UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 is among the four general studies papers in a subjective format. It covers subjects such as History, Geography, Art and Culture, and Indian Society. In addition to GS Paper 1, there are eight additional papers in the Mains stage of the IAS Exam. This article offers insights into the GS 1 Syllabus and Structure to aid in your UPSC preparation.
IAS Mains General Studies – I
| Subjects in GS Paper 1 | Sub-Topics |
| History | Art & Culture Modern History World History |
| Geography | Physical Geography of India & World Human Geography |
| Indian Society | Demography, Social Issues, and Developments in Indian Society |
In contrast to other general studies papers, GS Paper 1 includes subjects that may yield direct questions. For instance, in the case of History within GS Paper-I, questions can directly pertain to ancient, medieval, modern, and world history. Nonetheless, within Indian Society and Geography, aspirants must bridge the static syllabus of GS Paper 1 with current affairs to address specific topics effectively.
Focus Area in GS1 Paper
| Subject | Topics |
| Art & Culture | Classical dances Temple architecture Themes of ancient Indian history Literature Music and musical instruments |
| Modern History | Four important agitations/movements: Swadeshi and Boycott movement, Khilafat and Non-cooperation movement, Civil Disobedience movement, Quit India movement. Social/religious reform movements: personalities and their contributions Contributions of important personalities (Indian and foreign) |
| India after Independence & Political Philosophies | Admission of princely states Role of important personalities Important movements after 1947 Communism Capitalism socialism |
| World History | American, French, Russian and Industrial Revolution World War I and II Current affairs International pages of The Hindu and The Indian Express |
| Society of India | Diversity in India Women Empowerment Issues in Indian Society |
| Geography | Cyclones, hurricanes, earthquakes Location of industries in India Water bodies Climate change Natural Resources |
How to Approach GS1 Paper
| Subject | Sources |
| History | Art & Culture Books: India’s Ancient Past – RS Sharma Facets of Indian Culture (Spectrum publications) Website: Centre for Cultural Resources & Training (CCRT) website Modern History Books: India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra A Brief History of Modern India – Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum Publications) India After Independence Books: India Since Independence – Bipan Chandra World History Books: Mastering World History – Norman Lowe History of the World – Arjun Dev |
| Society of India | Newspapers Magazines (EPW) Reports of NGOs, international organizations etc. |
| Geography | NCERTs from classes VI through XII. |
GS-I Structure
Key features of the UPSC General Studies I Mains paper include:
- Question Format: The paper consists of 20 compulsory questions presented in both Hindi and English. Responses should be provided in the language chosen during the application process; answers in other languages are not assessed.
- Total Marks: This paper is worth a total of 250 marks.
- Word Limits: For 10-mark questions, the word limit is 150, and for 15-mark questions, it is 250.
- History Emphasis: The history syllabus places significant emphasis on Modern History topics, with questions pertaining to the Freedom struggle, Indian Renaissance, and related sub-topics.
- Geography Focus: In the geography syllabus, the spotlight is on current affairs-related topics, alongside static sub-topics.
- Indian Society Themes: Questions from the Indian Society syllabus encompass subjects such as women empowerment, secularism, and the cultural aspects of Indian society.
For a comprehensive understanding of UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-I (UPSC GS 1 syllabus), please refer to the detailed syllabus outlined below:
| Topic | Sub-Topics |
| History | Modern Indian History from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues. The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country. Post-independence Consolidation and Reorganization within the country. History of the World will include events from the 18th century such as the Industrial Revolution, world wars, Redrawal of National Boundaries, Colonization, Decolonization, political philosophies like Communism, Capitalism, Socialism etc.— their forms and effect on society. |
| Art & Culture | Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times |
| Geography | Salient features of World’s Physical Geography. Distribution of Key Natural Resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India). 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. |
| Indian Society | Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. Role of Women and Women’s Organization, Population and Associated Issues Poverty and Developmental issues, Urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Effects of Globalization on Indian society. Social Empowerment Communalism Regionalism Secularism. |
GS-I Trend Analysis
The table below presents significant questions from the IAS Exam for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020 in GS Paper 1 with the recurring trends observed within each subject.
