UPSC General Studies Paper II Syllabus, Strategy & Study Materials

UPSC GS 2 is one of the most scoring papers of the UPSC IAS Mains exam. General Studies Paper 2 is divided into 4 sections: Indian Polity, Governance, Development, and International Relations. GS 2 is one of the most scoring papers in the UPSC IAS Mains exam, a good score in GS 2 will help you increase your mains score.

In this article; students will get complete details about the UPSC GS 2 syllabus, preparation, books, strategy, previous year papers, and much more.

UPSC Mains GS II Syllabus

It’s best to start your UPSC GS 2 preparation by going through the syllabus. It is advised that students should learn the syllabus by heart to segregate the current affairs as per the GS syllabus. Below is the UPSC GS 2 syllabus, as per the latest UPSC IAS notification:

Check out UPSC Cutoff for IAS Exam: Expected Cutoff and Analysis.

UPSC Mains GS II Previous Years Analysis

Knowing the trend in the UPSC GS 2 paper is crucial for preparing for the UPSC IAS exam. Below is the topic-wise analysis of various subjects in the UPSC GS 2 syllabus:

Check out UPSC Cutoff for IAS Exam: Expected Cutoff and Analysis.

UPSC Mains GS II Toppers Marks Analysis

Below is the year-wise GS 2 paper score of toppers in the UPSC IAS exam. From the analysis, we can say that students should target scoring at least 120 marks in the UPSC GS 2 paper. As GS 2 is considered easier than other GS papers, students should try to score as high as possible.

Check out IAS Success Story: Know UPSC Strategy by Toppers.

UPSC Mains GS II Preparation Strategy

UPSC GS 2 preparation requires a proper strategy to ensure the best results. Students should follow the following step-by-step strategy to ensure the best UPSC GS 2 preparation for the UPSC IAS Exam:

• First, go through the GS 2 syllabus mentioned in the UPSC IAS notification. GS 2 syllabus is a little vast as compared to others. Knowing the topics will help the students plan their preparation and resources accordingly.
• After going through the syllabus, go through the previous year's questions to know what questions are asked on which topics. Students should also go through the topic-wise analysis to understand the paper trend.
• Being fully aware of the syllabus, start preparing for each topic. It’s best to start with the Indian constitution, Polity, various government programmes and schemes, and then International relations.
• For GS 2, start your preparation with Polity NCERTs and Laxmikant. For International relations, start with class 12th Contemporary World Politics NCERT.
• Make short notes on the topics; it will help you revise and memorize the topics quickly.
• Practise and make diagrams relevant to each topic. Questions on Polity and even on International relations can be well answered using diagrams.
• It’s best to simultaneously practice answer writing during the preparation. While writing the GS 2 mains answers, focus on the structure and content of the answer, handwriting, presentation, diagrams, etc.
• Read current affairs daily, and practice questions based on the current affairs to strengthen your answer writing skills. Most of the questions in GS 2 are based on current events.

Check out UPSC Preparation Strategy for IAS Exam: Prelims, Mains and Interview.

UPSC Mains GS II Study Material

Students can watch the Daily Mains Answer Writing Playlist to daily practice answer writing for Mains. Below are the subject-wise resources that students can use for UPSC GS 2 Preparation:

Check out Daily News Analysis and Current Affairs for UPSC & State PSCs in PDF.

UPSC Mains GS II: Polity Preparation

Students can watch the Polity For UPSC Playlist to best prepare for Indian Polity for GS 2. Students can follow the given strategy to best prepare Indian Polity for GS 2:

• Memorize important facts like articles, schedules, important amendments, important court cases, etc. Mentioning them in your answers will help you score good marks.
• Practice questions and make notes on important topics like the Constitution, various Bodies, Judiciary, Committees, Presidents, etc.
• Limit your resources to M Laxmikant and class 11th and 12th Political Science NCERTs. Focus more on answer writing.
• While studying, simultaneously solve UPSC GS 2 previous year Mains questions and also solve test series questions.
• Study polity current affairs regularly. Most of the GS 2 Mains questions are related to current events.
• For Governance, study and make notes on all the schemes and programs of the Government. Write a brief analysis and write a few points for the way forward.
• Although Polity is one easiest subjects to cover, students should revise it regularly to keep the subject fresh in mind, especially facts like articles, acts, etc.

Check out UPSC CSE (IAS) Prelims 2024: Indian Polity Preparation Strategy.

Booklist for UPSC GS 2 Polity preparation:

• Indian Polity for Civil Services Examinations by M. Laxmikanth
• NCERT Standards IX and XII for Political Science
• Notes- Indian Polity Notes
• Polity NCERT Playlist
• Indian Polity by Laxmikant Playlist

UPSC Mains GS II: International Relations Preparation

For international relations, students can start with the Daily The Hindu Analysis Playlist, NCERT and then move to other resources. However, it’s best to study current affairs regularly to understand international events well. Booklist for GS 2 international relations preparation is:

• NCERT XII (Contemporary World Politics)
• Current Affairs Magazines
• International Relations by Pushpesh Pant
• Notes- International Relations Notes

Check out UPSC Study Notes - IAS Prelims and IAS Mains.

UPSC Mains GS II Previous Year Papers

For UPSC GS 2 preparation, it’s best to start with the Previous Year's Question Papers. Solving previous year's questions will help aspirants easily grasp the exam pattern and important topics for the exam. Click the below links to download year-wise UPSC GS 2 Mains question papers:

Check out IAS (UPSC CSE) Previous Year Prelims and Mains Question Papers PDF.

Conclusion

GS 2 is considered to be one of the easiest GS papers. The questions are easier in GS 2; however, students have to critically analyze the subject from various angles in order to write good answers. Students with Political Science and International Relations optional have a good chance of scoring high marks in this paper.

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