IAS Syllabus 2025 - Check UPSC CSE Syllabus PDF

IAS Syllabus 2025 - Check UPSC CSE Syllabus PDF

Edited By Vishnukumar V | Updated on Feb 25, 2025 10:46 AM IST | #UPSC CSE
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UPSC CSE  Exam Date : 22 Aug' 2025 - 22 Aug' 2025

Union Public Services Commission released the UPSC IAS syllabus 2025 online on the official website. Candidates can download the UPSC IAS syllabus PDF online at upsc.gov.in. Candidates attempting the UPSC CSE exam can go through the article below for a detailed explanation of the syllabus and exam pattern, along with some preparation tips. Aside from the extreme competition, another factor that contributes to the difficulty of the exam is the vast IAS Syllabus 2025. Candidates looking to attempt the IAS 2025 exam must be extremely diligent with their preparation.

This Story also Contains
  1. UPSC IAS Syllabus 2025 - Overview
  2. IAS Prelims Syllabus 2025
  3. IAS Syllabus 2025 for Mains
  4. UPSC IAS Optional Subject 2025
  5. IAS Exam Pattern 2025
  6. UPSC IAS Preparation Tips 2025
IAS Syllabus 2025 - Check UPSC CSE Syllabus PDF
IAS Syllabus 2025 - Check UPSC CSE Syllabus PDF

The first step to good preparation is to know all the topics in the IAS 2025 syllabus. Candidates can consult the material below for a detailed description of the IAS exam syllabus 2025 for both prelims and mains. The UPSC Civil Services Exam, colloquially known as the IAS exam, is an extremely competitive exam held annually to recruit capable candidates for various UPSC posts. Due to the prestigious nature of posts such as IAS and IPS, many lakhs of candidates attempt the exam every time.

UPSC IAS Syllabus 2025 - Overview

Particulars

Details

Name of exam

Civil Services Exam (UPSC CSE)

Conducting Body

Union Public Service Commission

Mode of Exam

Offline

Number of Stages

  • Prelims exam

  • Mains exam

  • Interview

Number of papers in UPSC Exam

Prelims: 2

Mains: 7

Time Duration of UPSC CSE exam

Prelims: 2 hours (Each paper) total 4 hours

Mains: 3 hours (Each paper) total 27 hours conducted across various days

Type of questions

Prelims: Objective type

Mains: Subjective type

IAS Prelims Syllabus 2025

UPSC released the syllabus of prelims and mains separately in the official IAS 2025 notification. The prelims will consist of 2 papers, General Studies 1 and 2. This part mostly consists of topics pertaining to general social sciences, reasoning, interpersonal skills and basic data interpretation.

Candidates must diligently prepare for this portion, as the IAS prelims round serves as a screening of sorts where most candidates are eliminated. Therefore, candidates should take special care to prepare all the topics in the IAS Syllabus 2025 well in this round in order to succeed.

Candidates can find the IAS 2025 syllabus for both papers of the in the table below. A comprehensive list of topics present in the UPSC prelims syllabus 2025 is given below. Candidates can refer to the IAS syllabus 2025 of prelims before preparing for the exam.

UPSC IAS Exam Syllabus 2025 - Prelims

Paper

Civil Services exam syllabus - Important topics

Paper 1 (GS 1)

  • Current events related to national and international importance.

  • General issues on Biodiversity and Climate Change, Environmental ecology specially climate change, solar inventions, green energy etc

  • Economic and Social Development specially Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Government schemes, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

  • General Science.

  • Indian and World Geography - Social, Physical, Economic Geography of India and the World.

