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Two objective-type papers, each with 200 questions and 200 marks, completed in 3 hours each. One-third negative marking applies for every wrong answer.
Paper
Subject
Questions
Marks
Duration
GS-1
General Studies
200
200
3 hours
GS-2
General Studies
200
200
3 hours
Prelims GS-1 Syllabus (200 Marks)
A. History
Indus Valley Civilisation: key features, sites, society, culture, art, religion, and its connection to Gujarat
Vedic Age, rise of Jainism and Buddhism
Foreign invasions and their impact on India
Mauryan and Gupta Empires: administration, society, religion, economy, arts, and science
Kanishka, Harsha, and major South Indian dynasties
Gujarat’s ancient dynasties: Chavada, Solanki, and Vaghela – their rulers, administration, economy, society, religion, literature, arts and architecture
B. Indian Polity & Constitution (continuing from GS-1)
Constitutional authorities: powers, functions, and responsibilities
Panchayati Raj
Public policy and governance
Impact of liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation on governance
Statutory, regulatory, and quasi-judicial bodies
Rights issues: human rights, women’s rights, SC/ST rights, and child rights
India’s foreign policy, international relations, key global institutions and their mandates
Important policies and schemes of Central and State Governments
C. General Mental Ability
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Number series, coding-decoding
Relationship problems
Shapes, sub-sections, and Venn diagrams
Clock, calendar, and age-based problems
Number systems and order of magnitude
Linear equations (one and two variables)
Ratio, proportion, and variation
Averages (mean, median, mode, weighted mean)
Powers, squares, square roots, cube roots, HCF and LCM
Percentages, simple and compound interest, profit and loss
Time-work, time-distance, speed-distance
Area, perimeter, volume and surface area of geometrical shapes
Infrastructure: water supply, energy, rural and urban connectivity (ports, roads, airports, railways, telecom), social impact assessment
Population: growth trends, poverty, inequality, unemployment, development indicators (HDI, Gender Development Index, Human Poverty Index, National Happiness Index)
Public finance: tax system, public debt, subsidies, Centre-State financial relations, GST, fiscal and monetary policy
Foreign trade: structure, direction, balance of payments in post-reform era
Gujarat economy: social sector (education, health, nutrition); comparison with other major states; challenges in agriculture, water, forests, mining, industry, and services; infrastructure development policies
B. Geography
General: Earth’s place in the solar system, landforms, atmosphere, climate, ocean characteristics, hydrological disasters
Physical (World, India & Gujarat): major physical divisions, earthquakes, landslides, drainage, monsoon, vegetation, soil types, parks and sanctuaries, rocks and minerals
Social (World, India & Gujarat): population distribution, density, literacy, sex ratio, occupational structure, tribal and religious groups, urbanisation, migration
Economic (World, India & Gujarat): key sectors agriculture, industry, services; agro, mineral, forest, and fuel-based industries; trade and transport
C. Science & Technology
Science and its relevance to daily life; national science policy; key scientific institutions; contributions of Indian scientists
ICT: scope, e-governance programmes, cybersecurity, National Cybercrime Policy
Space & Defence: ISRO’s history and achievements; satellite programmes (telecom, navigation, remote sensing, defence, education); DRDO’s vision and activities
Energy: India’s energy needs, resources, and dependence; government energy policies
Nuclear policy: India’s nuclear programme; cooperation with other nations; NSG, NPT, CTBT, FMCT; Nuclear Security Summit
Environmental science: pollution, climate change, biodiversity, international environmental treaties, forest and wildlife laws, biotechnology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, health-environment linkages
D. Current Events – Regional, national, and international importance
Stage II: Mains Examination (Total: 900 Marks)
Paper
Subject
Marks
Paper 1
Gujarati (Qualifying)
150
Paper 2
English (Qualifying)
150
Paper 3
Essay
150
Paper 4
GS-1: History, Culture & Geography
150
Paper 5
GS-2: Polity, Public Administration & Ethics
150
Paper 6
GS-3: Science, Economy & Current Events
150
Total
900
GS papers have 20 questions each – 10 worth 5 marks (60-70 words) and 10 worth 10 marks (130–140 words).
