Is your Civil Services Mains preparation underway? Are you looking for the right study plan and material for the General Studies Paper I preparation?
If yes, then you have landed on just the right page.
Here we will discuss the UPSC GS Paper 1 preparation strategy, tips, essential books, and valuable resources that will assist you in preparing for the UPSC Mains seamlessly.
It is a well-known fact that the marks obtained in the UPSC Mains are counted for the final merit list of the examination and interview. Hence, you should leave no stone unturned and devote extra time during the UPSC exam preparation to make it more productive.
Before moving further in this article, we want you to quickly look at the General Studies Paper I syllabus of the UPSC Mains to know what has to be studied for the paper.
Also read: How To Stay Motivated Throughout Your UPSC Preparation Journey
Syllabus of General Studies Paper 1 of UPSC Civil Services Examination
General Studies‐I: 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Salient features of the 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, cyclones 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.
It is evident that there is too much to study and grasp during the GS Paper I. To save you crucial time and to ensure that you invest your energy at the right place, we have compiled a list of important topics that you must study on priority while preparing for General Studies Paper I of UPSC Mains.
Also read: How to Write Good Quality Answers for UPSC Mains
High-Priority Topics of GS Paper I
| Topic | Sub-topics |
| Art & Culture | Indian Art Forms Classical Dance Forms Folk Dance Forms Ancient Indian Literature Classical Sanskrit Literature Medieval Literature Modern Indian Literature Harappan Architecture Temple Architecture Cave Architecture Indo-Islamic Architecture Medieval Architecture Modern Architecture Contribution of Buddhism & Jainism to the Development of Indian Architecture |
| Modern History | European Penetration of India British Conquest of India British Policies & Their Impact – Economic, Administrative & Socio-cultural Socio-cultural Reform Movements Uprisings Against British Pre-1857 Growth of Nationalism in India (1858-1905) Political, Economic & Administrative Unification of the Country Role of Western Education Role of Press Rediscovery of India’s Past Early Political Movements Formation of INC Swadeshi & Boycott Movement Surat Split International Influence Morley – Minto Reforms Growth of Communalism Mahatma Gandhi – His Ideas & Leadership Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms Rowlatt Act Satyagrah and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre Non-cooperation & Khilafat Movement Swarajists & No-Changers The emergence of New Forces – Socialistic Ideas, Youth & Trade Unionism Communal Award & Poona Pact Participation in Elections to Central Legislature (1934) & Provincial Assemblies (1937) Government of India Act, 1935 Towards Freedom & Partition (1939-1947) National Movement During World War II August Offer Individual Satyagraha Growth of Communalism Peasant Movements State People’s Struggle Cripps Mission Quit India Movement |
| Post-Independence India | Nation Building Partition and Its Aftermath Integration of Princely States Reorganisation of States Issue of Official Language Tribal Consolidation Non-Aligned Movement Panchsheel Wars with Pakistan & China Nuclear Policy Planned Development Green Revolution, Operation Flood & Cooperatives Agrarian & Land Reforms The era of One-Party Dominance The emergence of Opposition Parties Emergency: Crisis of Democratic Order Communalism Indian Women Since Independence Naxalism |
| World History | Renaissance Discovery of Sea Routes Reformation Counter-Reformation Rise of Capitalism, Colonialism & Imperialism Industrial Revolution World War I Causes of the War Scope & Course of the War Russian Revolution Europe After the War – Fascism & Nazism The Great Depression The emergence of the Soviet Union The US as a Strong Power World War II Fascist Aggression & Response of Western Democracies Europe after World War II Cold War Rise of Asia & Africa Developments in West Asia & North Africa Communism Capitalism Socialism |
