Himanshi Gupta, Author at SYLLABUS DEKHO

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-II (the second stage of the selection process) has 9 examinations in total followed by a personality test in the end.

The tentative date is September 17-22, 2021 and the Prelims will be conducted on June 27, 2021. General Studies Paper-II is a mandatory paper for appearing candidates. This paper is completely based on Polity, Governance, and International Relations which makes it a scoring paper.

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper II: Topic-wise division

The first step of preparing UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-II is dividing it into 4 sections. When students go through previous years’ question papers and sample questions, can get a significant idea about the expected number of questions that comes from each section of this paper:

Sections	No. of Questions (10 marks)	No. of Questions (15 marks)
Indian Polity and Constitution	4 – 5	3-4
Governance	0 -2	1 – 3
International Relations Section	2 – 3	2- 3
Social Justice	1 – 2	1 – 2

There were 20 questions. 10 questions were of 10 marks each, while the remaining 10 questions were of 15 marks each.

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper II 2021- Instructions

Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
There are 20 questions printed both in ENGLISH and HINDI.
All questions are compulsory.
Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
No marks will be given for answers written in the medium other than the authorized one.
Answers to questions no. 1 to 10 should be in 150 words, whereas answers to questions no. 11 to 20 should be in 250 words.
Keep the word limit indicated in the questions in mind.

Focus Areas in UPSC Mains GS Paper-II
Subject	Topics
Polity	1. Indian Constitution Historical underpinnings of the constitution Evolution of the Constitution Salient features Basic structure Amendments Significant provisions Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the states Issues and challenges related to the Federal Structure Devolution of powers and finances up to local government level Challenges in the devolution of power Separation of powers between various organs of the government Dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions Comparison of India’s constitutional scheme with other countries 2. Features of Indian Constitution Amendments in Indian Constitution Provisions Constitutional and non-constitutional bodies Books that you can refer: ‘Indian Polity’ by Laxmikanth (Do read this book at least three times) Class 11 NCERT – ‘Indian Constitution at Work’
Governance	Parliament and State Legislatures Structure Functioning Conduct of Business Powers & Privileges Issues arising out of Powers & Privileges of legislative bodies Executive and Judiciary Structure Organization Functioning Ministries and departments of the government Pressure groups Formal & Informal associations and their role in the polity Salient features of the People’s Representation Act Appointment to various constitutional posts Powers, functions and responsibilities of various constitutional bodies Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies Government policies and interventions for the development of various sectors Issues arising out of design and implementation of government intervention Development processes and the development of industry The role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability e-governance applications models successes limitations and potential citizens charters transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Role of Civil Services in a Democracy Daily reading of newspaper to be complemented with: Select articles from ‘The Hindu’ Economic Survey Press Information Bureau (PIB) ARC reports
Social Justice	Issues relating to poverty and hunger Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by centre and states The performance of welfare schemes Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections of the population Issues related to the development and management of the social sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources Issues related to poverty and hunger
International Relations	Bilateral Groupings India and its neighbourhood Relations between India and neighbouring countries Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s Interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests Indian diaspora Important International institutions, agencies and fora Structure Mandate

Overview of UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-II 2021 Syllabus:

There is a high degree of overlap between subjects which should be kept in mind while preparing the UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-II 2021. A thorough analysis of current affairs (national and international) related to UPSC GS 2 as well as a good understanding of the constitution and its structure along with the structure of the government should be a major focus part of preparation. UPSC aspirants can also refer to UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-II pdf to better understand the exam structure on the official website of the government.

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