UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026

• Current Affairs - Significant national and international events of contemporary relevance
• History of India - Indian history spanning from ancient to modern periods; Indian National Movement
• Geography - Physical, Social, and Economic Geography of India and the World
• Indian Polity & Governance - Constitution, Political Systems, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues
• Economic & Social Development - Sustainable Development, Poverty Alleviation, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives
• Environmental Ecology - Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Environmental Issues (without requiring subject specialization)
• General Science - Basic scientific concepts and discoveries

• Comprehension - Understanding and interpreting written passages
• Interpersonal & Communication Skills - Effective interaction and expression abilities
• Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability - Problem-solving and logical analysis
• Decision Making & Problem Solving - Practical decision-making scenarios
• General Mental Ability - Overall cognitive capabilities
• Basic Numeracy - Numerical concepts up to Class X level including orders of magnitude
• Data Interpretation - Analysis of charts, graphs, tables, and data sufficiency (Class X level)

These papers are of Matriculation/Class X standard and qualifying in nature. Marks obtained do not count toward final ranking.

Question Pattern: Comprehension, Precis Writing, Usage & Vocabulary, Short Essays, and Translation (for Indian Languages only)

Candidates must write essays on multiple topics. Essays should be well-organized, relevant, and demonstrate effective expression with appropriate use of language.

1. Agriculture
2. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
3. Anthropology
4. Botany
5. Chemistry
6. Civil Engineering
7. Commerce and Accountancy
8. Economics
9. Electrical Engineering
10. Geography
11. Geology
12. History
13. Law
14. Management
15. Mathematics
16. Mechanical Engineering
17. Medical Science
18. Philosophy
19. Physics
20. Political Science and International Relations
21. Psychology
22. Public Administration
23. Sociology
24. Statistics
25. Zoology
26. Literature of any Eighth Schedule Language

• Meaning, scope, and development of Anthropology as a discipline
• Relationships with other disciplines - Social Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Life Sciences
• Main branches: Social-Cultural Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Archaeological Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology

• Biological and cultural factors in human evolution
• Theories of organic evolution (Pre-Darwinian, Darwinian, Post-Darwinian)
• Synthetic theory of evolution and evolutionary biology concepts
• Characteristics of primates and primate taxonomy
• Primate adaptations - arboreal and terrestrial
• Comparative anatomy of man and apes
• Skeletal changes due to erect posture
• Phylogenetic status and geographical distribution of hominids
• Australopithecines, Homo erectus, Neanderthal, and Homo sapiens

• Cell structure and cell cycle
• DNA structure and replication
• Protein synthesis and genes
• Mutation and chromosomes
• Cell division processes

• Principles of prehistoric archaeology
• Chronology - Relative and absolute dating methods
• Cultural evolution and prehistoric cultures
• Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic periods
• Copper-Bronze Age and Iron Age

• Nature of culture - Concepts and characteristics
• Ethnocentrism versus cultural relativism
• Nature of society - Social institutions and social groups
• Social stratification patterns

• Marriage - Definition, laws of marriage (endogamy, exogamy, hypergamy, incest taboo)
• Types of marriage - Monogamy, polygamy, polyandry
• Marriage regulations and marriage payments
• Family - Definition, types, and functions
• Impact of urbanization and feminism on family
• Kinship - Consanguinity and affinity
• Descent principles - Unilineal, bilateral, double descent
• Descent groups - Lineage, clan, phratry, moiety

• Principles of production, distribution, and exchange
• Reciprocity, redistribution, and market systems
• Economic systems in various subsistence strategies
• Globalization and indigenous economies

• Classical evolutionism - Tylor, Morgan, Frazer
• Historical particularism - Boas
• Functionalism - Malinowski
• Structural-Functionalism - Radcliffe-Brown
• Structuralism - Lévi-Strauss, E. Leach
• Culture and personality theories
• Neo-evolutionism
• Cultural materialism - Harris
• Symbolic and interpretive theories
• Cognitive theories
• Post-modernism in anthropology

Continuation of anthropological concepts applied to real-world scenarios, human adaptation, and contemporary issues. Includes bioanthropology, medical anthropology, and urban anthropology.

• Modernity and social changes in Europe
• Emergence of Sociology as an academic discipline
• Scope and comparison with other social sciences
• Sociology versus common sense knowledge

• Karl Marx - Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle
• Émile Durkheim - Division of labor, social facts, suicide, religion
• Max Weber - Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethic
• Talcott Parsons - Social system, pattern variables
• Robert K. Merton - Latent and manifest functions, deviance
• George Herbert Mead - Self and identity formation

• Qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Data collection techniques
• Variables, sampling, and hypothesis testing
• Reliability and validity in research

• Concepts - Equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty, deprivation
• Theories of social stratification
• Class, status, and power dimensions
• Gender, ethnicity, and race in stratification
• Social mobility - Types and sources

• Social organization of work in different societies
• Formal and informal organization
• Labor and society relationships

• Sociological theories of power
• Power structures and authority
• State and civil society
• Democracy and governance
• Social movements and revolution

• Colonial impact and modernization
• Social reform movements
• Structural-functional analysis
• Marxist analysis of Indian society

• Village communities and agrarian structure
• Caste system - History and structure
• Tribal communities in India
• Class formation and working class
• Urban social structure

