UPSC CSE Study Material for IAS Exam 2024

Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is one the toughest examination in the country. It is generally said that “Everything under the sun will be asked in exam” but this is not more then myth. As UPSC has clearly defined syllabus for all three stages of examination – Preliminary examination , Mains examination , Personality Test. Serious candidate must go through the syllabus in details to differentiate between what should be focused upon & what should be avoided .

There are three important Pillars of Preparation :

Syllabus
Previous Year Question Papers
Clear & concise Booklist

UPSC CSE Exam detailed Syllabus

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts Civil Services Examination (CSE) every year to select the capable candidates from across the country who will be responsible for running the Administration of the country . UPSC Syllabus is not less than “Bible” for UPSC Aspirants. Serious candidate must understand the syllabus properly to know about the requirements of exam. Civil Services examination is one of the Prestigious examination in the country which is conducted in 3 Phases :

Previous Year Questions

Sllyabus

Notes

UPSC CSE Prelims Exam Pattern , Syllabus , Booklist , Study Material , Strategy

UPSC Prelims 2024 – Exam Pattern

As per UPSC 2024 notification ,Civil Services Examination(CSE) is to be conducted on May 26,2024 for which UPSC Notification will be released on Feb 14,2024 .The UPSC IAS Mains exam will be conducted in September 2024 . After the completion of each stage of examination (Prelims , Mains , Interview ) their result , cut-off marks (for each category ) , Answers Keys , Qualifying marks will be uploaded on upsc.gov.in .As per UPSC Notification 2024 , the number of vacancies to be filled through the Civil Services Examination is expected to be approximately 1056.

The Examination shall comprise of two compulsory Papers of 200 marks each.

Note:

Both the question papers will be of objective type (multiple choice questions) and each will be of two hours duration.
The General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33% ( 66 marks ).
The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English.

UPSC CSE PRELIMS EXAM PATTERN	General Studies Paper 1	General Studies Paper 2 CSAT
Number of Questions	100 Questions (Each question is of 2 marks)	80 Questions (Each question is of 2.5 marks)
Negative Marking	Yes (1/3rd of the maximum marks for the question) -0.66 marks for every incorrect answer	Yes (1/3rd of the maximum marks for the question) -0.83 marks for every incorrect answer
Duration of Exams	2 hours	2 hours
Date of Examination	16th June 2024	16th June 2024
Language of Examination	English / Hindi	English / Hindi
Maximum marks	200 Marks	200 Marks
Cut-off Marks	Merit basis [varies every year]	Qualifying in nature (33%) ( 66 marks out of 200 )

UPSC Prelims 2024 – Syllabus

UPSC Prelims examination comprises of 2 exams General Studies Paper 1 which is cut-off based & General Studies Paper 2 or Civil Services Aptitude test (CSAT) which is qualifying in nature .Both exams are of 200 marks & objective in nature.

UPSC CSE Prelims General Studies Paper 1 – (200 marks)

Current Events of National and International Importance.
History of India and Indian National Movement.
Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
General issues on Environmental ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
General Science.

UPSC CSE Prelims General Studies Paper 2 – (200 marks)

Comprehension; Interpersonal Skills including Communication Skills.
Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability. Decision Making and Problem Solving. General Mental Ability.
Basic Numeracy (Numbers and their Relations, Orders of Magnitude, etc.)
(Class X level). Data Interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level).

UPSC CSE Mains Exam Pattern , Syllabus , Booklist , Study Material , Strategy

UPSC CSE 2024 Mains Syllabus for IAS Exam

The Mains Examination is subjective in nature. It comprises of 9 Papers of which two – English Compulsory and Indian Language Paper are qualifying in nature ( 75 marks {25%} out of 300 marks in both papers) & rest seven papers – Essay , GS Paper 1 , GS Paper 2 , GS paper 3 , GS PAPER 4 , Optional paper I & Optional paper-II are considered for merit basis . Only those students who have cleared UPSC Preliminary examination ( 1^st stage ) are eligible to write Mains Examination. The UPSC Mains Examinations will be held from 20^th September 2024 onwards.

