High weightage topics subject-wise

UPSC SYLLABUS - The High Weightage Topics

 The legacy of the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission has continued to retain its prominence for an extended period of time giving volume and shape to the very ethos of “ Sheelam Param Bhushanam” that decodes character as the utmost virtue. 

In order to witness a life altering journey offered by civil services one needs to clear all the three stages (Preliminary, Mains and Personality Test) of the yearly held Civil Services Examination.

The syllabus is subservient to strategize the preparation for this examination and is vital in guiding every aspirant with the topics of relevance. Acknowledging the fact, this article attempts to provide a lucid picture of the important areas of the syllabus framed by UPSC.

Moreover, in this article, a detailed analysis of each subject has been carried out along with a scrutiny of the topics that require special attention. However, before the analysis it is recommended time and again that every aspirant must stay aware and updated with the current events of National and International importance that are flooding the news.  

There have been instances where some questions from the static part of the syllabus, having a link with current affairs, were asked. 

For example in Prelims 2020, there was a question about the Rakhmabai case of 1884 regarding age of consent for girls. A link can be created with current affairs as the age and other issues related to girls’ marriage was very much in the news. 

Therefore, this necessitates the linking of current affairs with static subjects as reiterated by experts and the successful candidates. 

The anniversary years of various landmark events become very important and can be exemplified by a question on Congress Socialist Party that was asked in the Prelims of 2015 which was the 40th year of Emergency that was invoked in 1975 by the then Indira Gandhi government.  

High Weightage Topics for Every Subject 

1. History  

• History is an essential part of the syllabus that exerts enormous weightage both in Prelims as well as Mains examination.

• Developing conceptual clarity about the past events that shaped the present society we live in can act as a strong foundation for writing essays.

• Strengthening the understanding of history can be an enabler to understand various concepts of Indian Polity which is again an integral part of the UPSC syllabus. For example the structural framework of the Indian Constitution that draws excerpts from the Government of India Act of 1935. This determines the importance of knowing the background of essential events and making of the Constitution is one of them.

• A part of the history syllabus for Mains is dedicated to World History that offers a clear understanding of various political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, their origin and proponents, important revolutions that contribute towards a better understanding of International Relations.        

What are the various aspects of History that are to be covered  ? 

1. Ancient India

• Prehistoric India 

Important Areas

• Neolithic 

• Chalcolithic

• Carbon Dating methods used in fossil studies

• Important sites

• Pottery culture

• Religious beliefs 

• Burial Practices

• Historic India

• Indus Valley Civilization - Prepared with special attention

Important Areas

• Harappan Civilization

• Important Sites and Geographical distribution

• Discovery and Excavation

• Important Personalities and their works

• Salient features of IVC

• Pottery patterns

• Burial Practices

• Language and Scripts

• Town Planning

• Seals

• Difference between Harappan and Egyptian/Mesopotamian civilization

• Stone, Metal Technologies

• Weights

• Port Zones

• Vedic India

• Vedic Priests

• Meaning of the word Aryan

• Vedic Philosophies

• Vedic Society

• Rig Vedic Period

• Important texts

• Geographical Distribution

• Vedic Literatures

• Mahajanapadas: Pre-Mauryan Perio

Important Areas 

• Rise of Mahajanapadas

• Rise of Magadh

• Heterodox sects

• Buddhism

• Jainism

• Mauryan Empire

• Kalinga War and its Significance

• Transformation of Ashoka

• Ashokan Inscriptions

• Dhamma Policy

• Nature of state of Mauryan Empire

• Foreign Invasion

• Gupta Empire

• Gupta as golden period

• Economic policies

• Development of Science and Technology

• Literature

• Gupta coins - Asked in the Mains sometimes

• Land Grant systems

• Huna Invasion

• Reasons for Decline of Gupta Age 

• Central Asian Invasion 

• Kingdoms, States and Dynasties of South India, Their Rulers

• Legacy        

Sources Recommended for Ancient History: India’s Ancient Past by  R. S. Sharma + Previous year question

Trend of Questions Asked in the Prelims : 2-5 questions

Mains Question : Usually asked from Art and Culture section of Ancient India

2. Medieval India 

Important Areas 

• Religious Movements : Saints, Sufi and Bhakti Movements

• Doctrines and Practices

• Impacts of the Religious Movements

• Revival of Hinduism

•  Empires 

• Rise of Empires

• Reasons for Decline

• Art and architecture

• Political, social and economic organization   

• Specific Important Areas 

• North Indian Kingdoms

• Delhi Sultanate

• Islamic Kingdoms in India

• Vijayanagara Empire

• Mughal Rule and Arrival of Europeans        

• Vijayanagar kingdom     

Sources Recommended for Medieval History : NCERT books and previous year question papers

