Konkani Literature

About this optional

Konkani Literature is one of the optional subjects of the UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination. The Commission's list of optional subjects includes the literature of any one of 23 languages, Konkani among them. A candidate chooses one optional subject, 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 the answers

• The syllabus states, for both papers, that answers must be written in Konkani.
• The notice's general rule for all literature papers: a candidate may be required to answer some or all of the questions in the language concerned, and any question not required to be answered in a specific language is answered in the medium the candidate has chosen for the Essay, General Studies and optional papers.
• In this examination Konkani is written in the Devanagari script.
• The rule that question papers are set in Hindi and English only applies to the other papers, not to the literature papers.

Paper I

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

(Answers must be written in Konkani)

Section A

History of the Konkani Language:

(i) Origin and development of the language and influences on it.
(ii) Major variants of Konkani and their linguistic features.
(iii) Grammatical and lexicographic work in Konkani, including a study of cases, adverbs, indeclinables and voices.
(iv) Old Standard Konkani, New Standard and Standardisation problems.

Section B

History of Konkani Literature

Candidates would be expected to be well-acquainted with Konkani literature and its social and cultural background and consider the problems and issues arising out of them.

(i) History of Konkani literature from its probable source to the present times, with emphasis on its major works, writers and movements.
(ii) Social and cultural background of the making of Konkani literature from time to time.
(iii) Indian and Western influences on Konkani literature, from the earliest to modern times.
(iv) Modern literary trends in the various genres and regions including a study of Konkani folklore.

Paper II

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

(Answers must be written in Konkani)

Textual Criticism of Konkani Literature

The paper will be designed to test the candidate's critical and analytical abilities. Candidates would be expected to be well-acquainted with Konkani Literature and required to have first-hand reading of the following texts:

Section A: Prose

1. (a) Konkani Mansagangotri (excluding poetry) ed. by Prof: Olivinho Gomes.
(b) Old Konkani language and literature—the Portuguese Role
2. (a) Otmo Denvcharak—a novel by A. V. da Cruz.
(b) Vadoll ani Varem—a novel by Antonio Pereira.
(c) Devache Kurpen—a novel by V.J.P. Saldanha.
3. (a) Vajralikhani—Shenoy goem-bab-An anthology-ed. by Shantaram Varde Valavalikar.
(b) Konkani Lalit Niband—Essays-ed. by Shyam Verenkar.
(c) Teen Dasakam—An anthology—ed. by Chandrakant Keni.
4. (a) Demand—Drama-by Pundalik Naik.
(b) Kadambini: A Miscellany of Modern Prose—ed. by Prof. O.J.F. Gomes and Smt. P.S. Tadkodkar.
(c) Ratha Tujeo Ghudieo—by Smt. Jayanti Naik.

Section B: Poetry

1. (a) Ev ani Mori: Poetry by Eduardo Bruno de Souza.
(b) Abravanchem Yadnyadan—by Luis Mascarenhas.
2. (a) Godde Ramayan—ed. by R.K. Rao.
(b) Ratnahar I and II—collection of poems—ed. R. V. Pandit.
3. (a) Zayo Zuyo—poems- Manohar L. Sardessai.
(b) Kanadi Mati Konkani Kavi—Anthology of Poems—ed. Pratap Naik.
4. (a) Adrushatache Kalle—Poems by Pandurang Bhangui.
(b) Yaman—Poems by Madhav Borkar.

Overlaps with General Studies

• General Studies I: Indian culture includes the salient aspects of literature from ancient to modern times. Section B's social and cultural background of Konkani literature, its Indian and Western influences and Konkani folklore feed directly into answers on the regional literatures and folk traditions of India's west coast; the Portuguese role in Old Konkani (Paper II) adds context on the European presence in Goa.
• General Studies II: Konkani is one of the languages of the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution (added in 1992 by the Seventy-first Amendment); the Schedule and the official-language provisions are part of the polity syllabus.
• Indian Language (qualifying): a candidate who also takes Konkani as the Paper A language gets daily practice in reading and writing it, though Paper A is only of Matriculation standard and qualifying.
• Essay: wide reading in a literature, and the habit of critical writing, help with essays on culture, society and values.

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.