UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 1: From Syllabus to Strategy- Super-Simplified, Scientifically 
UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 1 consists broadly of History and Geography ( Society is nothing but human geography). This page contains every important thing you need to know about GS Paper 1. From strategy to syllabus, it has all has super-simplified for you-scientifically.
UPSC Mains GS Paper 1 presents a great opportunity for serious UPSC aspirants because-
1.The syllabus of GS Paper 1 is mostly static and can be covered from standard sources and books.
2. There is enormous overlap with GS Prelims and if done properly, preparing GS Paper 1 can kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
Syllabus for UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 1
The Syllabus of the General Studies Mains Paper 1 has been color-coded and placed in the Ultimate UPSC Navigator
Rules of Examination for UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 1
Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
There are 20 questions printed both in ENGLISH and HINDI.
All questions are compulsory.
The number of marks carried by a question/part is printed against it.
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.
Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.
Critical Insights for UPSC General Studies Paper 1-
A serious UPSC aspirant should know that History for the UPSC exam is nothing like the history they read in school where you could get away with simple memorization.
This is a tragedy because History is so much more than names and dates.
History is a fascinating tale of human civilization which is read and understood by studying what remains- records, manuscripts, artifacts, and monuments from a time long before you were born.
The story of history encompasses empires, kings, battles, lifestyles, cultures, and everything else that our ancestors might have experienced as significant. Just like we experience smartphones, 9/11, Covid-19 and the Burj Khalifa. (This means we are creating history as we go, which begs the question- will our global civilization fall like all the great ones before? More importantly, will it be our own fault if it does?)
History is the systematic study of looking back in time for stories and lessons which are worth preserving for humanity- which is why we study Asoka the great and his principles of Good governance- an idea which informs our own policies to this day, more than 2000 years after the great emperor embraced compassion in the teachings of the Buddha. (Buddhism- another grand idea born in India).
A country like India- ancient, rich with kings, empires, culture, and big ideas has plenty worth preserving.
As a UPSC aspirant this should strike you as a fascinating thing- something to be curious about. And, as an opportunity because it is probably the only time in your life you will have the luxury of time to learn these wonderful things.
This is the mindset with which you must approach History for the UPSC General Studies Paper 1.
History of the world
This section contains world-changing events over the past two centuries. The reason they are included in the syllabus because you can not appreciate the way the world is today, without understanding the reasons which led to the current situation.
You must know about the American revolution and the World Wars because these events changed the world dramatically and by definition, India as well.
This may sound obvious and trivial but it isn’t.
You can trace the relevance of all the topics under this section to India, for instance- the French Revolution is where the political ideals of liberty and equality took formal shape.
The French Revolution is where the political ideals of liberty, enshrined in the Constitution of India and equality took formal shape. History always connect to Polity
These ideals inspired the values of the Indian Freedom struggle continued to shape the Constitution of India including the Fundamental Rights which you enjoy today.
Recent judgement of the Supreme court surrounding Article 19-21 and the current raging debate about tolerance in India can be traced to these ideals. Likewise, the issue of Data-privacy and the recently drafted Data- privacy bill, 2019 are manifestations of their central importance.
Notice how the French Revolution is connected to Polity, Science-tech, Ethics AND current events?
Indian culture and history
India is the birthplace of many civilizations and religions since millennia. Which means that there have been periods of vast changes- each one with it’s unique features.
Our inherited culture is the amalgamation of the features which have survived – from Ancient to Modern times.
Medieval India is about the changes that the Indian subcontinent went through and the situation which led to the British colonizing India.
Modern India tells you the story of how India became the country it is today.
One example is of Raja Ram Mohan Roy who was an important person not just because he is mentioned in the NCERT books but because of the things he accomplished- one of them being abolishing the practice of Sati.
People like RRMRoy and others were the among the first generation of Modern Indians to start efforts towards the upliftment of women in India- efforts which continue to this day.
The reason you should care about this is that the UPSC cares about it as well.
