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Indian Polity Notes for UPSC Prelims 2024, Check in Detail

Polity notes for UPSC

One of the key topics for the UPSC Civil Services Exam is Indian politics. All three levels of the Civil Services exam have included questions that directly relate to the constitutional framework. This article contains a topic-by-topic table of the curriculum for Indian politics for the UPSC, which may greatly assist you in covering Indian polity. You can also download our micro themes syllabus PDF of Indian polity to keep your UPSC preparation syllabus focused.

Indian Polity Notes for UPSC Prelims and Mains

UPSC Indian Polity: The entire constitutional framework and the operation of our political system are encapsulated in Indian politics. To make your preparation easier, we have divided the Indian Polity themes included in the UPSC notification into smaller subtopics. To prepare for the UPSC exam, go over each of these topics in depth. Indian Polity is a vast and complex subject, but there are a few key concepts that are essential for understanding the Indian political system. Here is a brief overview of some of the most important Indian polity notes:

Constitutional Framework Indian Polity Notes

Evolution of the Constitution

Making of Constitution

Features of the Indian Constitution

Indian Union and its Territory

Citizenship

Fundamental Rights

Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)

Fundamental Duties

Amendment of Constitution

System of Government

Executive Bodies

Union Legislature

Parliamentary Devices, Procedures and Working

Parliamentary Groups and Committees

Emergency Provisions In Indian Constitution

State Government and its Machineries 

Central State Relations

Union Territories and Special Areas

Local Government

Supreme Court

High Court and Subordinate Court

Other Judicial Bodies and Services

Constitutional Bodies

Non-Constitutional Bodies

Political Dynamics

Important Bills, Laws, and Acts

Governance

International Relations

Indian Polity Current Affairs for UPSC & PSC

  • Money Bill, Types, Articles and Constitutional Provisions July 23, 2024Context: The Supreme Court agreed to list petitions challenging the Money Bill route taken by the Centre to pass contentious amendments in the Parliament. More in News The contentious legislation passed as Money Bills: Aadhaar Act, 2016. Amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Amendments to the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act, 2010. Finance Act, ...Read More
  • Governors of State: Appointment, Immunity and Power July 20, 2024Context: The Supreme Court of India has agreed to examine a plea challenging immunity of the Governor of Bengal. Article 361 of the Indian Constitution The President of India and governors of state receive immunity from legal proceedings over the duration of their term in office. Criminal proceedings: No criminal cases can be ...Read More
  • Right to Education Act 2009, Article 21A, 86th Constitutional Amendment July 20, 2024Context: The Bombay High Court invalidated a notification from the Maharashtra government. More in News The notification exempted private schools within a 1km radius of government or aided schools from following the admissions quota under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The notification was found to be ultra vires of the RTE Act ...Read More
  • UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni Submits Resignation before Term Ends July 20, 2024UPSC Chairman Manoj Soni submits resignation Manoj Soni, who served as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), submitted his resignation on 20th July 2024. This development marks a significant change in leadership at the UPSC, which is responsible for conducting prestigious examinations such as the Civil Services Examination ...Read More
  • Women’s Representation in Politics 2024, Trend and Challenges July 19, 2024Context: In 2024, India elected 74 female Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Lok Sabha, which is four less than in 2019. This is a decrease from the 14.4% representation in the 2019 elections. And 52 more than the number elected in the first elections in 1952. The 18th Lok Sabha will ...Read More
  • Rules For Civil Servant, Roles and Regulations July 17, 2024Context: The Central Government established a single-member committee under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to scrutinise all documents submitted by IAS officer Puja Khedkar, verifying her eligibility under the civil services categories. Background of Probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar Controversy Puja Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer, found herself at the ...Read More
  • Union Territories of India with Capital and History July 17, 2024 Union territories are areas directly controlled and administered by the Central Government of India, also known as “centrally administered territories.” The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were the first union territory of India after independence. This article provides detailed information about the union territories of India. Union Territories of India 2024 As of ...Read More
  • Maharashtra Bill to Curb Urban Naxalism July 16, 2024Context: The Maharashtra government proposed ‘Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024′. What is the New Maharashtra Bill to Curb Urban Naxalism? The proposed bill in Maharashtra introduces stringent measures against what it classifies as “unlawful organisations” and activities: Power to Declare Organisations Unlawful: The government can designate suspect organisations as “unlawful.” Prescribed Offences: For being ...Read More
  • Enforcement Directorate (ED), Power, Functions and Jurisdiction July 13, 2024Context The Supreme Court granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case. The Court raised the bar for arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. More in News The SC emphasised that arrests must not be made arbitrarily or based ...Read More
  • Right To Information, Objective, Features, Need, Provisions & Act July 13, 2024 The Right to Information (RTI) Act ensures everyone the freedom to access information and opinions about any topic through any media, across all barriers. Enacted as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, significant amendments were made to the RTI Act in 2005. This act is a ...Read More

UPSC Syllabus For Indian Polity

The Civil Services Exam includes a section on politeness. Both the Prelims and Mains exams cover Indian politics. 16 questions from the UPSC Polity curriculum were directly asked in the 2020 Prelims. All three Civil Services Examination phases included questions on Polity.

