IAS Preparation 2024 - Preparation, Important Topics, Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Best Books

The UPSC IAS exam is one of the most sought-after recruitment examinations across the country. Candidates who are interested in becoming administrative public servants to help society apply for this examination. Qualifying in the UPSC examination is also considered a great matter of pride among the citizens. This article provides all the details about how to prepare for the examination so that you can easily clear the examination.

For 2024, the UPSC IAS Prelims exam is scheduled for June 16, 2024. The UPSC IAS Mains exam has been scheduled to be conducted from September 20, 2024, onwards. The UPSC noted that any further postponement would be notified to students via UPSC's official website portal. 

IAS Preparation 2024

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) exam is a National level Civil Services examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit candidates as officers for All India Administrative Civil Service. It is one of the most important exams to be held as people who do well in the IAS Exam are offered the most prestigious jobs under the Government. The head of the ministries and departments of the Government is an IAS officer.

With such importance given to this post, it has become a dream job for many aspirants. Unfortunately, though lakhs of people apply for this examination, only a few candidates pass the examination. However, with determination and perseverance, any candidate can excel at this examination with flying colours.

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How to Start Preparation for IAS Exam 2024?

Candidates often roam around the question of how to prepare for IAS exam. Therefore, candidates who want to prepare for the IAS exam usually take a year off to prepare. This is one of the most competitive examinations held in India. They attend classes held especially for the IAS exam. Nevertheless, if you cannot do that, you can self-study as long as you put the effort to study daily.

It requires a lot of change in the daily routine as you would have to cultivate new habits. Reading newspapers daily is the foundation for developing the habit of reading and learning about current affairs. The candidate can download new applications related to current affairs like Inshorts, Economic times, etc.

The UPSC mains book used for the preparation of the IAS exam are the NCERT books. They help guide out the basic understanding of the IAS exam syllabus. It is written in a simple language, making it easy for everyone to understand. By reading the NCERT books, candidates understand the exam perspective.

The other books which can be used as a reference are as follows:

1. English- High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin.
2. Indian Polity- The Constitution of India by PM Bakshi.
3. Economy- Indian Economy by Mishra and Puri.
4. Environment- Environment for Civil Services Prelims and Mains by Khullar.
5. Science and Technology- Science and Technology in India by TMH.

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Subject-Wise Preparation for IAS Exam 2024

Another question that arises in the candidates' minds is how to start preparing for IAS subjects. Hence, here we have listed the subject-wise details of how to prepare for the IAS exam. Therefore, following the detailed analysis of the subjects can prove effective. 

Indian Polity

In the past years, the weightage of Indian polity has escalated for both preliminary and mains. The topics that appear mostly in the exam are from the chapters such as constitutional developments, fundamental rights, fundamental duties, DPSP, judiciary, union government, amendments, local government, federalism, the election process.

In addition, candidates are suggested to follow the newspaper and the daily news to stay updated. Exceptionally, there are a few events such as the recent supreme court judgements and verdict on triple talaq, right to privacy, adultery, etc.

Life Science, General Science, Science and Technology

Science and technology have become a part of GS for the past 15 years; hence, questions from this part carries more weightage. Candidates from backgrounds other than science are recommended to follow the NCERT to grasp the syllabus. Also, NCERT is a great source of knowledge. 

However, the recent trends in question show that general science covers day-to-day life events. Therefore, observation power can prove beneficial.

In life science, the main stress is laid on Zoology. Most of the questions are from the human system and diseases. Limited questions are asked from Botany. The areas with high value in Botany are agriculture, biological diversity, and plant systems. 

Economic and Social Development

There has been a subsequent change in this section. Most of the questions are contemporary hence requires proper understanding and knowledge of the topic. Follow NCERT and attentively follow the economic survey and budget. 

In addition, the topics with more weightage are from the syllabus industry, agricultural production, Exim policy, money and banking, public finance, and reforms. For example, in money and banking, the candidate has to watch financial and banking reforms( e.g., Merger of banks, Insolvency, and Bankruptcy law, twin balance deficit problem, NPA, etc.).

