UPSC Ethics Syllabus 2026 - Check Subject Wise Syllabus & Exam Pattern

UPSC Ethics Syllabus 2026 - Check Subject Wise Syllabus & Exam Pattern

Deshamena RachanaUpdated on 18 Sep 2025, 04:14 PM IST

The Commission mentions the UPSC Ethics syllabus in its official notification PDF. The syllabus of UPSC Ethics 2026 comprises all the important topics that UPSC aspirants need to prepare in order to qualify for the mains exam of UPSC CSE. The UPSC 2026 syllabus for ethics can be downloaded on the official website.
Download - UPSC Ethics Syllabus PDF

UPSC Ethics Syllabus 2026 - Check Subject Wise Syllabus & Exam Pattern
UPSC Ethics Syllabus 2026

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 2026. UPSC IAS Ethics syllabus 2026 consists 250 marks in total for GS Paper 4. Apart from the Ethics syllabus, aspirants must also know about the overall UPSC CSE syllabus 2026. 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 2026. Know more about the UPSC IAS Ethics 2026 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 2026 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 2026 syllabus from the following table.

Also Read: UPSC Subject-wise Questions for Various Subjects

UPSC CSE Preparation Strategy and Best Books
UPSC CSE preparation strategy along with best books for prelims as well as mains exam for sure success.
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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 2026 for Mains Exam

The UPSC CSE exam pattern 2026 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 2026 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)

Q: What are some best books for Ethics Integrity and Aptitude?
A:

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.

Q: What is the minimum education qualification to appear for the UPSC CSE exam?
A:

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

Q: How can I prepare for UPSC Ethics?
A:

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.

Q: What are the topics in Ethics?
A:

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

Q: How many papers are there in the UPSC CSE mains exam?
A:

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

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Questions related to UPSC CSE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?

Hello

If you want to become an IAS officer, you can choose any group CEC, MPC, or BiPC as IAS does not require a specific subject stream.
However, many students prefer CEC (Commerce, Economics, Civics) or MPC (Maths, Physics, Chemistry) because they help build analytical and general knowledge skills useful for the IAS exam.
CEC helps with subjects like economics and polity, which are important for the IAS syllabus.
MPC develops problem-solving skills and logical thinking, also useful for the exam. BiPC (Biology group) is less common for IAS aspirants, but still possible if you prefer life sciences.

Hello, it’s wonderful to see such clarity at such a young age. Becoming an IAS officer requires consistent preparation, strong general knowledge, and excellent analytical skills. Right now, your main focus should be building a strong base in academics, especially in subjects like History, Geography, and Economics. Start reading NCERT textbooks from class 6 to 12 for these subjects. Make it a habit to read a good newspaper like The Hindu or Indian Express daily to improve your current affairs knowledge. Practice writing short essays on important topics it will help you in the Mains stage later. Participate in debates, quizzes, and discussions to improve your speaking and thinking skills. After 12th, choose a graduation subject that you enjoy but also overlaps with UPSC syllabus. Most importantly, stay consistent and avoid distractions. You have plenty of time to prepare, so start slowly and build steadily.

Wishing you success in your IAS dream, and thank you for sharing.


The choice of your graduation path – integrated BSc BEd (Zoology), BTech CS, or integrated BS-MS at IISER Thiruvananthapuram – to pursue the dream of becoming an IAS officer requires careful consideration.

A Bachelor of Arts degree, particularly in subjects like Political Science, History, or Economics, is often considered the most aligned with the CSE syllabus, covering crucial topics relevant to General Studies papers.

However, a science background, especially with a BTech CS degree, develops analytical and logical reasoning skills beneficial for the CSAT paper and could be advantageous for certain optional subjects like Mathematics or potentially Engineering disciplines.

Even if you choose a science or engineering stream, you can still select humanities-based optional subjects that overlap with the General Studies papers like Anthropology, Sociology, or Public Administration, which many engineers have successfully opted for.The integrated BSc BEd (Zoology) offers a strong foundation in science and a backup career in teaching, but the primary focus of the BEd component may not be directly relevant to the UPSC syllabus. The integrated BS-MS at IISER offers a strong research focus and academic excellence, potentially leading to diverse career paths in science, academia, industry, or even government agencies But still it is not connected with your ias dream.

Among all b.tech is best as many successful candidates from engineering backgrounds, have utilized their analytical skills and knowledge to crack the exam.

Hello

This is the typical schedule of the IAS Exam (UPSC CSE):

Notification Release: February
Online Application Window: February to early March
Prelims Exam: May or June
Mains Exam: September/October

As for 2025, the registration date is already gone, so you have to see for 2026 now. The registration will open most probably in February 2026 so stay tuned.

To know more about the IAS Exam: UPSC CSE

Hope this answer helps! Thank You!!!

A candidate who has undergone heart surgery can be eligible for the IAS post if they are medically fit and can perform the required duties without any serious health problems The UPSC allows candidates to appear for the exam if they meet the general physical and mental fitness criteria After clearing the main examination and interview all selected candidates must undergo a detailed medical examination by a government medical board If the candidate has recovered well from heart surgery and there are no complications they can be declared fit for service However if the surgery has caused any permanent disability and if it is certified under the benchmark disability rules then the candidate may be eligible for reservation under the persons with disabilities category Final eligibility depends on the report given by the medical board during the selection process