Indian Polity Syllabus | Important Indian Polity Topics | How to Prepare Indian Polity for UPSC CSE

Indian Polity is one of the most important subjects for the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Questions directly related to the constitutional framework have been asked in all three stages of the Civil Services examination.

In this article, we have tabulated the topic-wise Indian Polity syllabus for UPSC that will help you cover this subject extremely well. You can also download our micro topics syllabus PDF to remain syllabus-focussed while preparing for UPSC.

Topic-Wise Syllabus of Indian Polity for UPSC

Indian Polity encapsulates the entire constitutional framework and how our political system works. We’ve broken down the Indian Polity topics mentioned in the UPSC notification into smaller sub-topics that will ease your preparation further. Go through each of these topics in detail from standard sources such as NCERTs and Laxmikanth book to prepare Indian Polity for UPSC.

Topic

Sub-topic

Constitutional Framework

Historical Background
Constitutional Development
Making of the Constitution
Features of the Constitution
Preamble
The Union & Its Territories
Citizenship
Fundamental Rights
Directive Principles of State Policy
Fundamental Duties
Amendment of the Constitution
Basic Structure

System of Government

Parliamentary System
Federal System
Center-state Relations
Inter-state Relations

Central Government

President
Vice-President
Prime Minister
Central Council of Ministers
Cabinet Committee
Parliament
Parliamentary Committee & Forums
Supreme Court

State Government

Governor
Chief Minister
State Council of Ministers
State Legislature
High Courts
Subordinate Courts
Special Provisions for Some States

Union Territories & Local Government

Union Territories
Scheduled & Tribal Areas
Panchayati Raj
Municipalities

Constitutional Bodies

Election Commission
UPSC
State PCS
Finance Commission
National Commission for SCs
National Commission for STs
Comptroller & Auditor General of India
Attorney General of India
Advocate General of State

Non-Constitutional Bodies

Planning Commission
National Development Council
National Human Rights Commission
State Human Rights Commission
Central Information Commission
Central Vigilance Commission
Central Bureau of Investigation
Lokpal & Lokayukta
NITI Aayog

Miscellaneous

Cooperative Societies
Tribunals
Official Language

Emergency Provisions

National Emergency
President’s Rule or State Emergency
Financial Emergency
The 44th Amendment Act
Effects and Implications of Emergency
Role of President in the Time of Emergency
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
Revoking Emergency

Current Affairs

Important Schemes (both Central & State)
Recent Bills and Acts Passed in Parliament

Important Indian Polity Notes For UPSC

Some topics from Indian Polity are extremely important for UPSC Exam. Questions from these topics are asked year after year both in Prelims and Mains. We’ve compiled the notes of these topics that you can access from the below links.

Read these Indian Polity topics in detail from these links.

How to Prepare Indian Polity for UPSC

The Constitution of India is the foundation of Indian polity, as it lays down the entire working framework. Hence, from the demand for a constituent assembly to the development of the constitution, you need to study everything in depth. Lately, questions based on analytical skills are being asked in the UPSC CSE. Hence, you should prepare each of the above-mentioned topics thoroughly to attempt the questions asked from the polity syllabus for UPSC. Here are some of tips for the preparation of Indian polity for UPSC:

  1. Read NCERTs: Read the NCERTs of Political Science for Classes XI and XII to make your fundamental conceptsstrong. You can also enroll in Career Launcher’s NCERT program that focuseson building a strong foundation for all the subjects covered in UPSC CSE.
  2. Read basic books: Glance through the basic books for Polity including Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth and Introduction to Indian Constitution by D.D Basu to develop a deep understanding of the subject.
  3. Solve past years’ papers: This will give you a fair idea about the type of questions being asked in recent years. It will also help you in revising effectively and efficiently.
  4. Give mock tests: Schedule at least 2 mock tests per week. Not only will thisenable you to evaluate the level of your preparation, but will also aid in assessing your preparation strategy. Consequently, you will be able to make the necessary rectifications.
  5. Read newspapers: Since a lot of questions are asked from the recently announced schemes, it is important to read newspapers such as ‘The Hindu’ to stay updated about the recent happenings. Make short notes from important topics that can help you supplement your answers for UPSC Main.

If you need further guidance on  Indian Polity for UPSC, you can enrol in our GS Foundation Course. A pioneer in test-prep, Career Launcher has also launched several online courses for UPSC CSE preparation keeping the current situation in mind. You can check our entire course range for UPSC CSE preparation.

Subject-wise Preparation Strategy
History  Geography Economy
Art and Culture Science n Technology Ethics
International Relations International Security Environment

Current Affairs analysis

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