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UPSC syllabus map

Every note mapped to the UPSC Civil Services Mains General Studies syllabus, so you can revise by topic. The topic wording is paraphrased; always check the current official syllabus. Notes are background reading, not a substitute for standard texts.

GS Paper I: History and society

Syllabus topic	Read these notes
Modern Indian history: the freedom struggle, its stages and important contributors	Lahore, 1929 — When a Meeting Became a Beginning How the Protests Started After Lahore — and Who Led Them Parallel Analysis: Lahore 1929 and a New India Building
Salient features of Indian society; role of women and women's organisations	048 · Women in politics: reservation, representation, and reality 065 · Women's movements: from safety to representation 049 · Caste, religion, and class in voting behaviour
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism	049 · Caste, religion, and class in voting behaviour 067 · Adivasi and Dalit movements: rights, land, and dignity 002 · The Preamble in today's debates: justice, liberty, equality, fraternity
Urbanisation, its problems and remedies; migration	096 · Migration, cities, and the young Indian voter 059 · Regional language media: where most of India gets its news

GS Paper II: Polity, governance and international relations

Syllabus topic	Read these notes
Indian Constitution: evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure	001 · What the Constitution actually protects, and what it leaves to politics 002 · The Preamble in today's debates: justice, liberty, equality, fraternity 003 · Fundamental Rights vs Directive Principles: why both matter 004 · How amendments work, and why the basic structure doctrine matters 033 · Judicial review and the basic structure: courts as a check
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and states; federal structure; devolution of powers and finances	006 · Governors and the Centre-State relationship in practice 025 · Federalism in India: Strong Centre, Strong States, Constant Negotiation 026 · Finance Commission and GST Council: Sharing Money, Sharing Power 027 · State Assemblies vs Parliament: Where Different Politics Live 009 · Local government: panchayats and municipalities after 73rd/74th Amendments
Separation of powers; dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions	031 · Judicial independence: why judges need protection from politics 038 · Courts and elections: what judges can and cannot decide 039 · Access to justice: cost, language, and delay
Parliament and state legislatures: structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges	021 · How Parliament Works: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and Law-Making 022 · Question Hour, Debates and Disruptions: Is Disruption a Democratic Tool? 023 · The Budget Session and Why the Budget Is a Political Document 024 · Opposition in Parliament: Role, Rights, and Limits 029 · Parliamentary Committees: The Quiet Work Behind the Noise
Executive and judiciary: structure, organisation and functioning	005 · The President, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers: who decides what 031 · Judicial independence: why judges need protection from politics 032 · How judges are appointed: the collegium debate 040 · The judiciary in 2026: pendency, technology, and reform debates
Salient features of the Representation of People's Act; elections	011 · What the Election Commission does, and what it does not do 012 · How voter rolls are made: enrolment, revision, and deletion rules 013 · What is SIR? Special Intensive Revision explained simply 015 · Form 6 and voter registration: why a form became a controversy 019 · Voters who say their names were deleted: what remedies exist 038 · Courts and elections: what judges can and cannot decide 046 · Money in elections: bonds, donations, and transparency debates
Appointment to constitutional posts; powers and responsibilities of constitutional bodies	007 · The Election Commission as a constitutional body 008 · Comptroller and Auditor General, UPSC and other watchdog institutions 018 · How a CEC can actually be removed: Article 324(5) explained 098 · How to become a civil servant: UPSC and public service as a democratic career
Statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies	016 · ECINET and digital voter rolls: promise and concern 058 · Public broadcasting: Doordarshan, AIR, and their role today 057 · Digital regulation: IT Rules, takedowns, and free speech
Government policies and interventions; issues in their design and implementation	071 · Welfare and votes: freebies, rights, or investment? 072 · MGNREGA and the right to work in practice 073 · Food security: PDS, ration, and hunger debates 074 · Health and education as democratic promises
Development processes: the role of NGOs, SHGs, groups and associations	068 · NGOs, FCRA, and the space for civil society 070 · From protest to policy: when movements change law 064 · Workers, unions, and the gig economy
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections	072 · MGNREGA and the right to work in practice 073 · Food security: PDS, ration, and hunger debates 074 · Health and education as democratic promises 067 · Adivasi and Dalit movements: rights, land, and dignity
Issues relating to health, education and human resources	074 · Health and education as democratic promises 093 · Education and democracy: what schools and colleges teach about citizenship 075 · Jobs: the employment debate young voters face
Governance, transparency and accountability; e-governance; citizens' charters	016 · ECINET and digital voter rolls: promise and concern 020 · Trust in elections: how democracies measure and rebuild it 056 · Government advertising and media independence 099 · Local democracy for beginners: ward, panchayat, and how to raise an issue
Role of civil services in a democracy	098 · How to become a civil servant: UPSC and public service as a democratic career 090 · Defence, security, and democratic control of the armed forces
India and its neighbourhood: relations	082 · India-China relations: border, trade, and trust 083 · India-Pakistan: why dialogue stops and starts 084 · India and its neighbours: Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India	085 · The Quad, BRICS, and G20: India's many tables 086 · Trade, tariffs, and economic diplomacy in 2025-26 081 · India and the world: strategic autonomy explained
Effect of policies and politics of other countries on India's interests; Indian diaspora	086 · Trade, tariffs, and economic diplomacy in 2025-26 087 · Diaspora politics: Indians abroad and Indian democracy 088 · Democracy rankings: how India is rated, and why rankings are debated

GS Paper III: Economy, environment and security

Syllabus topic	Read these notes
Indian economy: growth, development, employment and inclusive growth	075 · Jobs: the employment debate young voters face 076 · Inequality: growth, wealth, and who benefits
Government budgeting and taxation	023 · The Budget Session and Why the Budget Is a Political Document 077 · Taxation and fairness: direct vs indirect taxes
Agriculture: MSP, public distribution, food security	079 · Agriculture policy: MSP, markets, and farmer income 073 · Food security: PDS, ration, and hunger debates 062 · Farmers' movements: how agrarian protest shapes policy
Infrastructure: energy, ports, roads, railways	078 · Infrastructure politics: roads, railways, and digital India
Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation; climate change	080 · Climate, economy, and just transition 089 · Climate diplomacy: India's voice in global talks 066 · Environmental movements and the right to a clean environment 095 · Climate anxiety and youth politics
Security challenges; role of media and social networking in internal security	053 · Social media and politics: WhatsApp, YouTube, and short video 054 · Misinformation and deepfakes in election season 057 · Digital regulation: IT Rules, takedowns, and free speech 090 · Defence, security, and democratic control of the armed forces

GS Paper IV and Essay: Ethics and writing practice

Syllabus topic	Read these notes
Ethics in public administration; probity; accountability	098 · How to become a civil servant: UPSC and public service as a democratic career 020 · Trust in elections: how democracies measure and rebuild it 056 · Government advertising and media independence
Essay-ready long-view topics	100 · The next 25 years: what Indian democracy could look like in 2050 070 · From protest to policy: when movements change law 088 · Democracy rankings: how India is rated, and why rankings are debated

How the UPSC exam works (Note 098) →