UPSC GS Paper 2 Syllabus — Polity, Governance and International Relations

May 3, 2026 · 8 min read · My UPSC Syllabus

GS Paper 2 is a 250-mark Mains paper covering Indian Constitution and Polity, governance, social justice, and international relations. It is considered one of the most scoring papers among the four GS papers.

GS Paper 2 is a 250-mark Mains paper covering Indian Constitution and Polity, governance, social justice, and international relations. It is considered one of the most scoring papers among the four GS papers because the topics are more defined and factual, and current affairs integration is rewarded generously.

INDIAN CONSTITUTION — HISTORICAL UNDERPINNINGS, EVOLUTION, FEATURES:
Government of India Acts (1919, 1935), Cabinet Mission Plan, Constituent Assembly, Dr B R Ambedkar. Salient features: federal with unitary bias, parliamentary system, fundamental rights, DPSP, independent judiciary. Significant amendments: 42nd, 44th, 73rd, 74th, 86th, 101st.

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS, DPSP AND FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES:
Articles 12–35 (Fundamental Rights). Landmark cases: Kesavananda Bharati (Basic Structure), Maneka Gandhi, Puttaswamy (Right to Privacy), Navtej Singh Johar. DPSP: Gandhian, Socialist, Liberal-Intellectual categories. Relationship between FR and DPSP. Fundamental Duties (Article 51A).

PARLIAMENT AND STATE LEGISLATURES:
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha composition and powers. Legislative process, joint sittings (Article 108). Budget session. Anti-defection (Tenth Schedule). Committee system.

FEDERAL STRUCTURE AND CENTRE-STATE RELATIONS:
Seventh Schedule (Union, State, Concurrent lists). Finance Commission. GST Council. Special provisions: Article 370 (abrogated 2019), Fifth and Sixth Schedules.

LOCAL GOVERNANCE:
73rd Amendment (Panchayati Raj — 29 subjects, Eleventh Schedule). 74th Amendment (ULBs — 18 subjects, Twelfth Schedule). Devolution challenges.

SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Ayushman Bharat, PM-KISAN, PMAY, MGNREGS, NEP 2020. SC/ST Protection Act, POCSO, Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:
India-USA (QUAD, Indo-Pacific), India-China (LAC), India-Russia (S-400), Neighbourhood First, Act East. G20, BRICS, SCO, UN reform.

Tags: GS Paper 2, Mains, Syllabus, Polity, Governance