Indian Art & Culture Syllabus & Preparation Strategy

Specified under the syllabus of General Studies I for UPSC Civil Services Mains, Indian Art and Culture is one of the important topics in the Civil Services preparation. The UPSC syllabus mentions the Indian art and culture syllabus in just one line “Salient features of Literature, Art Forms, and Architecture from ancient to modern times”. However, after carefully analyzing the UPSC past year papers, we have listed down important micro-topics that should be studied for Art and Culture syllabus for UPSC preparation.

Syllabus of Indian Art and Culture For UPSC

The syllabus for Indian Art & Culture has been specified under the GS Paper 1 of UPSC Mains Exams. Following is the list of micro topics that have been covered in Indian Art & Culture

Indian Art Forms

Indian Paintings

Classical Dance Forms

Folk Dance Forms

Classical Music

Puppetry

Pottery

Drama/Theatre

Martial Arts

Literature

Ancient Indian Literature

Classical Sanskrit Literature

Literature in Pali and Prakrit

Early Dravidian Literature

Medieval Literature

Women Poets of Bhakti

Trends in Medieval Literature

Modern Indian Literature

Architecture

Harappan Architecture

Temple Architecture

Cave Architecture

Indo-Islamic Architecture

Medieval Architecture

Modern Architecture

Contribution of Buddhism & Jainism to the Development of Indian Architecture

Rock Cut Architecture

Colonial Architecture & the Modern Period

Preparation Strategy for Indian Art and Culture For UPSC Prelims & Mains

Indian Art & Culture is a very wide topic and hence it is important that you stick to the syllabus and study only the relevant portions. Here’re some of the main components of art and culture preparation for UPSC:

#1 Basic Concepts of Indian Art and Culture Syllabus for UPSC

History textbooks of Class VI and VII and XI and XII (NCERTs) cover ancient and medieval history that should be studied for building a strong foundation. Apart from that fine arts textbook of Class XI should be studied in detail for the art-forms specifically.

#2 Read Standard Book for covering Indian Art and Culture Syllabus For UPSC

Next, read Indian Art & Culture by Nitin Singhania and revise it multiple times to have the names at your fingertips. Rote learning is an important part of the preparation strategy for Art & Culture.

#3 Leverage Online resources For Preparing Indian Art and Culture For UPSC

Follow the official website of CCRT(Centre for Cultural Resources & Training) for all the important updates, pib website for information on GI tags, and other important information on recent cultural festivals and programs.

Weightage of Art & Culture In UPSC

First, let us begin with the weightage of Art & Culture in the previous year:

Year

Marks (Prelims)

2012

16

2013

16

2014

30

2015

10

2016

22

2017

12

2018

14

2019

14


Booklist for preparing Indian Art and Culture For UPSC

  1. NCERT History- Class VI and VII and Class XI and Class XII

  2. NCERT Fine Arts - Class XI

  3. Indian Art & Culture by Nitin Singhania

  4. Newspapers (The Hindu), Monthly Current Affairs, India Year Book

  5. Website - ccrt.gov.in


Previous year Questions of Art and Culture For UPSC Mains

Art and Culture Questions from UPSC Mains 2020 

  1. The rock-cut architecture represents one of the most important sources of our knowledge of early Indian art and history. Discuss.

  2. Pala period is the most significant phase in the history of Buddhism in India. Enumerate.

  3. Indian Philosophy and tradition played a significant role in conceiving and shaping the monuments and their art in India. Discuss.

  4. Persian literary sources of medieval India reflect the spirit of the age. Comment.

Art and Culture Questions from UPSC Mains 2019

  1. Highlight the Central Asian and Greco-Bactrian elements in Gandhara art.

Art and Culture Questions from UPSC Mains 2018

  1. Safeguarding the Indian Art Heritage is the need of the moment. Discuss.

  2.  Assess the importance of the accounts of the Chinese and Arab Travellers in the reconstruction of the history of India.

  3.  The Bhakti movement received a remarkable re-orientation with the advent of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Discuss

This was a detailed preparation strategy for Art and Culture for UPSC. Check out the weightage of all the subjects in Prelims here.

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FAQs Regarding Art and Culture For UPSC Preparation

What should I read for Art and Culture UPSC?

NCERT textbooks of History of Class VI-VII and XI-XII as well as Fine Arts textbook for Class XI is a must-read for preparing Art and Culture for UPSC. In addition to it, you can also glance through Indian Art & Culture by Nitin Singhania.

Is Art and Culture important for UPSC Mains?

Yes, descriptive questions are asked from Art and Culture. In the most recent UPSC Mains 2020, the following questions were asked: 

  1. The rock-cut architecture represents one of the most important sources of our knowledge of early Indian art and history. Discuss.

  2. Pala period is the most significant phase in the history of Buddhism in India. Enumerate.

  3. Indian Philosophy and tradition played a significant role in conceiving and shaping the monuments and their art in India. Discuss.

  4. Persian literary sources of medieval India reflect the spirit of the age. Comment.

How to prepare Art and Culture for UPSC Prelims?

The best way to prepare for Art and Culture is through NCERTs and Art & Culture by Nitin Singhania. In addition to that, make sure to practice all the previous year’s questions. 

Is Nitin Singhania enough for Art and Culture for UPSC?

Yes. It is a comprehensive book and is sufficient for this paper. In addition to it, practice all the previous years’ questions that are asked in Prelims or Mains.

How many questions are asked from Art and Culture in UPSC Prelims?

We’ve discussed the year-by-year weightage of Art and Culture for UPSC in the above article.