UPSC Mains GS Paper 4 Syllabus 2025 PDF, Check Ethics Paper Strategy

UPSC GS Paper 4 Syllabus 2025: Given the importance of the role played by Civil Servants in the public service delivery system, the UPSC GS Paper 4 syllabus is designed to evaluate the ethics of candidates. The GS 4 paper is also known as the UPSC Ethics paper which is the fifth paper in the mains examination.

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UPSC GS 4 Syllabus 2025

UPSC Mains General Studies IV Structure

• Candidates have 3 hours to complete the GS 4 question paper worth 250 marks.
• There are a total of 12 questions divided into two sections.
• The questions will be printed in both Hindi as well as English language.
• Section A will consist of 6 questions with each having subparts
• The word limit for section A which has 10 marker questions is 150.
• Section B will consist of 6 case studies worth 20 mark s each.
• The word limit to answer case studies in the GS 4 paper is 250.

UPSC GS Paper 4 Topic Wise Syllabus 2025

• Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions;
• dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships.
• Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, and administrators;
• role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.

• Attitude - Content, structure, function;
• its influence and relation with thought and behaviour
• Moral and political attitudes
• Social influence and persuasion

• Aptitude and Foundational Values for Civil Service - integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service
• Empathy, tolerance, and compassion towards the weaker sections.

• EI Concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world.

• Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems
• Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions
• Laws, rules, regulations, and conscience as sources of ethical guidance
• Accountability and ethical governance, strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance
• Ethical issues in international relations and funding
• Corporate governance

• Probity in Governance: Concept of Public Service
• Philosophical basis of governance and probity
• Information sharing and transparency in government
• Right to Information
• Codes of Ethics
• Codes of Conduct
• Citizen’s Charters
• Work culture, Quality of service delivery
• Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.

• Case Studies on the above issues.

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Books to Cover GS Paper 4 Syllabus

1. Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by G Subba Rao & P N Roy Chowdhury
2. Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by Niraj Kumar
3. Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by M Karthikeyan.
4. Selective Reports of 2nd ARC
5. Corporate Governance guidelines from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) website

Download UPSC Mains GS 4 Previous Year Paper

UPSC Ethics Syllabus Preparation Tips

• Understand the Syllabus: Familiarise yourself with topics such as the concept of ethics, values, emotional intelligence, attitude, aptitude, etc.
• Pick Standard Resources: Take any one or two books to have foundational knowledge of Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude from the recommended books. Later utilize resources like ARC reports, examples from famous IAS in India, and case studies of good governance to enrich your learning.
• Memorise Definition: By memorizing definitions of important terminologies in ethics, candidates can articulate their thoughts effectively, demonstrate conceptual clarity, and provide concise answers. This is crucial for scoring well in the examination.
• Write Good Examples: Writing examples for various ethical terminologies provides concrete illustrations of abstract concepts. These examples help to contextualize ethical principles, making them easier to understand and apply in real-life situations. Make a note of all notable examples for each ethical terminology. Writing correct examples also shows that you understood the topic well and thus can fetch additional marks.
• Note Down All the Ethical Dilemmas: This will help you save a lot of time in creating dilemmas on paper. It will also give a touch of ethical language to your answer.
• Take Guidance: Given the complicated nature of the syllabus in certain sections like case studies, candidates should take the help of mentors by joining the UPSC Online coaching 2025 to ensure they perform well in this paper.
• Practice with Previous Year Papers: Download and solve GS 4 previous year question papers to familiarize yourself with the question pattern. Solve it in a time-bound manner to improve your time management and accuracy .
• Case Studies: Understand the ethical dilemmas presented in each case study and develop a structured approach to solving them within the given word limit through answer writing practice. While practicing case studies, read the same case study several times to get depth of various ethical situations involved in the case. In this way, you can touch all the basic ethics involved in the case.

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