UP TGT Social Science Syllabus: PDF Download & Section-Wise Topics

The Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC), Prayagraj has released the official UP TGT Social Science Syllabus for the Trained Graduate Teacher (Secondary Education) recruitment exam. 

The syllabus is issued under Subject Code – 09 and is divided into four major sections — Geography, History, Economics, and Civics — each carrying detailed topic-wise content that candidates must cover for exam preparation.

Since the UP TGT Social Science paper draws from multiple disciplines, having a clear section-wise reference helps candidates plan a focused, high-yield study schedule instead of spreading preparation too thin. Below is the complete, officially released syllabus broken down section by section, along with a downloadable PDF.

UP TGT Social Science Syllabus Overview

The table below provides a quick overview of the UP TGT Social Science Syllabus 2026, including the conducting body, subject code, and major sections covered in the examination:

UP TGT Social Science Section-wise Syllabus

The syllabus is officially structured into four sections, labelled A through D. Each section lists the core themes and sub-topics candidates are expected to prepare.

Section A: Geography

1. Physical Geography

• Origin of the Solar System: Earth's shape and motions within the Solar System; effects of Earth's motions; Solar and Lunar eclipses; representation of Latitude and Longitude; determination of the location of any place on the globe; determination of Local and Standard Time; International Date Line — alignment and significance.

• Lithosphere: Rocks — origin and types; volcanic activity — types of volcanoes and their global distribution; origin and global distribution of earthquakes; distribution of continents and oceans; major plateaus of the world and their types; global distribution of fold mountains; processes of erosion and weathering; Davis's Cycle of Erosion; processes of river valley degradation; landforms formed in various stages through erosion and deposition by water, wind, glaciers, groundwater, and ocean water; contour lines and the identification of major landforms using contour lines.

• Atmosphere: Composition and structure of the atmosphere; insolation and factors affecting it; horizontal and vertical distribution of temperature; inversion of temperature; air pressure belts and permanent winds; important local winds; precipitation processes — rain, frost, fog, etc.; convectional, orographic, and cyclonic rainfall; climatic regions of the world and their characteristics; identification of symbols used in daily weather maps.

• Hydrosphere: Relief features of the ocean bottom; ocean temperature and salinity; ocean currents — origin, flow, direction, and impact on climate; tides — processes and theories of origin.

• Biosphere: Structure, types of vegetation and their global distribution and associated wildlife.

2. Human Geography

• Man-environment interrelationships and their theoretical analysis; the perspectives of Davis, Semple, Huntington, Vidal de la Blache, Brunhes, and Griffith Taylor; global population growth and distribution; human races; characteristic distinctions and distribution of the world's major human races — Caucasoid and Mongoloid; primitive tribes of the world and their interrelationship with their respective habitats — with special reference to the Bushmen, Eskimos, Kirghiz, Bedouins, Maasai, and Semang.

• Human Settlements: Patterns of rural settlements and their relationship with the environment in the world's major natural regions; the world's major mega-cities — their location and significance.

3. Economic Geography

• Geographical analysis of the world's major crops — rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, sugar beet, tea, coffee, and rubber; global fishing, forestry, and dairy production; major energy and mineral resources — coal, petroleum, iron ore, manganese, bauxite, and copper; factors influencing the location of major industries globally, along with their production and distribution — iron and steel, cotton and synthetic textiles, paper, and oil refining industries; the world's major industrial regions; and the world's major trade routes and ports.

4. Geography of India

• Location, extent, international boundaries and associated geo-political issues; the Indian Ocean — its economic and strategic significance; India's physiography; drainage systems; origin and characteristics of the Monsoon; climatic regions and their features; soils and natural vegetation; deforestation; problems of floods and soil erosion — and their solutions; Agriculture — food grain production, progress, and challenges; the Green, White, and Blue Revolutions; major crops — rice, wheat, sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds, tea, and 'Shri Anna' (Millets) — their production, geographical distribution, and production trends; mineral resources and issues related to their exploitation; the energy crisis and its solutions; geographical distribution and production of coal and mineral oil; alternative sources of energy; multi-purpose river valley projects and associated environmental issues; manufacturing industries — location and distribution patterns of iron & steel, textile, sugar, paper, cement, and aluminium industries; population growth and distribution; population-related problems; major modes of transport in the country; transport routes and ports; foreign trade; major cities.

Section B: History

• Pre-Historic Cultures: The salient features of the Palaeolithic age, Mesolithic age, and Neolithic age.

• Ancient Era: The salient features of the Indus Valley Civilization, Society, Economy, Political Institutions, Religion and Philosophy during the Vedic age.

• Religious Movements: Jainism, Buddhism, Bhagvatism, Shavism, and features of Bhakti.

• Mauryan Empire: Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara, Ashoka, Mauryan administration, and Art.

• Post-Mauryan Period: Shunga dynasty, Shakas, Kushana dynasty, Malvas, and Satavahnas.

• Gupta Empire: Chandra Gupta 1, Samudra Gupta, Chandra Gupta Vikramaditya, Kumar Gupta 1st, Skand Gupta, Art (Temple Architecture), Society, Culture during the Gupta period.

• Post-Gupta Period: Harsha 'Shiladitya', Palas, Pratiharas, Chamans, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas — the political and cultural history of Pallavas and Cholas.

• The Muslim invasion in India, Indian resistance, and the impact of Muslim invasion.

• Delhi Sultanate: Major features, with special reference to Kutubuddin Aibak, Iltutmish, Razia, and Balban.

• Allauddin Khilji: Military achievements, Administration, and Market system.

