Programme syllabus
TGPSC & APPSC Group 1 and Group 2 — Syllabus
State Group 1 and Group 2 examinations share most of the UPSC General Studies syllabus and add detailed coverage of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh history, culture, movement, economy and policies. Our programme teaches the common UPSC core once and adds the state-specific papers.
How the programme covers the syllabus
Common GS core
Polity, history, geography, economy, S&T and environment shared with UPSC.
- Indian Polity
- Indian History
- Geography
- Indian Economy
- Science and Technology
State-specific papers
Telangana / AP history, movement, economy and schemes.
- Telangana movement and state formation
- State economy and budget
- Welfare schemes
Tests and Mains writing
State-pattern Prelims tests and Mains answer writing in English or Telugu.
- Prelims test series
- Mains answer writing
State PSC
TGPSC / APPSC Group 1 — State-specific papers
Prelims (GS & Mental Ability) + Mains (General English qualifying + Essay + 5 GS papers) + interview where applicable
Official scope: Group 1 follows a UPSC-like structure with heavy emphasis on the history, culture, economy, geography and policies of Telangana / Andhra Pradesh.
State-specific coverage
History and culture of Telangana / Andhra Pradesh · 7 subtopics
- Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins, Kakatiyas
- Qutb Shahis and Asaf Jahis; Hyderabad State
- Socio-cultural awakening; Adi-Hindu movement; library movement
- Telangana armed struggle; police action; Visalandhra
- Telangana movement 1948–2014; formation of the state
- Andhra movement; state reorganisation 1956 and 2014
- Art, architecture, literature, festivals and fairs of the region
Geography and economy of the state · 4 subtopics
- Physiography, rivers, irrigation projects (Kaleshwaram, Polavaram, Nagarjuna Sagar)
- Agriculture, industries, IT and services
- State budget, GSDP and fiscal position
- Land reforms and tribal land issues
State policies and governance · 3 subtopics
- Welfare schemes of the state governments
- Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 — issues
- Local bodies and decentralisation in the state
Mental ability and data interpretation · 3 subtopics
- Logical reasoning
- Data analysis — tables, graphs
- Basic numeracy
Group 2 additions · 3 subtopics
- Society, Constitution and governance
- Indian and state economy
- Telangana / AP movement and state formation
Prelims
Prelims Paper I — General Studies
200 marks · 100 questions · 2 hours · counts for the cut-off
Official scope: Current events of national and international importance; History of India and Indian National Movement; Indian and World Geography; Indian Polity and Governance; Economic and Social Development; general issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change; General Science.
History of India and the Indian National Movement
Ancient India · 10 subtopics
- Prehistoric cultures — Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic
- Indus Valley Civilisation — sites, town planning, trade, script, decline
- Vedic age — Early and Later Vedic polity, society, economy, literature
- Mahajanapadas and the rise of Magadha
- Jainism, Buddhism and other heterodox sects — doctrines, councils, texts
- Mauryan empire — administration, Ashoka's dhamma, edicts, art
- Post-Mauryan dynasties — Shungas, Satavahanas, Indo-Greeks, Kushanas
- Sangam age — literature, polity, economy
- Gupta age — administration, science, literature, temple architecture
- Harsha, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas
Medieval India · 8 subtopics
- Cholas — local self-government, navy, bronzes
- Rajputs and early medieval polity
- Delhi Sultanate — dynasties, administration, iqta, market reforms
- Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms; Qutb Shahis of Golconda
- Mughal empire — mansabdari, zabt, land revenue, art and architecture
- Bhakti and Sufi movements — saints, teachings, impact
- Marathas — Shivaji's administration, Peshwas
- Regional kingdoms of the 18th century
Modern India (1757–1947) · 9 subtopics
- Advent of Europeans; Carnatic wars; Plassey and Buxar
- Expansion of British power — subsidiary alliance, doctrine of lapse
- Land revenue systems — Permanent, Ryotwari, Mahalwari
- Economic impact — drain of wealth, de-industrialisation, commercialisation of agriculture
- Socio-religious reform movements — Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Aligarh, Satyashodhak, Self-Respect
- Revolt of 1857 — causes, leaders, consequences
- Tribal, peasant and civil rebellions
- Constitutional development — Regulating Act to the Indian Independence Act 1947