• Rural transformation and green revolution
• Industrialization and urbanization
• Educational changes
• Political development
• Social movements - Peasant, labor, women's, environmental

• Factors controlling landform development
• Endogenetic and exogenetic forces
• Continental drift and plate tectonics
• Isostasy and mountain-building theories
• Volcanicity and earthquakes
• Geomorphic cycles and landscape development
• Slope development and erosion surfaces

• Temperature and pressure belts
• Atmospheric circulation systems
• Monsoons and jet streams
• Cyclones and precipitation patterns
• Climate classification systems
• Global climatic change

• Ocean floor topography
• Temperature and salinity patterns
• Ocean deposits and marine resources
• Waves, currents, and tides
• Coral reefs and coral bleaching
• Sea-level changes

• Soil genesis and classification
• Distribution of plants and animals
• Deforestation and conservation
• Wildlife and gene pool centers

• World economic development
• Global resources distribution
• Agricultural geography
• Industrial location patterns
• International trade

• World population growth and distribution
• Migration patterns and causes
• Rural settlement types
• Urban settlements and hierarchy
• Urbanization problems

• Physical Setting - Structure, relief, drainage, physiographic regions
• Climate and Monsoons - Rainfall patterns and weather phenomena
• Resources - Land, water, minerals, energy, biological resources
• Agriculture - Cropping patterns, irrigation, land reforms
• Industries - Location factors, industrial policy, special zones
• Transport & Communication - Road, rail, port, air networks
• Cultural Setting - Demographic patterns, linguistic diversity
• Urban Development - City types, metropolitan regions, urbanization
• Regional Planning - Five-year plans, development strategies
• Political Geography - Federalism, interstate relations, borders
• Contemporary Issues - Environmental hazards, sustainability, climate change

• Political theory - Meaning and major approaches
• Theories of state - Liberal, neo-liberal, Marxist, pluralist, post-colonial
• Justice - Conceptions and theories
• Equality - Social, political, economic dimensions
• Rights - Theories and types of rights
• Democracy - Classical and contemporary theories
• Political Ideologies - Liberalism, socialism, Marxism, fascism, Gandhism, feminism

• Dharmaśāstra, Arthaśāstra, and Buddhist traditions
• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Indian Renaissance
• Sri Aurobindo's philosophy
• M.K. Gandhi's contributions
• B.R. Ambedkar and social justice
• M.N. Roy's political thought

• Indian Nationalism and freedom struggle
• Making of the Constitution
• Salient features - Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles
• Union and State Governments
• Grassroots Democracy - Panchayati Raj, Municipal governance
• Statutory Commissions and bodies
• Federalism and center-state relations
• Party system and coalition politics
• Social movements and civic participation

• Approaches - Idealist, realist, Marxist, functionalist
• Key concepts - National interest, security, power, balance
• International order - Bipolarity, multipolarity, nuclear deterrence
• Global economy - Bretton Woods, WTO, development models
• Global issues - Human rights, environment, terrorism, proliferation
• United Nations and multilateral institutions

• Determinants and institutions of foreign policy
• Non-alignment doctrine and evolution
• Regional diplomacy - South Asia and SAARC
• Relations with great powers - USA, EU, China, Russia, Japan
• UN engagement and permanent seat demand
• Nuclear policy and strategic affairs

• Vector spaces and linear transformations
• Matrices and matrix operations
• Eigenvalues and eigenvectors
• Special matrices - Symmetric, Hermitian, orthogonal, unitary
• Cayley-Hamilton theorem

• Functions and limits
• Continuity and differentiability
• Mean value theorems and Taylor series
• Optimization and curve tracing
• Integration - Single and multiple
• Applications - Areas, volumes, surfaces

• 3D coordinate systems and distances
• Lines and planes in space
• Surfaces - Spheres, cones, cylinders, paraboloids, ellipsoids

• First and higher-order equations
• Linear equations with constant/variable coefficients
• Laplace transforms and applications

• Motion, forces, and energy
• Conservation principles
• Orbital mechanics
• Equilibrium and stability

• Vector fields and operations
• Gradient, divergence, curl
• Integral theorems - Gauss, Stokes, Green's

• Abstract Algebra - Group theory, ring theory, field theory
• Real Analysis - Sequences, series, continuity, integration
• Complex Analysis - Analytic functions, residue theorem
• Linear Programming - Optimization and applications
• Partial Differential Equations - Boundary value problems
• Numerical Analysis - Computational methods
• Mechanics & Fluid Dynamics - Advanced applications

• Preliminary Examination: 2 papers × 200 marks = 400 marks
• Main Examination: Written (1,750 marks) + Personality Test (275 marks) = 2,025 marks
• Total Score: Prelims (400) + Mains (2,025) = 2,425 marks
• Examination Date: Preliminary Examination on 24th May 2026
• Application Deadline: 24th February 2026, 6:00 PM

• Negative marking applies to Preliminary examination objective papers
• Paper II (Prelims) requires 33% minimum qualifying marks
• Papers A & B (Mains) are qualifying and not counted for ranking
• Candidates may choose from 26 optional subjects
• Mains papers (except A & B) can be answered in Eighth Schedule languages or English
• Personality Test (Interview) carries 275 marks and is merit-based
• Both preliminary papers must be attempted; absence disqualifies candidature