UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-II Strategy, Syllabus & Structure

In General Studies Paper-II, questions are asked on Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations.

The paper is part of the UPSC Mains examination which is the second stage of the UPSC Civil Services Exam. It is one of the qualifying papers.

Most of the questions asked in this paper are analysis-based and the candidates need to give their opinions. It has to be supported with relevant data, facts and figures, and reasoning.

GS Paper-II Structure:

GS Paper-II is for 250 marks. The question paper consists of 20 questions. Each question needs to be answered in 150 to 250 words depending on the marks assigned to the question. The question paper is set both in English and Hindi.

The following table lists important topics in GS paper-II:

GS Paper-II Booklist:

The following table lists important books and sources for UPSC Mains GS paper-II:

GS Paper-II Syllabus:

The following table categorises the UPSC Civil Services Mains GS-II syllabus:

Strategy for UPSC General Studies Paper-II:

• Polity:  The basic concepts related to polity can be read from M.Laxmikanth. However, to make your answer more unique and stand out is by use of-
  • Supreme Court Judgements
  • Current Affairs Compilations
  • Mention relevant Constitutional Articles.
  • Recommendations of Committees and Commissions like ARC reports, important points from Sarkaria and Punchii Commission reports, Niti Aayog 3 year action agenda.
  • Social development and governance reports
  • 12th Five Year Plan snippets
  • Finance commission report 
  • Prepare thoroughly on Government policies and bills through PRS India.
  • Economic & political weekly – selected editorial commentaries
  • Make your balanced views on policies
• Use illustrations, diagrams, maps, and graphs wherever possible. They enhance the presentation and express more content in less time.
• Governance: Make short notes on each and every topic under Governance. Few topics can be covered from the latest edition of Laxmikanth. However, one should make good use of current affairs.
• International Relations: Make note of all important bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties and agreements signed between the countries. Listing core points related to those agreements will add authority to your answer. Include an analytical point of view to the answer.For this, it is advised to refer to online magazines like ‘Diplomat’ or ‘Economic or Political weekly’ or refer to notes from one of the Best IAS Institute in Bangalore.
• Include a Multi-dimensional perspective to your answer (Technological, Economical, Strategic, Defence, Educational, Cultural, Stakeholder perspective, and so on)
• Include important Indices. 
• Include suggestions to improve or overcome the challenges, a way forward for each diplomatic relationship.

For detailed Notes and compilations related to General Studies Paper-II from one of the Best IAS Institute in Karnataka, Click here.