UKPSC Combined Upper Subordinate Service Syllabus

Three stages in sequence: an objective Preliminary, a written Main Examination and an Interview.

Preliminary

A male candidate puts his left thumb impression on the answer sheet and a female candidate her right; a sheet without one is not evaluated.

Main Examination

All papers are compulsory and General Hindi needs at least 35 per cent. Two papers, 400 of the 1,500 written marks, are the state alone, as is a third of the Preliminary General Studies paper and one of the three essay sections. Every other Mains paper also has a floor: 35 per cent unreserved, 30 OBC and EWS, 25 SC, dependants of freedom fighters and ex-servicemen, 20 divyangjan.

Answers may be in English or in Hindi (Devanagari), but a whole paper must be in one language; language papers are answered in their own language and technical terms may be in English. Answers go only in the space set for them in the Question-Answer Booklet; the roll number goes only on the cover; names and addresses in answers are written as XYZ or "abas" and ABC or "kakhag"; only the first questions up to the prescribed number are marked if you attempt extra; struck-out answers must be labelled as not for evaluation.

Interview

150 marks, for candidates who pass the Mains. An interview fee is payable on the day, amount not stated in the advertisement, and two self-attested passport photographs are needed at verification.

Minimum qualifying percentages, Appendix-07

Set by the UKPSC Examination Result Preparation Process Regulations, 2022, as amended. There is no Scheduled Tribe row because this cycle has no ST post.

Answer key

Objections are online only. Subject experts settle them, the final key is published with the result, and no objection to the final key is considered.

Appendix-2 of the advertisement carries the full scheme and syllabus for both stages. The paper structure is under the exam pattern.

Preliminary, First Paper: General Studies

150 questions, 150 marks, two hours, and minimum 1/3 questions will be asked with the reference of state of Uttarakhand. Five units:

1. Indian History, Culture and National Movement: prehistoric period, Harappa, Vedic civilization and the Sangam age, Mahajanapadas and the rise of Magadh, Jainism, Buddhism, Bhagavatism and Shaivism, Persian and Greek contacts; the Mauryan and Gupta empires and the post-Gupta period; the advent of Islam, the Delhi Sultanate and the Vijaynagar empire, Sufism and the Bhakti movement; the Mughal empire, Jagirdari and Mansabdari, the Marathas, Sikhs and Jats; the coming of the Europeans and British administration from 1758; socio-religious reform in the nineteenth century; the viceroys from 1858 to 1947; 1857 and the tribal, caste and peasant movements; the Indian National Congress, moderates and extremists, the partition of Bengal, the Muslim League, the Surat split of 1907 and Morley-Minto; the Home Rule movement, the Lucknow Pact, the Gandhian era, Rowlatt, Jallianwala Bagh, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation.
2. Geography of India: physiography, structure, climate, drainage, vegetation and fauna.
3. Indian Constitution and polity: constitutional development, the Constituent Assembly, public policy and governance, the citizen's charter, prevention of corruption and the Lokpal.
4. Economy: banking, planned development, productivity, the Green Revolution, stock policy, insurance.
5. Science and current affairs: general science; international scientific research organisations such as the IAEA, WMO, IPCC, WHO and UNESCO; information technology; and the natural resources, environment and climate change of Uttarakhand.

Preliminary, Second Paper: General Aptitude Test

Qualifying at 33 per cent for every category.

Mains Paper 1: General Hindi, 150 marks

High school level, and the only Mains paper published with marks per head.

Mains Paper 2: Essay, 150 marks

Three sections, one essay of 700 to 800 words from each, 50 marks each.

Each essay is marked on language, grammar, word choice and handwriting; original thought; multi-dimensional understanding; systematic presentation and essay style; and clarity, expression and summarisation.