Indian Polity for UPSC Prelims 2024

The UPSC Prelims Syllabus includes information on Indian politics, and we have included the UPSC Polity Syllabus 2024 for the IAS Prelims Exam below. Indian polity is an important subject for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, both Prelims and Mains. It is a vast and complex subject, but there are a few key topics that are particularly important for the UPSC Prelims syllabus 2024.

  • Polity and Governance in India
  • Government of India
  • Constitution of India
  • Indian Political System
  • Local Government
  • Indian Parliament
  • Indian Judiciary
  • Fundamental Rights and Duties
  • Centre-State Relations

Indian Polity Syllabus for UPSC Mains

The Indian Polity component is part of the General Studies Paper-II of the UPSC Mains Syllabus. The UPSC Polity Syllabus 2024 for the IAS Mains Exam must be read by candidates before they begin the course of study.

  • Constitution of India
  • Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States
  • Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
  • Parliament and State Legislatures
  • Appointment to various Constitutional posts
  • Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Executive
  • Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act
  • Government policies and interventions
  • Health, Education, and Human Resources
  • Development Processes and the development industry
  • Issues relating to Poverty and hunger
  • Role of civil services in a Democracy
  • Important aspects of governance.

Indian Polity Syllabus for UPSC Topic-Wise

Here you can check the Indian Polity Syllabus 2024 in detail:

Topic Wise UPSC Polity Syllabus 2024
Important Polity Topics Polity Sub-topic
Constitutional Framework
  • Historical Background
  • Fundamental Duties
  • Amendment of the Constitution
  • Basic Structure
  • Constitutional Development
  • Making of the Constitution
  • Features of the Constitution
  • Preamble of India
  • The Union & Its Territories
  • Citizenship
  • Fundamental Rights
  • Directive Principles of State Policy
System of Government
  • Parliamentary System
  • Inter-state Relations
  • Federal System
  • Centre-state Relations
State Government
  • Governor of India
  • State Council of Ministers
  • State Legislature
  • Chief Minister
  • High Courts
  • Subordinate Courts
  • Special Provisions for Some States
Central Government
  • President of India
  • Vice-President
  • Parliament
  • Central Council of Ministers
  • Cabinet Committee
  • Parliamentary Committee & Forums
  • Supreme Court
  • Prime Minister
Constitutional Bodies
  • Election Commission
  • Comptroller & Auditor General of India
  • National Commission for SCs
  • National Commission for STs
  • Attorney General of India
  • Advocate General of State
  • Union Public Service Commission
  • State PCS
  • Finance Commission
Union Territories & Local Government
  • Union Territories
  • Scheduled & Tribal Areas
  • Panchayati Raj System
  • Municipalities
Non-Constitutional Bodies
  • Planning Commission
  • National Development Council
  • Lokpal & Lokayukta
  • NITI Aayog
  • Central Information Commission
  • Central Vigilance Commission
  • National Human Rights Commission
  • State Human Rights Commission
  • Central Bureau of Investigation
Emergency Provisions
  • National Emergency
  • Role of President in the Time of Emergency
  • Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
  • Financial Emergency
  • 44th Amendment Act
  • Effects and Implications of Emergency
  • Revoking Emergency
  • President’s Rule or State Emergency
Miscellaneous
  • Cooperative Societies
  • Official Language
  • Tribunals
Current Affairs
  • Important Schemes (both Central and State)

Indian Polity Books For UPSC Preparation

You can refer this book for this for the UPSC Preparation :-

UPSC Books for Indian Polity
Indian Polity
  • Democratic Politics – I and II – NCERT class 9th and 10th respectively (only cursory reading needed)
  • Indian Constitution at Work – NCERT class 11th
  • Indian Constitution by M Laxmikanth

 

FAQs

How can I study Indian polity?

The major tip is to focus on how to prepare polity for UPSC including reading NCERT books from IX to XII to have better insights into the topics as the NCERT books are more lucid and comprehensive.

Is polity easy for UPSC?

It depends on the understanding of the candidates, although it is a static subject with some technical aspects.

What do you mean by the term polity?

Polity refers to a political group of any size or shape — it can be a government, a state, a country, or even a social group.

Is Laxmikant enough for UPSC?

Laxmikant is essential for UPSC Mains preparation, but it is not sufficient.

What is difference between polity and constitution?

Constitution is a formal legal document defining the basic structure of the system/organisation/country. Polity is the constitution in run, i.e actual functioning of the constitution.

Which website is best for polity for UPSC?

Study IQ is without a doubt the best site for preparing Polity and other subjects as asked in UPSC.

Can a very weak student crack UPSC?

Yes there are several aspirants who were “average” students and yet cleared the exam proving that you need not be a topper to crack the IAS Exam.

How many questions come from Indian polity in UPSC?

On an average 18 to 20 questions are asked in UPSC from Polity

How much time is required to prepare Polity for UPSC?

At maximum 1 to 2 months are required to cover the entire syllabus of Polity

Is NCERT needed for UPSC polity?

Yes NCERT strengthened the foundation of Polity as a subject.

Which subjects are included in the UPSC General Studies Paper 2?

The GS Paper 2 includes Polity and Governance, International Relations and Social Justice.

How to start preparing for Indian polity?

One should first go through the Previous Year Questions for understanding the demand of Polity as a subject in UPSC Exam.