Geography and Environment

Keep the world map and the NCERT hand while studying for Geography. In addition, a thorough understanding of the physical aspects of India, with proper clarity on locations, is the essential minimum requirement. It also helps in economic, as well as the human, aspects of Indian Geography.

Meanwhile, candidates should be conscious of the advancements correlated with Ecology and Environment-related issues for the Environment. The various initiatives and conferences were held, especially those for preserving the biodiversity and ecosystem of the country and the world.

History and Culture

To dig deep into the history syllabus, candidates must know that it covers ancient, medieval, and modern history. In Ancient India, questions on the Vedic Age, the Mauryan Period, and the Gupta Period are ruling. Sultanate and Mughal periods are most important in Medieval History. In Modern History, most of the questions are being asked between 1857 and 1947, including the uprising of 1857, social reform movements, Governor Generals, and national movements.

The importance of Indian culture has increased significantly. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the evolution of Indian culture, right from ancient times, is essential to obtain excellent marks in the Preliminary Exam.

Current Affairs

The current affairs syllabus is vast. It mainly covers events from recent happenings worldwide, multilateral developments, sports, and personalities in various fields, along with prizes, awards, and honours. Therefore, winning over this is a continuous relationship with the newspaper, and the following yojana is mandatory. 

CSAT Paper

The total number of questions from this paper has seen a fluctuating trend with an increase in toughness. Moreover, the questions are being asked from hitherto less-expected areas, which have made the preparation more difficult. Questions on Comprehension and Reasoning are also included in the paper. However, proper practice of previous years' question papers and model questions ensures a good score. 

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Planning and Preparation Strategy for IAS Exam 2024

Along with developing reading habits and constantly being updated with the current affairs relevant to the IAS exam, the candidates should focus on solving previous years question papers. By solving the old question papers, the candidates get an idea of their strengths and weaknesses, focusing on working more on the weaknesses. They should start preparing for the basic subjects like Science, Indian economy, Constitution of India, History, Geography, etc., before moving on to other subjects.

They would have to prepare a schedule to cover every part of the syllabus as the syllabus is vast and requires a lot of time to complete with considerations on implications of the subject's past, present, and future.

The candidates can focus on their weaknesses first, improve on the subject, and then move on to their strengths to ensure they don't forget what they have learned.

Also Read: IAS Preparation- Preparation, Important Topics, Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Best Books

Important Topics to be Covered in IAS Exam 2024

The topics that have to be covered are the fundamental subjects/topics and current affairs.

The list of topics that are fundamental for learning are as follows:

1. History of India
2. Constitution of India
3. Geography
4. Science
5. Indian Economy and its' Development
6. Indian Politics
7. Indian Agriculture and Seasons
8. Social Issues in Indian Society

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Best Books for IAS Preparation

Here is the list of best books that are followed for IAS preparation. These books are considered an excellent source of information. Further, these books are considered invaluable sources for self preparation for IAS.  

Books	Authors/ Publication
History
India’s Struggle for Independence	Bipan Chandra
Indian Art and Culture	Nitin Singhania
NCERT	Ancient (XI and XII) Medieval (XI and XII) Modern (XI and XII)
Geography
Certificate Physical Geography	G C Leong
NCERT	Class XI and XII
World Atlas	Orient Black Swan
Indian Polity
NCERT	Class XI and XII
Indian Polity	M Laxmikanth
Economics
Indian Economy	Nitin Singhania
Economic Development & Policies in India	Jain & Ohri
NCERT	Class XI and XII
International Relations
NCERT	Class XI and XII
Current Affairs
CSAT
CSAT Manual	McGraw Hill
Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning	R S Aggarwal

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IAS Syllabus and Exam Pattern

There are 3 stages to qualifying for the IAS examination. They are the Preliminary exam, Main Exam, and Personal Interview/Personality test.