History Trend Analysis
| Year | Question | Marks | Nature | Reference |
| 2020 | The rock-cut architecture represents one of the most important sources of our knowledge of early Indian art and history. Discuss | 10 | Static | NCERT Class 11th Fine Arts/Ancient History NCERT |
| 2020 | Pala period is the most significant phase in the history of Buddhism in India. Enumerate. | 10 | Static + Dynamic | Medieval History NCERT/News Sources |
| 2020 | Evaluate the policies of Lord Curzon and their long term implications on the national movements | 10 | Static | Rajiv Ahir’s Brief History of Modern India/Bipan Chandra’s India’s Struggle for Independence |
| 2020 | Indian Philosophy and tradition played a significant role in conceiving and shaping the monuments and their art in India. Discuss | 15 | Static + Analytical | Reference Book |
| 2020 | Persian literary sources of medieval India reflect the spirit of the age. Comment | 15 | Static | Themes of India NCERT |
| 2020 | Since the decade of the 1920s, the national movement acquired various ideological strands and thereby expanded its social base. Discuss. | 15 | Static | Spectrum/India’s Struggle for Independence |
| 2019 | Highlight the Central Asian and Greco Bactrian elements in the Gandhara art. | 10 | Static | NCERT Class XII (Themes in Indian History) |
| 2019 | The 1857 uprising was the culmination of the recurrent, big and small local rebellions that had occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule. Elucidate. | 10 | Static | Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir |
| 2019 | Examine the linkages between the nineteenth century’s ‘Indian Renaissance’ and the emergence of national identity. | 10 | Static | NCERT + Any reference book |
| 2019 | Many voices had strengthened and enriched the nationalist movement during the Gandhian phase. Elaborate. | 15 | Static | NCERT + Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir |
| 2019 | Assess the role of British imperial power in complicating the process of transfer of power during the 1940s. | 15 | Static | NCERT + Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir |
| 2018 | Assess the importance of the accounts of the Chinese and Arab travellers in the reconstruction of the history of India. | 10 | Static | NCERT Class XII – Themes in Indian History Part-II (Theme 5) |
| 2018 | Throw light on the significance of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the present times. | 10 | Static + Dynamic (Current Affairs-Based) | 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was celebrated |
| 2018 | Safeguarding the Indian art heritage is the need of the moment. Comment | 10 | Static | NCERT Class XII – Themes in Indian History (Part I, II and III) |
| 2018 | The Bhakti movement received a remarkable re-orientation with the advent of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Discuss | 15 | Static | NCERT Class XII |
Geography Trend Analysis
| Year | Question | Mark | Nature | Asked From/Why |
| 2020 | Discuss the geophysical characteristics of Circum- Pacific Zone | 10 | Static + Dynamic | Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung Volcanic Eruption was in the news |
| 2020 | The process of desertification does not have climate boundaries. Justify with examples. | 10 | Static + Dynamic | UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) moderated a panel marking panel the ‘Desertification and Drought Day 2020’ |
| 2020 | How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far- reaching impact on the water resources of India? | 10 | Static + Current Affairs | The Hindu’s coverage on ‘Government plans to measure depth of Himalayan glaciers to assess water availability’ |
| 2020 | Account for the present location of iron and steel industries away from the source of raw material, by giving examples. | 10 | Static | NCERTs |
| 2020 | The interlinking of revivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. | 15 | Static + Dynamic + Current Affairs | Cauvery-Gundar river linking project was in the news. The Hindu’s coverage, ‘Centre working on exclusive body for river-linking projects.’ |
| 2020 | Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures. | 15 | Static + Current Affairs | Urban Flooding in Hyderabad and Rains in Pune remained in the news |
