UPPCS Mains: General Studies V

About this paper

General Studies V is one of the eight compulsory papers of the UPPCS Main (Written) Examination held by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC). Every topic in it is about Uttar Pradesh (UP): its history and culture, its political and administrative system, its society, security, health, education, welfare schemes, tourism and innovation. Its companion, General Studies VI, covers the economy, geography and environment of the state.

• Counted for merit. Its marks count towards the final selection, which is made on the total marks of the Main (Written) Examination and the Interview.
• Conventional type. Answers are written, not marked on an OMR sheet. The advertisement does not mention negative marking for the Main Examination.
• Language. The question paper is set in English and Hindi. Candidates may answer 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.
• Place in the Main Examination. Eight papers: General Hindi (150), Essay (150) and General Studies I to VI (200 each), 1,500 marks in all. There are no optional papers.

Official syllabus

Main Examination, General Studies V:

• History, Civilization, Culture and Ancient Cities of UP.
• Architecture, their significance and maintainability, museum, archive and archaeology of UP.
• Contributions of UP in Pre and post 1857 freedom struggles of India.
• Eminent freedom fighters and personalities of UP.
• Rural, Urban and Tribal issues: social structure, festivals, fairs, music, folk dances, literature and languages/dialects, social customs of UP.
• Political System of UP: Governance, Governor, Chief Minister, Council of Ministers, State Assembly and State Council, Center-State Relation.
• Public Service, Public Service Commission, Auditing, Advocate General, High Court and its jurisdiction in UP.
• Special State Selection Criteria, Official Language, Consolidated Fund and Contingency fund, Political Parties and State Election Commission of UP.
• Local Self Government: Urban and Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Right related issues in UP.
• Good Governance, Eradication of Corruption, Lokayukta, Citizen Charters, E-Governance, Right to Information, Redressal Policy.
• Land Reforms and its impact in UP.
• Issues Related to Security in UP:
  • (i) Linkage between development and spread of extremism.
  • (ii) Role of External, State and Interstate actors in creating challenges to internal security through communication networks, media and social networking sites.
  • (iii) Basic rules of cyber security, money-laundering and its prevention.
  • (iv) Various security forces and agencies and their mandate.
  • (v) Security challenges and their management in border areas, linkage of organized crimes with terrorism.
• Law and Order and Civil Defense in UP.
• Medical and Health issues in UP.
• State Education System of UP.
• Contribution of UP in development of India.
• Current Affairs of UP.
• Implementation of Jal Shakti Mission and other central welfare scheme in UP.
• NGOs in UP: Issues, Contribution and Impact.
• Tourism in UP: Issues and prospects.
• Emphasis on Innovation in various fields in UP: Issues and its impact on employment and socio-economic development of the society.

Each sub-page below quotes the lines it covers and breaks them down point by point.

Subject-wise breakdown

• Uttar Pradesh: History, Civilisation, Culture and Ancient Cities: prehistoric sites, janapadas, dynasties from the Mauryas to the Nawabs of Awadh, the making of the modern state, and the ancient cities.
• Uttar Pradesh: Architecture, Museums, Archives and Archaeology: monuments from Sarnath to Lucknow's imambaras, their conservation, and the state's museums, archives and excavations.
• Uttar Pradesh in the Freedom Struggle, Before and After 1857: early resistance, the Revolt of 1857 in UP, reform movements, peasant movements, revolutionaries and the Congress years to 1947.
• Eminent Freedom Fighters and Personalities of Uttar Pradesh: leaders of 1857 and the national movement, revolutionaries, writers, musicians and other figures associated with UP.
• Uttar Pradesh: Society, Festivals, Folk Culture and Dialects: rural, urban and tribal issues, social structure, festivals and fairs, music, folk dances, literature, dialects and customs.
• Political System of Uttar Pradesh: Governor, Chief Minister and Legislature: the Governor, Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, the two Houses of the legislature, state administration and Centre-State relations.
• Public Service, UPPSC, Audit, Advocate General and High Court: the state civil services and UPPSC, audit by the CAG, the Advocate General, and the Allahabad High Court and its jurisdiction.
• Special State Criteria, Official Language, State Funds, Parties and Elections: the criteria for special category status, Hindi and Urdu as official languages, the Consolidated and Contingency Funds, political parties and the State Election Commission.
• Local Self-Government, Public Policy and Rights Issues: panchayati raj and urban local bodies in UP, how state policy is made, and rights-related issues and institutions.
• Good Governance, Lokayukta, E-Governance and Grievance Redressal: good governance, anti-corruption bodies, the Lokayukta, citizen's charters, e-governance, Right to Information and grievance redressal in UP.
• Land Reforms in Uttar Pradesh and Their Impact: zamindari abolition, tenancy, ceilings, consolidation, land records and the effects of land reform in UP.
• Security Issues in Uttar Pradesh: extremism and development, threats through communication networks, cyber security and money laundering, security forces, and the Nepal border and organised crime.
• Law and Order and Civil Defence in Uttar Pradesh: the police system, criminal law, women's safety, prisons, civil defence, Home Guards and disaster response.
• Medical and Health Issues in Uttar Pradesh: the public health system, disease burden, maternal and child health, nutrition, schemes, medical education and reforms.
• State Education System of Uttar Pradesh: school, secondary, higher, technical and vocational education in UP: structure, boards, laws, schemes and problems.
• Contribution of Uttar Pradesh to India's Development, and Current Affairs: what UP gives India in people, food, politics, culture, institutions and industry, and how to follow UP's current affairs.
• Jal Shakti Mission and Central Welfare Schemes in Uttar Pradesh: the Jal Jeevan Mission, Jal Shakti Abhiyan and river schemes in UP, the main central welfare schemes, and the issues in carrying them out.
• NGOs in Uttar Pradesh: Issues, Contribution and Impact: the legal forms of NGOs, their work in UP, self-help groups, the regulation of foreign funding, and the problems NGOs face.
• Tourism in Uttar Pradesh: Issues and Prospects: UP's tourism resources and circuits, policy and infrastructure, the problems of the sector and its potential.
• Innovation in Uttar Pradesh: Employment and Socio-Economic Development: innovation in industry, start-ups, agriculture, governance and services in UP, its problems, and its effect on jobs and society.

How this paper connects

• The history, art and freedom-struggle topics are the UP side of General Studies I (Indian culture, modern history and the freedom struggle).
• The polity, governance, public service and local government topics apply the national framework of General Studies II to the state. Read the Constitution's provisions there and the UP institutions here.
• The security topics repeat, for UP, several lines of General Studies III (extremism, cyber security, money laundering, security forces, organised crime).
• Good governance, probity, Right to Information and citizen's charters also appear in General Studies IV (ethics).
• General Studies VI is the other UP paper: economy, budgets, agriculture, geography, environment, energy and science of the state. Land reforms, schemes, tourism and innovation sit close to its topics.
• The Preliminary General Studies Paper I asks for awareness of every subject "with special reference to Uttar Pradesh", so the facts on these pages also serve the Preliminary Examination.

Source: UPPSC Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2026 (Combined State / Upper Subordinate Services (General/Special Recruitment) Examination-2026), 25 June 2026, Appendices 2 to 4; Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, uppsc.up.nic.in. Last checked 11 November 2026.