  • Indian Polity and Governance - Political System, Constitution, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, Governor and President powers, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Fundamental Rights Issues, Directive policy of state principals

Paper 2 (GS 2) - CSAT

  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills

  • Comprehension

  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability

  • Basic numeracy (orders of magnitude, numbers and their relations, etc.) (Class 10th level)

  • Decision making and problem-solving

  • Questions on General mental ability

  • Data interpretation (graphs, charts, data sufficiency, tables etc. — Class 10th level

IAS Syllabus 2025 for Mains

Candidates can find the UPSC CSE Syllabus 2025 of mains in the official notification. The IAS 2025 syllabus for mains is incredibly vast, as there are many papers a candidate needs to attempt in this round. According to the IAS exam pattern, candidates must attempt 7 papers, including 2 optional papers. Candidates can find some of the important topics in the IAS syllabus 2025 for Papers 1 to 5 below.

UPSC IAS Mains Syllabus 2025

Paper

Topics

Paper 1

Essay writing

Paper 2 (GS 1)

Based on Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.


  • Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

  • Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, the problems caused by it and the remedies.

  • Effects of globalization on Indian society.

  • Modern Indian history from the middle of the eighteenth century till present- famous personalities, significant events and issues.

  • Salient features of Indian Society and Diversity of India.

  • The Freedom Struggle — various stages and important contributions from famous personalities from all parts of the country.

  • History of the world including events from the 18th century - industrial revolution, redrawal of national boundaries, world wars, colonization, decolonization, capitalism, political philosophies like communism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on society.

  • Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

  • Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

  • Salient features of the world's physical geography.

  • Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including

  • Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

  • South Asia and the Indian subcontinent factors responsible for the location of the primary, secondary, and tertiary sector

  • Industries in various parts of the world (including India).

Paper 3 (GS 2)

Based on Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations.

  • The Indian Constitution— historical underpinnings, evolution of the constitution, features of the constitution, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure of the constitution of India.

  • Functions and responsibilities of Union and States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges.

  • Separation of powers between various organs disputes redressal mechanisms and institutions.

  • Salient features of Representation of People's Act.

  • Development processes and development industry — the role of SHGs, NGOs, various groups and associations, charities, donors, institutional and stakeholders etc.

  • Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of population by Centre and States and performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for protection and betterment of vulnerable sections.

  • Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

  • Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.

  • Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.

  • Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, the conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising.

  • Structure, organization and functioning of Executive and Judiciary— Ministries and Departments of Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in Polity.

  • Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

  • Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

  • Issues relating to hunger and poverty.

  • Important aspects of governance, e-governance- applications, transparency and accountability, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures..

  • Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

  • Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

  • Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

  • Role of IAS in democracy.

  • India and its neighbourhood-relations


Paper 4 (GS 3)

Based on Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management

  • Indian Economy and issues relating to mobilization of resources, planning, growth, development and employment.

  • Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

  • Government Budgeting.

  • Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.

  • Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.

  • Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, - transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

  • Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

  • Land reforms in India.

  • Science and technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

  • Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

  • Investment models.

  • Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

  • Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

  • Disaster and disaster management.

  • Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

  • Linkages between development and spread of extremism.

  • Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cybersecurity, money-laundering and its prevention.

  • Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

  • Security challenges and their management in border areas - linkages of organized crime with terrorism.

  • Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Paper 5 (GS 4)

Based on Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

  • 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.

  • 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.

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

  • Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply. Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

  • 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.

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

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

  • Case Studies.

Also read: UPSC Essay Topics 2025

UPSC IAS Optional Subject 2025

The last 2 papers of the UPSC IAS mains exam consist of 2 optional subjects. Candidates must choose their optional subjects during the IAS 2025 application process. Candidates can view the IAS syllabus 2025 for their respective optional subjects on the pages linked below.

UPSC IAS Optional Subject List

Agriculture

Management

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science

Mathematics

Anthropology

Mechanical Engineering

Botany

Medical Science

Chemistry

Philosophy

Civil Engineering

Physics

Commerce and Accountancy

Political Science & International Relations

Economics

Psychology

Electrical Engineering

Public Administration

Geography

Sociology

Geology

Statistics

History

Zoology

Law

Ethics

Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.