Mains Papers 3 to 6: General Studies I to IV, 200 marks each

• General Studies-I, Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society: art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times; modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century; the freedom struggle and its contributors; post-independence consolidation and reorganization; world history from the eighteenth century including the industrial revolution, the world wars, the redrawal of national boundaries, colonization and decolonization, and communism, capitalism and socialism; salient features of Indian society and the diversity of India; the role of women and women's organizations, population, poverty, urbanization; globalization; social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism; world physical geography; the distribution of key natural resources and the location of primary, secondary and tertiary industry; and geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic activity and cyclones.
• General Studies-II, Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations: parliamentary committees including the Public Accounts Committee, the Estimates Committee and Joint Parliamentary Committees; employment, development and governance; prevention of corruption, the Lok Ayukt, the citizen's charter and the right to information; and international groupings including ASEAN, SAPTA, BRICS and OPEC.
• General Studies-III, Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management, including physical science awareness and the fundamentals of computers, information processing, basic computer organization and Boolean logic.
• General Studies-IV, Ethics, integrity and Aptitude.

Mains Paper 7: General Studies-V, Knowledge of State of Uttarakhand, 200 marks

• History: the prehistoric and proto-historic periods, major archaeological sites, ancient tribes, the Kunindas and Yaudheyas, the Katyuri dynasty, the Parmar dynasty in Garhwal and the Chand dynasty of Kumaon with their rule, administration, society and economy, and the Gorkha invasion and administration.
• British rule: the administrative system, land revenue, forest management, economy, education and health, the growth of vernacular journalism, the Tehri state and its merger, the state and national movement, and the prominent freedom fighters of Uttarakhand.
• Popular movements: the Coolie Begar movement, the Dola Palki movement, the Chipko movement, the anti-liquor movement, the social reformers, the movement against the princely Tehri state, and the movement for a separate Uttarakhand state with its immediate and long-term consequences.
• Society and culture: family, marriage and kinship; caste and caste mobility, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes; rural power structure, urbanization and industrialization; folk songs, folk dance and craft, prominent folk singers and artists, musical instruments, paintings, costumes and food habits, religious places and temples, fairs and festivals, and the dialects of Uttarakhand.
• Polity and administration: the political system, party politics, regional parties and pressure groups; the structure of the state government, the cabinet and departments, district and tehsil administration, the State Public Service Commission, the Lok Ayukta and the State Vigilance Agency; urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions, the State Finance Commission and the State Election Commission; public policy, good governance, the citizen's charter and e-governance, prevention of corruption, the right to information, the right to education, the right to service, women empowerment, MNREGA, soldiers' welfare and rehabilitation, and the important commissions of the state.
• Current events in the context of Uttarakhand.

Mains Paper 8: General Studies-VI, Knowledge of State of Uttarakhand, 200 marks

• Geography: location, extent and strategic importance; structure and relief, climate, drainage, natural vegetation, soil, glaciers, lakes and climate change; forest, water, mineral and land resources; agriculture, irrigation, horticulture, animal husbandry and industry; and transport by road, rail and air.
• Hydro-electric projects, water scarcity and its solution.
• Tourism, problems and prospects; and the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
• Population: growth rate, density, distribution, sex ratio, literacy; migration and its pattern, problem and solution; rural settlement types and patterns; urbanization and cities, the smart city; tribal habitat; and the Human Development Index.
• Economy: the main features of the state economy; natural resources; state domestic product and its components and per capita income; the major sources of income, being agriculture and horticulture, medicinal plants, forest products and tourism; industrial development, the state MSME policy, large, medium, small, cottage and handicraft industry, the investment scenario; physical and social infrastructure including banking and financial institutions, education, health, energy, communication and self help groups; economic planning, state annual plans, development programmes and decentralized planning; public finance, revenue receipts, state taxes, public expenditure and Uttarakhand's budget; and the major economic problems of the state, being poverty, migration, natural disasters and environmental degradation.
• Welfare programmes: youth, child and women welfare, poverty alleviation, MNREGA, food and civil supply, and soldiers' welfare and rehabilitation.
• Disaster management: the nature, types and effects of disaster; denudation, earthquake, cloud-burst, forest fire, drought and avalanche; the difficulties of disaster management; ecologically sensitive areas; and the role of the NDRF and the SDRF.

