The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is India’s premier central recruiting agency responsible for conducting civil service examinations to select eligible candidates for various positions in the Indian administrative services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and many others.
UPSC 2024 Notification of Exam Dates
| UPSC CSE Notification Release Date 2024 | 14th February, 2024 |
| Last day to fill Application | 5th March, 2024 |
| UPSC Prelims 2024 Exam Date | 26th May, 2024 |
| UPSC CSE Mains 2024 Date | 20th September, 2024 |
| UPSC Interview Date 2024 | To be announced Later |
UPSC Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024 are as follows:
Nationality: The candidate must be either:
- A citizen of India, or
- A subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or
- A Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
- A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Educational Qualification: The candidate must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. Candidates in their final year of graduation can also apply provisionally, but they must submit proof of passing the degree examination before the specified date.
Number of Attempts: The number of attempts allowed varies based on the candidate’s category:
- General Category: Six attempts
- OBC Category: Nine attempts
- SC/ST Category: No restriction on the number of attempts until the upper age limit is reached. (excludes the relaxation categories)
AGE LIMIT FOR IAS 2024
| Category | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
| Age limit for General Category | 21 | 32 |
| Age limit for EWS | 21 | 32 |
| Age Limit for OBC | 21 | 35 |
| Age Limit For SC/ST | 21 | 37 |
UPSC CSE Posts and Vacancies
The total number of vacancies for UPSC CSE 2024 will be released in the UPSC Notification 2024. UPSC Civil Services Examination has two categories for the division of posts- Group A and Group B.
- Group A – All India Services
- Group B – Central Services
Some of the key posts under the UPSC CSE 2024 are as follows:
- Indian Administrative Service (IAS): IAS officers are responsible for the administration and implementation of government policies at various levels. They hold leadership positions in district administrations and head various government departments.
- Indian Police Service (IPS): IPS officers are responsible for law enforcement, maintaining public order, and ensuring the safety and security of citizens.
- Indian Foreign Service (IFS): IFS officers represent India in diplomatic missions and international organizations. They handle foreign policy matters and promote India’s interests globally.
- Indian Revenue Service (IRS): IRS officers are responsible for the collection and administration of direct and indirect taxes, including income tax and customs duties.
- Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS): IAAS officers work in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, ensuring financial accountability and auditing government expenditures.
- Indian Information Service (IIS): IIS officers are responsible for managing government communication, media, and public relations.
- Indian Trade Service (ITS): ITS officers handle India’s international trade policies and promote exports and imports.
- Indian Postal Service (IPoS): IPoS officers manage postal services, including mail delivery, postal finances, and administrative functions.
- Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS): IRTS officers manage the transportation and logistics aspects of the Indian Railways.
- Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS): IRAS officers handle the financial management of the Indian Railways.
- Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS): IRPS officers manage human resources and personnel matters in the Indian Railways.
- Indian Railway Protection Force (IRPF): IRPF officers are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of passengers and railway property.
UPSC Prelims 2024 Exam Pattern
It comprises two papers:
- Paper-I: General Studies (GS) – 200 marks
- Paper-II: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) – 200 marks
Both papers are conducted on the same day with a duration of two hours each.
The GS paper covers topics like History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science and Technology, Environment, and Current Affairs.
The CSAT paper assesses the candidate’s comprehension, analytical ability, and basic aptitude skills.
UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2024
It comprises nine papers (two qualifying papers and seven merit-based papers):
- Paper-A: One of the Indian languages (Qualifying) – 300 marks
- Paper-B: English (Qualifying) – 300 marks
- Paper-I: Essay – 250 marks
- Paper-II: General Studies I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography) – 250 marks
- Paper-III: General Studies II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations) – 250 marks
- Paper-IV: General Studies III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management) – 250 marks
- Paper-V: General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude) – 250 marks
- Paper-VI: Optional Subject – Paper 1 – 250 marks
- Paper-VII: Optional Subject – Paper 2 – 250 marks
Note: Each paper is of 3 hours in duration.
UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024
Paper-I: General Studies (GS)
- Current events of national and international importance
- History of India and the Indian National Movement
- Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, and Economic Geography of India and the World
- Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
- Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
- General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
- General Science.
Paper-II: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal skills, including communication skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision-making and problem-solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level).
UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024
| Paper | Subject | Topics |
| Paper-A | One of the Indian Languages (Qualifying) | Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution (Candidates can choose any one) |
| Paper-B | English (Qualifying) | English language and comprehension skills |
| Paper-I | Essay | Candidates have to write two essays, one each from Section-A and Section-B. |
| Paper-II | General Studies I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography) | Indian art and culture, history of India and the world, geography of India and the world |
| Paper-III | General Studies II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations) | Indian Constitution, governance, and social justice issues, international relations |
| Paper-IV | General Studies III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management) | Technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security, disaster management |
| Paper-V | General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude) | Ethics, integrity, and aptitude |
| Paper-VI & VII | Optional Subject – Paper 1 & Paper 2 | Candidates can choose one optional subject from the list provided by UPSC |
The optional subjects for Paper-VI and Paper-VII include subjects like History, Geography, Public Administration, Sociology, Political Science and International Relations, Economics, etc. Candidates need to choose one optional subject from the list provided by the UPSC.
List of 48 Optional Subjects in UPSC
There are a total of 48 optional subjects in the UPSC Mains exam, which includes 25 core subjects and 22 literature optional.
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Anthropology
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- Law
- Management
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical Science
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science and International Relations
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Zoology
- Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and English.
UPSC 2024 Personality Test
The UPSC interview is the final stage of the selection process and holds significant weight in determining a candidate’s final rank and service allocation. The interview aims to assess the candidate’s personality, communication skills, intellectual depth, analytical ability, and overall suitability for a career in civil services.
Unlike the Preliminary and Mains exams, the UPSC CSE interview does not have a specific syllabus in terms of defined topics or subjects. The interview panel can ask questions on a wide range of topics to gauge the candidate’s understanding, perspective, and general awareness.
UPSC Interview is of 275 Marks
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