UPSC ESE Mechanical Engineering Syllabus 2026 (Available) - Download PDFs here

Particulars

Details

Name of the exam

UPSC ESE 2026

Conducting Authority

Union Public Service Commission

Exam Mode

Offline

Number of UPSC ESE 2026 papers

2

Branch specification

Mechanical

Section

Topics

Fluid Mechanics

• Basic Concepts and Properties of Fluids

• Fluid Statics

• Buoyancy

• Manometry

• Equations of Motion

• Bernoulli’s equation and applications

• Viscous flow of incompressible fluids

• Laminar and Turbulent flows

• Flow through pipes & head losses in pipes.

Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

• Thermodynamic systems and processes

• Properties of pure substance

• Zeroth

• First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics

• Entropy

• Irreversibility and availability

• Analysis of thermodynamic cycles related to energy conversion

• Rankine

• Otto

• Diesel and Dual Cycles

• Ideal and real gases

• Compressibility factor

• Gas mixtures.

• Modes of heat transfer

• Steady and unsteady heat conduction

• Thermal resistance

• Fins

• Free and forced convection

• Correlations for convective heat transfer

• Radiative heat transfer – Radiation heat transfer coefficient

• Boiling and condensation

• Heat exchanger performance analysis.

IC Engines, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

• SI and CI Engines

• Engine Systems and Components

• Performance characteristics and testing of IC Engines

• Fuels

• Emissions and Emission Control.

• Vapour compression refrigeration

• Refrigerants and Working cycles

• Compressors

• Condensers

• Evaporators and Expansion devices

• Other types of refrigeration systems like Vapour Absorption, Vapour jet, thermo electric and Vortex tube refrigeration.

• Psychometric properties and processes

• Comfort chart

• Comfort and industrial air conditioning

• Load calculations and Heat pumps.

Turbo Machinery

• Reciprocating and Rotary pumps

• Pelton wheel

• Kaplan and Francis Turbines

• Velocity diagrams

• Impulse and Reaction principles

• Steam and Gas Turbines

• Theory of Jet Propulsion – Pulse jet and RamJet Engines

• Reciprocating and Rotary Compressors – Theory and Applications

Power Plant Engineering

• Rankine and Brayton cycles with regeneration and reheat

• Fuels and their properties

• Steam turbines and other power plant components like condensers, air ejectors, electrostatic precipitators and cooling towers – their theory and design, types and applications

• Flue gas analysis

• Boilers

Renewable Sources of Energy

• Solar Radiation

• Solar Thermal Energy collection - Flat Plate and focusing collectors, their materials and performance.

• Solar Thermal Energy Storage

• Applications – heating, cooling and Power Generation

• Solar Photovoltaic Conversion

• Harnessing of Wind Energy, Biomass and Tidal Energy – Methods and Applications

• Working principles of Fuel Cells.

Section

Topics

Design of Machine Elements

• Design for static and dynamic loading

• Failure theories

• Fatigue strength and the S-N diagram

• Principles of the design of machine elements such as riveted

• Welded and bolted joints.

• Shafts

• Spur gears

• Rolling and sliding contact bearings

• Brakes and clutches

• Flywheels.

Engineering Materials

• Basic Crystallography

• Alloys and Phase diagrams

• Heat Treatment

• Ferrous and Non Ferrous Metals

• Non metallic materials

• Basics of Nano-materials

• Mechanical Properties and Testing

• Corrosion prevention and control

Mechanisms and Machines

• Types of Kinematics Pair

• Mobility

• Inversions

• Kinematic Analysis

• Velocity and Acceleration Analysis of Planar Mechanisms

• CAMs with uniform acceleration and retardation

• Cycloidal motion

• Compound and Epicyclic

• Dynamic Analysis – Slider – crank mechanisms

• Turning moment computations

• Ships and aircrafts

• Governors.

• Oscillating followers

• Vibrations –Free and forced vibration of undamped and damped SDOF systems

• Transmissibility Ratio

• Vibration Isolation

• Critical Speed of Shafts

• Gears – Geometry of tooth profiles

• Law of gearing

• Involute profile

• Interference

• Helical

• Balancing of Revolving & Reciprocating masses

• Gyroscopes – Effect of Gyroscopic couple on automobiles

• Spiral and Worm Gears

• Gear Trains- Simple

Engineering Mechanics

• Analysis of System of Forces

• Friction

• Centroid and Centre of Gravity

• Dynamics

• Stresses and Strains-Compound Stresses and Strains

• Bending Moment and Shear Force Diagrams

• Theory of Bending Stresses- Slope and deflection-Torsion

• Thin and thick Cylinders

• Spheres

Mechatronics and Robotics

• Microprocessors and Microcontrollers

• Hall effect sensor

• Optical Encoder

• Resolver

• Architecture

• Programming

• I/O

• Computer interfacing

• Programmable logic controller. Sensors and actuators

• Pneumatic and Hydraulic actuators

• Stepper motor

• Control Systems- Mathematical modeling of Physical systems

• Control signals

• Controllability and observability.

• Robotics

• Robot Classification

• Piezoelectric accelerometer

• Inductosyn

• Robot Specification

• Notation

• Direct and Inverse Kinematics

• Homogeneous Coordinates and Arm Equation of four Axis SCARA Robots.

Manufacturing, Industrial and Maintenance Engineering

• Metal casting-Metal forming

• Metal Joining

• FMS

• Production planning and Control

• Inventory control and operations research - CPMPERT.

• Failure concepts and characteristics-Reliability,

• Failure analysis,

• Machine Vibration

• Field Balancing of Rotors

• Noise Monitoring

• Wear and Debris Analysis

• Signature Analysis,

• Data acquisition

• Fault Detection

• Vibration Monitoring

• Machining and machine tool operations

• Limits

• Fits and tolerances

• Metrology and inspection

• Computer Integrated manufacturing,

• NDT Techniques in Condition Monitoring.

Subject

Number of Questions

Maximum marks

Duration

General Studies and Engineering Aptitude

100

200

2 hours

Civil/Mechanical/Mechanical /Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering

150

300

3 hours

ESE/IES Exam

Duration

Maximum Marks

Type of paper

Paper-I (Mechanical Engineering)

3 hrs.

300

Descriptive

Paper-II (Mechanical Engineering)

3 hrs.

300

Total

6 hrs.

600 marks

Books

Authors

Thermodynamics

PK Nag

IC Engines

V Ganeshan

Fluid Machinery

Modi and Seth

Renewable Sources of Energy

BH Khan

Books

Authors

Strength of Material

BC Punmia

Theory of Machine

SS Rattan

Material Science

Swadesh Singh

Production Engineering

Swadesh Singh

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