| Indian Society | Diversity (Types – caste, linguistic, social and religious, race, tribe and ethnicity, culture) Challenges posed by Diversity Unity Pluralism Unity in Diversity Women’s Organisations – Empowerment through Action 19th Century Social Reform Movements and Early Women’s Organisations – (1) Agrarian Struggles and Revolt, (2) Participation in Freedom Struggle Women’s Organisations Post – 1947 Basic Demography of India Population Trends in India and their Implications Causes and Effects of Overpopulation Challenges of Population Explosion Changing Age Structure of Indian Population Demographic Dividend: Boon or Bane for India Population Aging in India India’s Population Policy & Initiatives Concept of Development and Poverty Types of Poverty Measurement of Poverty – Poverty Line Causes of Poverty Poverty as a Social Problem Poverty Alleviation Initiatives Urbanisation Trends in India and Their Implications – Demographics and Social Dimensions Factors Driving Urbanisation State of Service Delivery and Challenges posed by Urbanisation Problems of Urban Areas Social Consequences of Urbanisation Impact of Urbanisation in Rural Areas Urban Planning and Role of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) Reforms Required and Government Initiatives Taken So Far Understanding Globalisation – Its Different Dimensions Globalisation & Culture – Homogenisation vs. Glocalisation Factors Driving Globalisation Globalisation & India Communalism – Its Characteristics Communalism in India in the Past Communalism in Contemporary India Causes of Communalism Consequences of Communalism Concept of Region & Regionalism Different Forms of Regionalism Regionalism in India Causes of Regionalism Concept of ‘Sons of Soil’ Consequences of Regionalism Federalism & Regionalism Concept of Secularism Indian Model of Secularism Secularism in India Nature & Practice of Secularism in India Uniform Civil Code Challenges faced by Secularism in India |
| Geography | Geomorphology Origin & Evolution of Earth Interior of the Earth Distribution of Continents & Oceans Plate Tectonic Theory Distribution of Earthquakes & Volcanoes Rocks & Rock Cycle Hydrological Cycle Seafloor Spreading Ocean Floor Configuration Temperature & Salinity of Oceans Movement of Oceans – Waves, Tides, Currents Climatology Earth’s Atmosphere – Composition & Structure Solar Radiation, Heat Budget & Temperature Atmospheric Circulation & Weather Systems Soil & Soil Contents Process of Soil Formation Soil Forming FactorsTypes of Soils (examples) Land Utilisation Land Use Pattern Types & Distribution – Grasslands, Forests etc. Causes of Depletion Conservation of Forests Marine & Freshwater Water Scarcity & Need For Conservation Types of Farming Cropping Patterns Contribution to Economy, Employment & Output Classification of Minerals – Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Occurrence of Minerals Conservation of Minerals Location & Distribution of the Industries on the Basis of Raw Material, Labour, Market, Capital, Land, Grants & Financial Incentives, Power, Transport, Water, and Communication. Earthquakes Earthquake Waves Shadow Zone Types of Earthquake Tsunami What Causes Tsunami Effect of Tsunami Types of Volcanoes What Causes Volcanoes? Volcanic Landforms Cyclone Tropical Cyclones Anti-Cyclone Extra-Tropical Cyclones Factors Causing Changes in Critical Geographical Features Examples of Changing Geographical Features – Melting of Ice Sheets, Desertification etc. Impact of Changing Geographical Features |
Read more: Tips to Prepare Essay Writing for UPSC Mains
How to Prepare for UPSC Mains GS Paper I
For Modern History: Refer to books such as A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir as the History area contains almost 30-35% of GS Paper I. Since more time is invested in preparing for the History part, it is recommended to make short notes during preparation. However, for a more detailed study, you can also refer to History of Modern India by Bipin Chandra (Selective Reading)
To fetch more marks, one should memorize and mention the dates of wars and important events accurately.
For Art & Culture: Also called the ‘Indian Heritage and Culture,’ Art and Culture is roughly 15% of GS Paper I. Indian Art can be classified under three headings, namely Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Literary Arts. You can also refer to the official website of CCRT India.
Begin the preparation for Art & Culture with the NCERTs to understand the fundamentals and make short notes.
For Indian Society: Apart from the NCERT books for a basic understanding, refer to newspapers (The Hindu/The Indian Express) and the internet for preparing notes on the topics mentioned in the syllabus such as Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
Read more: What are PrepLadder NCERT Notes?
For Geography: Mastering this area of GS Paper I is an easy task if you start from the very beginning. This approach will help you to understand the basic concepts. Referring to NCERTs is the best way to start the Geography preparation and studying Certificate Physical and Human Geography – G C Leong will yield good results if studied thoroughly. Memorize important terms and definitions related to this section to fetch extra marks.
