Rajyaseva Syllabus

Preliminary Exam

Paper I: 200 marks · Paper II (CSAT): 200 marks, qualifying · 2 hours each · Objective/MCQ · Marathi & English medium

Paper I — General Studies

1. 1.Current events of state, national and international importance.
2. 2.History of India and the Indian national movement, with special reference to Maharashtra.
3. 3.Geography of Maharashtra, India and the World — physical, social and economic geography.
4. 4.India and Maharashtra — polity and administration: Constitution, political system, panchayati raj, urban administration, public policy, rights issues, etc.
5. 5.Economic and social development — sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives, etc.
6. 6.Environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change — general issues, no subject-specialist knowledge required.
7. 7.General Science.

Paper II — CSAT

1. 1.Comprehension.
2. 2.Interpersonal skills, including communication skills.
3. 3.Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
4. 4.Decision making and problem solving.
5. 5.General mental ability.
6. 6.Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc. — Class X level) and data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. — Class X level).
7. 7.Marathi and English language comprehension skills (Class X / XII level).

Main Exam — Scheme

Written: 1750 marks (9 papers) · Interview: 275 marks · Total: 2025 marks

General Studies I — Detailed Topics

1. 1.Indian culture — salient aspects of art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times.
2. 2.The Bhakti movement in Maharashtra — its saints and their philosophy.
3. 3.Modern Indian history from the 18th century — significant events, personalities and issues.
4. 4.The freedom struggle — its stages and contributions from various parts of the country.
5. 5.Post-independence consolidation and reorganisation within the country.
6. 6.World history from the 18th century — industrial revolution, world wars, redrawing of national boundaries, colonialism, and political philosophies (capitalism, socialism, communism).
7. 7.Salient features of Indian society and its diversity.
8. 8.Role of women, poverty and developmental issues, urbanisation.
9. 9.Effects of globalisation on Indian society; social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism.
10. 10.World physical geography — distribution of key natural resources, factors behind the location of primary, secondary and tertiary industries.
11. 11.Important geophysical phenomena — earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, cyclones etc., and their effects on flora, fauna and the environment.

General Studies II — Detailed Topics

1. 1.Indian Constitution — historical background, evolution, salient features, amendments, and basic structure.
2. 2.Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues around federal structure, devolution of powers and finances to local levels.
3. 3.Separation of powers between various organs, dispute-resolution mechanisms and institutions.
4. 4.Parliament and State legislatures — structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges.
5. 5.Executive and judiciary — structure, organisation and functions; government bodies and pressure groups.
6. 6.Local self-government institutions.
7. 7.Statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies — appointments, powers and responsibilities.
8. 8.Development processes and the role of NGOs, self-help groups, various institutions in the developmental process.
9. 9.Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of society by the Centre and States, and the performance of these schemes.
10. 10.Issues relating to development and management of social sectors — health, education, human resources.
11. 11.Governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, citizens' charters.
12. 12.India's relations with neighbouring countries, bilateral/regional/global groupings, and their effect on India's interests.

General Studies III — Detailed Topics

1. 1.Indian economy — planning, resource mobilisation, growth, development and employment.
2. 2.Government budgeting; agriculture, irrigation, storage, produce marketing, e-technology for farmers.
3. 3.Food processing industries, land reforms, effects of liberalisation on the economy, infrastructure (energy, ports, roads, airports, railways).
4. 4.Science and technology — developments and their applications in everyday life; achievements of Indians in science and technology; indigenisation of technology.
5. 5.IT, space, computers, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology and issues around intellectual property rights.
6. 6.Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
7. 7.Disaster and disaster management.
8. 8.Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
9. 9.Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security; role of media and social networking sites; cyber security.
10. 10.Various security forces and agencies and their mandate.

General Studies IV — Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude

1. 1.Ethics and human interface — essence, determinants and consequences of ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world.
2. 2.Attitude — content, structure and function; influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
3. 3.Aptitude and foundational values for civil service — integrity, impartiality, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion for the weaker sections.
4. 4.Emotional intelligence — concepts and their utility and application in administration and governance.
5. 5.Public and civil service values and ethics in public administration — status and problems; ethical concerns in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
6. 6.Probity in governance — concept of public service; philosophical basis; information sharing and transparency; RTI, code of ethics, code of conduct, citizens' charters, work culture, quality of service delivery, utilisation of public funds, challenges of corruption.
7. 7.Case studies on the above issues.

Optional Subject — Choose One

Two papers (250 marks each). Full detailed syllabi for each subject are in the downloadable PDFs on the Resources page.

Subjects marked "View" open directly to their syllabus in the official PDF. Subjects marked "Resources" aren't in this document — check the Resources page or the official MPSC website.