Mains 2026 · General Studies Paper II Paper awaited

UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 2
Question Paper

General Studies Paper II is written on the afternoon of the second day, immediately after GS Paper 1. All twenty questions and the official PDF will be published on this page as soon as the paper is out.

Date of exam22 August 2026

Session2:30 PM – 5:30 PM

DurationThree hours

Maximum marks250

Questions20 compulsory

Coming Soon

The GS Paper 2 questions will appear here

The paper is written on the afternoon of 22nd August 2026. We publish the full set of twenty questions along with the official question paper PDF on the same day, usually within a few hours of the session ending.

Exam window: 22 August 2026, 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Read the 2026 Essay Paper

GS Paper 2 — Official Syllabus

Reproduced as notified by the Union Public Service Commission for General Studies Paper II.

Paper III · 250 Marks

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations

Indian Constitution — historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, basic structure.
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
Separation of powers between various organs, dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
Comparison of Indian constitutional scheme with other countries.
Parliament and State legislatures — structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary — Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
Salient features of the Representation of People's Act.
Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Development processes and the development industry — the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance — applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
Role of civil services in a democracy.
India and its neighbourhood relations.
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests.
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora.
Important International institutions, agencies and fora — their structure, mandate.

How to Approach GS Paper 2

This is the paper where general awareness is least useful. Almost every question expects an article, a body, a scheme or an agreement to be named.

Answer the directive, not the topic. "Examine", "critically analyse" and "comment" ask for different things. A well-informed paragraph that ignores the directive loses marks a weaker but obedient answer keeps.
Anchor every claim to something specific. An Article, a Supreme Court judgment, a Commission report, a scheme, a treaty. Polity answers written entirely in general language read as opinion rather than knowledge.
Give every answer a clear, visible structure: begin with a one-line introduction, organise the body under concise headings, and end with a short, forward-looking conclusion. The examiner reads quickly; a well-structured answer is easier to follow, evaluate and remember.

UPSC Mains 2026 Question Papers

Each paper is added here on the day it is written.

Essay Paper21 August 2026 · 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon View Paper

General Studies Paper 122 August 2026 · 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon View Paper

General Studies Paper 222 August 2026 · 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM View Paper

General Studies Paper 323 August 2026 · 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon View Paper

General Studies Paper 423 August 2026 · 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM View Paper

Practise with the 2025 Papers

Until the 2026 paper is out, last year's set is the closest thing to it.

GS Paper 1 (2025) GS Paper 2 (2025) GS Paper 3 (2025) GS Paper 4 (2025) Essay Paper (2025)

Explore Notes

Mains Notes

GS Paper 1 — Coming soon GS Paper 2 GS Paper 3 GS Paper 4 — Ethics Essay Hub

Prelims Notes

Polity Economy Environment International Relations Geography Science & Technology History & Culture Mapping

Note: exam dates and timings follow the official Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 time table published by the Union Public Service Commission. Question paper content will be added after the examination is held; for the authoritative paper, refer to upsc.gov.in.

UPSC Mains 2026 General Studies 2 Question Paper PDF Download

UPSC Mains 2026 GS Paper 2Question Paper