Recommended Books for Mains GS Paper I Preparation
- Indian Art and Culture – Nitin Singhania
- Indian Culture and Heritage of NIOS
- Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe
- Old NCERT for Ancient India by R S Sharma
- History Of Modern India – Bipan Chandra
- NCERT Standard XI -Fundamental of Physical Geography
- NCERT Standard XI – Indian Geography
- NCERT Standards XII – Human Geography
- Understanding Society- NCERT XI
We hope this article will help you prepare seamlessly for the UPSC Mains GS Paper I.
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FAQs
How can I start GS preparation for UPSC? ›
So for beginners, the best way to start the preparation for GS is to study all the NCERT from class VI to class XII for History, Geography, Economics, and Polity, the NCERT books for class XII and XII must be studied in addition to the lower class NCERTs.
How do I prepare for GS 2 or Booklist for mains? ›- Introduction to the Constitution of India.
- Select Constitutions – S. ...
- Challenges and Strategy – Rethinking India's Foreign Policy. ...
- Indian Polity for Indian Civil Services Examinations – Laxmikanth.
- Public Institutions in India – Performance and Design.
- Study And Analyse SSC CGL General Studies Syllabus: The first step is to be aware of what exactly you have to study. ...
- Refer To The Right Study Material. ...
- Make A Schedule And Follow It. ...
- Make Notes: ...
- Solve Previous Years' Papers. ...
- Practice Mock Tests.
- History of the World by Arjun Dev and Indira Arjun Dev.
- Social Problems in India by Ram Ahuja.
- Contemporary Issues in Globalization by Soumyen Sikdar.
- Certificate of Physical and Human Geography.
- Indian and World Geography.
Plutus IAS (Best IAS Coaching in 2022) is Best UPSC Coaching in Delhi. Ias Officer is very Demanding Every Where You get Great Respect once You Clear UPSC ExamPreparation for CSAT and GS in Plutus IAS Coaching is also provided in Hindi.
How do I study for GS 1? ›...
Important points:
- Do not read many books. Keep one source and read it many times.
- Make brief notes on the subtopics. Keep revising and updating them.
- Current affairs develop your analytical skills.
- Devote fixed time to answer writing.
For preparing the GS Paper -2 for the UPSC Exam M Laxmikant is essential but not sufficient. The book is basically factual in nature and does not deal with some of the important concepts.
Who scored highest marks in GS? ›...
What is the last rank for IAS?
| IAS General Studies Notes Links | |
|---|---|
| Sarojini Naidu | Blackbuck |
The syllabus of Geography Optional overlaps with almost 40% of the GS syllabus.
How long does it take to prepare for GS? ›| Paper Name | Stipulated Time (Recommended by Experts) |
|---|---|
| General Studies Paper 1 | 10-15 days |
| General Studies Paper 2 | 10-15 days |
| General Studies Paper 3 | 15-20 days |
| General Studies Paper 4 | 15-20 days |
Is 3 months enough for UPSC mains? ›
...
9 Things you should know to crack UPSC Mains Exam.
| IAS General Studies Notes Links | |
|---|---|
| Junaid Ahmad IAS | Byzantine |
Public Administration – Paper II (Indian Administration) overlaps highly with the polity and governance part of GS II. Sociology – Information from Sociology can be used in GS I, essays, and even in Ethics papers. History – Relevant for both prelims and GS I.
Who is the best teacher for GS UPSC? ›Anshul Bajpai ( G.S History Ph. D in History ) is a History expert and is providing the best coaching service to IAS aspirants in the past few years.
Should I prepare optional first or GS? ›First, start preparing for GS, and then after some time take this decision. Because in four GS papers you will be introduced to a variety of optional subjects like History, Geography, Public Administration, Political Science and Sociology. This will help you to determine your inclination to a particular subject.
Which GS book is best for all competitive? ›- Lucent's General Knowledge. This is one of the most popular books for General Knowledge among the students who are preparing for various competitive exams. ...
- Rapid General Knowledge 2021 for Competitive Exams by Disha Experts. ...
- General Knowledge 2022 by Arihant Experts. ...
- S. ...
- The Pearson Concise General Knowledge Manual 2020.