Mains: English Paper (150 Marks, 3 Hours)
Task
Marks
Essay (250–300 words, one from five topics)
20
Formal letter writing (~150 words)
10
Press release / appeal (~150 words)
10
Report writing (~150 words)
15
Writing on visual information (graph/chart/table, ~150 words)
15
Formal speech (~150 words)
15
Précis writing (~100 words from a 300-word passage)
15
Reading comprehension (250-word passage, MCQs + short answers)
Covers essay writing, précis, passage comprehension, speech and press release drafting, letter writing, report writing, visual description, dialogue writing, translation (English to Gujarati), and Gujarati grammar (idioms, proverbs, compound analysis, metre, figures of speech, spelling, Sandhi, and sentence transformation).
Mains: Essay Paper (150 Marks, 3 Hours)
Candidates write three essays (~800 words each, one per section) in English or Gujarati. Topics span current affairs, socio-political and socio-economic issues, environmental matters, cultural and historical themes, civic awareness, and reflective topics. Marks are awarded for structured arguments, coherent expression, grammatical correctness, and originality.
Social and demographic geography: population distribution, density, age-sex composition, rural-urban patterns, caste, tribe, religion, literacy, migration, and urbanisation
Development and environmental issues: sustainable development, globalisation, smart cities, natural hazards (earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis, floods, landslides, drought), climate change, pollution, and hazard management
Core constitutional features and their significance
Roles and responsibilities of the Union and State Governments
Federalism: challenges, role of the Governor, distribution of powers across Union, State, and Concurrent Lists
Rural and urban local self-governance under 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments
Constitutional authorities: powers, functions, and responsibilities
Panchayati Raj institutions
Public policy and governance
Impact of liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation on governance
Statutory, regulatory, and quasi-judicial bodies
Rights issues: human rights, women’s rights, SC/ST rights, child rights
India’s foreign policy and international relations; key global institutions
Central and State government schemes and programmes
Stage III: Interview / Personality Test
The Interview carries 100 marks. Combined with the Mains score of 900, the final merit is decided out of 1000.
Eligibility: Any graduate (Arts, Commerce, or Science) from a recognised university. Final-year students are also eligible.
Age Limit: Minimum 20 years, Maximum 35 years.
SC/ST: 5-year relaxation (up to 40 years)
OBC: 3-year relaxation (up to 38 years)
Mains GS-2: Polity, Public Administration & Ethics (Continued)
Constitutional & Legislative Bodies
Role and functions of constitutional authorities
Parliament and State Legislatures: structure, business conduct, powers, and privileges
Judiciary: structure, emergency provisions, constitutional amendments, judicial review, and Public Interest Litigation
B. Public Administration & Governance
Evolution and nature of public administration in India; administrative thinking from Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Mughal era, and British legacy
Role of civil services in a democracy
Government development policies and challenges in their implementation
Role of civil society, NGOs, and other stakeholders in development
Statutory, regulatory, and quasi-judicial bodies
Good governance and e-governance: transparency, accountability, Citizen’s Charter, RTI, Public Service Act, and social audit
C. Ethics in Public Service
Ethics and human behaviour: its dimensions, consequences, integrity and accountability in public and private life; RTI and Public Service Act implications
Attitude: its formation, influence on conduct, moral and political dimensions, social persuasion
Emotional intelligence and its use in governance
Human values: role of family, society, and educational institutions in nurturing values
Role of science, technology, and innovation in improving human life; national science policy; India’s scientific contributions and challenges in applying technology for nation-building
ICT: its advantages, e-governance initiatives, cybercrime, and security policies
Indian Space Programme: ISRO’s achievements; satellite applications in health, education, weather, and defence; DRDO’s role
