UPSC Ethics Syllabus 2023: Ethics is one of the most popular optional subjects in the UPSC exam. With this, topics of Ethics overlap with General Studies IV (Attitude, Integrity and Aptitude) in the UPSC mains exam. The Ethics syllabus for UPSC focuses on assessing the candidate’s attitude and approach to issues related to integrity, probity in public life, and problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society. Questions may utilize the case study approach to determine these aspects.
Candidates should adhere to the UPSC Ethics syllabus thoroughly with regular answer writing practice in order to score above 300 marks in the optional section. As per the previous year exam trend and analysis, the question asked in Ethics optional papers were moderate level.
In this blog, we have shared the detailed UPSC Ethics syllabus PDF along with the preparation strategy and best books for the ease of the aspirants.
UPSC Ethics Syllabus 2023
Ethics is the General Studies Paper 4 in the main exam. The exam will be held in descriptive mode. According to the UPSC Ethics syllabus 2023, the questions in the Ethics exam cover topics of aptitude, integrity, case studies, ethics, probity in public life, etc. Candidates appearing for the upcoming UPSC mains exam can go through the detailed UPSC Ethics 2023 syllabus to cover all the aspects of the exam. It is suggested that aspirants should get familiar with all the topics covered in the GS Paper 4 Syllabus before commencing their preparation. Have a look at the detailed UPSC Ethics Syllabus below:
- Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions, Dimensions of ethics, ethics in private and public relationships.
- Human Values: lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, and administrators; the role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
- Attitude: Lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; the role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
- Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
- Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance, and compassion towards the weaker sections.
UPSC Ethics Syllabus: PDF Download
Before applying, aspirants should download the official UPSC Ethics syllabus PDF link shared below to prepare all the topics important from the exam point of view. Get the direct link to download the UPSC Ethics syllabus below:
UPSC Ethics Syllabus: Important Topics
Here, we have compiled the important topics from Ethics Syllabus UPSC that the aspirants emphasise more during the preparation. However, they should prepare all the topics as question trends differ every year.
- The fundamental notions of ethics-definitions and terminologies
- Ethics in public administration
- Concept of emotional intelligence, its application, governance, and management.
- Morality, political attitudes, social impact, and their connection to ethics.
- Different aspects of ethics
- Concepts of attitude, integrity, and impartiality
- Form and Function of ethical conceptions
- Ethics Determinants and Consequences on human conduct
- Workplace culture and corruption challenges.
- Probity in governance, philosophical foundations, and the Concept of probity.
UPSC Ethics Syllabus: Trend Analysis
Have a look at the previous UPSC trend analysis of the Ethics exam to identify the number of questions asked from each topic every year and strategize their preparation accordingly.
|
Category |
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
|
Basics and thinkers |
60 |
40 |
50 |
|
Work and office |
0 |
0 |
20 |
|
Family and society |
60 |
40 |
10 |
|
Public organization |
10 |
50 |
30 |
|
Private organization |
0 |
0 |
19 |
|
Case Studies |
120 |
120 |
120 |
UPSC Ethics Syllabus Structure
The Ethics paper is very unpredictable in nature as the questions asked from the UPSC Ethics syllabus vary every year. Some of the features include:
- Presently, UPSC Ethics Syllabus comprises a total of 12 questions and is subdivided into two parts. Before 2018, 14 questions were asked in the Ethics paper. But then, the number of questions was reduced, and the difficulty level has been increased.
- The GS 4 carries the maximum mark of 250, and the questions carry 10/20 marks each.
- The word limit is 150 words for the 10 marks question, and the word limit for 20 marks question is 250 words.
How to Prepare for UPSC Ethics Syllabus 2023?
Ethics is one of the highly popular and scoring optional subjects in the UPSC mains exam if you prepare well. To excel in ethics papers, candidates need to prepare an effective study schedule and pick the best books for the preparation. Check the best tips and tricks shared below to cover the UPSC Ethics syllabus without any hassles.
- Analyse Syllabus: The first tip is to analyse the syllabus to understand the topics and their sub-topics that are important from an exam perspective.
- Clear Concepts: The next tip is to clear the basic concepts of all the topics prescribed in the GS 4 syllabus. Also, prepare short notes for all the ethics topics as it would be helpful in last-minute revision.
- Use Best Books: Candidates should use expert-recommended books to prepare each and every topic of the UPSC GS 4 syllabus. Make sure that the books cover all the latest trends, topics, and patterns prescribed in the syllabus.
- Previous Year Papers: Practice Ethics from previous year’s papers to get an idea of the type and nature of questions being asked in the exam and build a strategy accordingly for the exam.
- Practice Answer-writing: Try to understand and write about 100-150 words for every micro topic like probity, compassion, integrity, honesty, etc. Also, one can implement this in answer writing for multiple topics of the GS4 syllabus.
- Solve Full-Length Tests: It is important to solve full-length tests as it will you understand your strong and weak areas. You can set the countdown timer to 3 hours and try to attempt all the questions in that time period.
Booklist for UPSC Ethics Syllabus
There are various books and study resources available online and in bookstores that cover all the topics of the UPSC Ethics syllabus. Let’s look at the UPSC Ethics books for better preparation shared below:
- Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by G Subba Rao & P N Roy Chowdhury
- Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by M Karthikeyan
- Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude for IAS General Studies Paper IV by Niraj Kumar
- ARC Reports
- Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by Santosh Ajmera & Nanda Kishore Reddy
- Ethics in Governance: Innovations, Issues, and Instrumentalities by Ramesh K Arora
