Official UPSC Mains Syllabus

GS Paper IV — Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude

250 Marks · Foundational values · Attitude · Emotional Intelligence · Case Studies

GS-I SyllabusGS-II SyllabusGS-III SyllabusGS-IV Syllabus
01

Ethics and Human Interface

  • Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships.
  • Human Values — lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
02

Attitude

  • Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
03

Aptitude & Foundational Values for Civil Service

  • Integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.
04

Emotional Intelligence

  • Concepts of emotional intelligence and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
05

Moral Thinkers & Philosophers

  • Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world.
06

Public/Civil Service Values & Ethics in Public Administration

  • Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
07

Probity in Governance

  • Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen's Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
08

Case Studies

  • Case Studies on above issues — applied ethics tested through real-world administrative dilemmas. (Browse 13 years of UPSC ethics case studies on this site.)
Browse GS-IV PYQs →Ethics Case Studies (13 yrs) →