UPSC Ethics Syllabus 2024 - Check Subject Wise Syllabus & Exam Pattern

UPSC Ethics Syllabus 2024 - Check Subject Wise Syllabus & Exam Pattern

Edited By Vishnukumar V | Updated on Feb 14, 2024 06:12 PM IST | #UPSC CSE
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The Commission mentions the UPSC Ethics syllabus in its official notification PDF. The syllabus of UPSC Ethics 2024 comprises all the important topics that UPSC aspirants need to prepare in order to qualify the mains exam of UPSC CSE. UPSC 2024 syllabus for Ethics can be downloaded on the official website.
Download - UPSC Ethics Syllabus PDF

The Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude is General Studies paper 4 of the UPSC Civil Services exam. Candidates preparing for the UPSC exam must give special focus and attention to the Ethics subject in the main exam and should cover the entire UPSC Ethics syllabus 2024. UPSC IAS Ethics syllabus 2024 consists 250 marks in total for GS Paper 4. Apart from the Ethics syllabus, aspirants must also know about the overall UPSC CSE syllabus 2024. As per the exam pattern of UPSC CSE, the mains exam is descriptive in nature and there will be 2 papers in the optional subject of UPSC CSE 2024. Know more about the UPSC IAS Ethics 2024 syllabus here.

UPSC Ethics Syllabus for Mains Exam

Ethics is the GS 4 paper in the main exam. The exam is conducted in descriptive mode. The questions in the Ethics exam as per the UPSC Ethics syllabus 2024 cover topics of integrity, ethics, aptitude, probity in public life, case studies, etc. Candidates appearing for the UPSC mains exam can check the detailed UPSC Ethics 2024 syllabus from the following table.

Also Read: UPSC Subject-wise Questions for Various Subjects

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Subject Wise UPSC Syllabus for Mains Exam

Particulars

Topics

IAS Ethics Syllabus

  • Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships. Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; the role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.

  • Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.

  • Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.

  • Emotional intelligence concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

  • Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world.

  • Public/Civil Service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.

  • Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.

  • Case Studies on above issues.

Also read: UPSC Mock Tests Series for UPSC

UPSC IAS Exam Pattern 2024 for Mains Exam

The UPSC CSE exam pattern 2024 is mentioned in the official UPSC CSE notification PDF. As per the official notification, the UPSC CSE mains exam is descriptive in nature. For more details on the UPSC CSE exam pattern 2024 for the mains exam, check the following table. Check the detailed UPSC CSE prelims syllabus.

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UPSC CSE Mains Exam Pattern

Papers

Subjects

Marks

Duration

Paper 1

Compulsory Indian language

300

3 hrs

Paper 2

English

300

3 hrs

Paper 3

Essay

250

3 hrs

Paper 4

General Studies 1

250

3 hrs

Paper 5

General Studies 2

250

3 hrs

Paper 6

General Studies 3

250

3 hrs

Paper 7

General Studies 4

250

3 hrs

Paper 8

Optional paper 1

250

3 hrs

Paper 9

Optional paper 2

250

3 hrs

Also check:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How can I prepare for UPSC Ethics?

Ethics syllabus is not vast as compared to other syllabus of UPSC optional subjects. So, it is pretty easy to study for it. Just refer to some limited books, download previous year question papers for Ethics and solve them. Ethics is mainly theoretical, so if you can frame and write well, you can qualify for it.

2. What are the topics in Ethics?

The topics are - Ethics & Human Interface, Attitude, Human Values, Emotional intelligence-concepts, Aptitude and foundational values etc.

3. What are some best books for Ethics Integrity and Aptitude?

Some of the most famous books aspirants refer to are - Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by G Subba Rao & P N Roy Chowdhury. Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude for IAS General Studies Paper IV by Niraj Kumar. Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Santosh Ajmera & Nanda Kishore Reddy etc.

4. How many papers are there in the UPSC CSE mains exam?

UPSC CSE mains exam has nine papers and all are descriptive in nature.

5. What is the minimum education qualification to appear for the UPSC CSE exam?

The minimum education qualification required to appear for the UPSC IAS exam is graduation.

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Questions related to UPSC CSE

Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?

Hello!
IRAS (Indian Railway Accounts Service) officers can be posted in both cities and rural areas since Indian Railways has offices and operations nationwide. They typically work in divisional offices, zonal offices, workshops, and production units. Transfers do happen but are usually not very frequent and depend on government policies and organizational needs.

Hope this helps!

To become an IAS officer, you must clear the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), and then undergo training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). While any bachelor's degree is acceptable, choosing a degree that aligns with the UPSC syllabus, particularly in humanities and social sciences, can be advantageous.

UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE):

This is the primary exam for becoming an IAS officer, involving three stages: Preliminary, Main, and Personality Test (Interview).

Any Bachelor's Degree:

A graduate degree from a recognized university is the basic requirement to be eligible for the CSE.

Beneficial Degrees:

Degrees in humanities and social sciences, such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), can be helpful due to the syllabus overlap with subjects like History, Political Science, Sociology, and Economics.

Optional Subject:

You can choose an optional subject in the Mains exam, and a BA degree can provide a wide range of options.

Hope it helps!!

Hello!!

That's a great goal—and your background as a research scholar can actually be a big asset in preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE), which is the path to becoming an IAS officer.

Step-by-Step Guide to Become an IAS Officer:

1. Understand the Exam Structure

The UPSC CSE has three stages:

Prelims: Objective (GS Paper + CSAT)

Mains: Descriptive (9 papers)

Interview: Personality Test

2. Check Eligibility

Age: 21 to 32 (for General category)

Degree: Any graduate degree (you already qualify)

3. Choose Your Optional Subject

Choose something you’re comfortable with (can be from your research field if it's available).

Popular optionals: Sociology, Geography, PSIR, Anthropology, etc.

4. Build a Study Plan

Since you're a research scholar, time management is key.

Daily 4–6 hours of focused study can work if you're consistent.

Focus on:

NCERTs (6th–12th)

Standard books (like Laxmikanth for Polity, Spectrum for History)

Current Affairs (The Hindu, Indian Express, or PIB + Monthly compilations)

5. Join a Test Series (Optional but Helpful)

For Prelims and Mains: to build speed, writing skills, and clarity.

6. Practice Answer Writing

Mains is all about articulation. Practice with previous year questions and mock tests.

7. Appear for the Exam

Notification comes out around February.

Prelims is in May/June, Mains in September, and Interview early next year.

How to Align This With Your Research Schedule:

Create a realistic time-table that includes 2–3 hours on weekdays, and more on weekends.

Use your research experience for deeper understanding and essay writing.

If your goal is to become an IAS officer, choose a degree that supports UPSC preparation and also provides a good backup:

BA in Political Science, History, Geography, or Economics is ideal for IAS.
BSc or BCom is fine too, but you'll need to study humanities separately for UPSC.
For backup, pick a subject with good job prospects like BBA or Computer Science.

KCET is required only if you're planning professional courses like Engineering or Agriculture. It's not needed for BA or general degrees.

After 10th for IAS

Hello aspirant,

For becoming IAS , you have to first complete your graduation from any background from any recognised university or college. If you are in your final year, then also you are eligible. After that you have to give an entrance exam name UPSC . If you will clear this exam then according to your marks you may get the IAS position.

To know about UPSC entrance exam, kindly go through the given link:

https://competition.careers360.com/exams/upsc-cse

All the best!!

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