Provincial Civil Services Examination (PCS) is conducted by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) every year to recruit candidates for state public services that are Combined State/Upper subordinate to only IAS.
Anyone within the age group of 21-40 years with a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university is eligible for the exams which they need to submit at the time of UPPCS main exam Detailed Application Form (DAF) submission.
UPPSC Exam Pattern
| Exam Name | Uttar Pradesh Provincial Civil Services Examination (UP PCS) |
| Exam Level | State Level |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| Exam Mode | Offline (Pen-paper) OMR sheets |
| Question Type | Objective type (MCQs) |
| Language | English and Hindi |
| No. of paper | Paper 1 – General Studies I
Paper 2 – General Studies II (CSAT) |
| Duration | Two hours each |
| Timings of Exam | Both papers conducted on the same day
Paper 1 – 9.30 AM – 11.30 AM Paper 2 – 2.30 PM – 4.30 PM |
| Negative Marking | · 0.33% negative marking for every incorrect answer
· There is no negative marking for leaving a question blank |
| Exam Helpdesk No.
(10:00 AM to 5:00 PM) |
0532-2407547 |
| Official Website | www.uppsc.up.nic.in |
Aspirants can download the UPPSC Syllabus 2021 Pdf from the official website.
There are three stages to the selection for UP Public Civil Service 2021:
- Prelims- 2 Objective type papers (400 marks)
- Mains- 8 Descriptive/Essay type papers (1500 Marks)
- Interview/ Personality Test (100 marks)
UPPSC Preliminary Exam
| Name of Paper | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Time Duration |
| Paper-1
General Studies I |
150 | 200 | 2 Hours |
| Paper-1
General Studies II |
100 | 200 |
- Both the papers will be objective Type and have multiple choice questions.
- It is mandatory for the candidates to appear in both the papers of the Preliminary Examination for the purpose of evaluation.
- The merit of the Candidates will be determined on the basis of marks obtained in Paper-I of the Preliminary Examination
- Paper-II of the Preliminary Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.
- There will be a penalty of 1/3rd marks for Wrong Answers.
UPPSC Mains Examination
| Name of Paper | Total Marks | Time Duration |
| General Hindi | 150 | 3 hours |
| Essay | 150 | |
| General Studies (First Paper) | 200 | |
| General Studies (Second Paper) | 200 | |
| General Studies (Third Paper) | 200 | |
| General Studies (Fourth Paper) | 200 | |
| Total | 1500 |
UP PCS 2021 Syllabus
UPPSC PCS Syllabus- Prelims exam
Prelims Syllabus Paper 1
- National and International Current Affairs
- Ancient, Medieval and Modern Indian History
- Physical, Social and Economic Geography- India and the World.
- Indian Governance- Polity, Economy and Culture
- Social and Economic Development
- General Science
- Biodiversity, Climate Change and, Environmental Ecology
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Prelims Syllabus Paper 2- Civil Service Aptitude Test
- Communication and Interpersonal Skill
- Comprehension
- Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability
- Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Elementary Mathematics (up to Class-X)
- General English (up to Class-X)
- General Hindi (up to Class-X)
- General Mental Ability
UPPSC PCS Syllabus- Main exam
The main exam is the main part of the UPPSC exam in real terms. The marks secured in the UPPSC PCS main exam are the deciding factor in the final selection.
Paper 1: Essay Paper (General Hindi)
This paper will be of 150 marks.
General Hindi- Vilom Shabd, Muhavrein & Lokoktiyaan, Ashuddhiyaan, Anek ke ek shabd, Patra Lekhan, Taar lekhan, others.
Paper 2: Essay Paper (English)
The candidates need to write three essays (in about 700 word) in three hours. There will be three sections in the UPPSC Essay question paper and the candidates need to choose one topic from each section. The section-wise syllabus is as follows
Section A:
(1) Literature and Culture
(2) Social sphere
(3) Political sphere
Section B:
(1) Science, Environment and Technology
(2) Economic Sphere
(3) Agriculture, Industry and Trade.
Section C:
(1) National and International Events.
(2) Natural Calamities, Landslide, Earthquake, Deluge, Drought etc.
(3) National Development programmes and projects.
Paper 3: General Studies Paper I
The General Studies Paper I is the most static paper of the UPPSC PCS main exam. This paper has the least current orientation and the candidates should prepare it keeping in mind that its topics will be useful in other exams as well. The list of the topics is as follows:
- History of Indian Culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
- Modern Indian history (from A.D.1757 to A.D. 1947): Significant events, personalities and issues, etc.
- The Freedom Struggle- its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
- Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country (till 1965A.D.).
- History of the world will include events from 18th century to the middle of the 20th century such
as French revolution of 1789, the industrial revolution, World Wars, redraw of national boundaries, Socialism, Nazism, Fascism etc-their forms and effect on the society. - Salient features of Indian Society and culture.
- Role of Women in society and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
- Meaning of liberalization, privatization and globalization and their effects on the economy, polity and social structure.
- Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
- Distribution of major natural resources of World- Water, Soils, Forests in reference to South and South-East Asia with special reference to India. Factors responsible for the location of industries (with special reference to India).
- Salient features of Physical Geography- Earthquake, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, Cyclone, Ocean Currents, winds and glaciers.
- Oceanic resources of India and their potential.
- Human migration-refugee problem of the World with a focus on India.
- Frontiers and boundaries with reference to Indian sub-continent.
- Population and Settlements- Types and Patterns, Urbanization, Smart Cities and Smart Villages.
