Hindi Literature

About this optional

Hindi Literature is one of the optional subjects of the UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination: the notice offers the literature of any one of a list of languages as an optional subject, and Hindi is one of them. A candidate chooses one optional subject from the Commission's list, and it is examined in two papers: Paper VI (Optional Subject Paper 1) and Paper VII (Optional Subject Paper 2) of the Main Examination. Both papers are counted for merit. See UPSC Mains: Optional Subject (two papers) for the full list of optional subjects.

• Questions are of the conventional (essay) type.
• The two papers carry 500 of the 1,750 marks of the written part; the written marks and the Personality Test (275 marks) together decide the final ranking.
• The scope of the optional papers is broadly of the honours degree level: higher than the bachelor's degree and lower than the master's degree.
• Language of answers: the syllabus says, for both papers, that answers must be written in Hindi. The notice adds, for every literature optional, that a candidate may be required to answer some or all of the questions in the language concerned, and that questions not required to be answered in a specific language are answered in the medium the candidate has chosen for the Essay, General Studies and optional papers.
• Script: the notice prescribes the Devanagari script for Hindi.
• The rule that question papers are set in Hindi and English only does not apply to the literature papers.

Paper I

The official syllabus of Hindi Literature Paper I, as printed in the notice (the Commission's own wording, spelling and numbering).

(Answers must be written in Hindi)

Section A

1. History of Hindi Language and Nagari Lipi

• I. Grammatical and applied forms of Apbhransh, Awahatta & Arambhik Hindi.
• II. Development of Braj and Awadhi as Literary language during medieval period.
• III. Early form of Khari-boli in Siddha-Nath Sahitya, Khusero, Sant Sahitaya, Rahim etc. and Dakhni Hindi.
• IV. Development of Khari-boli and Nagari Lipi during 19th Century.
• V. Standardisation of Hindi Bhasha & Nagari Lipi.
• VI. Development of Hindi as a National Language during freedom movement.
• VII. The development of Hindi as a National Language of Union of India.
• VIII. Scientific & Technical Development of Hindi Language.
• IX. Prominent dialects of Hindi and their inter-relationship.
• X. Salient features of Nagari Lipi and the efforts for its reform & Standard form of Hindi.
• XI. Grammatical structure of Standard Hindi.

Section B

2. History of Hindi Literature

• I. The relevance and importance of Hindi literature and tradition of writing History of Hindi Literature.
• II. Literary trends of the following four periods of history of Hindi Literature.
• A: Adikal—Sidh, Nath and Raso Sahitya.
  Prominent poets—Chandvardai, Khusaro, Hemchandra, Vidyapati.
• B: Bhaktikal—Sant Kavyadhara, Sufi Kavyadhara, Krishna Bhaktidhara and Ram Bhaktidhara.
  Prominent Poets—Kabir, Jayasi, Sur & Tulsi.
• C: Ritikal—Ritikavya, Ritibaddhkavya & Riti Mukta Kavya. Prominent Poets—Keshav, Bihari, Padmakar and Ghananand.
• D: Adhunik Kal—
  a. Renaissance, the development of Prose, Bharatendu Mandal.
  b. Prominent Writers—Bharatendu, Bal Krishna Bhatt & Pratap Narain Mishra.
  c. Prominent trends of modern Hindi Poetry: Chhayavad, Pragativad, Prayogvad, Nai Kavita, Navgeet and Contemporary poetry and Janvadi Kavita.
  Prominent Poets—Maithili Sharan Gupta, Prasad, Nirala, Mahadevi, Dinkar, Agyeya, Muktibodh, Nagarjun.

3. Katha Sahitya

• A: Upanyas & Realism
• B: The origin and development of Hindi Novels.
• C: Prominent Novelists—Premchand, Jainendra, Yashpal, Renu and Bhism Sahani.
• D: The origin and development of Hindi short story.
• E: Prominent Short Story Writers—Premchand, Prasad, Agyeya, Mohan Rakesh & Krishna Sobti.