Education

A bachelor's degree from a recognised university for post codes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 13 and 15. Seven posts set their own:

The Law Officer at code 9 is filled from serving officers with a law degree under point 5(chha)(ii) of Part 3 of the Uttarakhand State Educational (Administrative Cadre) Service Rules, 2013. The qualification must be held by 29 September 2026, judged only by the Marksheet Issuing Date or Result Declaration Date entered in the form.

Preferential qualifications

Age: 21 to 42 on 1 July 2026

Born not after 1 July 2005 and not before 2 July 1984. Date of birth comes only from the High School certificate or marksheet.

The ex-servicemen relaxation is not open to anyone dismissed for misconduct or inefficiency, or released on account of a disability treated as a demerit.

Reservation

Only for domiciled residents of Uttarakhand, and only if claimed in the online form. Candidates from elsewhere apply as unreserved. An unclaimed reservation is never allowed later, under the Uttarakhand High Court order of 8 June 2010 in Special Appeal No. 79/2010 (Radha Mittal v. UKPSC) and Supreme Court SLP (Civil) No. 19532/2010. Certificates must be held by the closing date.

EWS, 10 per cent under the Uttarakhand Public Service (Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections) Act 2019 notified on 7 March 2019, needs a certificate on 2025-26 income valid for 2026-27: one issued before 1 April 2026 or after the closing date is invalid. The OBC certificate must be for Uttarakhand services and valid on the closing date.

No post this cycle is reserved for Uttarakhand ST, ex-servicemen, dependants of freedom fighters, divyang or orphans. They may apply against unreserved posts, using a category certificate for the age or fee relaxation.

Physical standards, two posts

Police Deputy Superintendent, under Appendix "B" of the Uttarakhand Police Service Rules, 2009:

Women need at least 45 kg. Vision 6/6 in one eye and at least 6/9 in the other; without glasses, 6/6 in the working-hand eye; no colour blindness or squint. Knock knee, flat foot, bow leg, varicose vein and stammering disqualify, and appointment needs a medical board's fitness report. Hill region candidates need the Parvatiya certificate in the Appendix-06 format, issued before the closing date.

District Commandant, Home Guards, under the 2016 Service Rules: men 165 cm with chest 84 and 89 cm, women 150 cm, men of Uttarakhand 160 cm on a permanent residence certificate; no colour blindness or varicose veins.

Disability categories per post are in GO 48/XVII-A-3/2023-01(11)/Vi.ka./2017 of 5 June 2023. DSP, District Commandant and Block Development Officer are exempt from disability reservation; otherwise, under GO 424269/XXX(2)/2026-E99439 of 18 August 2026, a disabled candidate may compete for and be appointed to an unreserved post identified for that disability. Serving government and PSU employees must tell their employer before applying and produce a departmental NOC when asked.

1. Online application and fee, both closing 29 September 2026.
2. Preliminary, two objective papers; screening only.
3. A separate Mains fee for those who pass. Miss its date and the candidature is cancelled.
4. Main Examination, eight written papers, 1,500 marks.
5. Online Preference, post by post, for those who pass the Mains.
6. Document verification and Interview, 150 marks.
7. Final result, allotment and recommendation to the Government.

One candidate, one post

Allotment follows merit, qualification, age, service rules, category and sub-category, and your online preferences. Once selected on one post you are not considered for any other, and the preference sheet cannot be changed after submission. The preference link is announced in newspapers and on the website; keep a printout of the sheet.

Document verification

Bring the self-attested application printout with all marksheets, certificates and degrees; the NOC, preferential qualification and experience certificates where they apply; reservation certificates in the prescribed format with a domicile certificate, valid on the closing date; the High School certificate for age; and the preference sheet printout. Appendix-8 has the checklist. Any deficiency or untruth cancels the candidature.

The final list is drawn category and sub-category wise on Mains plus interview marks, published on the website and in newspapers, and sent to the Government only after the claims are matched against original records. The Commission's decision on eligibility is final.

