UPPCS Mains: General Studies III

About this paper

General Studies III is one of the eight compulsory papers of the UPPCS Main (Written) Examination, the second of the three stages of the Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) Examination held by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC). It covers the Indian economy and agriculture, science and technology, environment, disaster management, and internal and international security.

• Counted for merit: the Main Examination has eight papers (General Hindi 150, Essay 150, and General Studies I to VI of 200 marks each), 1,500 marks in all. Selection is made on the total marks of the Main (Written) Examination and the Interview (100 marks). For some posts, the service rules make selection on the written marks alone.
• Minimum standard: a candidate scoring less than 40% in the Main Examination (35% for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates) is not placed in the merit or select list.
• Language: the question paper is set in English (Roman script) and Hindi (Devanagari script). Answers may be written in English (Roman script), Hindi (Devanagari script) or Urdu (Persian script).
• Standard: what a holder of a university Bachelor's degree is expected to know.
• Handwriting: marks may be deducted for handwriting that is not easily legible.

Official syllabus

General Studies III, as printed in the advertisement:

• Economic planning in India, objectives and achievements. Role of NITI Aayog, Pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's).
• Issues of Poverty, Unemployment, Social justice and inclusive growth.
• Components of Government Budgets and Financial System.
• Major Crops, Different types of irrigation and irrigation systems, storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce, e-technology in the aid of farmers.
• Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices, Public Distribution System: objectives, functioning, Limitations, revamping, issues of buffer stocks and food security, Technology missions in agriculture.
• Food processing and related industries in India: scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
• Land reforms in India since independence.
• Effects of liberalization and globalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
• Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
• Science and Technology: developments and applications in everyday life and in National Security, India's Science and Technology policy.
• Achievements of Indians in science & technology, indigenization of technology. Developments of New technologies, transfer of technology, dual and critical use technologies.
• Awareness in the fields of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Space Technology, Computers, Energy resources, nano-technology, microbiology, bio-technology. Issues relating to intellectual property rights (IPR) and digital rights.
• Environmental security and Ecosystems, Conservation of Wild life, Biodiversity, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
• Disaster as a Non-traditional security and safety challenge, disaster mitigation and management.
• Challenges of International Security: Issues of Nuclear proliferation, Causes and spread of extremism, Communication networks, role of media and social networking, Basics of cyber security, money laundering and human trafficking.
• India's internal security challenges: Terrorism, corruption, insurgency and organized crimes.
• Role, kind and mandate of security forces, Higher defence organizations in India.
• Issues in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Animal Husbandry.

On the advertisement's page, four points printed beside this list (from "Habitat and Ecosystem" to "Public-Private Partnership") belong to General Studies VI, not to this paper.

Subject-wise breakdown

Each page below quotes its official line and breaks it down point by point.

• Economic planning, NITI Aayog and the SDGs: the Five-Year Plans, NITI Aayog and India's progress on the 2030 Agenda.
• Poverty, unemployment, social justice and inclusive growth: measurement, causes and programmes.
• Government budgets and the financial system: budget components and deficits, money, banks, markets and regulators.
• Major crops, irrigation, storage and marketing: crops, irrigation systems, storage, transport, markets and e-technology for farmers.
• Farm subsidies, MSP, PDS and food security: subsidies, support prices, the PDS, buffer stocks and technology missions.
• Food processing: scope, location, upstream and downstream needs and the supply chain.
• Land reforms since independence: zamindari abolition, tenancy, ceilings, consolidation and land records.
• Liberalisation, globalisation and industrial policy: industrial policy before and after 1991 and its effects.
• Infrastructure: energy, ports, roads, airports, railways and how they are financed.
• Science and technology: applications, policy and indigenisation: everyday and security uses, S&T policies, Indian scientists, technology transfer and dual-use technologies.
• ICT, space, computers, energy, nanotechnology, biotechnology and IPR: awareness topics, intellectual property and digital rights.
• Environment, ecosystems, biodiversity and pollution: ecology, conservation, pollution and environmental impact assessment.
• Disaster management: disasters as a non-traditional security challenge, institutions, mitigation and response.
• Challenges of international security: nuclear proliferation, extremism, media, cyber security, money laundering and human trafficking.
• Internal security and security forces: terrorism, insurgency, organised crime, corruption, security forces and higher defence organisations.
• Agriculture, horticulture, forestry and animal husbandry: issues and policies in each sector.

How this paper connects

• General Studies VI: the same subjects for Uttar Pradesh alone: the State's economy, budget, agriculture, forests, energy, environment, science and technology and infrastructure. Read the two papers side by side.
• General Studies V: land reforms in Uttar Pradesh and the State's security issues, security forces, cyber security and money laundering.
• Prelims General Studies Paper I: economic and social development, environmental ecology and general science at the objective level.
• General Studies II: welfare schemes, Centre-State financial relations, international institutions and India's foreign relations.
• Essay: economy, agriculture, environment and technology are common essay themes.

Source: UPPSC Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2026 (25 June 2026), Appendix-2 (plan of examination) and Appendix-4 (Main Examination syllabus), on the Commission's website. Last checked 11 November 2026.