Punjab Civil Services [Prelims Syllabus]

The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers:

• Paper I [General Studies]
• Paper II [Civil Services Aptitude Test]

Paper –I General Studies

1. Everyday Science

• States of matter, structure of atom, versatile nature of carbon.
• Acids, bases, salt: corrosion in metals, action of soaps.
• Life on Earth – evolution, marine & terrestrial life.
• Human body and life processes, nutrition, disease - its causes & prevention, infectious diseases, lifestyle diseases.
• Public health initiatives, mother and child health, immunisation & vaccination, HIV-AIDS, TB, polio etc.
• Force-laws of motion & gravitation, Archimedes principle.
• Energy – kinetic & potential.
• Light – reflection & refraction – concepts and applications.
• Sound – propagation & reflection- concepts and applications.
• Electric current – concepts and applications.
• Computers and telecommunication – concepts and applications.

2. Environmental studies

• Composition and structure of the atmosphere.
• Solar system – heat balance & temperature.
• Atmospheric circulation & weather system, water cycle.
• Climate change – fossil fuels, greenhouse gases, renewable energy, clean development mechanism, carbon credits.
• Water – oceans, rivers, glaciers, lakes, groundwater etc.
• Biodiversity & conservation.
• Soil – types, crops, food chain etc.
• Pollution and toxicity etc.

3. Political theory & international order

• Basic concept of freedom, equality, social justice, rights & duties, citizenship, nationalism, secularism etc.
• United Nations and its organs/agencies, other international organisations like the World Bank, IMF, WTO, EU, G20, BRICS etc. and their role in the World peace, trade & development.

        Indian polity

• Basic features, provisions, schedules of the Indian Constitution, key amendments.
• Panchayati Raj. Elections – People’s Representation Act, electoral reforms. Rise of regionalism and coalition politics.
• Armed challenges to the Indian state since independence.

4. History of India

• The Indus valley civilisation.
• The Aryan and the Vedic age.
• Jainism and Buddhism.
• The Maurya and Gupta periods.
• Advent of Islam and Sultanate period (political, social & cultural).
• The Bhakti Movement.
• The Mughals (political, social & cultural till Aurangzeb).
• The coming of the European Powers and the advent of the British rule.
• The Mutiny of 1857.
• The British rule and the Indian National Movement (1857-1947)

         World History

• The Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution in Europe.
• Important Events namely The American Revolution 1776; The French Revolution 1789; The Russian Revolution 1917; World Wars I & II.

5. Indian Economy

• Indian economic development (1950-1991) – key economic policies, public sector dominance, bank nationalisation etc.
• Five year plans – key goals and main achievements.
• Liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation era since 1991 – key policies, decisions and results.
• Performance of Indian economy since 1991 – Growth, fiscal & revenue deficits, trade, commerce & balance of payments, inflation, growth of service sector.
• Key challenges and responses – agriculture and food security, industrialisation, poverty alleviation & employment, rural & urban infrastructure, social sector – health, education etc.

6. Geography

• Population – distribution, density, growth and comparison.
• Migration – types, causes and consequences.
• Human development. Human settlements.
• Land resources and agriculture.
• Water resources.
• Mineral and energy resources.
• Manufacturing industries.
• Planning and sustainable development in India.
• Transport and communication.
• International trade.
• Geographical perspective on selected issues and problems.

7. Current events of national and international importance.

Punjab

1. Geography

• Geographical and agro-climatic regions, rivers, water resources, sharing of waters, demographics, human development indices

2. People, Society and Culture

• Major personalities in history of Punjab, religious movements, major religions & spiritual personalities, Punjabi literature, folklore, performing arts, fine arts and crafts.

3. History

• Sufis, saints and gurus, Lodhis and Mughals, Sikh rulers, the British period, nationalist movement in Punjab, Punjab in independent India.

4. Economy

• Agriculture, animal husbandry, industrial & service sectors, major occupations, development & economic growth, public finance (including central-state fiscal issues), public sector institutions, cooperatives etc.

Paper –II Civil Services Aptitude Test

1. Reading comprehension; Punjabi and English language comprehension, antonyms and synonyms, grammar and sentence formation.

2. Interpersonal skills including communication skills

3. Logical reasoning, analytical and mental ability

4. Basic numerical skills; numbers, magnitudes, percentages, numerical relation appreciation

5. Data analysis; Graphic presentations, charts, tables, spreadsheets.