Syllabus for UPSC Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS)

UPSC Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) Syllabus

The Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) is a prestigious civil service under the Government of India. To become an IDAS officer, you need to clear the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The syllabus for IDAS is the same as that for the Civil Services Examination. Here’s a comprehensive overview:

Preliminary Examination (Objective Type)

The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers:

Paper I: General Studies (200 marks)

• Current Events: 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, etc.
• Economic and Social Development: Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
• Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity, and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
• General Science.

Paper II: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) (200 marks)

• 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).

Note:

Paper II (CSAT) is a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.

Main Examination (Descriptive Type)

The Main Examination consists of nine papers, out of which two are qualifying papers, and seven are papers that are counted for ranking.

Qualifying Papers:

• Paper A: (One of the Indian Languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution) (300 marks).
• Paper B: English (300 marks).

Papers to be Counted for Merit:

• Paper I: Essay (250 marks).
• Paper II: General Studies I (250 marks) – Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society.
• Paper III: General Studies II (250 marks) – Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations.
• Paper IV: General Studies III (250 marks) – Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management.
• Paper V: General Studies IV (250 marks) – Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude.
• Paper VI: Optional Subject Paper 1 (250 marks).
• Paper VII: Optional Subject Paper 2 (250 marks).

Optional Subjects:

Candidates can choose any one subject from the list of optional subjects provided by UPSC. Some of the popular optional subjects include:

• Agriculture
• Anthropology
• Botany
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Commerce and Accountancy
• Economics
• Geography
• History
• Law
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Medical Science
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science & International Relations
• Psychology
• Public Administration
• Sociology
• Statistics
• Zoology

Personality Test (Interview)

• The candidates are interviewed by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The interview is intended to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service. The test is not meant to be a test of the candidate’s specialized knowledge but to assess their intellectual qualities, social traits, and interest in current affairs.

Focus Areas for IDAS

While the syllabus is the same as the Civil Services Examination, candidates aiming for IDAS should focus on the following:

• Public Finance and Accounting: Understanding the basics of government budgeting, accounting standards, financial management, and auditing.
• Defence Procurement and Financial Management: Basic knowledge of defence procurement procedures and financial management within the defence sector.
• Current Affairs Related to Defence: Keep abreast of current events related to India’s defence, defence policies, procurement, and related international relations.