The 67 posts by category

There is no Scheduled Tribe post, and the Rajya Andolankari horizontal reservation appears only against Deputy Collector and Police Deputy Superintendent, one post each. DSP is the largest cadre at 14.

The count stands at 67 in Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2026-27 and in Public Notice 116/06/E-01/DR/PCS/2026-27 of the same date, and may be decreased or increased.

Online only, on the Commission's website, with the fee by net banking, debit card, credit card or UPI and no other way.

Sub-categories such as dependants of freedom fighters, Uttarakhand women, ex-servicemen, skilled sportspersons and Rajya Andolankari pay the fee of their main class. An unpaid or short fee cancels the application automatically, and fees are never refunded, even for ineligible applicants.

Main Examination fee

Before the closing date you may cancel and reapply, paying again. After it the edit link opens once, 7 to 16 October 2026, covering name, date of birth, category, sub-category and gender; a category change that raises the fee must be paid for, and nothing changes after that window closes. Nothing is posted to the Commission at this stage. Use your own mobile and e-mail, keep the same signature everywhere, and note that fake certificates carry debarment for up to 5 years and possible prosecution. The Commission gives no advice on eligibility.

The rules behind it: the UKPSC (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Rules, 2013 and First Amendment, 2016; the Examination Result Preparation Process Regulations, 2022, whose Part Nine covers record verification; Guideline-2026 for scrutiny of applications; the Uttarakhand Competitive Examinations (Measures for Prevention and Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act-2023, by Notification 168/XXXVI(3)/2023/10(01)/2023 of 27 April 2023; the EWS Act, 2019; the Uttarakhand Police Service Rules, 2009; and the Home Guards Group "A" and "B" Service Rules, 2016.

The Commission's site carries Recruitment Notifications, Admit Card, Answer Key and Online Objection, Results, Interviews, Syllabus, Old Question Papers, Important Recruitment G.Os, Forms and the Exam Calendar. It also runs the Lower Subordinate Services, Tax and Revenue Inspector, forest services, Veterinary Officer, Chief Fire Officer, Civil Judge (Junior Division) and engineering examinations under separate advertisements.

The Preliminary is held in 24 cities, chosen in the online form by code from Appendix-1:

The Mains is held only at Haldwani and Haridwar, with the city taken online from qualifiers. The number of cities can change with numbers, the Preliminary may run at sub-divisional level, and the Commission may allot a city you did not choose. Once allotted, no change is considered, and multiple applications with different centres are not accepted.

Cameras, phones, pagers, scanner pens, Bluetooth devices, watches and any electronic equipment are banned and can bring a bar from all future UKPSC exams. Writing on the admit card counts as unfair means, and possessing copying material is enough for debarment whether or not it was used. A candidate with more than 40 per cent disability gets a scribe under Appendix-4, per GO 374(1)/XXX(2)/2019-30(5)/2014 of 20 November 2019 (Appendix-5 covers less than 40 per cent), and eligible divyang candidates from outside Uttarakhand get one too.

Further fixed points: certificates and the essential qualification must be held by the closing date; objections to the question paper are free within 7 days of its publication, and to the provisional key at ₹50 a question within 7 days; the Mains fee date and the preference sheet are final. Remaining dates appear on the Commission's Recruitment Notifications page and Exam Calendar, in newspapers and by e-mail and SMS. No individual letters are sent.

Admit cards are issued only online at psc.uk.gov.in, using the application registration number and date of birth, and are never posted. The card gives the roll number, date, time and centre. Do not write anything on it: that counts as unfair means. No change of centre is accepted.

Original certificates are checked only at document verification or the interview, with two self-attested passport photographs. Lists of ineligible candidates are published on the website, not sent by post.

The Preliminary decides only who reaches the Mains: its 300 marks never enter the merit, and of those only the General Studies paper ranks you. All 1,500 Mains marks count, including General Hindi, plus 150 for the interview, for a final total of 1,650.