4. Drama & Theatre

• A: The Origin & Development of Hindi Drama.
• B: Prominent Dramatists—Bharatendu, Prasad, Jagdish Chandra Mathur, Ram Kumar Verma, Mohan Rakesh.
• C: The development of Hindi Theatre.

5. Criticism

• A: The origin and development of Hindi criticism: Saiddhantik, Vyavharik, Pragativadi. Manovishleshanvadi & Nai Alochana.
• B: Prominent critics—Ramchandra Shukla, Hajari Prasad Dwivedi, Ram Vilas Sharma & Nagendra.

6. The other form of Hindi prose—Lalit Nibandh, Rekhachitra, Sansmaran, Yatra-vrittant.

Paper II

The official syllabus of Hindi Literature Paper II, as printed in the notice (the Commission's own wording, spelling and numbering).

(Answers must be written in Hindi)

The paper will require first-hand reading of the prescribed texts and will test the critical ability of the candidates.

Section A

• 1. Kabir: Kabir Granthawali, Ed. Shyam Sundar Das (First hundred Sakhis)
• 2. Soordas: Bhramar Geetsar, Ed. Ramchandra Shukla (First hundred Padas)
• 3. Tulsidas: Ramcharit Manas (Sundar Kand) Kavitawali (Uttarkand)
• 4. Jayasi: Padmawat Ed. Shyam Sundar Das (Sinhal Dwip Khand & Nagmativiyog Khand)
• 5. Bihari: Bihari Ratnakar Ed. Jagnnath Prasad Ratnakar (First 100 Dohas)
• 6. Maithili Sharan Gupta: Bharat Bharati
• 7. Prasad: Kamayani (Chinta and Shraddha Sarg)
• 8. Nirala: Rag-Virag, Ed. Ram Vilas Sharma (Ram Ki Shakti Pooja & Kukurmutta)
• 9. Dinkar: Kurukshetra
• 10. Agyeya: Angan Ke Par Dwar (Asadhya Veena)
• 11. Muktiboth: Brahm Rakhashas
• 12. Nagarjun: Badal Ko Ghirte Dekha Hai, Akal Ke Bad, Harijan Gatha.

Section B

• 1. Bharatendu: Bharat Durdasha
• 2. Mohan Rakesh: Ashadh Ka Ek Din
• 3. Ramchandra Shukla: Chintamani (Part I) (Kavita Kya Hai, Shraddha Aur Bhakti)
• 4. Dr. Satyendra: Nibandh Nilaya—Bal Krishna Bhatt, Premchand, Gulab Rai, Hajari Prasad Dwivedi, Ram Vilas Sharma, Agyeya, Kuber Nath Rai.
• 5. Premchand: Godan, Premchand ki Sarvashreshtha Kahaniyan, Ed. Amrit Rai/Manjusha—Prem Chand ki Sarvashreshtha Kahaniyan. Ed. Amrit Rai.
• 6. Prasad: Skandgupta
• 7. Yashpal: Divya
• 8. Phaniswar Nath Renu: Maila Anchal
• 9. Mannu Bhandari: Mahabhoj
• 10. Rajendra Yadav: Ek Dunia Samanantar (All Stories)

Overlaps with General Studies

• General Studies I: Indian culture (literature as an art form), especially the Sant, Sufi, Krishna and Ram bhakti poets of the Bhaktikal; modern Indian history, where the growth of Khari-boli prose, the Bharatendu era and the place of Hindi in the freedom movement belong to the national awakening; and Indian society, which novels such as Godan and Maila Anchal portray.
• General Studies II: the development of Hindi as a language of the Union of India connects with the Constitution's provisions on the official language (Part XVII).
• Prelims General Studies Paper I: history of India and the Indian National Movement, and Indian culture.
• Essay: ideas and examples from Hindi literature for essays on society, culture and language.

Source: UPSC Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, 4 February 2026 (Civil Services Examination, 2026), Appendix I, Section III, Part B, PDF. Last checked 11 November 2026.