Swarna Rashmi Prathisthana (R)

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of the most prestigious and competitive examinations in India, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit officers for All India Services and Central Civil Services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and others.

Preliminary Examination (Prelims) – Objective Type

• Purpose: Screening test only. Marks are not counted for the final ranking.
• Papers:
  • Paper I: General Studies (GS) – 200 marks
    (Current events, history, polity, economy, environment, etc.)
  • Paper II: CSAT – 200 marks
    (Comprehension, reasoning, basic numeracy – qualifying with 33% minimum)
• ·  Total Marks: 400
• ·  Mode: Offline
• ·  Negative marking: 1/3rd of marks deducted for incorrect answers

Main Examination (Mains) – Descriptive Type

• Purpose: To assess academic knowledge, writing skills, and depth of understanding
• Papers: 9 Papers in total
  • Qualifying Papers:
    • Paper A: Indian Language – 300 marks (not required for candidates from northeastern states)
    • Paper B: English – 300 marks
  • Papers Counted for Merit:
    • Essay – 250 marks
    • General Studies I – 250 marks (Indian Heritage, History, Geography)
    • General Studies II – 250 marks (Governance, Polity, Constitution)
    • General Studies III – 250 marks (Economy, Environment, Security)
    • General Studies IV – 250 marks (Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude)
    • Optional Subject Paper I – 250 marks
    • Optional Subject Paper II – 250 marks
• Total Marks for Merit: 1750

Personality Test (Interview)

• Purpose: To assess mental alertness, critical thinking, leadership, and communication
• Conducted by: UPSC Board
• Marks: 275
• Total Final Marks (Mains + Interview): 2025

Eligibility Criteria

• Nationality: Indian citizen for IAS/IPS; other services allow certain other categories
• Age Limit:
  • General: 21 to 32 years
  • OBC: up to 35 years
  • SC/ST: up to 37 years
• Educational Qualification: Graduate degree in any discipline
• Number of Attempts:
  • General: 6
  • OBC: 9
  • SC/ST: Unlimited (till age limit)