UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 Syllabus 2024 | Detailed Guide & PDFs

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the topics for UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1, with specific focus areas within each subject:

1. Current Affairs

• National and International Events:

  • Important events in India and globally over the past year.
  • Significant political developments, policy changes, and government initiatives.
  • Key international relations, treaties, and agreements.

• Economic Developments:

  • Union Budget: Key highlights, fiscal deficit, revenue, expenditure.
  • Economic Survey: Key observations, recommendations, and data.
  • Major economic reforms, industrial policies, FDI trends.

  • Social Issues:

  • Major schemes and welfare programs (e.g., PMJDY, MGNREGA, Ayushman Bharat).
  • Issues related to health, education, sanitation, and gender.
  • Human rights issues, women’s rights, child rights, and minority rights.

2. History

• Ancient History of India:

  • Prehistoric Cultures: Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic), tools, lifestyle, art.
  • Indus Valley Civilization: Town planning (Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa), economy (agriculture, trade), religion (nature worship, Mother Goddess), art (seals, pottery), script, decline theories.
  • Vedic Age: Early Vedic period (Rigvedic society), later Vedic period (expansion, social changes, emergence of varnashrama system), Vedic literature (Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, Upanishads).
  • Buddhism and Jainism: Life of Buddha and Mahavira, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Buddhist councils, Jain texts, spread in India and abroad.
  • Mauryan Empire: Chandragupta Maurya’s reign, administration (Arthashastra), Ashoka’s Dhamma, edicts, spread of Buddhism, decline.
  • Post-Mauryan Period: Shungas, Satavahanas, Indo-Greeks, Kushans, cultural contributions (Gandhara and Mathura art).
  • Gupta Empire: Political history (Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II), administration, social structure, achievements in literature (Kalidasa), science (Aryabhata), art (Ajanta murals), decline.
  • Other Dynasties: Vakatakas, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Sangam literature, Harsha’s empire.

• Medieval Indian History:

  • Early Medieval India: Chola, Chera, Pandya dynasties, Bhakti movement, rise of regional kingdoms.
  • Delhi Sultanate: Establishment (Qutb-ud-din Aibak), significant rulers (Alauddin Khilji’s market reforms, Tughlaq dynasty), administration, architecture (Qutub Minar, Alai Darwaza).
  • Mughal Empire: Babur (First Battle of Panipat), Humayun (struggle with Sher Shah Suri), Akbar (administration, Din-i-Ilahi, Mansabdari system), Jahangir (law and order), Shah Jahan (architectural developments), Aurangzeb (expansion, religious policies), decline.
  • Provincial Kingdoms: Marathas (Shivaji, administration), Rajputs, Deccan Sultanates, Vijayanagara Empire (Krishnadevaraya), Bhakti and Sufi movements (Kabir, Nanak, Chaitanya, Guru Nanak, Moinuddin Chishti).

• Modern Indian History and Indian National Movement:

  • Colonial Rule: British East India Company, trade monopoly, expansion (Battle of Plassey, Battle of Buxar), economic impact (deindustrialization, drain of wealth), social impact (education reforms, Christian missionaries).
  • Freedom Struggle: 1857 Revolt (causes, course, consequences), socio-religious reform movements (Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Aligarh Movement), early nationalist leaders (Dadabhai Naoroji, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal), formation of Indian National Congress, Moderates vs Extremists, partition of Bengal, Swadeshi Movement, Home Rule Movement, Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, Quit India Movement, role of Gandhi, Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Indian National Army.
  • Post-Independence: Constitution framing (Constituent Assembly), linguistic reorganization, Nehruvian policies, economic policies (Five-Year Plans, land reforms), foreign policy (Non-Alignment Movement), socio-political challenges (Emergency, rise of regional parties).

3. Geography

• Indian Geography:

  • Physical Features: Himalayas (formation, divisions, climatic impact), Northern Plains (Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra systems), Peninsular Plateau (Deccan Plateau, Eastern and Western Ghats), Coastal Plains, Indian Desert, Islands (Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep).
  • River Systems: Major rivers (Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri), water resources, irrigation projects (Bhakra-Nangal, Hirakud).
  • Climate: Seasons in India (summer, monsoon, winter), monsoon mechanism (ITCZ, jet streams), climatic regions, impact of climate change (rising temperatures, glacier melting).
  • Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Forest types (tropical, temperate, mangroves), national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves (Sundarbans, Nilgiri).
  • Agriculture: Cropping patterns (Kharif, Rabi), major crops (wheat, rice, pulses), Green Revolution, issues in agriculture (soil degradation, farmer distress).
  • Economic Geography: Industrial regions (Mumbai-Pune, Chotanagpur plateau), transport (Golden Quadrilateral, railways, ports), urbanization (growth of cities, smart cities mission), demography (population growth, migration, census 2011 data).

• World Geography & Physical Geography:

  • Geomorphology: Earth’s interior, plate tectonics, volcanic activity, earthquakes, landforms (mountains, plateaus, plains).
  • Climatology: Atmospheric layers, weather systems (cyclones, anticyclones), wind systems (trade winds, westerlies, polar winds), jet streams, El Niño and La Niña phenomena.
  • Oceanography: Ocean currents (Gulf Stream, Kuroshio Current), ocean floor features (continental shelf, abyssal plains), marine resources (fisheries, minerals).
  • Biogeography: Ecosystems, biomes (tundra, taiga, desert), biodiversity hotspots, environmental degradation (deforestation, desertification).

