Prelims Polity Syllabus for UPSC Exam 2025

PWOnlyIAS October 22, 2024 06:05 7131 0

Know about the Prelims Polity Syllabus for UPSC Exam 2025, covering the Constitution, Governance, Fundamental Rights, Parliament, Judiciary, Local-Self Government, Centre-State Relations, Emergency Provisions, Current Affairs, etc.

Prelims Polity Syllabus for UPSC Exam 2025

Prelims Polity Syllabus for UPSC Exam 2025: Polity is a core subject in the UPSC exam, playing a crucial role in both Prelims and Mains, with the option to select it as an optional subject. In the Prelims, around 15-20 questions are asked annually from key topics in Polity. The syllabus covers areas such as the political system, Indian polity and governance, Constitution, Rights Issues, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Centre-State Relations, Judiciary, Legislature, Parliamentary bills, amendments, current affairs, etc. Knowing these topics well is very important to do well in the UPSC Prelims Exam 2025. 

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2025: An Overview

The Union Public Service Commission Preliminary Examination, or UPSC Prelims, is the first stage of the Civil Services Examination conducted by the UPSC.  The Prelims consist of two papers: General Studies Paper-I and General Studies Paper-II (CSAT), both of which are objective-type multiple-choice exams.  

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The detailed UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2025 can be found in the Image below:

UPSC Prelims Polity Syllabus 2025 Complete Details

Prelims Polity syllabus

The UPSC Prelims Polity syllabus expects a candidate to know basics about the Indian constitution, including its origin, features and many more. Candidates must also study governing institutions and the evolution of laws in the country. The complete detail of UPSC prelims polity syllabus is as follows:

Historical Background
  • Company Rule.
  • Crown Rule.
  • Regulating Act 1773.
  • Charter Act 1833.
  • Government Of India Act 1858
  • Indian Council Act 1861
  • Indian Council Act 1909
  • Goi Act 1935
  • Goi Act 1947.
  • Transition Of Power To India
  • First Cabinet Of Free India
Preamble
  • Objective And Nature Of Preamble
  • Features
  • Judicial Cases
  • Amendability Of Preamble.
  • Important Facts About The Preamble
Schedules of Indian constitution
  • Original Schedules Of Indian Constitution
  • 9th Schedule.
  • All 12 Schedules.
Background of Indian Constitution
  • Demand For Constitution Assembly
  • Composition Of Constitution Assembly
  • Committees Involved In Making Of The Constitution
  • Inspiration For Indian Constitution
  • Salient Features.
  • Enactment And Enfrocement Of Constitution
Union and Territories
  • State Reorganization And Different Commissions
  • Formation Of States And Ut’s
  • Powers Of Parliament.
Citizenship
  • PIO, NRI, OCI And Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
  • Privileges For Indian Citizens And Foreigners
  • Criteria For Citizenship, Acquisition And Loss Of Citizenship
  • Recent Rights Related To Overseas Voting.
  • CAA And NRC.
Fundamental Rights
  • Nature And Their Significance.
  • FR’s Provided In The Constitution.
  • Judicial Review And Protection Of FR’s By Supreme Court
  • Writs And Their Significance.
  • Six Fundamental Rights And Articles.
  • Famous Cases Related To Fr.
Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)
  • Classification Of DPSP
  • Significance Of DPSP
  • Conflict Between Fundamental Rights And Dpsp
  • Keshavananda Bharathi, Minerva Mills, Golaknath Case, Maneka Gandhi Case Etc.
  • Amendment To DPSPs.
Fundamental Duties
  • Swaran Singh Committee And Verma Committee.
  • Idea About Fundamental Duties
  • Enforcement Of Fundamental Duties
  • Amendment To FD.
The Union
  • President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Council Of Ministers, Attorney General.
  • Powers And Functions Of Union 
  • Appointment And Removal
  • Powers Vis-À-Vis States
Indian Parliament
  • Role And Functions Of The Parliament
  • Parliamentary Instruments
  • Parliamentary Proceedings 
  • Parliamentary Privileges
  • Parliamentary Committees
  • Comparison Between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha,
  • Special Powers Of Rajya Sabha
  • Anti-Defection Law And 10th schedule
  • Bill And Law -Making Procedure
  • Budget, Funds And Its Summary
Judiciary
  • Powers Of Supreme Court And High Court
  • Qualification And Appointment
  • Removal Procedure
  • Evolution Of Collegium
  • District Courts
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution.
  • PIL And  Judicial Activism
State Executive
  • Governor- Qualification, Appointment, Removal.
  • Powers Of A Governor
  • Chief Minister And Council Of Ministers
  • Powers And Functions Of Chief Minister.
  • Relation Between Governor And Council Of Ministers, Bommai Case.
State Legislature
  • Power And Functions.
  • Composition
  • Bicameral Legislatures
  • Creation And Abolition Of The Legislative Councils
  • Comparison Between Rajya Sabha And Legislative Councils.
Administration of Union Territories (UT)
  • Special Provision For Ut Of Delhi
  • Administration and Jurisdiction In UT’s
  • Legislative And Executive Powers Of UT’s
Administration of Special Areas
  • 5th Schedule Areas
  • Power and Functions of Tribal Advisory Council
  • 6th Schedule Areas
  • Autonomous Districts and Autonomous Councils
  • PESA
  • Special Status For Jammu And Kashmir
  • Special Status For Other States
Centre State Relations
  • Composition And Functions Of Interstate Council And Zonal Council
  • Disputes Between States, Controversies, Etc.
  • Administrative, Legislative, And Financial Relationships.
  • Various Committees and Commission.
Emergency Provisions
  • National Emergency- Article 352
  • State Emergency- Article 356
  • Financial Emergency- Article 360
  • Approval, Continuation, And Revocation Of Emergency.
  • Effects Of Emergency
  • Changes In Federal Structure During Emergency
  • Role Of Parliament, President, And Governor During Emergency.
Panchayati Raj and Municipalities
  • Background Of Local Governance
  • Evolution Of Panchayati Raj System
  • Major Committees.
  • 73rd Amendment Act And 74th Amendment Act
  • Types Of Urban Government.
  • Features Of Panchayati Raj 
  • Role, Power And Function.
  • Decentralization And Local Governance
Constitutional Bodies
  • Election Commission
  • CAG
  • UPSC, JPSC, And SPSC
  • Finance Commission
  • National Commission For SCs, ST’s, OBC’s.
  • Appointment And Removal Of These Bodies.
  • Powers And Functions Of These Bodies.
Non-constitutional Bodies
  • National Human Rights Commission
  • Central Information Commission
  • Central Bureau Of Investigation
  • Central Vigilance Commission
  • State Human Rights Commission
  • State Information Commission
  • Recent Challenges To All These Bodies.
Tribunals
  • CAT And SAT
  • Different Types Of Tribunals, Hierarchy Of Tribunals.
  • Purpose And Functions
Special Provisions for Vulnerable Groups
  • Issues Concerning Sc’s, St’s, Backward Classes, Minorities And Anglo-Indians.
Current Affairs
  • Recent Political and Governance Issues, Such as ED, Police, Elections, Appointments, Etc. 
  • Recent Challenges and Issues On Distribution Of Powers,  Taxation And Grants, Administrative Reforms, Coalition Politics And Centre-State Relations,  Corruption, Bureaucratic Red Tape, And Service Delivery, Parliament-State Assembly Interaction, Judicial Oversight-Supreme Court And High Court Interventions
Constitutional Amendments
  • Important Constitutional Amendments Such As 1, 7 , 24, 38, 42, 44, 69, 86, Etc. And Recent Amendments To The Constitution
Important Articles
  • 1 To 50 Articles, Important Articles Of Parliament, State Legislature, Panchayat, Emergency Provisions, Center State Relations.
  • Articles On President And Governor.
  • Articles On Constitutional Bodies and Offices Such As SC, HC, EC, CAG, UPSC, etc,