| 2019 | Assess the impact of global warming on the coral life system with examples. | 10 | Static + Current Affairs-Based | In News |
| 2019 | Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining coastal ecology. | 10 | Current Affairs-Based | In News |
| 2019 | What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India? | 15 | Static + Current Affairs-Based | NCERT + Newspapers’ Editorials |
| 2018 | Why is the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) needed? How does it help in navigation? | 10 | Current Affairs | IRNSS was successfully launched |
| 2018 | Why is India taking a keen interest in the Arctic region? | 10 | Static + Dynamic | India was an observer at the Council from 2013 onwards and re-elected as the observer |
| 2018 | Define mantle plume and explain its role in plate tectonics. | 10 | Static | NCERT |
| 2018 | What are the consequences of spreading ‘Dead Zones’ on the marine ecosystem? | 10 | Current Affairs-Based | In News |
| 2018 | “The ideal solution of depleting groundwater resources in India is a water harvesting system.” How can it be made effective in urban areas? | 15 | Current Affairs + Static | NCERT + News |
| 2018 | Defining the blue revolution, explain the problems and strategies for pisciculture development in India. | 15 | Static | NCERT |
Indian Society Trend Analysis
| Year | Question | Marks | Nature | Asked From/Why |
| 2020 | Customs and traditions suppress reason leading to obscurantism. Do you agree? | 15 | Static + Analytical | General Topic |
| 2020 | Is diversity and pluralism in India under threat due to globalisation? Justify your answer. | 15 | Static | General Topic/Any Reference Book |
| 2020 | Do you agree that regionalism in India appears to be a consequence of rising cultural assertiveness? Argue | 10 | Static + Analytical | Direct Topic from Syllabus |
| 2019 | What makes Indian society unique in sustaining its culture? Discuss. | 10 | Static | Class 12 NCERT + Newspaper |
| 2019 | “Empowering women is the key to control population growth.” Discuss. | 10 | Static | Direct from the topic mentioned in the syllabus |
| 2019 | What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism? | 10 | Static | Direct from the topic (Communalism) mentioned in the syllabus |
| 2019 | What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space? | 15 | Static + Dynamic | Direct from the topic (Role of women and women’s organization) mentioned in the syllabus |
| 2018 | “Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, the caste system cannot be eradicated in India.” Comment. | 10 | Static | General topic, direct from the syllabus |
| 2018 | ‘Despite the implementation of various programmes for eradication of poverty by the government in India, poverty is still existing’. Explain by giving reasons | 10 | Static + Current Affairs-Based | Reference Book + News Topic – ‘Poverty and Development Issues’ |
| 2018 | How is the Indian concept of secularism different from the western model of secularism? Discuss. | 10 | Static | Any reference book |
IAS Exam Pattern
| UPSC IAS Exam | Pattern of IAS Exam |
| Preliminary Examination | General Studies Aptitude Test |
| Mains Examination | Qualifying: Paper-A (One of the 22 Indian Languages) Paper-B (English) Papers to be counted for merit: Paper-I (Essay) Paper-II (GS-I) Paper-III (GS-II) Paper-IV (GS-III) Paper-V (GS-IV) Paper-VI (Optional Paper-I) Paper-VI (Optional Paper-II) |
| Personality Test | – |
The UPSC IAS Exam witnessed significant structural modifications in 2013, with minor adjustments occurring in 2015 and 2016. The alterations pertaining to General Studies are as follows:
- 2013: The number of General Studies papers increased from 2 to 4.
- 2015: CSAT marks ceased to contribute to the merit list, with only General Studies papers, essays, and optional papers considered for merit ranking, while CSAT became a qualifying paper.
- 2016: The marks distribution for General Studies Papers shifted to a two-tier system, departing from the earlier uniform marks allocation for all questions.
Given the recent trend of in-depth analysis of UPSC papers, it is imperative to thoroughly comprehend the topics covered in General Studies Paper-II. Additionally, reviewing previous years’ UPSC questions and answers can enhance your ability to respond effectively and efficiently.