UPSC 2024 Mains Exam Pattern

Paper	Subject	Duration	Total Marks
Paper A	Compulsory Indian Language (mentioned in 8th schedule)	3 hours	300 Marks (Qualifying in nature)
Paper B	English Compulsory	3 hours	300 Marks (Qualifying in nature)
Paper I	Essay	3 hours	250 Marks
Paper II	General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)	3 hours	250 Marks
Paper III	General Studies -II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)	3 hours	250 Marks
Paper IV	General Studies -III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)	3 hours	250 Marks
Paper V	General Studies -IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)	3 hours	250 Marks
Optional Paper I	Optional Subject - Paper 1	3 hours	3 hours 250 Marks
Optional Paper II	Optional Subject - Paper 2	3 hours	250 Marks

The Mains Examination is of total 1750 Marks out of which cut-off is prepared every year on merit basis from seven papers ( except 2 papers which are qualifying in nature ) but it is important to note here that if candidate fail to score atleast 75 marks (25%) out of 300 in English compulsory & Indian Language compulsory paper then their remaining Answer sheets won’t be evaluated.

UPSC IAS Mains Syllabus 2024

UPSC CSE Mains examination is subjective in nature .The main objective of Mains examination is to check the depth of understanding in the variety of subjects which can be answered easily without any specialized knowledge with general understanding of the issues , ability to analyze & take decision objectively. For Optional Subject the examination demands more depth of understanding more then bachelors’degree and lower than the masters’degree. Subjects Included in UPSC Mains Examination are as follow :

Paper A à Compulsory Indian Language (mentioned in 8^th schedule)

Paper B à English Compulsory

Paper I – Essay ( Included Sociological & Philosophical essays )

Paper II – General Studies Paper 1

Ancient History
Medieval History
Modern History
Post Independence History
World History
Geography of India & World
Society

Paper III – General Studies Paper 2

Polity & Constitution
Governance
Social Justice
International Relation

Paper IV – General Studies Paper 3

Economics
Environment
Science & Technology
Disaster Management
Security

Paper V – General Studies Paper 4

Ethics Integrity & Aptitude

Paper VI – Optional Subject Paper I

Paper VII – Optional Subject Paper II

UPSC Syllabus for IAS Interview 2024

Though UPSC does not any specific syllabus for Interview but as a serious candidate one should prepare to for each stage of exam seriously especially for Interview as it is final stage of exam . All those student who have manage to secure their name in Mains merit list are called for Interview by UPSC .Main focus of Interview is to gaze your personality , ability to withstand the arduous situations in for of Public pressure , Political pressure , work load that candidate is going to face in his/her career ahead.

Interview is not a test of Intellectual qualities of candidate but the social interest , interest in current affairs , Emotional Intelligence .

The syllabus of the Interview can be described under two heads :

Qualities that candidate should Possess are :

Mental alertness
Critical powers of assimilation
Clear and logical exposition
Balance of judgement
Variety and depth of interest
Ability for social cohesion and leadership
Intellectual and moral integrity

Detailed Application form (DAF) à In all 3 stages of examination Candidate have to fill DAF two times DAF I & DAF II when candidate clear Prelims (to apply for Mains examination ) and Mains examination (to apply for Interview ) respectively.

DAF I is filled by a candidate when they have cleared prelims to apply for Mains examination which include general information about candidate such as along with scanned

Documents/certificates in support of date of birth
category specification {viz. SC/ST/ OBC (without OBC Annexure)
EWS [Economically Weaker Sections] (without EWS Annexure) /PwBD / Ex-Serviceman}
Educational qualification
Parental Information
Work experience information (if any )

DAF II – Candidates those will clear Mains examination are required to fill the DAF II in order to apply for Interview. In this candidate is required to fill following information :

To mandatorily indicate order of preferences only for those services for which candidate is interested to be allocated to.
Further, the candidates who wish to indicate IAS/IPS as their Service preference are advised to indicate all the Zones and Cadres in the order of preference in their on-line DAF-II as per the Cadre Allocation Policy.
Candidate is also required to upload documents/certificates for higher education, achievements in different fields, service experience, OBC Annexure (for OBC category only), EWS Annexure [for EWS Category only], etc.