- Education, press and judicial reforms under British rule
Indian National Movement · 9 subtopics
- Rise of nationalism; Indian National Congress; Moderates and Extremists
- Partition of Bengal and the Swadeshi movement
- Revolutionary movements — Ghadar, HSRA, Bhagat Singh
- Home Rule movement; Lucknow Pact
- Gandhian era — Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India
- Round Table Conferences; Poona Pact
- Left-wing, women's and depressed classes' participation
- INA and Subhas Chandra Bose
- Cripps Mission, Cabinet Mission, Mountbatten Plan, Partition
Art and Culture · 10 subtopics
- Temple architecture — Nagara, Dravida, Vesara
- Buddhist and Jain architecture — stupas, chaityas, viharas
- Indo-Islamic architecture
- Sculpture schools — Gandhara, Mathura, Amaravati
- Painting — murals, miniatures, folk paintings
- Classical dances and music — Hindustani, Carnatic
- Puppetry, theatre, martial arts
- Languages, literature and scripts
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites and intangible heritage of India
- GI-tagged crafts, festivals in news
Indian and World Geography
Physical geography · 8 subtopics
- Universe, solar system, earth's motions, latitudes and longitudes
- Interior of the earth; plate tectonics; continental drift
- Earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis
- Rocks and landforms — fluvial, glacial, aeolian, karst, coastal
- Atmosphere — composition, structure, insolation, heat budget
- Pressure belts, winds, jet streams, cyclones
- Clouds, precipitation, climatic classification (Köppen)
- Oceanography — relief, currents, tides, salinity, coral reefs
Indian geography · 8 subtopics
- Physiography — Himalayas, Northern plains, Peninsular plateau, coasts, islands
- Drainage systems — Himalayan and Peninsular rivers, interlinking
- Indian monsoon — mechanism, El Niño, La Niña, IOD
- Soils, natural vegetation, forest types
- Agriculture — cropping patterns, irrigation, green revolution
- Mineral and energy resources
- Industries — location factors
- Transport, population, urbanisation
World geography · 4 subtopics
- Continents — physiography, climate, resources
- Major straits, isthmuses, lakes, deserts, grasslands
- Distribution of key natural resources
- Places in news — mapping
Indian Polity and Governance
Constitutional framework · 6 subtopics
- Historical background; Constituent Assembly
- Salient features; Preamble; sources
- Union and its territory; citizenship
- Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Fundamental Duties
- Amendment procedure; basic structure doctrine
- Emergency provisions
Union and State government · 5 subtopics
- President, Vice-President, PM, Council of Ministers
- Parliament — composition, sessions, bills, committees, privileges
- Governor, CM, State Legislature
- Supreme Court, High Courts, subordinate courts, judicial review, PIL
- Centre–State relations; inter-state councils; zonal councils
Local government and bodies · 5 subtopics
- 73rd and 74th Amendments — Panchayats and Municipalities
- Scheduled and Tribal areas; Fifth and Sixth Schedules
- Constitutional bodies — ECI, UPSC, CAG, Finance Commission, NCSC, NCST
- Statutory and regulatory bodies — NHRC, CVC, CBI, Lokpal, NITI Aayog
- Elections — Representation of People Acts, anti-defection law, electoral reforms
Governance · 3 subtopics
- Rights issues; RTI; citizen charters
- Schemes for vulnerable sections
- e-governance initiatives
Economic and Social Development
Basics of the economy · 5 subtopics
- National income — GDP, GNP, NNP, base year, deflator
- Inflation — CPI, WPI, causes, control
- Money and banking — RBI, monetary policy tools, NPAs, financial inclusion
- Fiscal policy — budget, deficits, FRBM, taxation, GST
- External sector — BoP, exchange rate, FDI/FPI, WTO, IMF, World Bank
Sectors · 4 subtopics
- Agriculture — MSP, PDS, food security, agri-marketing
- Industry — MSMEs, industrial policy, PLI
- Services and infrastructure
- Capital markets — SEBI, instruments
Social development · 5 subtopics
- Poverty, unemployment, inequality — measurement and schemes
- Demographics — census, dividend
- Human development indices and reports (HDI, MPI, GHI)
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Inclusive growth and social sector initiatives
Environment, Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change
Ecology · 3 subtopics
- Ecosystem — structure, functions, food chains, ecological pyramids
- Biogeochemical cycles
- Biomes and ecological succession
Biodiversity · 5 subtopics
- Levels, hotspots, megadiverse countries
- IUCN Red List categories; endangered species of India
- Protected areas — national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, tiger and elephant reserves