- Specific knowledge of Uttar Pradesh – History, Culture, Art, Architecture, Festival, Folk-Dance, Literature, Regional Languages, Heritage, Social Customs and Tourism.
- Specific knowledge of U.P.- Geography- Human and Natural Resources, Climate, Soils, Forest, Wild-Life, Mines and Minerals, Sources of Irrigation.
Paper 4: General Studies II
This paper demands the knowledge of the Indian Constitution, the important Acts passed by the Parliament and important historical judgements related to the basic structure of the constitution of India. The list of the topics are as follows
- Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure, Role of Supreme Court in the evolution of basic provisions of Constitution.
- 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.
- Role of Finance Commission in Centre-State financial relations.
- Separation of powers, dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions. Emergence and use of alternative dispute redressal mechanisms.
- Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other major democratic countries.
- Parliament and State legislatures- structure, functioning, the conduct of business, powers and privileges and concerned issues.
- 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. Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
- Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
- Appointment to various Constitutional posts, Powers, functions and their responsibilities.
- Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies including NITI Aayog, their features and functioning.
- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design, implementation and Information Communication Technology (ICT).
- Development processes- the role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Self Help Groups (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, their implication on the body politic.
- Important aspects of governance. Transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential, citizens, charters and institutional measures.
- Role of Civil Services in a democracy in the context of emerging trends.
- India and its relationship with neighbouring countries.
- Bilateral, Regional and Global groupings and agreements involving India and/ or affecting India’s interest.
- Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests- Indian diaspora.
- Important International Institutions, Agencies their structure, mandate and functioning.
- Specific knowledge of Uttar Pradesh regarding Political, Administrative, Revenue and Judicial System.
- Current affairs and events of Regional, State, National and International importance.
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Paper 5: General Studies III
This is the most dynamic paper of UPPSC PCS main exam. This paper’s topics run in consonance with the current events all the time. The candidates need to update the textbooks for the new data and figures released by the government from time to time. The list of the topics are as follows:
- Economic planning in India, objectives and achievements. Role of NITI Aayog, Pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
- Issues of Poverty, Unemployment, Social justice and inclusive growth.
- Components of Government Budgets and Financial System.
- Major Crops, Different types of irrigation and irrigation systems, storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce, e-technology in the aid of farmers.
- Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices, Public Distribution System (PDS)- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping, issues of buffer stocks and food security, Technology missions in agriculture.
- Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
- Land reforms in India since independence.
- Effects of liberalization and globalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
- Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
- Science and Technology-developments and applications in everyday life and in National Security, India’s Science and Technology Policy.
- Achievements of Indians in science & technology, indigenization of technology. Developments of New technologies, transfer of technology, dual and critical use technologies.
- Awareness in the fields of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Space Technology, Computers, Energy resources, nanotechnology, microbiology, biotechnology. Issues relating to intellectual property rights (IPR), and digital rights.
- Environmental security and Ecosystems, Conservation of Wildlife, Biodiversity, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
- Disaster as a Non-traditional security and safety challenge, disaster mitigation and management.
- Challenges of International Security: Issues of Nuclear proliferation, Causes and spread of extremism, Communication networks, the role of media and social networking, Basics of cybersecurity, money laundering and human trafficking.
16- India’s internal security challenges: Terrorism, corruption, insurgency and organised crimes. - Role, kind and mandate of security forces, higher defence organizations in India
- Specific knowledge of Uttar Pradesh Economy: –
- Overview of UP Economy: State Budgets. Importance of Agriculture, Industry,
- Infrastructure and physical resources. Human Resources and Skill development.
- Government Programmes and Welfare Schemes.
- Issues in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Animal Husbandry.
- Law and Order and Civil Defence with special reference to U.P.
Paper 6: General Studies IV- Ethics
Ethics paper is introduced recently and the teachers are in the process to devise a strategy for the candidates. This paper was introduced to check the moral orientation of the candidates.
The list of the topics are as follows.
- Ethics and Human Interface
Essence, determinants and consequences of ethics in human action, dimensions of ethics, ethics in private and public relationships. Human Values-lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators, the 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 nonpartisan ship, objectivity, dedication to public services, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.
- Emotional Intelligence
Concept and dimensions, its utility and application in administration and governance.
- Contributions of moral thinkersand 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 moral values in governance, ethical issues in international relations and funding, corporate governance.
- Probity in Governance
Concept of public service, the philosophical basis of governance and probity, information sharing and transparency in government. Right to Information, codes of ethics, codes of conduct, citizen’s charter, work culture, quality of service delivery, utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
Paper 7-8 Optional Papers (I-II)
There is a list of subjects to choose from
- Law
- Botany
- Agriculture
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Animal Husbandry
- Chemistry
- Medical Science
- Psychology
- Zoology
- Physics and Veterinary Science
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Urdu Literature
- Hindi Literature
- Sanskrit Literature
- English Literature
- Management
- Geography
- Economics
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- History
- Public Administration
- Geology
- Anthropology
- Commerce
UPPSC Interview
This is the final round of the UPPSC Exam. Candidates qualifying for the Prelims and the Mains exam will be called to appear for the Interview. The Interview will be for 100 Marks. Selected candidates have to go to Prayagraj for the in-person interview. There is no fixed syllabus for the interview but emphasis is given on your optional subject during questioning. The best way to prepare for the interview is staying thoroughly updated with current affairs and also history, politics and geography of your states- specifically about your locality.
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