Gender equality is a burning issue in the country and will continue to remain as such for the foreseeable future. To illustrate how seriously the Indian government regards this aspect one just needs to flip through ANY page of the UPSC official notification to find this at the bottom of EVERY page.
People like RRMRoy and others were the among the first generation of Modern Indians to start efforts towards the upliftment of women in India- efforts which continue to this day.
They all fought for issues which became foundational values of independent India. The same line of thinking can be used to understand all important characters in Modern Indian History from Swami Vivekananda to Sri Aurubindo etc.
This is a good example of how History leads into Polity which leads into current debates of economic and social nature.
History and culture is not a tedious list of topics to go through. It is expedient to know a little but about the history and culture of the country you wish to serve if you want to boost your GS score.
Questions about the Culture and History of India are not only to test your knowledge, but also to test for an appreciation of the vast diversity of our country.
Geography is the story of the profound inter-connectedness of our world.
Geography is essentially the story of the profound inter-connectedness of our world.
It is essentially the story of the Earth. This story features not only the Earth’s physical processes (Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Continental drift, ocean current etc) but also of its inhabitants- plants, animals, human communities, cultures and how the two interact with each other in myriad ways to make a world in which we consume the Earth, and the Earth consumes us in a cyclical feedback loop. For instance, when we cause global warming causing the Earth’s icecaps to melt, nature in turn, increases global temperature, sea-levels and disrupts human lives.
This is why geography is understood at two levels- physical and human geography.
Excerpt from National Geographic website-
“Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies spread across it. They also examine how human culture interacts with the natural environment, and the way that locations and places can have an impact on people. Geography seeks to understand where things are found, why they are there, and how they develop and change over time.”
A serious UPSC Aspirant should keep his focus on Indian geography after understanding the concepts and fundamentals of physical geography. Geography is deeply inter-connected with Environment and with Society (Human geography is nothing but a study of human societies from the point of view of a geographer instead of that of an anthropologist or a sociologist)
An important perspective to keep in mind is that while preparing is ‘distribution” – this means knowing where important things like national parks, volcanoes, ports etc are located. This perspective is the reason a lot of Geography is factual- to build a base of knowledge, you should know where in India rivers are located, where the dams are located, where important highways are located etc. This is where mapping comes into the picture.
Human Geography- with focus on distribution.
World’s physical geography
Topics in this section effect everyone regardless of nationality, gender or Political affiliation.
It is intersting to learn about earthquakes, Cyclones, droughts, volcanoes in it’s own right but more so, when you can connect to India even when it is not explicitly mentioned.
Take for example, the topic of Plate tectonics and continental drift.
It is fascinating that the Earth’s crust undergoes cyclic transformation like everything in nature but even more fascinating to know that the Great Himalayas are the result of a collision between the Eurasian and Indian plates millions of years ago.
Interestingly, the collision is ongoing to this day with the Himalayas gaining height bit by bit every year.
One spin-off result of the collision is also that there is tremendous build-up of pressure underground which makes Northern India a seismically active region. Meaning that a massive Earthquake may be overdue since a very long time.
If you live in or near Delhi, you would have paid close attention to the recent series of mini-earthquakes near Delhi, possibly thinking about the incredible power of nature over which we have no control.
Which automatically directs your thoughts towards disaster management and Earthquake predictions- another important aspect of General Studies syllabus.
The point is that there is a connection leading from Plate tectonics to you and India.
If you can trace that connection back to you, that topic will forever be interesting and you will not miss a chance to boost your GS score marks when questions are asked about it.
Climate Change and Environment
Needless to say, Climate effects everyone. An El Nino phenomenon in one part causes droughts and calamity in another part of the world.
Alongside, there is a sad human drama unfolding before your very eyes with the world largely ignoring the obvious risks associated with climate change.
There will be dire consequences for everyone due to global warming and the melting of the icecaps. But probably more so For India because as a tropical country as well as a developing one.
As part of this human drama, efforts like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC try to bring countries together with little success.
Connect some points in your essays and answers in the Mains exam to Environmental concerns and watch your gs score skyrocket.