- Ramsar sites; wetlands; mangroves
- Wildlife Protection Act, Biological Diversity Act, Forest Rights Act
Climate change and pollution · 6 subtopics
- Greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, acid rain
- UNFCCC, Kyoto, Paris Agreement, COPs, NDCs
- CBD, CITES, Montreal Protocol, Basel/Rotterdam/Stockholm
- Air, water, soil, noise, plastic and e-waste pollution
- Renewable energy and carbon markets
- Institutions — NGT, CPCB, MoEFCC; national action plans
General Science and Technology
Physics, chemistry, biology basics · 4 subtopics
- Everyday physics — motion, light, sound, electricity, magnetism
- Everyday chemistry — acids, bases, polymers, fertilisers
- Human body — systems, nutrition, vitamins, diseases (communicable and non-communicable)
- Cells, genetics, DNA
Science and technology in news · 6 subtopics
- Space — ISRO missions, launch vehicles, orbits
- Defence technology — missiles, indigenous platforms
- Biotechnology — GM crops, gene editing, vaccines
- IT and emerging technologies — AI, quantum, blockchain, 5G/6G, semiconductors
- Nuclear energy and nanotechnology
- Intellectual property rights
Current events of national and international importance
Current affairs · 6 subtopics
- Government schemes and flagship programmes
- Reports and indices
- International organisations and groupings — UN, G20, BRICS, SCO, QUAD, ASEAN
- Bilateral relations and summits
- Awards, persons and places in news
- Committees and commissions
Prelims
Prelims Paper II — CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test)
200 marks · 80 questions · 2 hours · qualifying at 33%
Official scope: Comprehension; interpersonal skills including communication skills; logical reasoning and analytical ability; decision making and problem solving; general mental ability; basic numeracy (Class X level); data interpretation (Class X level).
CSAT
Reading comprehension · 2 subtopics
- Inference, assumption and main-idea questions
- Passage-based critical reasoning
Logical reasoning and analytical ability · 4 subtopics
- Syllogisms, statements and conclusions
- Blood relations, direction sense, seating arrangement
- Coding–decoding, series, puzzles
- Clocks and calendars
Basic numeracy · 6 subtopics
- Number system, HCF/LCM, divisibility
- Percentages, ratio and proportion, averages
- Profit and loss, simple and compound interest
- Time, speed, distance; time and work
- Permutations, combinations and probability
- Geometry and mensuration
Data interpretation and sufficiency · 2 subtopics
- Tables, bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs
- Data sufficiency
Decision making and interpersonal skills · 2 subtopics
- Situational judgement
- Communication skills
Mains
Mains Paper II — General Studies I
250 marks · 20 questions · 3 hours
Official scope: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
Indian heritage and culture
Art forms, literature and architecture · 3 subtopics
- Salient aspects of art forms from ancient to modern times
- Literature in classical and regional languages
- Architecture — temple, Indo-Islamic, colonial
Modern Indian history
Mid-18th century to present · 3 subtopics
- Significant events, personalities and issues
- The Freedom Struggle — stages and contributors from different parts of the country
- Post-independence consolidation and reorganisation — integration of princely states, linguistic reorganisation, Telangana movement
World history
Events from the 18th century · 5 subtopics
- Industrial revolution
- World Wars and redrawal of national boundaries
- Colonisation and decolonisation
- Political philosophies — communism, capitalism, socialism
- American, French and Russian revolutions
Indian society
Society · 7 subtopics
- Salient features of Indian society; diversity
- Role of women and women's organisations
- Population and associated issues
- Poverty and developmental issues
- Urbanisation — problems and remedies
- Effects of globalisation on Indian society
- Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism
Geography
Physical and economic geography · 5 subtopics
- Salient features of world physical geography
- Distribution of key natural resources across the world including South Asia
- Factors for location of primary, secondary and tertiary industries
- Geophysical phenomena — earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes, cyclones
- Geographical features and their location; changes in critical features including water bodies and ice caps, flora and fauna
Mains
Mains Paper III — General Studies II
250 marks · 20 questions · 3 hours
Official scope: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations.