Weightage : Both Prelims and Mains 

• Art and Culture

Focus Areas :

• Various Schools of Indian Philosophy

• Nyaya

• Vaiseska

• Samkhya

• Yoga

• Purva Mimamasa

• Vedanta 

• Carvaka

•   Religious Movements

• Jainism 

• Buddhism

• Brahmanism

•      Literary Sources and other Sources

• Vedic, Buddhism, Jainism, Sangam

• Non- religious (Social, Political, Economic)

• Archeological (Inscription/ Epigraphy, Numismatics/coins, monuments)

• Foreign Travellers                    

• Vedic Literature 

• Vedas - Terms like Vidi, Shruti

• Rig Vedas

• Later Vedic Age

• Samaveda

• Yajurveda

• Atharva Veda

• Other Literatures

• Aranyakas

• Upanishads

• Puranas

•     Buddhist Literature

• Jatakas

• Pitakas

• Vinay Pitaka

• Sutta Pitaka

• Abhidhamma Pitaka

• Milanda panho

• Anguttara Nikaya    

•    Jain Literature 

• Prakrit language

• Kalpa Sutra

• 24 Tirthankaras

• Nayadhamma Kaha

• Acharanga Sutra                 

• Sangam Literature

• Silappatikaram- by Ilango Adigal, Kovalan, Madhavi

• Manimegalai 

• Tolkappiyam

•   Architecture

• Rock cut 

• Indus Valley - Red and Black Pottery

• Sculpture - Mathura, Gandhara, Amaravati

• Buddhist Architecture

• Temple Architecture - Garbhagriha, Mandapa Shikara Vahana, Dravida style, Nagara style, Vesara style, Gopurama, Vimana, Indian bronze Sculpture, Indo- Islamic architecture

• Modern Architecture

•  Dances

• Bharatnatyam

• Kathak

• Kuchipudi

• Manipuri

• Kathakali

• Mohiniyattam

• Sattriya

• Odissi

• Folk dances

•      Music

• Hindustani Music

• Carnatic 

• Swar, Ragas, personalities

• Wind, stringed, Percussion        

• Other Important topics

• Languages in India

• Calendars

• Fairs and Festivals

• Martial Arts

• Cultural Institutions

Sources Recommended for Art & Culture: NCERT books and previous year question papers; Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Sighania; CCRT books from the Ministry of Culture and Friday Review of The Hindu newspaper.

Weightage : Both Prelims and Mains

4. Modern History 

Focus Areas:

• Arrival of the Europeans - Chronology of who came first, Factories, Governors

• British Extension : Carnatic wars, invasion of Bengal, Anglo-Maratha Wars, Regulating Act, Pitt’s India Act

• Economic impact of British rule

• Social Reform Movements, Religious Reforms, vernacular press, Modern Indian Literature

• Revolt of 1857

• Indian Freedom Struggle

• Gandhian Thoughts

• Separatists movements - Hindu mahasabha, Muslim League

• Nehru’s Vision, Foreign Policy of Non- Alignment, Planning and Industrialization.

• Agricultural Reforms

Sources Recommended for Modern History: History of Modern India by Bipin Chandra; A brief history of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum Publication).

Weightage : Both Prelims and Mains

5. World History 

Focus Area: 

• Revolutions

• World Wars

• Cold War

Sources Recommended : Norman Lowe, Jain & Mathur and World History by Arjun Dev

Weightage : Mains

6. Post Independence India

Focus Area:

• Consolidation of India

• Reorganisation of India

         Sources : Ram Chandra Guha, Bipin Chandra

         Weightage : Mains

1. Indian Polity and Governance

    Constitution 

     Focus Area: 

• Historical Background 

• Making of the constitution - Constituent Assembly, Drafting Committee

• Salient Features

• Preamble - Important for Prelims

• The Union and its Territories

• Citizenship

• Fundamental Rights 

• DPSP

• Fundamental Duties

• Amendment - 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976 and 44th C. A. Act of 1978

• Basic Structure Doctrine - Kesavananda Bharati Judgement of 1973

• Types of Majority

• Schedules 

   System of Government

   Focus Area:

• Parliament

• Centre- State Relations

• Inter- State Relations

• Federal system

     Union Executive  

      Focus Area:

• President - Election, Impeachment of the President, Executive Power, Constitutional Position of the President of India, Oath

• Vice President - Election, Removal

• Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

• Collective Responsibility

• Attorney General

 Union Legislature 

  Focus Area: 

• Parliament - Composition, Membership, Disqualification, Sessions, Union Budget, Privilege, Joint sitting, Presiding Officers, Office of profit, Parliamentary Committees, Motions.