The exam pattern is as follows:

IAS Exam Pattern (Preliminary)

The preliminary exam is the first stage of the IAS examination process. If you pass this examination, you can write the Main exam.

Particulars	Details
Mode of exam	Offline (Pen and paper-based test)
Number of Papers	2 (General studies and Civil Aptitude test)
Duration of the exam	2 hours
Total marks	400 marks
Question paper type	Multiple-choice questions
Language medium	English and Hindi

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IAS Preparation Syllabus (Preliminary)

The syllabus for the IAS Preliminary exam is given below. It tests the basic knowledge. However, the marks obtained is not carried forward. It is to qualify for the IAS Mains exam. 

Papers	Syllabus
Paper-I	Current events of National & International importance. History of India & Indian National Movement. Indian & World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India & the World. Indian Polity & Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Economic & Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. General issues on Environmental ecology, Biodiversity & climate change – that do not require subject specialization. General Science.
Paper-II	Comprehension. Interpersonal skills including communication skills. Logical reasoning & analytical ability. Decision making & problem solving. General mental ability. Basic numeracy (numbers & their relations, orders of magnitude, Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency)

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IAS Main Exam Pattern

The Main exam is conducted after the candidate passes the prelims round. If you qualify for the main examination, you can proceed to the last stage of the exam, which is the interview stage.

Particulars	Details
Mode of exam	Offline (Pen and paper-based test)
Number of Papers	9 (Qualifying and Merit exam)
Duration of the exam	3 hours
Total marks	1750 marks
Question paper type	Descriptive answer type
Language medium	English and Hindi

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IAS Preparation Syllabus (Mains)

The syllabus for IAS mains preparation is as displayed below. There are total of seven papers. 

Papers	Syllabus
Paper-I	Essay
Paper-II: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.	Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues. The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country. Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country. History of the world will include events from the 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on society. Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.  Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Effects of globalization on Indian society. Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.  Salient features of the world's physical geography.  Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).  Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclones etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
Paper-III: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations	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. 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 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; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Role of civil services in a democracy. India and its neighborhood- 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.
Paper-IV: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management	Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Government Budgeting. Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, - different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers. Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System-objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing. Food processing and related industries in India- scope’ and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management. Land reforms in India. Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth. Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. Investment models. Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life. Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Disaster and disaster management. Linkages between development and spread of extremism. Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention. Security challenges and their management in border areas - linkages of organized crime with terrorism. Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.
Paper-V: Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude	Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships. Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values. Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion. Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections. Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance. Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world. Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance. Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption. Case Studies on the above issues.
Paper – VI & VII	Optional Subject Papers

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UPSC IAS Personality Test/ Personal interview

Candidates who have qualified for the preliminary exam and main exam move on to the final stage, the personality test and interview stage. They conduct two tests which are the psychometric test and assessment test. First, a psychometric test is conducted to measure the suitability of the candidate for the role of the IAS officer. Second, they measure the personality capabilities against the required personality traits required to be able to handle the job.

An assessment test helps understand the intellectual capabilities of the candidate.

This tests the mental, social and intellectual capabilities of the candidates, and the test is conducted in a language of their choice. The duration of the test and interview depends on the interviewee. The whole process is graded for 275 marks. In the end, the total is calculated, and the candidates are ranked and decided if the candidate has qualified for the examination.

Being confident and staying calm during the interview process ensures you have good body language and be polite to create a good impression on the interviewers.

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IAS Preparation 2024 FAQs

1. Is it possible to clear the IAS exam 2024 without attending a coaching center?
   A: Yes, it is possible to clear your IAS exam if you can self-study and be motivated to learn every day. Practicing daily helps the candidate get used to the subjects and understand what they need to focus more on.
   
   
2. Is there any negative marking for the prelims exam?
   A: Yes, there is negative marking allotted for each wrong answer given in the exam.
   
   
3. How many times can I attempt the IAS exam?
   A: It depends on the category of the candidate. For General Category candidates, they can attempt the exam 6 times.
   
   

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