Sindhi Literature · UPSC Civil Services

About this optional

Sindhi 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 a set of listed languages, and this is one of 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.

Paper	Subject paper	Marks	Duration
Paper VI	Sindhi Literature Paper I	250	3 hours
Paper VII	Sindhi Literature Paper II	250	3 hours

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 rule for all literature papers: the notice says a candidate may be required to answer some or all of the questions in the language concerned, and 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.
For Sindhi the syllabus says answers must be written in Sindhi in both papers.
Script: Arabic or Devanagari, at the candidate's choice.

Paper I

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

Answers must be written in Sindhi (Arabic or Devanagari Script)

Section A

(a) Origin and evolution of Sindhi language—views of different scholars.
(b) Significant linguistic features of Sindhi language, including those pertaining to its phonology, morphology and syntax.
(c) Major dialects of the Sindhi language.
(d) Sindhi vocabulary—stages of its growth, including those in the pre-partition and post-partition periods.
(e) Historical study of various Writing Systems (Scripts) of Sindhi.
(f) Changes in the structure of Sindhi language in India, after partition, due to influence of other languages and social conditions.

Section B

2. Sindhi literature through the ages in context of socio-cultural conditions in the respective periods:

(a) Early medieval literature upto 1350 A.D. including folk literature.
(b) Late medieval period from 1350 A.D. to 1850 A.D.
(c) Renaissance period from 1850 A.D. to 1947 A.D.
(d) Modern period from 1947 and onwards.
(Literary genres in Modern Sindhi literature and experiments in poetry, drama, novel, short story, essay, literary criticism, biography, autobiography, memoirs and travelogues.)

Paper II

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

Answer must be written in Sindhi (Arabic or Devanagari script)

This paper will require the first-hand reading of the texts prescribed and will be designed to test the candidate’s critical ability.

Section A

References to context and critical appreciation of the texts included in this section.

(1) Poetry

a. “Shah Jo Choond Shair”: ed. H.I. Sadarangani, Published by Sahitya Akademi (First 100 pages).
b. “Sachal Jo Choond Kalam”: ed. Kalyan B. Advani Published by Sahitya Akademi (Kafis only).
c. “Sami-a-ja Choond Sloka”: ed. B.H. Nagrani Published by Sahitya Akademi (First 100 pages).
d. “Shair-e-Bewas”: by Kishinchand Bewas (“Saamoondi Sipoon” portion only).
e. “Roshan Chhanvro”: Narayan Shyam.
f. “Virhange Khapoi je Sindhi Shair jee Choond”: ed. H.I. Sadarangani, published by Sahitya Akademi.

(2) Drama

g. “Behtareen Sindhi Natak” (One-act Plays): Edited by M. Kamal Published by Gujarat Sindhi Academy.
h. “Kako Kaloomal” (Full-length Play): by Madan Jumani.

Section B

References to context and critical appreciation of the texts included in this section.

a. ‘Pakheeara Valar Khan Vichhrya’ (Novel): by Gobind Malhi.
b. ‘Sat Deenhan’ (Novel): by Krishin Khatwani.
c. ‘Choond Sindhi Kahanyoon’ (Short Stories) Vol. III.: Edited by Prem Prakash, published by Sahitya Akademi.
d. ‘Bandhan’ (Short Stories): Sundari Uttamchandani.
e. ‘Behtareen Sindhi Mazmoon’ (Essays): Edited by Hiro Thakur, published by Gujarat Sindhi Academi.
f. ‘Sindhi Tanqeed’ (Criticism): Edited by Harish Vaswani: Published by Sahitya Akademi.
g. ‘Mumhinjee Hayati-a-ja Sona Ropa varqa’ (Autobiography): by Popati Hiranandani.
h. “Dr. Choithram Gidwani” (Biography): by Vishnu Sharma.

Overlaps with General Studies

General Studies I: Indian culture (art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times), to which Sindhi Sufi and devotional poetry belong.
General Studies I: modern Indian history and post-independence India. The pre-partition and post-partition stages of Sindhi, and the language's development in India after the Partition, connect with the Partition and its social effects.
Essay: material for essays on language, migration and identity.

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