But this was my personal call and I did not opt for it. Did you take any special help or coaching? Srushti: Oh Yes, I have been a student of the foundation course of KSG (Khan Study Group) - Bhopal Centre and after that I have been connected with KSG for the Prelims Test series. I gave my mock interview with Khan Sir.
Which is better Vajiram or Vajirao? ›Conclusion of Which is better Vajiram or Vajirao:
As much as getting into a good coaching institute is concerned Our Research feels Vajirao & Reddy is the Best you can get. The Faculty is simply best. Teachers are Well Qualified.
IAS Pradeep Singh never settled for less
After Graduation, Mr. Singh took coaching classes to appear for the exam of Staff Selection Commission which is popularly known as SSC, and they're also he did not fail to get a good position and secured his first job as an Inspector in the Income Tax Department.
Polity and governance had maximum weightage with 11 questions, 4 questions were from International Relations and the number of Social Justice and Welfare based questions were 5.
How can I approach mains in UPSC? ›- UPSC Mains Exam Preparation Strategy # 1: General Preparation Plan.
- UPSC Mains Exam Preparation Strategy # 2: Answer Writing Practice.
- UPSC Mains Exam Preparation Strategy # 3: Mains Syllabus that overlap with Prelims.
- UPSC Mains Exam Preparation Strategy # 5: Current Affairs Preparation.
How many questions do GS 1 main paper contain? ›
The important features of the UPSC General Studies I Mains paper are: There are 20 compulsory questions printed in Hindi and English which are to be answered in the language selected while filling out the application form.
Can I directly start reading Laxmikant? ›NCERTs 9–12 is an easy read.. you can just go through them so that, you get a background of what polity is .. it's like a warm up session :) and then you can start Laxmikant.. I would say, NCERTs make the base though in a very subtle way. But, if you start Laxmikant straight away, even then, it should not be a problem.
How many days M Laxmikant can be completed? ›...
How to Cover Laxmikanth (Indian Polity) in 10 Days.
| 17. President | On completion, go to the chapter on Governor |
|---|---|
| 26. Supreme Court | Go on to cover High Court |
| 27. Judicial Review | Read Through |
| 28. Judicial Activism |
Laxmikant before prelims in just 7 days. The detailed prelims syllabus can be found in the IAS Notification 2022 mentioned in this linked article.
What is the last rank for IAS? ›...
Final Rank Allocated for IAS, IPS, and IFS in 2018 (UPSC Rank Wise Post – 2018)
| Services | Last Rank |
|---|---|
| IAS | 92 |
| IFS | 134 |
| IPS | 236 |
| IRS (IT) | 239 |
Based on the general trend, the subjects which have the potential to help you score about 330 marks in optional exams (with your immense dedication, ofcourse) are Mathematics, Anthropology, Sociology, any Literature, Public Administration and Geography.
How many ranks will get IAS? ›As per the UPSC Vacancy 2022, 1011 UPSC Ranks are expected after the completion of the exam. UPSC results will be released after the interview round along with the UPSC cutoff. Based on the cutoff marks for each category, IAS IFS IPS Ranking will be released.
Which optional has smallest syllabus? ›Which UPSC Optional Subject has Smallest Syllabus? Philosophy has the shortest syllabus out of all of the optional subjects for the UPSC examination and is the reason for it is a popular choice amongst UPSC aspirants.
Which is the easiest optional? ›Which optional subject is easy in UPSC? Answer: Sociology, Geography, and Public Administration are easy subjects to score.
Which optional subject has more success rate? ›| Optional Subject | No. of Candidates Appeared | Success Rate Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | 193 | 9.8 |
| Law | 304 | 14.1 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 170 | 11.2 |
| Botany | 44 | 11.4 |
Is 8 hours of studying enough for UPSC? ›
The UPSC civil services exam is considered one of the toughest exams in the country. And, because of this, a lot of people recommend studying for about 15 hours per day during the IAS exam preparation time.
How do I complete my GS 3 months? ›- Prioritise Your Areas:
- Analyse Previous Year Question Papers:
- Focus of Frequency of Revision:
- Be consistent in Covering Current Affairs:
- Clear Prelims in 90 Days:
- Plan of Action for 90 Days:
...
