Urdu Literature
About this optional
Urdu 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 | Urdu Literature Paper I | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper VII | Urdu 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 Urdu the syllabus says answers must be written in Urdu in both papers.
- Script: Persian.
Paper I
The official syllabus of Urdu Literature Paper I, as printed in the notice (the Commission's own wording, spelling and numbering).
Answer must be written in Urdu
Section A
Development of Urdu Language
- (a) Development of Indo-Aryan
- (i) Old Indo-Aryan
- (ii) Middle Indo-Aryan
- (iii) New Indo-Aryan.
- (b) Western Hindi and its dialects Brij Bhasha Khadi Boli, Haryanavi, Kannauji, Bundeli—Theories about the origin of Urdu language.
- (c) Dakhani Urdu—origin and development, its significant linguistic features.
- (d) Social and Cultural roots of Urdu language— and its distinctive features.
Script, Phonology, Morphology, Vocabulary.
Section B
- (a) Genres and their development:
- (i) Poetry: Ghazal, Masnavi, Qasida, Marsia, Rubai Jadid Nazm.
- (ii) Prose: Novel, Short Story, Dastan, Drama, Inshaiya, Khutoot, Biography.
- (b) Significant features of: (i) Deccani, Delhi and Lucknow schools, (ii) Sir Syed movement, Romantic movement, Progressive movement, Modernism.
- (c) Literary Criticism and its development with reference to Hali, Shibli, Kaleemuddin Ahmad, Ehtisham Hussain, Ale-Ahmad Suroor.
- (d) Essay writing (covering literary and imaginative topics).
Paper II
The official syllabus of Urdu Literature Paper II, as printed in the notice (the Commission's own wording, spelling and numbering).
Answer must be written in Urdu
This paper will require first hand reading of the texts prescribed and will be designed to test the candidate's critical ability.
Each entry gives the author, then the prescribed text.
Section A
1. Mir Amman: Bagho-Babar
2. Ghalib: Intikhab-e-Khutoot-e Ghalib
3. Mohd. Husain Azad: Nairang-e-Khayal
4. Prem Chand: Godan
5. Rajendra Singh Bedi: Apne Dukh Mujhe Dedo
6. Abul Kalam Azad: Ghubar-e-Khatir
Section B
1. Mir: Intikhab-e-Kalam-e-Mir (Ed. Abdul Haq.)
2. Mir Hasan: Sahrul Bayan
3. Ghalib: Diwan-e-Ghalib
4. Iqbal: Bal-e-Jibrail
5. Firaq: Gul-e-Naghma
6. Faiz: Dast-e-Saba
7. Akhtruliman: Bint-e-Lamhat
Overlaps with General Studies
- General Studies I: Indian culture. The origin of Urdu from Western Hindi and its dialects, Dakhani Urdu, and the Deccani, Delhi and Lucknow schools of poetry are part of India's composite literary heritage.
- General Studies I: modern Indian history. The Sir Syed movement and the Progressive movement belong to the social, religious and literary movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and writers such as Abul Kalam Azad and Iqbal are figures of the national movement period.
- Essay: Paper I itself includes essay writing, and the reading supports essays on culture and society.
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.