• Bills Introduced in the Parliament, their passage

• Ordinance

• Supreme Court 

State Machinery

Focus Area: 

• Governor

• Chief Minister and CoMs

• High Court

• Tribunals

• Subordinate Courts 

Local Government

• Panchayati Raj - 73rd Amendment Act of 1992, PESA Act 

• Municipalities 

Constitutional Bodies 

• Election Commission

• UPSC

• State PCS

• Finance Commission

• CAG

• National Commission for ST

• GST Council

• National Commission for SC 

Emergency Provisions

Focus Areas:

• National Emergency

• President’s Rule

• Revocation of Emergency

Non- Constitutional Bodies

Focus Areas:

• Planning Commission

• National Development Council

• National Human Rights Commission

• State Human Rights Commission

• NITI Aayog 

• Lokpal

• CBI

• National Disaster Management Authority

• Central Vigilance Commission

• Central information Commission

      Sources :Laxmikanth, 11th and 12th NCERT and 2nd ARC Report for Mains,  Current affair

     Weightage : Both Prelims and Mains

Governance

Focus Area:

• RTI

• E- Governance

• Self Help Groups

• Current Affairs

Weightage : Mains

1. Science and Technology 

  Focus Area:

• Biotechnology

• Nanotechnology

• Space Technology - India’s Space Mission

• India’s Achievements in the field of Science and Technology

• Atma Nirbhar in Science and Technology

• Intellectual Property Rights

• Robotics

• Green Technology

• Hydrogen Energy Technology 

Weightage : Both Prelims and Mains 

Sources Recommended : Current Affairs Magazines, NCERT for Biotechnology and Newspaper, Science Reporter Magazine (For Important Space Missions ) , PIB, Report of Department of Science and Technology (GOI )

 4. Environment and Ecology 

   Focus Areas :

• Biodiversity - Important Species, IUCN status( Critically Endangered categories) National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary, Bioreserves, Wildlife Protection Act, CITES, International Organisations, Protocols.

• Pollution- Ozone layer, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gas Emission, IPCC Report, Climate Change, UNEP, COP26, UNFCCC.

• Environmental Organisation, Summits, Conferences, Schemes of the Government.

• Definition of Ecosystem

• Keystone Species

Weightage : Both Prelims and Mains

Sources: Down to Earth, Current Affairs

1. Geography 

   Focus Areas: 

• Geomorphology - Origin of Earth

• Earthquake- the waves, seismic tomography, measurement

• Volcanoes

• Plate tectonics- convergent and divergent plates , examples

• Continental Drift Theory- Evidences

• Landforms

• Heat Budget

• International Date Line

• International Time Line

• Landform

• Atmospheric Circulation

• Pressure belts

• Cyclones, naming , agencies

• Monsoon

• El Nino, La Nina, Indian Ocean Dipole

• Ocean currents

• Indian Geography - Physiographic divisions, Rivers, India’s soil

• Minerals distribution

• Human Geography

• Waterways and Industrial corridors  

Weightage : Both Prelims and Mains

Sources :11th and 12 th NCERT; G. C Leong, Maps , Indian geography by Majid Hussain. 

 6. Economy

Focus Areas:

• Economic Growth and Development - Basic Concept, micro-macro balance, Growth determinants, Human Development Index, Green Index, Sustainable Development.

• Money and Banking

• Poverty

• Inflation

• Inclusion

• Fiscal Policy

• Social Issues - Financing health Policy, Education Policy, Sanitation

• International Trade - WTO, Regional Cooperation, World Bank, IMF

• Inclusive Growth

• Effects of Liberalisation

• Infrastructure - Energy, roads, ports, airports and railways

• Agriculture  

Weightage : Both Prelims and Mains

Sources : NCERT of classes X, XI and XII, Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh, India Economy by Sanjeev Verma, Economic Survey, Newspapers.