Marksheet of IAS Artika Shukla- Inspiration for all the aspirants.
| Subject | Score |
|---|---|
| Optional 2 (Medical Science) | 142/250 |
| Written Total | 827/1750 |
| Interview | 173/275 |
| Total (Mains) | 1000/2025 (49.38%) |
1) An aspirant may not be able to concentrate fully for the entire 5 hours; hence there will be gaps, 2) An aspirant has to study GS, optional, current affairs, etc., every day, and to divide the 5 hours, may not be effective. Hence, an aspirant should try to put at least 7-8 hours every day and gradually increase it.
Are questions repeated in UPSC mains? ›Believe it or not, UPSC repeats questions.
Is UPSC mains conducted in one day? ›UPSC Mains comprises 9 subjective papers including one essay paper, four GS papers, two optional papers and two language papers. The entire process is carried out on five days with two papers conducted per day.
Should I take coaching for GS UPSC? ›You will not need to go to coaching institutes the way you have attended school to clear the IAS exam. Besides the optional topics, no particular analysis is required for any of the questions asked during the review. You can need to be trained because it is not a must if the optional subject is not the diploma.
Which optional subject is easy and scoring? ›FAQ's on Easiest Optional Subject for UPSC. Which optional subject is easy in UPSC? Answer: Sociology, Geography, and Public Administration are easy subjects to score.
Which optional has maximum overlap with GS Quora? ›Public ad as optional has more overlapping with GS papers because: First, Public Ad is one of the finest optionals for UPSC with a thin syllabus and instrumentality of topics for GS paper II of Mains also, apart from some coverage of topics from polity through the study of Pub Ad Paper II (Indian Administration).
What step do you start at GS? ›A new GS employee is usually hired at step one of the applicable GS grade. However, in special circumstances, agencies may authorize a higher step rate for a newly-appointed Federal employee based on a special need of the agency or superior qualifications of the prospective employee.
Should I prepare optional or GS first? ›
First, start preparing for GS, and then after some time take this decision. Because in four GS papers you will be introduced to a variety of optional subjects like History, Geography, Public Administration, Political Science and Sociology. This will help you to determine your inclination to a particular subject.
How long does it take to prepare for general studies for UPSC? ›How much time is required to prepare for UPSC? So, as you see there are a lot of things to be done when you prepare for the IAS exam. Inevitably, on average, people take at least 10-12 months to prepare comprehensively for this demanding exam. However, there have been candidates who would have done it in 6 months.
Can you skip GS steps? ›You can skip grades by applying for job announcement "Open to all US Citizens" as long as you have the specialized experience. Also "exempt" agencies can promote without TIG requirements.
Is GS-13 a good salary? ›GS-13 is typically a team lead position with around 10 people directly below them. Starting salary for a GS-13 employee is $81,216.00 per year at Step 1, with a maximum possible base pay of $105,579.00 per year at Step 10. The hourly base pay of a Step 1 GS-13 employee is $38.92 per hour1.
What is the highest GS pay grade? ›GS-15 is the highest rank of the General Pay Schedule. Once reaching GS-15, the only way to continue increasing your pay is through step increases and yearly across-the-board pay increases that all federal employees receive. Also, moving to a region with a higher locality adjustment could increase your pay.
Which subject has most overlap with GS? ›- Choosing optional subjects with maximum GS overlap: ...
- History. ...
- Geography. ...
- Political science & international relations. ...
- Economics. ...
- Public administration. ...
- Choosing the Right Optional Subject for UPSC Civil Services Mains. ...
- Related Links:
The syllabus of Geography Optional overlaps with almost 40% of the GS syllabus.
Can I crack UPSC with 4 hours study? ›You might find it hard to believe, but according to our experts at UPSC Pathshala, an IAS aspirant should study for exactly 4 hours everyday for one whole year. Yes, you read it right! 4 Hours – Everyday – One Year! This may sound crazy and impossible, but this is all you need.
How many hours of sleep is enough for a UPSC preparation? ›Daily five to seven hours sleep is enough for a UPSC aspirant. If you are an aspirant with asthma, allergy or other health problem you need to sleep more. So, an aspirant does not waste even a single minute. If an aspirant is studying in the morning, they should take proper breakfast and should drink ample water.