India’s energy needs: clean energy resources, conventional and non-conventional sources, energy policy
Nuclear policy: India’s nuclear programme, international nuclear agreements (NPT, CTBT, FMCT, NSG), and India’s stand on global nuclear issues
Biotechnology and nanotechnology: scope, applications, ethical and legal issues, genetic engineering, and its human impact
Indian achievements in science and technology; indigenous technology development
Intellectual Property Rights in science and technology
B. Indian Economy & Planning
Economic development since independence: national income trends, sectoral composition (primary, secondary, tertiary), Five-Year Plans, NITI Aayog
Post-reform Indian economy: liberalisation, privatisation, globalisation, and their effects on development strategy
Land reforms in India and Gujarat
Agricultural growth: sustainable agriculture, Green Revolution, food security, agricultural pricing, procurement, and Public Distribution System
Public finance: tax system, public expenditure, public debt, Centre-State financial relations, macroeconomic stabilisation, GST
Industrial policy: structure, concentration issues, large vs. small industry, cottage industries, public sector performance, privatisation
Population and human development: demographics, urbanisation, demographic dividend, education, health, family welfare
Rural development: poverty trends and policies, inequality, employment, Skill India, Make in India, Start-Ups
External sector: foreign trade trends, FDI and FII
India in global indices: Global Innovation Index, HDI, Global Competitiveness Index, Global Gender Gap Report
Gujarat economy: social sector (education, health, nutrition); challenges in agriculture, water, forests, mining, and industry; cooperative movement’s socio-economic impact
Infrastructure: energy, ports, roads, airports, railways, telecommunications – and their social impact assessment
C. Current Events – Regional, national, and international importance
GPSC Prelims Cut-Off Marks (2017 Reference)
Category
Cut-Off
With 10% PH Relaxation
General Male
113.05
101.75
General Female
82.56
74.30
SEBC Male
113.05
101.75
SEBC Female
82.56
74.30
SC Male
113.05
101.75
SC Female
82.56
74.30
ST Male
75.89
68.30
ST Female
62.92
56.33
Cut-off = marks secured by the last selected candidate in merit order for that category.
Gujarat Administrative Service Final Results 2017
Highest combined score (Mains + Interview out of 1000): 545.75 (54.57%)
Lowest combined score among selected candidates: 391.75 (39.17%)
Pay Scale (7th Pay Commission)
Class 1: ₹56,100 – ₹1,77,500 + allowances
Class 2: ₹44,900 – ₹1,42,500 + allowances
Types of Posts Under GPSC
Group A Posts
Deputy Director (Developing/Scheduled Class): Works for the educational and economic upliftment of socially backward classes, minorities, nomadic, and de-notified tribes; oversees health, housing, and social welfare activities.
Assistant Commissioner (Tribal Development): Responsible for crime prevention, police training, and investigation management in the district.
Group B Posts
Section Officer (Sachivalaya/GPSC): Distributes work among staff, provides training, maintains discipline, and coordinates section management.
Mamlatdar: A gazetted state government officer who heads a Taluka and manages its local revenue administration.
State Tax Officer: Functions under Gujarat’s Finance Department; responsible for all state tax matters.
Section Officer / Taluka Development Officer: Oversees rural governance at the Taluka level within the Panchayati Raj system; supervises extension officers.
Government Labour Officer: Handles human resource matters in government departments; implements labour laws and ensures proper working conditions.
Tribal Development Officer: Works under the Taluka Development Commissioner to improve quality of life for Scheduled Tribes through education, healthcare, and income generation.
District Inspector of Land Records: Technical advisor to the Collector; manages land revenue, survey records, and measurement-related work.
Assistant Director (Food & Civil Supply): Operates under the Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Department; issues ration cards and manages Public Distribution System functions.
Social Welfare Officer: A state government officer responsible for social welfare policies and ensuring citizens have access to basic amenities and rights.
Municipal Chief Officer: A civil servant appointed by the state government to govern municipalities with large populations.
