About Optional Subject

The UPSC Optional Subject List is issued annually by the authorities through the official notification. A pivotal element of the UPSC examination is the selection of an optional subject for the Mains stage.

This choice holds significant weight in influencing a candidate's prospects of success and must be approached with meticulous deliberation.

Candidates are required to select optional subjects for Papers 6 and 7 of the Mains examination, each carrying a total of 250 marks.

Comprehensive List of 48 UPSC Optional Subjects

The UPSC Mains examination provides candidates with the flexibility to choose from 48 optional subjects, comprising 25 core disciplines and 22 literature options. Below is the detailed list:

1. Agriculture

2. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science

3. Anthropology

4. Botany

5. Chemistry

6. Civil Engineering

7. Commerce and Accountancy

8. Economics

9. Electrical Engineering

10. Geography

11. Geology

12. History

13. Law

14. Management

15. Mathematics

16. Mechanical Engineering

17. Medical Science

18. Philosophy

19. Physics

20. Political Science and International Relations

21. Psychology

22. Public Administration

23. Sociology

24. Statistics

25. Zoology

Literature Options

Candidates can also opt for the literature of any of the following languages:

Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and English.