• Tughlaq Dynasty: Ghiyasuddin Tuglaq, Mohammad Bin Tuglaq, Feroz Shah Tuglaq, Invasion of Timur, and the Bahmani, Saiyad, and Lodhi Dynasties.

• Mughal Dynasty: The life and achievements of Babar, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shahjahan, and Aurangzeb.

• The life and achievements of Rana Pratap and Chatrapati Shivaji.

• Modern India (1858–1958 AD): The causes, nature, and impact of the War of Independence of 1857; the impact of European rule on the Indian economy; Indian Renaissance and Socio-religious movements in the 19th century; the nature and impact of the Revolutionary Movements; the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in the National Movement; achievement of independence and India after Partition (till 1958 AD); main features of the Indian Republic.

Section C: Economics

Economic Theory

• Economics: definition and nature, static and dynamic analysis, micro and macro analysis.

• Law of demand and measurement of elasticity of demand; utility analysis.

• Consumer's equilibrium through indifference curve; price effect, income effect, substitution effect, revealed preference.

• Law of variable proportions and law of returns to scale.

• Production function; iso-product curve analysis.

• Malthus and theory of optimum population.

Theories of Price Determination

• Perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition; equilibrium of firm; price-output determination.

Distribution Theory

• Classical and modern theory of rent.

• Neo-classical and Keynesian theory of interest.

• Knight's theory of profit; determination of wage in perfect and imperfect competition.

• Classical and modern theory of rent (revisited under distribution theory).

• Neo-classical and Keynesian theory of interest (revisited).

Money and International Trade

• Demand for money and supply of money.

• Value of money; quantity theory of money — Fisher and Cambridge approach.

• Inflation, reflation, and stagflation.

• Functions of commercial banks; credit creation.

• Functions of central bank; quantitative and qualitative methods of credit control; Monetary Policy.

International Trade

• Comparative cost theory.

• Policies of free trade and protection.

• Terms of trade; foreign exchange rate.

• Purchasing Power Parity theory and Balance of Payments theory.

• Balance of trade and Balance of Payments — causes of imbalance and remedies.

• International Monetary Fund (IMF).

• International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

• Asian Development Bank.

• World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Public Finance

• Revenue and Employment theory.

• Private and public finance.

• Theory of maximum social welfare.

• Tax and economic effects; ability to pay and profit theory; justice in taxes.

• Impact of tax and incidence of tax; objectives and principles of public expenditure.

• Deficit financing; burden and redemption of public debt; fiscal policy.

• Sources of revenue and expenditure of Centre and states.

Classical and Keynesian Theory of Employment

Economic Systems

• Capitalism, Socialism, and Mixed Economy.

Indian Economy and Economic Development

• Characteristics of the Indian economy; poverty and development.

• Trends of population and population policy; distribution and structure of national income.

• Small and marginal farmers; problems of agriculture and solutions; agricultural marketing.

• Problem of under-employment — causes and remedies.

Problems of Industrialisation

• New Industrial Policy; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

• Role of Trade Unions in India; industrial disputes.

Foreign Trade and Economic Development

• Structure of foreign trade and recent trends; import substitution.

• Economic development and economic progress; reasons for low economic development.

• Stages of Rostow's economic development; theories of economic development.

• Critical minimum effort theory; measures of development; economic planning in India.

Section D: Civics

• Civics: Definition, nature, subject matter, and scope.

• State: Definition, elements, theories of origin of the state.

• Political Concepts: Sovereignty, law, punishment, rights, liberty, equality, citizenship.

• Democracy and Dictatorship.

• Political Ideologies: Individualism, Liberalism, Fascism, and Scientific Socialism.

• Political Philosophers: Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Bentham, J. S. Mill, Karl Marx, Manu, Kautilya, and Gandhi.

• Government: Parliamentary and Presidential, Unitary and Federal.

• Organs of Government: Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.

• Election Commission: Electoral reforms and voting behaviour.

• Contribution to the Indian National Movement: Gopal Krishna Gokhle, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.

• Salient Features of Indian Constitution: Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy.

• Union Government: Executive — President, Prime Minister, and Council of Ministers.

• Indian Parliament: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

• Indian Judiciary: Supreme Court and High Court.

• State Government: Governor and Chief Minister.

• District Administration: District Magistrate.

• Democratic Decentralization and Panchayati Raj.

• Challenges of Indian Democracy: Casteism, Regionalism, and Communalism.

• Political Party and Pressure Group.

• Indian Administration: Bureaucracy, Ombudsman, Lokpal, and Lokayukta.

UP TGT Social Science Syllabus PDF Download

Candidates can download the official UP TGT Social Science Syllabus 2026 PDF for offline study and revision. The PDF includes the complete syllabus for Geography, History, Economics, and Civics, helping candidates keep track of every topic prescribed by UPESSC during their preparation:

UP TGT Social Science Syllabus PDF Download

How to Prepare the UP TGT Social Science Syllabus

• Go through each of the four sections — Geography, History, Economics, and Civics — and note the sub-topics under every heading before starting preparation.

• Since Geography, History, Economics, and Civics carry roughly equal weight in the syllabus, divide study time evenly across all four sections rather than favouring one.

• Focus on the "Geography of India" and "Modern India (1858–1958 AD)" units, as these tend to be the most content-heavy portions of their respective sections.

• Build a strong conceptual base in Economic Theory and Public Finance before moving to applied topics like Indian Economy and Foreign Trade.

• Link Civics topics such as the Indian Constitution, Parliament, and Judiciary with current governance developments for better retention.

• Revise the syllabus PDF regularly and cross-check completed topics against it to track preparation progress.