Let us try to understand the sections of IR in the vast syllabus prescribed by the UPSC. IR is crucial for all the three stages of the exam. It is directly mentioned in the syllabus of the Prelims (the first stage) and Mains (the second stage). In the Prelims exam, IR comes under the heading of the syllabus mentioned as “Current Affairs of National and International Importance”. A simple analysis of the past year Prelims exam papers will suggest any aspirant that the above-mentioned section is one of the most important sections of the syllabus, contributing nearly 35 to 40 questions per year. A further breakdown of the above section of the syllabus gives us a better picture. As per that, one can infer that on an annual basis, there are 10 to 12 questions in the Prelims exam that can be directly related to IR.

It is quite understandable that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) who conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) to recruit candidates into prestigious services like IAS, IPS, IFS etc expects candidates to have good knowledge about the three organs of the state – Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.

However, the latest trends in the UPSC CSE points out that just a superficial awareness of the structure and functions of the three pillars of democracy is not enough to succeed in the IAS Exam.

Instead, the Commission expects the IAS aspirants to realise how the institutions like Legislature and Judiciary are transforming the lives of ordinary Indians. Nowadays, a substantial proportion of questions asked in the UPSC CSE is from topics like Important Acts enacted by the Indian Parliament and Landmark Judgments of the Supreme Court of India.