Here are the high-probability topics for UPPSC Mains 2026
🏛️ GS Paper V: History, Polity & Governance of UP
Based on recent trends, focus on these “must-hit” areas:
- Ancient Cities & Culture: Role of UP in the Mahajanapada period (Kashi, Kosala), and the Mathura School of Art.
- Freedom Struggle: Specific roles of Awadh and Rohilkhand in the 1857 Revolt; contribution of revolutionaries like Ram Prasad Bismil and Chandrashekhar Azad.
- Governance & Admin: The jurisdiction and recent judicial activism of the Allahabad High Court.
- Local Self-Govt: Implementation of the 73rd and 74th Amendments in UP and challenges in devolution of power.
- Social Issues: Tribal issues (specifically the Tharu and Kol tribes) and their socio-economic integration.
- Security: Linkage between development and extremism in border districts; the role of UP Police in tackling organized crime.
📈 GS Paper VI: Economy, Geography & Environment of UP
This paper is data-heavy. You must memorize facts from the latest UP Budget and Economic Survey.
- Economy & Investment: Impact of the UP Defence Industrial Corridor and the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme on rural employment.
- Agriculture: Problems of small/marginal farmers; the UP Agriculture Export Policy 2019; and the Millets Revival Programme.
- Infrastructure: The “Expressway State” model (Purvanchal, Ganga, and Bundelkhand expressways) and their impact on regional development.
- Geography: Drainage systems (focus on the Lower Ganga Canal) and groundwater depletion issues in western UP.
- Environment: State Action Plan on Climate Change; ecological importance of the Terai region sanctuaries; and Plastic Waste Management rules.
- S&T: Role of the Council of Science and Technology, UP in promoting grassroots innovation.
📝 Revised Answer Writing Strategy (Last 50 Days)
To master these topics, tweak your daily 3-question practice as follows:
- Map Integration: For every GS VI answer (Geography/Resources), draw a rough map of UP.
- Example: If the question is on minerals, shade the Bundelkhand region.
- Data Incorporation: Use specific figures. Instead of “UP is a leader in milk production,” write “UP contributes ~15-16% of India’s total milk production.“
- Scheme Linking: For any social or economic problem, conclude with a specific UP Government scheme (e.g., Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana for gender issues).
