UPSC GS Paper 1 Syllabus, Preparation Strategy, Exam Pattern

General Studies Paper 1

Indian Society, Art and Culture (Indian Heritage and Culture), Geography (Physical and Human), and History (Modern India & World) are the topics covered in the first general studies paper of the UPSC Mains. You will find a list of subject-specific questions from the IAS Exam’s Mains GS 1 from 2013 to 2023 in this article.

How to Approach GS 1 Paper for UPSC Mains?

The best source to understand the demand for the Mains General Studies 1 paper is through previous year’s question papers. With the help of topic-wise questions of Mains GS-I, you can derive a strategy to start your preparation. The major topics where questions are asked in the paper are:

History

• Modern Indian History
• World History

Art and Culture

• Indian Heritage & Culture

Geography

• Human Geography
• Physical Geography
• Geomorphology
• Indian Geography
• Climatology
• Oceanology

Indian Society

• Diversity in Indian Society
• Role of Women
• Poverty
• Urbanization
• Social Empowerment
• Regionalism
• Communalism
• Secularism, etc

In mains General Studies paper 1, questions are targeted at the above-mentioned topics and the sub-topics entailed by these. The only difference is in the number of questions from these. To understand in detail how to prepare for the Mains General Studies paper-1 and to get the trend analysis of the GS-I along with the strategy and syllabus, candidates can check the GS 1 Structure, Strategy and Syllabus page.

GS 1 Questions Topic Wise Analysis

The table below mentions the number of questions asked from each topic in UPSC Mains GS 1 from 2013-2023:

Topic 1 – History

The topic ‘History’ has the following sub-topics:

• History of the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues
• The Freedom Struggle
• Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
• World History

UPSC Mains GS 1 Questions – History
Year	Number of Questions
2013	Total Question: 12 Freedom Struggle – 3 Post Independence – 5 World History – 4
2014	Total Question: 6 Freedom Struggle – 3 World History – 3
2015	Total Question: 4 Freedom Struggle – 2 World History – 2
2016	Total Question: 4 Freedom Struggle – 3 World History – 1
2017	Total Question: 5 Freedom Struggle – 1 Post Independence – 3 World History – 1
2018	Total Question: 3 Freedom Struggle – 1 Post Independence – 2
2019	Total Question: 4 Freedom Struggle – 2 Post-Independence – 1 World History – 1
2020	Total Question: 2 Freedom Struggle – 2
2021	Total Question: 5 Freedom Struggle – 3 World History – 2
2022	Total Question: 12
2023	Total Question: 14

Topic 2 – Art & Culture

Indian culture comprises sub-topics like the salient aspects of:

• Art Forms
• Literature and
• Architecture, from ancient to modern times

UPSC Mains GS 1 Questions – Art & Culture
Year	Number of Questions
2013	3
2014	4
2015	2
2016	2
2017	2
2018	3
2019	1
2020	4
2021	1
2022	4
2023	4

Topic 3 – Geography

The topic ‘Geography’ has the following subtopics:

• Physical geography
• Key natural resources across the world
• Industrial Sectors
• Indian & World Geography
• Geophysical phenomena
• Climate
• Urbanization
• Industrial Location

UPSC Mains GS 1 Questions – Geography
Year	Number of Questions
2013	12
2014	10
2015	7
2016	9
2017	6
2018	4
2019	8
2020	8
2021	8
2022	11
2023	14

Topic 4 – Indian Society

The topic of Indian Society comprises:

• Indian Society’s salient features
• Diversity in Indian Society
• Women’s Role, Issues
• Poverty, Hunger Issues
• Urbanization, Issues
• Globalization, Issues
• Social Empowerment
• Regionalism, Communalism, Secularism

UPSC Mains GS 1 Questions – Indian Society
Year	Number of Questions
2013	6
2014	5
2015	6
2016	6
2017	7
2018	11
2019	10
2020	6
2021	6
2022
2023

Strategy for UPSC Mains GS Paper 1

Focus Areas in Mains General Studies

The table below gives the focus areas in Mains GS Paper-I which an aspirant should focus on:

Focus Areas in GS Paper I
Subject	Topics
Art & Culture	Classical dances Temple architecture Themes of ancient Indian history Literature Music and musical instruments
Modern History	Four important agitations/movements: Swadeshi and Boycott movement, Khilafat and Non-cooperation movement, Civil Disobedience movement, and Quit India movement. Social/religious reform movements: personalities and their contributions Contributions of important personalities (Indian and foreign)
India after Independence & Political Philosophies	Admission of princely states Role of Important Personalities Important movements after 1947 Communism Capitalism Socialism
World History	American, French, Russian and Industrial Revolution World War I and II Current affairs International pages of The Hindu and The Indian Express
Society of India	Diversity in India Women Empowerment Issues in Indian Society
Geography	Cyclones, hurricanes, earthquakes Location of industries in India Water bodies Climate change Natural Resources

How to prepare for UPSC GS Paper 1: Strategy & Tips

It is clear from the syllabus of the UPSC GS Paper 1 that broadly history, art & culture, and geography are to be covered to ace this paper. Following are some of the strategies that you can adopt to prepare this paper:

• History: Since the syllabus mentions only modern history, you can cover it from the books Spectrum (A Brief History of Modern India) & Bipin Chandra (History of Modern India)
• Art & Culture: Do not ignore the ancient and medieval history areas as questions from Art & Culture are asked from this portion. Glance through Class XI NCERT of Art & Culture to prepare this portion. Additionally, you can also refer to Indian Art & culture by Nitin Singhania
• Indian Society: Contemporary topics such as Indian Society, the Role of Women’s organizations, globalization, etc can be effectively covered by reading newspapers, monthly magazines, and PIB & PRS websites.
• Geography: The Geography part of the syllabus can be effectively covered from the NCERTs of Class XI and XII followed by a reading of books by Majid Hussain and GC Leong.
• Previous Year Questions & Mock Tests: Cover at least ten years of PYQs of UPSC GS Paper 1 to assess the type of questions being asked and also browse through the answer copies of toppers. You can easily get these answer copies online. Evaluate them to understand a good answer’s important elements and incorporate them into your answer writing. Practice it regularly and get your copies evaluated by your mentors.

Recommended Booklist for UPSC GS Paper 1 for IAS Mains Exam

• The Wonder That Was India- A.L. Basham. (Culture)
• India’s Ancient Past – R.S. Sharma. (Culture)
• Indian Art and Culture – Nitin Singhania. (Culture)
• A Brief History of Modern India – Spectrum Book (History)
• History Of Modern India – Bipan Chandra. (History)
• India’s Struggle For Independence – Bipan Chandra. (History)
• India After Gandhi – Ramchandra Guha (History – GS1)
• Norman Lowe OR History of Modern World – Jain and Mathur (World History – GS1)
• Social Problems In India – Ram Ahuja. (Indian Society – GS1)
• Geography of India – Majid Husain. (Geography)
• Oxford School Atlas – Oxford. (Geography)
• Certificate Physical and Human Geography – Goh Cheng Leong. (Geography)