S. No.	Qualities	How to use in Interview ?
1 .	Mental Alertness	 Candidate should be aware of what board members has asked & what you are answering.  By maintaining calmness in mind and body posture.  Candidate should try to control narrative by such a fascination Answer or introduction indirectly giving board members the hints on which candidate want them to ask.  Candidate must be aware of important headlines of the day
2 .	Balance of Judgement	 Candidate should reflect “Golden mean” in Answers without supporting extreme stands of any issue .  Answers given should reflect Constitutional values, Ethical values i.e. Constitution is supreme
3 .	Variety and depth of Interest	 Candidate must have an ability to critically analyze the issue properly in a rational manner.  Have a deep understanding of optional subject , controversial issues & details mentioned in DAF such as hobbies , native place information etc.
4 .	Ability for social cohesion and leadership	 Candidate must have ability to take all the section of society together respecting all the culture & tradition of India Society.
5 .	Critical powers of assimilation	 Candidate must have an ability to examine both Pros & Cons of an issue in order to understand it better and then take decision objectively (without any influence).
6 .	Clear and logical exposition	 Candidate is expected to be give clear & to the point Answers in a correct sequence i.e. Avoid “Beating around the bush”.
7 .	Intellectual and moral integrity	 Answers must be given with full confidence after properly analysing the question  Answers can also be backed by some real life examples.

UPSC CSE Previous Year Question Papers for IAS Exam

Previous year question papers are question paper is best source to understand the psyche of examiner. It tell us about what are important areas to be focussed upon , depth of understanding required for exam , which part of syllabus is less emphasized so that candidate can strategize accordingly as per their strength & weakness. Previous Year Question papers must be integral part of daily studies of serious candidate to keep check on what type on question being asked.

( CALL TO ACTION BUTTON FOR PYQ )

UPSC CSE Booklist 2024 for IAS Exam

As per analysis of Previous year question papers it can be concluded that candidate must have in-depth understanding of each concepts mentioned in Syllabus. To clear the exam in least possible attempts candidate must have clear and concise Booklist for Examination. The Booklist for UPSC CSE Examination can be divided in two parts :

NCERTs
Standard Books

NCERTs are most significant part of Preparation as they are designed in such a manner so that it can be easily understood even by school going students. Serious candidate must start it Preparation with NCERTs to Polish their basic concepts. As per Previous year question papers it can be seen that most of the questions are often asked from NCERTs directly thus it clearly demonstrate that NCERTs are in sync with the demand of UPSC. But one must know which NCERTs are to be done as it is very important to keep limited resources for Preparation Digitalshikshaics has here Shortlisted the must done NCERTs for Aspirants to make their preparation easy.

S.No.	Subjects	NCERTS
1 .	Ancient History	Old NCERT Class 11th , By R.S. Sharma
2.	Medieval History	Old NCERT Class 11th By Satish Chandra
3 .	Modern History	Old NCERT Class 12th By Bipin Chandra
4 .	Post-independence History	Class 12th Politics in India Since Independence
5 .	World History	Class 8th NCERT By Arjun Dev
6 .	Geography	Class 11th NCERT Physical Geography Class 11th NCERT India : Physical Environment Class 12th NCERT Fundamentals of Human Geography Class 12th NCERT India People & Economy
7 .	Society	Class 11th Understanding Society Class 12th Indian Society
8 .	Polity & Constitution	Class 11th Indian Constitution at work Class 11th Political Theory
9 .	Social Justice	Class 12th Social Change & Development in India
10 .	International Relation	Class 12th Contemporary World Politics
11 .	Economics	Class 11th Indian Economics Development Class 12th Introductory Microeconomics Class 12th Introductory Macroeconomics
12 .	Environment & Ecology	Class 12th Biology ( Last 4 chapters only ) Mainly News Focussed
13 .	Science & Technology	Science & Technology Class 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th NCERTS

Tips for candidate :

Before NCERT candidate must go through the Previous year question papers which to know key area of importance & type of question asked.
Notes can be made from NCERTs like some data , fact , study which can directly be used in Mains examination.
If candidate basics are weak or have no knowledge & background then one must start from Class 6^th NCERT for all subjects & if not they candidate can start from Class 11^th & Class 12^th

Once candidate has completed all the NCERTs it is expected that now candidate has basic & clear understanding of all the Subjects in UPSC CSE Syllabus. Now the time has come to construct a building of your dream with Standard books on the solid knowledge base of NCERTs.