Constitution and polity
Constitution · 8 subtopics
- Historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure
- Functions and responsibilities of the Union and States; federal structure; devolution to local levels
- Separation of powers; dispute redressal mechanisms
- Comparison with other countries' constitutional schemes
- Parliament and State Legislatures — structure, functioning, powers and privileges
- Executive and Judiciary — structure, organisation, functioning; ministries; pressure groups
- Salient features of the Representation of People's Act
- Appointment to constitutional posts; constitutional, statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies
Governance
Governance · 7 subtopics
- Government policies and interventions for development
- Development processes — NGOs, SHGs, associations, donors, charities
- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections and their performance
- Issues relating to health, education and human resources
- Poverty and hunger
- Transparency, accountability, e-governance, citizens' charters
- Role of civil services in a democracy
International relations
IR · 4 subtopics
- India and its neighbourhood
- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India
- Effect of policies of developed and developing countries on India's interests; Indian diaspora
- Important international institutions, agencies and fora — structure and mandate
Mains
Mains Paper IV — General Studies III
250 marks · 20 questions · 3 hours
Official scope: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
Economy
Economic development · 10 subtopics
- Planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment
- Inclusive growth
- Government budgeting
- Major crops and cropping patterns; irrigation; agri-produce storage, transport and marketing; e-technology for farmers
- Farm subsidies and MSP; PDS; buffer stocks and food security; animal rearing economics
- Food processing industries
- Land reforms
- Effects of liberalisation; industrial policy
- Infrastructure — energy, ports, roads, airports, railways
- Investment models
Science and technology
S&T · 4 subtopics
- Developments and applications in everyday life
- Achievements of Indians; indigenisation of technology
- Awareness in IT, space, computers, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology
- Intellectual property rights
Environment and disaster management
Environment · 2 subtopics
- Conservation, pollution and degradation
- Environmental impact assessment
Disaster management · 2 subtopics
- Disaster types, NDMA framework, Sendai framework
- Case studies of floods, cyclones, heatwaves
Internal security
Security · 5 subtopics
- Linkages between development and spread of extremism
- Role of external state and non-state actors
- Challenges to internal security through communication networks, media and social networking; cyber security; money laundering
- Security challenges in border areas; organised crime and terrorism
- Security forces and agencies and their mandate
Mains
Mains Paper V — General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)
250 marks · theory + case studies · 3 hours
Official scope: Attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life, and problem-solving in dealing with society, assessed partly through case studies.
Ethics
Ethics and human interface · 4 subtopics
- Essence, determinants and consequences of ethics in human actions
- Dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships
- Human values — lessons from great leaders, reformers and administrators
- Role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values
Attitude · 3 subtopics
- Content, structure, function
- Influence on thought and behaviour
- Moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion
Aptitude and foundational values for civil service · 2 subtopics
- Integrity, impartiality, non-partisanship, objectivity
- Dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion toward weaker sections
Emotional intelligence · 1 subtopics
- Concepts, utilities and application in administration and governance
Moral thinkers and philosophers · 1 subtopics
- Contributions from India and the world — Gandhi, Kautilya, Buddha, Aristotle, Kant, Mill, Rawls
Public service values and ethics in public administration · 4 subtopics
- Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas
- Laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance
- Accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values
- Ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance
Probity in governance · 4 subtopics
- Concept of public service; philosophical basis of governance and probity
- Information sharing and transparency; RTI
- Codes of ethics and conduct; citizen's charters; work culture; quality of service delivery
- Utilisation of public funds; challenges of corruption
Case studies · 2 subtopics
- Stakeholder mapping and options analysis
- Applying values to administrative dilemmas