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If you’re an aspiring judge looking to join the Himachal Pradesh Judicial Services, then understanding the Himachal Pradesh Judiciary Syllabus 2025 is the first and most crucial step in your preparation journey. The syllabus is designed to test a candidate’s grasp of civil and criminal law, language proficiency, and overall legal aptitude. In this article, we provide you with a detailed overview of the HPJS syllabus for both the Preliminary and main examinations, including subject-wise topics, marks distribution, and a PDF download link for your convenience.
Overview of the Himachal Pradesh Judiciary Exam 2025
The Himachal Pradesh Judicial Services Exam (HPJS) is conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) to recruit Civil Judges (Junior Division) in the state judiciary. It consists of three stages:
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Preliminary Examination (Objective)
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Main Examination (Descriptive)
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Viva-Voce (Interview)
Himachal Pradesh Judiciary Syllabus 2025 – Prelims
The HPJS Preliminary Exam is a screening test with objective-type questions. It includes three papers, each carrying 100 marks, and the duration for each is 1 hour. All three papers are conducted on the same day.
Paper 1 – Civil Law-I
Key Topics:
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Code of Civil Procedure
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Indian Evidence Act
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Indian Stamp Act
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Himachal Pradesh Courts Act, 1976
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Specific Relief Act
Paper 2 – Civil Law-II
Key Topics:
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Indian Contract Act
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Hindu Law
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Indian Limitation Act
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Transfer of Property Act
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H.P. Urban Rent Control Act
Paper 3 – Criminal Law
Key Topics:
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Indian Penal Code
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Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)
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Negotiable Instruments Act (Section 138–143)
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H.P. Excise Act, 2011
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Wildlife Protection Act
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Indian Forest Act
Important Additions:
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Gender Sensitivity in Judicial Decisions
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Judicial conduct and approach to sexual offences
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Role of judges in protecting victims
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Judicial stereotyping and cybercrimes
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POCSO Act, Domestic Violence Act, and Vishaka Guidelines
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Himachal Pradesh Judiciary Syllabus 2025 – Mains
The main exam is descriptive and includes five papers. Each paper tests a candidate’s in-depth legal knowledge and writing skills.
Paper-Wise Syllabus & Marks
Paper | Subject | Marks |
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Paper-I | Civil Law-I: Code of Civil Procedure, Indian Evidence Act, Stamp Act, HP Courts Act, Specific Relief Act | 200 |
Paper-II | Civil Law-II: Contract Act, Hindu Law, Limitation Act, TPA, Rent Control Act | 200 |
Paper-III | Criminal Law: IPC, CrPC, NI Act, Excise Act, Forest Act, Gender Sensitivity, POCSO, Domestic Violence, Cyber Laws, etc. | 200 |
Paper-IV | English Composition: Essay, Translation from Hindi to English | 100 |
Paper-V | Language (Hindi in Devanagari): Essay, Translation from English to Hindi, Grammar | 100 |
Viva-Voce (Interview)
The final stage is the Viva-Voce, carrying 150 marks. Candidates who qualify the Mains exam are shortlisted for this round.
Viva-Voce Assessment Areas:
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Legal knowledge
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Oral communication
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Current affairs awareness
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Presence of mind
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Personality and suitability for a judicial role
Minimum Qualifying Marks in Viva-Voce: 45%
Preparation Tips for HPJS 2025
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Understand the Bare Acts thoroughly.
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Focus on landmark judgments and legal maxims.
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Practice previous year question papers.
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Improve your answer-writing and legal interpretation skills.
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Stay updated on judicial ethics, gender justice, and recent legal developments.
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Revise subjects like POCSO, DV Act, and Vishaka Guidelines, especially for Paper 3.
Best Books for HPJS 2025 Preparation
Subject | Recommended Books |
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Civil Law | C.K. Takwani, Mulla’s CPC, R.K. Bangia |
Criminal Law | K.D. Gaur (IPC), R.V. Kelkar (CrPC) |
Constitution & Gender Law | P.M. Bakshi, Universal’s Bare Acts |
English & Hindi | Wren & Martin, Lucent’s Language Books |