Digitalshikshaics has dedicated team of Experienced Faculties & Experts which has prepared Comprehensive and enriched Booklets for all subjects of Examination to ace your preparation. These books unlike other books include Static & Dynamic concepts which will help the candidate to form forward & backward linkages & understand the concept in holistic manner for long term.

Books Structure	Books Features	Why These Books?
1. Detailed coverage of topics as per need of Examination. 2.Practice question for Preliminary Mains Examination with comprehensive solutions. 3.Previous Questions after every topic.	1. Practice questions for Prelims and Mains Examination after every topic. 2. Topics rearranged as per latest pattern of Examination. 3. Updated previous year question for Prelims and Mains examination. 4. One stop reference for Civil Services for aspirant. 5. Mains Solution after every topic will help in development of Advance Answer Writing Skills. 6. Every topic is structured in headings and Bullets for easy understanding of students. 7. Clear and concise explanation provided in easy language, making even the concepts easily graspable for all learners.	🎯This book stands out from other books as it is One stop solution for Civil Services Aspirants. ⌚Practice questions for Preliminary & Mains Examination along with Comprehensive solution have been provided at one place. 🚀Previous Year questions have been included after every topic to make your Preparation more effective . 🔥In case you do not understand the concept you can scan the QR beside every topic to understand it with help of Lecture.

UPSC CSE Online Resources for IAS Examination

Press Information Bureau (PIB) – It is nodal agency of Govt. of India to disseminate Policy , Programme , Initiative & Achievement in print & Electronic media. It is best source for updated & authentic Current Affairs.

https://pib.gov.in/indexd.aspx

PRS India is non profit organization established in 2005 to improve the efficiency of Legislature in India. It is helpful for candidate to get concise and in-depth understanding of any topic debated , discussed in Legislative Body of India.

https://prsindia.org/

in is as initiative developed as a part of National level initiative. It is helpful for candidate to prepare welfare schemes & measures for different sections of syllabus.

https://vikaspedia.in/InDG

Niti Ayog reports such as 3 year Action Agenda & Annual Reports can be used by candidate to make their answer more effective & unique.

https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/India_ActionAgenda.pdf

https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-02/Annual-Report-2022-2023-English_1.pdf

Newspaper & Current Affairs

Every year majority of question asked from newspaper directly or influenced by any news is testimony of importance of newspaper. Newspaper must be an integral part of daily studies of candidate to clear exam in least possible attempts . Digitalshikshaics release daily News & Editorial Analysis which is compilation of all important resources to ease preparation which can be referred by candidate. Three important Sources for Current Affairs that can be referred for Preparation of Civil Services Examination are:

1. The Hindu

2. The Indian Express

3. Digitalshikshaics Daily News & Editorial Analysis

UPSC CSE Mock Test for IAS Examination 2024

“Practise makes Perfect” said by “Bruce Lee” is absolutely correct for all the spheres of life weather it is sports or education ; same is the case with Civil Services Exam Preparation. While preparation we often think that we have covered each & everything related to exam. Test series give us the reality check by showcasing candidates key areas of strength & weakness and what could be done to improve scores.

Importance of Test Series can be summarized as follow:

Time & Stress Management
Exam like Simulation
Advanced Answer writing skills
Performance tracking
SWOT Analysis
Highlights strength & weakness

Test Series can be sub-divided into 4 sections

1. Prelims Test Series

Prelims is 1^st stage of examination attempted by around 13 lakh people in 2023 out of which 14624 candidates are eligible for Mains Examination. This data show that Prelims is most difficult stage of Examination which needs an effective strategy and practise to clear Prelims. Here comes the role of Prelims Test Series which mirrors the preparation of candidate and show candidates area of strength & weakness.

How many candidates qualified UPSC CSE examination ?

