QUALIFYING PAPERS (not counted in merit):
  Paper A: Indian language (300 marks) — any 8th Schedule language
  Paper B: English (300 marks)

MERIT PAPERS (1750 total):
  Essay (GS 0):        250 marks — 2 essays from 8 topics
  GS Paper 1:          250 marks — History, Geography, Society
  GS Paper 2:          250 marks — Polity, Governance, IR, Social Justice
  GS Paper 3:          250 marks — Economy, Agriculture, Science, Environment, Security
  GS Paper 4 (Ethics): 250 marks — Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude, Case Studies
  Optional Paper 1:    250 marks
  Optional Paper 2:    250 marks

INTERVIEW (Personality Test): 275 marks

GS PAPER 1 (History, Geography, Society):
  Indian culture: art forms, literature, architecture from ancient to modern
  Modern Indian history: British policies, socio-religious reforms, freedom struggle
  World history: 18th-20th century events, decolonisation, World Wars, Cold War
  Indian society: diversity, women issues, population, poverty, globalisation
  Physical geography: geophysical phenomena, floods, droughts, cyclones
  Human geography: urbanisation, cities, industrial locations

GS PAPER 2 (Governance, Polity, IR):
  Indian Constitution: amendments, features, comparison with world constitutions
  Parliament and state legislature: structure, powers, functioning
  Executive: PM, Cabinet, President, Governor roles
  Judiciary: Supreme Court, High Courts, judicial review
  Governance: transparency, RTI, e-governance, citizen charters
  Social justice: welfare schemes, health, education, poverty alleviation
  International relations: bilateral with major countries, international organisations
  
GS PAPER 3 (Economy, Science, Security):
  Economy: planning, mobilisation of resources, inclusive growth, budgeting
  Agriculture: cropping patterns, irrigation, storage, MSP, subsidy reform
  Infrastructure: energy, ports, roads, urbanisation
  Science and Tech: IT, space, computers, robotics, defence, nano-technology
  Environment: conservation, pollution, EIA, climate change
  Disaster management: types, mitigation, NDMA guidelines
  Security: left-wing extremism, terrorism, border management, organised crime

GS PAPER 4 (Ethics):
  Ethics in public administration: integrity, accountability, transparency
  Attitude, aptitude, emotional intelligence
  Moral thinkers: Gandhi, Aristotle, Kant, Bentham
  Case studies: 8-10 case studies, 250 word answers
  Contributions of moral thinkers and their application to governance

MAINS ANSWER WRITING: 10-15 marks answers, 150-250 words each
STRUCTURE: Introduction + Body (dimensions) + Conclusion + Way forward
GS4 ETHICS: most marks variation between candidates — practice case studies daily

OPTIONAL: choose based on background, availability of material, success rate
  Popular: PSIR, History, Public Admin, Geography, Sociology, Anthropology

INTERVIEW: 275 marks | DAF (Detailed Application Form) drives questions
  Know your state, graduation subject, optional paper, hobbies thoroughly