4. Indian Polity and Governance

• Constitution of India:

  • Preamble: Ideals (sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic), significance, amendments (42nd Amendment).
  • Fundamental Rights: Articles 12-35, Right to Equality (Article 14-18), Right to Freedom (Article 19-22), Right against Exploitation (Article 23-24), Right to Freedom of Religion (Article 25-28), Cultural and Educational Rights (Article 29-30), Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32), significant cases (Kesavananda Bharati, Minerva Mills).
  • Directive Principles: Articles 36-51, classification (socialistic, Gandhian, liberal), conflict with Fundamental Rights.
  • Fundamental Duties: Article 51A, list of duties, significance, criticism.
  • Union and State Executive: Powers and functions of the President and Governor, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Chief Minister and State Council of Ministers, Union and State Legislature (composition, functions, powers).
  • Judiciary: Structure of courts (Supreme Court, High Courts, subordinate courts), judicial review, Public Interest Litigation (PIL), recent landmark judgments.
  • Local Governance: Panchayati Raj Institutions (73rd Amendment), Municipalities (74th Amendment), urban local bodies (Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, Nagar Panchayats).
  • Constitutional Bodies: Election Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), State Public Service Commissions (SPSCs), Finance Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
  • Non-Constitutional Bodies: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Central Information Commission (CIC), Lokpal and Lokayuktas.
  • Emergency Provisions: National Emergency (Article 352), President’s Rule (Article 356), Financial Emergency (Article 360), 44th Amendment Act, implications and revocation.
  • State-Centre Relations: Legislative, administrative, financial relations, Inter-State Council, Zonal Councils.
  • Panchayati Raj and Municipalities: Structure, powers, functions, recent initiatives (Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT).
  • Special Provisions: Provisions for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, women, children, disabled, LGBTQ+ community.
  • Current Affairs: Recent constitutional amendments, significant bills, policy initiatives, Supreme Court judgments.

5. Indian Economy

• Economic and Social Development:

  • Economic Concepts: GDP, GNP, PPP, inflation, deflation, stagflation, monetary policy (RBI, repo rate, reverse repo rate), fiscal policy (taxation, government spending), budget (components, deficit financing), economic surveys (key data, trends).
  • Economic Reforms: Liberalization, privatization, globalization (LPG reforms), GST, demonetization, Make in India, Start-Up India.
  • Agriculture: Green Revolution, White Revolution, Blue Revolution, recent initiatives (PM-KISAN, PMFBY), challenges (low productivity, climate change).
  • Industry: Industrial policies (1948, 1956, 1991), MSMEs, ease of doing business, FDI policies, recent developments (PLI schemes).
  • Infrastructure: Energy sector (coal, oil, gas, renewables), transport (road, rail, air, water), communication (telecom, digital infrastructure), urban infrastructure (housing, sanitation).
  • Social Sector: Education (NEP 2020), health (National Health Policy, Ayushman Bharat), social justice (affirmative action, rights of marginalized groups), welfare schemes (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, National Social Assistance Programme).
  • Poverty and Unemployment: Measurement (Tendulkar, Rangarajan committees), causes, government programs (National Rural Livelihood Mission, Skill India).
  • Sustainable Development: Environmental sustainability, climate change policies, renewable energy initiatives, SDGs.

6. General Science

• Physics:

  • Basic Concepts: Motion, force, energy, work, power, laws of thermodynamics, electromagnetism, optics, modern physics (quantum mechanics, relativity), sound, heat, electricity.
  • Universe and Astronomy: Big Bang Theory, formation of the universe, solar system (planets, moons, asteroids, comets), stars (life cycle, types), galaxies, black holes, space missions (ISRO, NASA).

• Chemistry:

  • Inorganic Chemistry: Periodic table, atomic structure, chemical bonding, acids and bases, metals and non-metals, properties of elements and compounds.
  • Organic Chemistry: Hydrocarbons, functional groups, isomerism, polymers, biomolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids).
  • Physical Chemistry: States of matter, chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, equilibrium, electrochemistry.

• Biology:

  • Human Anatomy and Physiology: Organ systems (digestive, respiratory, circulatory, nervous, endocrine), diseases (communicable, non-communicable), genetics (Mendelian inheritance, DNA, RNA).
  • Plant Biology: Photosynthesis, respiration, plant nutrition, reproduction, classification, plant hormones.
  • Animal Biology: Animal classification, adaptations, animal behavior, reproductive systems.
  • Biotechnology: Genetic engineering, cloning, GM crops, bioinformatics, applications in medicine and agriculture.

7. Environment and Ecology

• Ecology and Ecosystems: Structure and function of ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, energy flow, food chains and webs, ecological succession.
• Biodiversity: Types, hotspots in India, threats to biodiversity (habitat loss, poaching), conservation efforts (wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, biosphere reserves).
• Environmental Issues: Pollution (air, water, soil, noise), global warming, ozone depletion, deforestation, waste management (solid waste, e-waste), sustainable development.
• Climate Change: Causes (greenhouse gases, fossil fuels), impacts (sea-level rise, extreme weather events), international agreements (Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement), India’s initiatives (National Action Plan on Climate Change).
• Environmental Legislation: Environmental Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act, Wildlife Protection Act, National Green Tribunal.