The final list is category and sub-category wise, published on psc.uk.gov.in and in newspapers. With no waiting list and one post per candidate, a candidate below the line has nothing to wait for, and a recommendation already made is withdrawn if the records do not match.

UKPSC fixes most of its bars in advance and publishes them in Appendix-07, rising stage by stage (35, 40 and 45 per cent for unreserved candidates at Preliminary, Mains and final selection). Only the closing marks of the Preliminary shortlist and the final merit list float, and those are not published in advance.

At the Preliminary you must clear two floors before the rank cut-off even applies: 33 per cent in the General Aptitude Test, which is 49.5 of 150, and your category's percentage on the General Studies paper, which for an unreserved candidate is 35 per cent or 52.5. The advertisement gives no ratio for how many are called to the Mains or interview.

Against 67 posts in sixteen cadres, a revised vacancy count moves category lines sharply, and with no waiting list the line where the list closes is final. Results appear on psc.uk.gov.in.

Uttarakhand is at least a quarter of the marks

A third of the Preliminary General Studies paper, two full Mains papers (400 marks) and one essay section are on the state. Study its history from the Katyuri and Chand dynasties, the popular movements from Coolie Begar to the statehood movement, its geography, economy, budget and disaster management.

Rank on the General Studies paper, pass the aptitude paper

Only Paper 1 decides who reaches the Mains. The General Aptitude Test needs 33 per cent. Wrong and multiple answers cost a quarter; blanks cost nothing, so do not guess blindly.

Take General Hindi seriously

It needs 35 per cent and its 150 marks count. The syllabus gives marks per head, so revise to them.

Know the deduction schedule

No pencil, nothing outside the answer space, no mixed language, no name or roll number inside, blue or black ink only. Each slip has a published price.

Order your preferences as if they are final

They are. You will be selected for one post only, and there is no waiting list.

Get the certificates right before 29 September 2026

Domicile, category, EWS on 2025-26 income issued on or after 1 April 2026, and the Parvatiya certificate for a height relaxation. Reservation not claimed in the form is lost.

UKPSC keeps an Old Question Papers section and a Syllabus section on psc.uk.gov.in, covering every examination it conducts. After this cycle's Preliminary it also publishes the A-series question paper and later the final answer key with the result.

• Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, Haridwar 249404: admit cards, answer keys and objections, results, syllabus, old question papers, forms and the exam calendar. Telephone 01334-244143 and 01334-244282, mobile 07060002410
• Recruitment Notifications, including the online application
• Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2026-27, 9 September 2026, 81 pages, with the syllabus at Appendix-2 and certificate formats at Appendix-3
• Public Notice 116/06/E-01/DR/PCS/2026-27, 9 September 2026

How many posts are there?

67 across 16 post codes under Advertisement No. A-1/E-1/2026-27 of 9 September 2026. The count may be decreased or increased.

What are the stages and marks?

Preliminary (screening only), Main Examination of 1,500 marks and an interview of 150, for 1,650 in all.

Is there an optional subject?

No. All eight Mains papers are compulsory, and two of them are Knowledge of State of Uttarakhand.

Is there negative marking?

One quarter of a question's marks in the Preliminary, for a wrong answer or more than one answer. A blank costs nothing.

What is the age limit?

21 to 42 on 1 July 2026, with 5 years' relaxation for Uttarakhand SC, ST and OBC, divyang (Group A and B) and dependants of freedom fighters.

What is the fee?

₹166.36 for unreserved, OBC and EWS; ₹76.36 for Uttarakhand SC, ST and divyang; nothing for orphan children of Uttarakhand. The Mains fee is separate, from ₹250 down to nil.

Can I get reservation if I am not from Uttarakhand?

No. Reservation is only for domiciled residents of Uttarakhand who claim it in the form.

Where are the exams held?

The Preliminary in 24 cities across the state; the Mains only at Haldwani and Haridwar.

Is there a waiting list?

No. Rule 6(5) of the 10 October 2023 order removes the 25 per cent waiting list for a combined examination, and each candidate is selected for one post only.