UPSC Mains: General Studies I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, Geography and Society)

Main Examination: General Studies I. Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society. In UPSC's numbering this is Paper II: Paper I is the Essay, and General Studies I to IV are Papers II to V. At a glance: • 250 marks, 3 hours. Counted for merit (the final ranking), provided you reach 25% in both qualifying language papers (Indian Language, unless you are exempt from it, and English). The Commission may also fix qualifying marks in this paper. • Descriptive written answers, not multiple choice. • The question paper is in Hindi and English. You answer in the medium you chose in your application: English or one of the 22 Indian languages of the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution, such as Hindi. What the questions test: The main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates rather than merely the range of their information and memory. The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers (Paper II to Paper V) will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study. The questions will be such as to test a candidate's general awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services. The questions are likely to test the candidate's basic understanding of all relevant issues, and ability to analyze, and take a view on conflicting socio-economic goals, objectives and demands. The candidates must give relevant, meaningful and succinct answers. Indian heritage and culture: • Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Modern Indian 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. World history: • History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.: their forms and effect on the society. 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. 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. Source: UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026, Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, 4 February 2026.