The UPSC conducts the Civil Services Exam in three stages every year. The first stage is the Preliminary Examination consisting of two papers, the second is the Mains Examination which consists of nine papers, followed by a Personality Test Interview.
Out of nine papers in the Mains, four are General Studies Papers covering a wide variety of subjects.
In this series of articles, we are discussing the structure and syllabus of the General Studies Papers for the Mains Examination. This article focuses on the structure of the General Studies Paper IV and the Subjects that it covers.
The General Studies Paper IV covers the following subjects:
- Ethics
- Integrity
- Aptitude
This paper tests the candidate’s approach to the issues of integrity and probity while dealing with public life. It also tests the candidate’s approach to problem-solving and conflict resolution.
This paper may have a slight overlap of topics with Governance and Social Justice Subjects from General Studies II in the Civil Service Examination mains papers but is largely independent of the syllabus of other GS papers.
Structure of UPSC Mains General Studies Paper IV
The following are the important features of the General Studies IV paper:
- The paper consists of twelve questions with these divided into two sections. Before 2018, there were fourteen questions, though now the complexity has been increased and the number of questions has been reduced.
- All the questions are compulsory
- The questions are of 10 marks and 20 marks depending on the length of the answer required. The 10 marks questions need answers within 150 words while the 20 marks questions need answers within 250 words.
- The total marks allotted to this paper are 250 marks.
- The questions are of two types:
- Direct concept related questions which test the candidate’s understanding of ethical issues and concepts related to integrity and aptitude(125 marks)
- Case studies which test the candidate’s application of those concepts to situations involving the candidate and other stakeholders such as politicians, pressure groups, the public and other people(125 marks)
- This paper is the most variable of the four General Studies Papers and the nature of questions differ widely from year to year. Candidates should familiarise themselves with the syllabus, and last few year’s patterns as well.
The key takeaway from this paper is that it tests the candidate’s honesty and integrity along with their problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
Syllabus of UPSC Mains General Studies Paper IV
The following is the Detailed Syllabus for General Studies IV Paper in the UPSC Mains Examination:
Topics |
Subtopics |
Ethics and Human Interface |
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Attitude |
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Aptitude |
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Emotional Intelligence |
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Contributions of Thinkers and Philosophers |
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Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration |
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Probity in Governance |
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This paper relies heavily on case studies which are the most scoring parts of the paper. The candidates should be able to analyse their own reactions to various situations and apply concepts dealt with in this paper on their actions and reactions to various situations while dealing with their social circle. Reading on philosophers and thinkers as well as administrators who are considered role models is a must for being successful in this paper. Also, remembering that the paper is about you and your moral compass is important, you always have to look at each issue from the angle of every stakeholder and choose the most ethical and least selfish option for yourself.
For more detailed information on UPSC General Studies and related topics, please visit:
UPSC Related Links |
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