UPSC Civil Services Exam new Syllabus (2013) has produced mixed response from the candidates, though the majority is definitely welcoming the change. The winners and losers of the latest pattern can be realized completely only a couple of years later, but a quick look gives many interesting insights.
Civil Services Latest Pattern Highlights
- General Studies weightage doubled – The biggest change! (Good news for generalists, bad news for specialists!)
- Optional Subjects halved. ( Worry time for specialists!)
Weightage of Subjects : Distribution of Marks : Revised IAS Mains Exam Syllabus
Update (March 24, 2013) : Government reverted changes made to the literature optional and the essay paper, due to protests in the Parliament. As per the latest news, the essay paper will be of 250 marks, with no English comprehension.
What’s new : Summary of the analysis of the changed UPSC pattern:
- Time for an additional optional is saved.
- The saved time plus some additional effort needs to be invested in General Studies! General Studies has already become more general awareness oriented, and this requires extensive reading – particularly newspapers and magazines.
- IAS coaching will lose it’s importance unless the coaching institutes adapt well enough to the change.
- Ethics and Integrity paper is a welcome initiative, but the clarity of questions is not available as of now.
- A welcome move to club IFS with Civil Services Exam – at the preliminary stage.
- Specialists who are unaware about their surroundings can now pack their bags and look for some other exam.
- There may be overlap of syllabus and hence advantage for those who take optionals like History, Pub Ad, Sociology, Geography etc – but the case was more or less same before too.
- Effective presentation and clarity of thinking is the key now.
Good Luck from ClearIAS.com!
aashiya says
March 10, 2013 at 8:19 pmshould we need to make any changes in our preparation now at this time or worry about the changes only after mains.
what books to refer for ethics paper?
ClearIAS.com says
March 10, 2013 at 10:58 pmGood queries Aashiya…It’s always better to start early and to have a long term plan in Civil Services Exam, but since UPSC announcement of mains came very late (now only 2.5 months left for Prelims) the time to be spend for mains preparation depends entirely on your confidence level on Prelims. If you are confident of clearing prelims, you can spend time for mains topics, which will surely give you an edge. But if you are worried about clearing prelims, priority should be for Prelims preparation in next 2.5 months.
And regarding useful books for ethics paper – ClearIAS.com will soon publish a list after analysis of available books related to the topic. Probably new books will enter market aligned with the changed syllabus within 2-3 months.
raam says
March 24, 2013 at 9:09 pmSir, your analysis is very good!
Would you please suggest books for each topic?
ClearIAS.com says
March 25, 2013 at 8:49 amCivil Service Books for Prelims and Mains are arranged topic wise in the below link.
https://www.clearias.com/ias-books-civil-services-exam-books/
All the best!
raam says
March 25, 2013 at 9:52 amThank you so much, sir! it will be really of great help to all the aspirants!
One more doubt! In UPSC website, the again newly changed syllabus hasn’t been published yet! Is it safe to go with new syllabus(I am going to appear only in 2014)?
ClearIAS.com says
March 25, 2013 at 5:56 pmDear Raam,
Government has made certain changes to the UPSC notification (new pattern) released on March 5th. Though the notification confirming the details are yet to be released by UPSC, it’s safe to move ahead in line of the UPSC new pattern +Government changes. The changes made by Government on UPSC new pattern is as given below :
https://www.clearias.com/government-rolls-back-upsc-mains-changes-level-playing-field/
naveen says
June 17, 2013 at 11:31 amsir i want to ask you about the latest syllabus to follow for 2014 exam..plz help me. i am confused a bit.
ClearIAS.com says
June 17, 2013 at 3:37 pmDear Naveen,
All the details of latest syllabus are given in the link below :
https://www.clearias.com/civil-services-exam-details/upsc-syllabus/
rinku says
September 18, 2013 at 9:31 pmsir plz tell is qualifying language paper will be there in 2014 mains or not.sowhere it is mention that quallifying langauge paper are removed and somewhere it is mention that it be there in mains 2014
ClearIAS.com says
September 18, 2013 at 10:49 pmDear Rinku,
There is no official communication about the removal of qualifying papers from UPSC. So till any notification comes about the removal, you may safely go ahead with the latest syllabus published.
ram says
September 22, 2013 at 1:26 amsir
as i am doing mtech so i dont have time to join coaching….so is postal courses are good..can you just suggest me which institute postal notes should i refer…is upscportal postal notes are good i am thinking to purchase it.thank you
ClearIAS.com says
September 22, 2013 at 2:22 pmDear Ram,
We advice you to give more preference to authoritative text books and government websites for preparation. Details of the suggested books given in the below link.
https://www.clearias.com/civil-services-exam-details/ias-books/
ram says
September 24, 2013 at 11:06 pmi am doing mtech in computer science ..can you just suggest which optional would be good for me as computer science is not an optional subject in upsc…i know it depends on one’s own interest ..but still iam confused …just need your suggestion and help..thankq….
tushar deore says
June 8, 2014 at 10:03 pmI m get confused about IAS books for mains.
Whether i should start with one particular book of GS-1,GS-2,GS-3,GS-4 by developindiagroup, unique publisher
or i should start with several book like majid hussain, m.laxmikant, ramesh singh, ncert,bipin chandra,etc.
Plz suggest me the one best way
Thank you
tushar deore says
June 8, 2014 at 10:11 pmI just starting with my last year in degree course
If i make target of study of one year of IAS EXAM with lot of hard work , & simultaneously do study of degree, without any tutions.
Could I get success?
Parikshit Ramani says
July 4, 2019 at 3:21 pmSir, would you please suggest books for each topics and subjects. Also the syallabus of 2020 UPSC CSE
Parikshit Ramani says
July 4, 2019 at 3:25 pmSir, would you please suggest books for each topics and subjects. Also the syallabus of 2020 UPSC CSE. Other such question is How to prepare Indian foreign service in UPSC.