General Studies 2 Paper Syllabus – Civil Services Mains Exam UPSC

General Studies 2 Paper Syllabus for UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam consists of the below major areas: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations.

General Studies 2 Paper Syllabus for UPSC Civil Services Mains

Detailed syllabus is given below:

Polity

• Indian Constitution: Historical underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments, Significant provisions and Basic structure
• Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States
• Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure
• Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein
• Separation of powers between various organs
• Dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions
• Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
• Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these
• Structure, organization, and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary
• Ministries and Departments of the Government
• Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity
• Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act
• Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions, and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies
• Statutory, regulatory, and various quasi-judicial bodies

Governance and Social Justice

• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
• Development processes and the development industry – the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes
• Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections
• Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
• Issues relating to poverty and hunger
• Important aspects of governance
• Transparency and accountability
• e-governance – applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential
• Citizen’s charters
• Transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures
• Role of civil services in a democracy

International Relations

• India and its neighbourhood relations
• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
• Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
• Indian Diaspora
• Important International institutions, agencies and fora – their structure, mandate
• India’s soft power and cultural diplomacy

Reference Books for General Studies Paper 2 [Suggestions by ClearIAS.com]

The basic book list recommended by many toppers is provided in the link IAS Books for UPSC Mains.

If you need additional books/weblinks for reference, the below-mentioned links might be useful.

1. Indian Polity for Civil Services Examinations – M. Laxmikanth. (Polity)
2. Governance in India for CSE. (Governance – GS2)
3. Pax Indica – Shashi Tharoor. (Foreign Policy – GS2)
4. India and the World by Surendra Kumar. (Foreign Policy – GS2)
5. The Constitution of India.
6. An Introduction to the Constitution of India by M.V. Pylee.
7. Introduction to the Constitution of India by Durga Das Basu.
8. Select Constitutions by Anup Chand Kapur, A.C. Kapur & K.K. Misra.
9. Fifty Years of Indian Parliament by G.C. Malhotra.
10. Social Theory, Development Administration & Development Ethics by Mohit Bhattacharya.
11. Our Parliament by Subhash Kashyap.
12. Public Institutions in India: Performance and Design by Devesh Kapur & Pratap Bhanu Mehta.
13. Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri
14. Does the Elephant Dance?: Contemporary Indian Foreign Policy
15. India’s foreign policy – V P Dutt.
16. ARC reports; special focus to the fourth report on Ethics in Governance and the fifth report on Public Order.
17. PIB.
18. India.gov.in for Welfare Schemes.
19. Articles from Planning Commission Website.
20. The Diplomat Magazine.
21. Briefs on Foreign Relations from MEA.

Tip: Use reference textbooks selectively as the available time is limited.

Additional Links:

1. Useful Civil Services Books.
2. Civil Services Study Materials for Online Preparation.
3. IAS Question Papers.