallava Art and Architecture
5 Indian Paintings
6 Temple Architecture
7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
8 GI Tag Notes
10 Mughal Architecture
11 Architecture During Delhi Sultanate
12 Ancient Indian Architecture

Economics UPSC Free Study Material

The economy section covered under UPSC Prelims and Mains exam is always correlated with current affairs. Basic concepts of the Indian economy are interlinked with current affairs and are asked as questions to access the basic knowledge of the candidates.

To cover the entire syllabus of Economics, one can refer to the UPSC Economy Notes provided here for a better understanding. The broad topics included under the UPSC Free Study Material for Economics include the following:

Serial No UPSC Notes for Economics
1 Economy Survey 2023
2 Economic Planning in India
3 Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
4 RBI and Monetary Policy
5 Different Types of Unemployment
6 Inflation (Types and Effects)
7 Interim Budget and Union Budget Notes
8 Nationalised Banks in 1980
9 Marginal Standing Facility
10 Balance of Payment– Current Account Deficit
11 Capital Adequacy Ratio
12 World Trade Organisation

UPSC Free Material for Polity

Indian Polity and Constitution covers a major chunk of the IAS Exam every year, be it Prelims or Mains, or even at the Interview stage. The UPSC notes for Indian polity have both, static and dynamic portions covered under it. The topics enclosed under Polity are as follows:

Serial No Polity Notes for UPSC
1 Delimitation Commission
2 UPSC Notes on 15th Finance Commission
3 Preamble, Union and Its Territory, Citizenship
4 Uniform Civil Code
5 Directive Principles & State Policies (DPSP)
6 President of India (Qualification, Election, Impeachment, Power, etc.)
7 Vice President of India (Qualification, Election, Impeachment, etc.)
8 Indian Judiciary UPSC Notes
9 J & K: What is Article 370
10 Lokpal and Lokayukta Act
11 Representation of People’s (RPA) Act
12 Basic Structure of the Constitution

IAS Study Material for Science & Technology

The Union Public Service Commission usually asks about the general concepts of Science in the Prelims examination. Whereas in the Mains, questions related to the elaborative and critical analysis of recent innovation, and researchers are asked.

IAS Study Material for Science and Technology covers general science, biotechnology, defence technology, and space technology along with the recent developments covered through Current Affairs.

General Science:

Serial No UPSC Notes for Science
1 Biology, Chemistry, Physics
2 Important Scientific Laws and Theories
3 Diseases and their Affected Area
4 World Neglected Tropical Diseases
5 About the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Drug Intermediates & APIs

Biotechnology:

Serial No UPSC Free Material
1 Biotechnology and Its Applications
2 Oxygen Concentrator, Oxygen Cylinder

Defence Technology:

Serial No Free UPSC Material for Defence Technology
1 Missile Technology
2 Iron Dome Defence System
3 Brahmos: Supersonic Cruise Missile
4 Chinook Helicopter (Boeing CH-47)
5 Dassault Rafale Aircraft
6 Apache AH-64E Helicopter

Space Technology:

Serial No Topics
1. Mission Shakti: All you need to Know
2. Chandrayaan-2- Space Mission

Environment Notes for UPSC

Environment & Ecology is one of the important subjects of civil services examination. Questions have been asked frequently from this section in both Prelims and Mains. At times, Environment related topics also come in the IAS Mains Essay paper. Check out the topic-wise important UPSC notes for Environment and Ecology tabulated below:

Serial No UPSC Free Material – Environment
1 Biodiversity UPSC Notes
2 Tiger Reserves in India
3 Biosphere Reserves in India
4 National Parks
5 Ramsar Wetlands
6 Environmental Conventions and Protocols
7 Coral Reefs: Introduction, Types, Formation, Locations
8 List of Environmental Organization in India
9 Ocean Acidification: Introduction, Causes, Effects, and Solutions
10 Environment Pollution: Types, Causes, Effects
11 Climate Change

UPSC Notes for Ethics

Candidates should refer to Ethics UPSC notes to study well for the Ethics and Aptitude Paper (GS Paper 4) of the Mains exam. Questions asked from this subject are direct concept based or put up in the form of case studies. Some of the important topics of Ethics are Famous Thinkers and their philosophies, Emotional Intelligence, Human Values, Ethics & Governance, etc.

UPSC Free Material on Sociology

Students who choose Sociology as their optional subject for the exam must gather relevant free UPSC material for the subject. The Sociology syllabus for UPSC is split into 2 papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2, wherein Paper 1 includes topics associated with Fundamentals of Sociology, while Paper 2 asks questions regarding Indian Society: Structure and Change.

Governance UPSC Notes

Governance subject includes the actions that a Government brings to handle its affairs in any state or the entire country. A few major topics asked in Governance are political parties in India, pressure groups, statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies, and the ones that are mentioned below.

Serial No UPSC Free Material for Governance
1 ARC report UPSC Notes
3 Good Governance
4 E-Governance
5 Government Schemes
6 Elections in India

Internal Security Free UPSC Material

Internal security is one of the core subjects of the UPSC examination. Some of the crucial topics included in this subject are Assam Rifles (AR), Border Area Development Programme (BADP), causes of Naxalism/Maoism, challenges of Cyber Warfare in Internal Security, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), etc.

Serial No UPSC Notes for Internal Security
1 Left Wing Extremism
2 Cyber Security Notes
3 Terrorism UPSC Notes
4 Cyber Crime
5 Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)
6 Black Money Notes for UPSC

Agriculture Notes for UPSC

UPSC notes for Agriculture are mandatory to be studied for both the Prelims and Mains exams. It is an unpopular optional subject mostly preferred by rural and remote aspirants and the subject shares resemblances with the Indian Economy subject.

Agriculture is an optional subject, generally opted by Botany and Zoology students and comprises the following topics.

Serial No UPSC Free Material for Agriculture
1 National Food Security Act
2 Agriculture in India
3 Agricultural Produce Market Committee
4 Organic Farming
5 Zero Budget Natural Farming
6 Green Revolution
7 White Revolution UPSC Notes
8 Koppen Climate Classification

After going through the study material and notes required for UPSC, one should focus on the optional subject books. The UPSC study material includes the preparation books which are equally important for both Prelims and Mains. To make a precise selection of your optional subjects, go through the recommended list of the optional subjects offered by UPSC.

UPSC Articles
Geography Syllabus for UPSC UPSC Economics Syllabus
Anthropology Syllabus Maths Optional Syllabus
UPSC Chemistry Syllabus UPSC Geology Syllabus
Psychology Syllabus History Syllabus
Science and Technology Syllabus UPSC Management Syllabus
Sociology Syllabus for UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus
Zoology Syllabus for UPSC Public Administration Syllabus
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