The Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) is a coveted career option for those seeking to serve the nation while also enjoying benefits and job security. The IRTS is one of the premier civil services in India, and it is a permanent Group A government service under the Ministry of Railways.
To be a part of this prestigious service, UPSC aspirants must clear the IRTS exam, which is conducted as a part of the Civil Services Examination. The exam consists of three stages, namely, the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination, and the Personality Test.
In this article, we will provide an overview of the IRTS exam syllabus for UPSC aspirants. The syllabus is divided into two parts: the Preliminary Examination syllabus and the Main Examination syllabus.
Preliminary Examination Syllabus:
The preliminary examination consists of two papers, and the syllabus for both papers is given below:
Paper-I:
- Current events of national and international importance
- History of India and Indian national movement
- Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World
- Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues
- Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives
- General issues on Environmental ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization
Paper-II:
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision-making and problem-solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level)
- Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. -Class X level)
Main Examination Syllabus:
The main examination consists of two qualifying papers and six papers that count for ranking. The syllabus for all the papers is as follows:
Qualifying Papers:
- Any Indian Language (One of the Indian Languages to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution). The aim of the paper is to test the candidates’ ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express their ideas clearly and correctly in the language concerned.
- English Language (The aim of the paper is to test the candidates’ ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express their ideas clearly and correctly in the English language.)
Paper-I (Essay):
- Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics
- They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion and to write concisely.
- Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.
Paper-II (General Studies-I):
- Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society
- Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature, and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
- Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
- The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.
- Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
- History of the world will include events from the 18th century such as the Industrial Revolution, World Wars, Redrawal of National Boundaries, Colonization, Decolonization, Political Philosophies like Communism, Capitalism, Socialism, etc.—their forms and effect on the society.
Paper-III (General Studies-II):
- Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations
- Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions, and basic structure.
- Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues, and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
- Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
- Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
- Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, the conduct of business, powers & privileges, and issues arising out of these.
- Structure, organization, and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary.
- Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
Paper-IV (General Studies-II):
- Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
- Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development, and employment.
- Inclusive growth, Budgetary and Fiscal Policy, macro and micro-economic reforms, and other major reform initiatives.
- Agriculture, major crops, cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation, and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce, and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
- Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
- Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream, and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
- Land reforms in India.
- Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in the industrial policy, and their effects on industrial growth.
- Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, etc.
- Investment models.
Paper-V (General Studies-IV):
- Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
- Ethics and Human Interface: 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; the role of family, society, and educational institutions in inculcating values.
- Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behavior; 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.
- Emotional intelligence-concepts, their utility 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.
Paper-VI (Optional Subject-Paper 1 & 2):
- The optional subject can be selected from a wide range of subjects, including but not limited to History, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Sociology, Philosophy, Mathematics, etc.