Year	Number of Candidates applied	Number of Candidates Students who appeared for Prelims	Number of Candidates who cleared Prelims	Number of Candidates who cleared Mains Examination	Number of Candidates who Cleared the Exam
2014	947428	446623	16706	3308	1122
2015	945908	465882	15008	2797	1236
2016	1128262	459659	15382	2961	1078
2017	969065	462848	13300	2564	1056
2018	1065552	500484	10419	1992	---
2019	1135261	493972	11845	2034	829
2020	1057948	4,82,770	10,564	2,053	796
2021	1093948	508619	10000	---	761
2022	11,35,697	5,73,735	13,090	2,529	933
2023	13,00,000	----	14624	2916	---

2. Mains Test Series

As of 2023 out of 13 lakhs candidates who applied for Prelims examination 14624 candidates were selected for Mains examination. These candidate are among the best brain of nation. To clear Main examination it requires lot of Answer writing skills which can be acquired only after lot of Practice. As said by Bruce Lee “Practise makes perfect”.

3. Sectional Test Series

After attempting Prelims & Mains test series candidates came to know about their strength & weakness ; candidate can utilize sectional test series to work on their weak section of syllabus & to make their strong concept more stronger.

4. Optional Test Series

Optional is most scoring among the all other subjects of mains examination. Candidates have freedom to choose their optional as per their interest. Optional Test Series help candidate to make their Answer writing skills more advanced to score good in exam as compare to others. As “Richard Branson” says ‘Chance favours the prepared mind. The more you practise the luckier you become’.

Important Tips for UPSC CSE Preparation

UPSC CSE is one of the toughest examination in country which can be cleared with effective & clear strategy. Serious candidate must have a plan to clear the exam in least possible attempt. Some of the things which must be taken into account for preparing are as follow :

Before starting the preparation candidate must go through the syllabus and understand the demand of syllabus.

Then next step is to analyse the Previous year question papers of last 10 years to know type of questions asked and key area of importance.

After analysing the syllabus and previous year questions properly candidate should shortlist effective booklist for their preparation. One must keep in mind to keep limited resources. Digitalshikshaics booklets are best source for UPSC IAS preparation as it provide static & dynamic concepts along with relevant PYQs at one place.

Now time has come to make an effective strategy for Civil Service Exam preparation. Candidate must have macro as well as micro plan.

Macro plan include the year long plan.
Micro plans are the plans which are made for weekly & daily targets.

Revision is very important but neglected part of the preparation. To complete such a vast syllabus in hurry candidate neglects revision which reduce the chance of selection.

Then what can be done ?

To ensure effective revision candidate must have proper slot for revision daily and weekly to increase the chances of selection.

Newspaper and currents Affairs are important pillars of the preparation as majority of the question are asked from Current Affairs & Newspaper. Candidate must refer to Digitalshikshaics Daily News & Editorial Analysis which are made as per the need of examination.

After completion of the syllabus serious candidate must attempt Test Series which reflects the preparation loopholes which can be improved by practising test.

Prelims Test Series is beneficial to mark correct answer with precision with proper time management.

Mains Test Series helps in Advanced Answer writing skills , Exam like simulations.

After both Prelims & Test Series candidate should then analyse their weakness & strength then to improve their weak area comes the role of Sectional Test Series which will help in improving weak sections of syllabus.

Candidate must focus on Trio of Essay , Ethics & Optional. As per analyses of previous year question it can be said that these are most scoring section of Mains examination. Candidate must give attention to all these section equally as per Previous year questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which material is best for UPSC?

Answer: The essential study materials for UPSC preparation include NCERT books for a strong foundation, standard reference books for specific subjects, newspapers for current affairs, previous year question papers, and quality online resources for additional information and practice.

Is UPSC very tough?

– The UPSC exam is considered tough due to its extensive syllabus covering various subjects like history, geography, politics, economics, science, and technology. Additionally, the multi-stage selection process, including the Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test, adds to its difficulty.

What is the salary of IAS?

As per the latest 7th Pay Commission, the starting and entry level IAS officer salary is ₹56100 per month, which translates to ₹56100 – 132000 per month. After years of service and each promotion, IAS salary in India increases per month. The highest post of being Cabinet Secretary of India is around ₹250000 per month.

What is the lowest rank in IAS?

This is the entry-level rank in the IAS, and the officers at this rank are responsible for managing the affairs of a sub-division or a district. They are also known as Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) or Assistant Collectors (ACs).

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