What are the 12 subjects for IAS?

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) exam, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), consists of three stages: the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination, and the Interview (Personality Test).

While there are only two compulsory papers in the Preliminary Examination (General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II, also known as the Civil Services Aptitude Test or CSAT), the Main Examination includes a range of subjects.

Here are the 12 subjects for the Main Examination:

1. 1. Essay: Candidates are required to write essays on multiple topics. The essay paper evaluates the candidate’s ability to express ideas coherently and present arguments effectively.
   2. General Studies (GS) Paper I: This paper covers various subjects such as Indian History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science and Technology, and Current Affairs.
   3. General Studies (GS) Paper II: This paper primarily focuses on Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations. It includes topics like Indian Constitution, Governance, Social Justice, and International Relations.
   4. Optional Subject Paper I: Candidates are required to choose one optional subject from a list provided by the UPSC. The first paper of the optional subject covers the syllabus prescribed by the UPSC for that subject.
   5. Optional Subject Paper II: The second paper of the optional subject, similar to Paper I, covers the syllabus prescribed by the UPSC for the chosen subject.

The list of optional subjects includes:

• • Agriculture
  • Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
  • Anthropology
  • Botany
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Commerce and Accountancy
  • Economics
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • History
  • Law
  • Management
  • Mathematics
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Medical Science
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Public Administration
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • Zoology
  • Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and English.

Candidates can choose any one of the subjects listed above as their optional subject for the Main Examination.

The Main Examination is subjective in nature, and candidates are required to answer questions in essay format, providing detailed and comprehensive responses.