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Download UPSC Prelims Question Paper 2024 PDF
Prelims Question Paper 2024 Download Link 
General Studies Paper I (GS Paper) Click Here
UPSC Prelims Exam Analysis 2024 Click Here

UPSC Prelims Polity 2025 Booklist

Candidates preparing for prelims have to choose books that completely cover the UPSC prelims polity syllabus. The complete booklist of polity syllabus is given below:

Book Type Book Name
NCERT 
  • Political Science: Indian Constitution at Work (NCERT Class XI)
  • Political Science I: Contemporary World Politics (NCERT Class XII)
  • Political Science II: Politics in India since Independence (NCERT Class XII)
Reference Books
  • Indian Polity by M Laxmikant
  • Governance in India: Basic and Beyond by M Karthikeyan
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India by D D Basu
  • Our Parliament by Subhash Kashyap
Other Sources
  • Newspapers such as The Hindu and The Indian Express
  • Press Information Bureau
  • PRS Legislative Research
  • Magazines such as Yojana and Kurukshetra

UPSC Prelims Polity Marks Weightage

On analysis of past question papers, it is clear that UPSC prelims polity syllabus carries significant weightage. The weight of polity questions is as below:

Year of Preliminary Examination Number of Polity Questions
2023 15
2022 15
2021 11
2020 17
2019 15
2018 13
2017 22
2016 7
2015 13
2014 14

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UPSC UDAAN Prelims Wallah PWONLYIAS UPSC Wallah Polity

Conclusion

Polity topics must not be studied in isolation, as they are closely linked to each other. Holistic study will allow candidates to understand the concepts in a better way so that they can attempt the questions in a better way.

If you are preparing for UPSC 2025, then don’t delay anymore in preparing with the best guidance and top-notch resources. Join PW UPSC Online Batches today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Polity carries a weight of 12-17 questions on average in preliminary exams. Answering 10-12 questions correctly can help them reach near the cut-off marks.

Not necessarily.

Yes. A candidate can score good and above-average marks by covering the complete syllabus.

Yes. PYQs give insights into the examiner’s mindset. Analysing PYQs can help candidates identify important themes for exams.

As many times as possible. Candidates who have completed a maximum number of revisions have a high chance of recalling concepts during the exam.

Yes. Candidates who have pre-existing knowledge need not start with basic NCERT. However, new starters can begin their preparation at NCERT and move on to M Laxmikant.
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UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
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Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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