Also read:

IAS Exam Pattern 2025

Along with the syllabus, the UPSC also releases the UPSC IAS 2025 exam pattern. Candidates attempting the IAS exam must also be sure to check the exam pattern of IAS 2025 before beginning preparation. The UPSC CSE exam pattern for prelims and mains is prescribed separately.

As per the exam pattern, the full marks of the prelims stage are 500 whereas the total marks for the mains stage are 600. Candidates can check the details about the UPSC IAS exam pattern in the table below.

UPSC IAS Prelims Exam Pattern 2025

Number of papers

GS 1 AND GS 2

Language of paper

English

Hindi

Duration of exam

4 hours (2 hours each)

Number of questions

General studies paper 1: 100

General studies paper 2: 80

Maximum marks

400 (200 each)

Qualifying marks

33% for Paper 2

UPSC IAS Mains Exam Pattern 2025

Number of papers

9

Language of paper

English

Hindi

Descriptive paper

Duration of exam

3 hours each

Subjects

Compulsory Indian language

English

Essay

  • General Studies I

  • General Studies II

  • General Studies III

  • General Studies IV

  • Optional I

  • Optional II

Number of questions

Part A and B: 300 each

General Studies and Optional Paper: 250 each

Maximum marks

1750

UPSC IAS Preparation Tips 2025

  • Read the UPSC IAS Syllabus 2025 and exam pattern thoroughly to get a better idea of the structure of the exam and all the topics appearing in it.

  • Create a robust UPSC IAS 2025 Study plan and follow it diligently.

  • Pick the best books for UPSC IAS 2025 Preparation.

  • Take notes of the study material and revise them from time to time.

  • Practice solving as many UPSC IAS question papers to develop your time management skills.

  • Do not neglect your health during preparation time.

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.
Download EBook

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Will UPSC syllabus change in 2025?

The UPSC IAS syllabus 2025 is not likely to change too much.

2. How should I prepare for UPSC 2025?

You can prepare for the UPSC exam by reading the IAS 2025 syllabus and exam patterns and picking the best books to study from. Additionally, practice solving past question papers. 

3. Which post is the highest IAS post?

The highest IAS post is that of the Cabinet Secretary. 

4. What are the 24 posts of UPSC?

The 24 posts of UPSC IAS include Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Services, Indian Forest Services, Indian Foreign Services and many more. 

5. Is IAS really difficult?

The UPSC IAS exam is considered one of the toughest exams in the country as it is highly competitive and has a vast CSE Syllabus 2025. 

6. Are 12th marks important for IAS?

No, 12th marks are not accounted for in the UPSC IAS selection process. 

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Questions related to UPSC CSE

Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?

Hello ,

If you want to give IAS exam then you should complete your graduation first or also if you are in your last year of graduation then you can fill the application form.

To know more, refer this:

https://competition.careers360.com/articles/upsc-ias-application-form

I hope this helps you!

If you want to become an IAS or IPS officer after completing your 12th in PCMC ,  focus on graduation because the UPSC Civil Services exam requires you to have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. You can choose any graduation stream, but many students prefer degrees like Political Science, Public Administration, History, or Sociology because these subjects help build a strong foundation for the UPSC syllabus. it’s not mandatory to pick these; you can also pursue Science, Commerce, or Arts as long as you complete your graduation. Along with your degree,  start preparing for the UPSC exam early by reading newspapers, improving your general knowledge, and practicing answer writing. So, after 12th, pick a degree you are comfortable with, and plan your UPSC preparation alongside

Hii,

Yes, even if you have an ECE diploma, you can still become an IAS officer. However, you must graduate from an accredited college in any field in order to apply for the IAS exam (UPSC). A diploma is insufficient on its own.

First, enroll in a degree program such as a B.A., B.Sc., or B.Tech (lateral entry is acceptable). You can then get ready for the IAS exam. Many IAS officers have backgrounds in the arts, sciences, or diploma programs. So don't worry, just finish your graduation first and move on.

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!!

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