Modifications in the Civil Services Examination

The Government has approved the following modifications in the Civil Services Examination, 2013 notified on 5.3.2013:

1. A candidate is allowed to use any one regional language from the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India or English as the medium of writing the examination.

2. Conditionality of a minimum of 25 candidates in that medium and the requirement to have that language as the medium of examination at graduation level has been dropped.

3. Furthermore, a candidate is allowed to take up literature as his/her optional subject (to be chosen from a list of 23 literature subjects – 22 of the 8th Schedule languages and English) without the conditionality of having to do his/her graduation in that language’s literature.

4. The English component (of 100 marks) from the Essay Paper has been dropped and 2 qualifying papers of 300 marks each in any Modern Indian Language(MIL) and in English have been restored. The Essay Paper is now of 250 marks to be written in the medium/language of candidate’s choice.

Now, the Civil Services Main Examination 2013 will be as under:

a. The candidates may write the examination in any one medium/language chosen from the languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India or English;

b. Paper I and II will be of qualifying nature only– one in any MIL and another in English – of 300 marks each;

c. Paper III will be the compulsory Essay Paper, with no English Comprehension test, to be written in the medium of candidate’s choice. The English component shall be dropped. Now this paper shall be of 250 marks.

d. There will be 4 compulsory papers of General Studies of 250 marks each, namely, Paper-IV (Indian Heritage & Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society), Paper-V (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations), Paper-VI (Technology, Economic Development, Bio Diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) and Paper-VII (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude).

e. Paper VIII and IX: Candidates will have to take one optional subject with 2 papers of 250 marks each. This optional subject can be selected from a list of 25 core subjects and 23 literatures (literature of 22 languages in 8th Schedule of The Constitution of India and English).

f. The personality test/interview will be of 275 marks.