How to prepare Static and Dynamic syllabus of UPSC CSE? | UPSC CSE 2025

If you are just starting UPSC preparation, then you must be knowing that you have to do a lot of subjects of GS. Polity, Economy, Environment, Geography, History, Art and Culture, Science and Tech, Current Affairs. And while doing all of these subjects, there is a very simple distinction that if you pay attention to, it makes your life easier along the way. That distinction is between static subjects and the dynamic parts of these subjects or in general dynamic parts of the syllabus. So, in toda

y's video, we will talk about these static and dynamic parts and how you can optimize your preparation keeping these two things in mind. Now, the differentiation of static and dynamic is most applicable to GS subjects. But for some humanities optionals, it will also be valid. Not a lot for engineering and maybe, you know, hard mathematics, physics type options. But definitely, for example, Sociology, PSIR, if you have this type of optionals, then these things can also be used there. Because what

is static and dynamic? Let's just begin to understand that. This is the syllabus of your prelims and if I talk about basic, then between static and dynamic, in the last couple of years, there has been almost 70 to 30 split. Right, 70% of questions are from static parts, 30% is dynamic. Dynamic means, which is related a lot to current events, national importance, international importance, meaning, you got an IR or some new schemes of the government which is covered in governance. Right, so econo

mic and social development. So here, there are some new initiatives for the social sector or in general, there are economic initiatives like for example, the PLI scheme that the government of India has been talking about. They are investing in AI. So, all of these things are very dynamic. But before we get to the dynamic, there is the static part. What is static? That you have to study Indian polity and governance. Constitution is not changing, political system is not changing, Panchayati Raj, p

ublic policy, most of these things are not changing. History, Indian national movement, this is definitely not changing. According to current events, some things can come in focus in history. But for the most part, subjects like history, concepts of economy, concepts in polity, geography, all of these things are very very static. These things don't change every year. And that is the core idea over here. Static subjects are those that do not change a lot. 90-95% will remain the same. There won't

be any change in this. Dynamic subjects on the other hand, we have been talking about current affairs for the last 12 months. Every year, the syllabus of current affairs is entirely different from what it was even one year before. And similarly, there are some new changes in the environment. Climate change has changed. Poverty inclusion has changed. Demographic, for example, delimitation is being discussed in the light of current election. So, some of these things will become dynamic. But at the

same time, what is delimitation? Under which article is delimitation commission made? All of these things will be part of the static. So, your focus should always be that I complete my static portion first and foremost before going on to the dynamic part. But there is a problem. Intermix can happen sometimes. Intermix will be like this. Let's say for example, there is a 100-year anniversary of an event. In 1924, there was an event in 1924 which has a 100-year anniversary. So, in that case, that

historical event also is something that can become slightly more important which you should pay attention to. Similarly, let's say 100 years of some great scientific achievement or revolution. In such a case, we can say that static has intermixed with dynamic. UPSC has not said anything about this differentiation. This is a basic way to approach the syllabus. Because your static section contains your entire history. This is ancient, medieval, modern, quality, economy concepts like what is infla

tion, what is capital expenditure, what is current account deficit. All these concepts are not going to change. Geography concepts like what type of landscape or what type of vegetation is found, all of these are concepts. Similarly, there are concepts of environment like what is ecological niche. There are concepts of science and tech like visible light communication. If you have studied basic science of 9th and 10th, you will know that almost 400 to 700-800 nanometers is the wavelength range.

So, visible light communication must be happening somewhere in that range. So, if I know these static concepts, my chance increases that I can better answer the questions related to current. Which is why, first and foremost, your attention should always go that I should do my static well. And this is true for people who are preparing for this year also. If you are studying for 2024 prelims and you are spending 70% of your time in doing current affairs, then this is not right. Because you should

spend time according to the weightage on current affairs. You have to give primacy on basic static concepts. If I don't understand that, you know, what are the basis of the different fundamental rights in India? Or what is the separation of powers? Why does it happen? And after that, if I say that there is encroachment, judicial overreach, or XYZ is happening, then I am trying to clear the paper with the knowledge of air which will become very very difficult for me. Dynamic, again, current affa

irs, if there are new laws, although, that is also something that is increasing in trend. But if you are spending 70% of your time here, then that is wrong. You should be spending 70% of your time doing static subjects. And only after you have done, then you come to the dynamic parts. So, how to cover static? Because they have 60-70% relevance both for prelims and for mains. So, you have to do only basic things. You don't have to do anything different. You have to do Laxmiganth for politics. For

geography, you can do G.C. Leong or you know, you can also do the NCRTs, that is a personal preference, personal choice, whatever you want to do. You can also do PMFIS notes for Indian economy. I would highly recommend that you try out Indian economy handbook by Ketan Sir. Link for this will be in the video description. It's also available on our website, telegram, you can find it everywhere because this is a very very good book which clears the concepts of economy for you. Spectrum is a great

book for modern India. For environment, Shankar IS or here also, you are doing PMFIS book. So, both of them work. Their multiple reading and revision combined with tests. Why are they giving tests? So that we can focus on where we have to do revision. Test is a feedback mechanism. I get to know what mistake I am making from the test and on the basis of that, I pay more attention to the area of that mistake. So, this is a basic idea of how to cover static. These are the books, keep reading again

and again, keep revising again and again, keep giving tests. Coming to current affairs, 30-40% relevance is there, so it's not like we can leave it completely. So, there are 3 basic ways in which you can cover current affairs. Now, if you are preparing for 2024, so naturally, this is not something that will be very very applicable to you. This and this will be more applicable for you. This point, this is more applicable for people who are preparing for 2025. And what is there in this? I am readi

ng newspaper on a daily basis. I am making my notes for the newspaper. I am organizing the notes while walking. On the basis of syllabus, not date or month or you know, those kinds of things. Why? Because if I organize according to the syllabus, whenever I want to see any news related to inflation, then I don't have to change 4 notebooks. I will go to the same place and I will get all those things. On the other hand, if I am making separate notes for Feb, separate notes for March, separate notes

for April, then every month there was some news related to inflation which I don't know where to find in 4 notebooks. So, if you are making your notes, then always organize them as per syllabus. Because if you can do this, although it will take a lot of effort, this reward is very good. Why? Because when you make notes by yourself, your understanding becomes very solid. The second way to do current affairs is to do monthly magazines. You can take any of these institutes, you know, Insights, Vis

ion, Forum, any of them. You can take a monthly magazine of any big institute and just take one of the institutes. Because if you read four institutes, you are wasting time because the thing is going to be the same. But in this also, you will have to make some short notes. Why? Because at the end of 12 months, you will have almost 1200 pages. Right, so if you are not shortening these 1200 pages, then at the end you will not be able to revise this also. And whatever thing you are not revising in

this exam, it is of no use. Finally, PT365, very popular resource from Vision IS. It is a great way, but again, you will have to make short notes somewhere. In other videos, I have talked about how you can make short notes. Here, in these two, I have said that effort is also medium and reward is also medium. Why? Because when you make your own notes, then you get clarity while writing notes. Then you will do the research right then and there and that will help you improve your chances of success

in the long run. But, if you are giving 2024, then PT365 is a great resource. Make short notes for this also because this will also become almost 1200-1300 pages and that too in revising, right before the paper, is a bit of an impossible task. Right? So, if you want to make short notes, this is a great resource. Right? So, that will be all for today's video and for those of you that are preparing for 2025, if you want to check out a mentorship-based course, you can check out UPSC Essential. The

link for that will be in the video description. Best of luck