UPSC CSE Main: Political Science & International Relations most preferred additional subject

The Minister also informed that the majority of the candidates recommended in the Civil Services (Main) exam have been from the engineering stream, which has been a constant trend since 2017, followed by humanities, science and medical science.

Political Science and International Relations have gained popularity as optional subjects in the Civil Services (Main) Examination in the past few years. As per data shared by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh, the subject has been the most popular additional subject since 2018.

Singh today shared data on the most popular additional subjects for the Civil Services Main exam, which revealed that while ‘Political Science and International Relations’ was the fourth most popular additional subject in 2017, it quickly rose to the second spot in 2018 and has remained at the top spot since 2019.

Other than ‘Political Science and International Relations’, Sociology has also remained a constant favourite in the past few years. In 2017, a total of 137 recommended candidates had opted for Sociology (putting it at the second spot), which changed to 107 (first spot) in 2018, but has remained constantly at the second spot since 2019.

Geography, Anthropology and Public Administration have remained three other popular choices among recommended candidates since 2017.

The data also revealed that the total number of male candidates recommended in the Civil Services (Main) examination has decreased from 802 in 2017 to 547 in 2021. A similar trend was observed in female candidates where the number went from 254 in 2017 to 201 in 2021. This has resulted in the reduction of total candidates too, as the number of recommended candidates declined from 1056 in 2017 to 748 in 2021.

Additionally, the data also showed that the majority of the candidates recommended in the Civil Services (Main) exam have been from the engineering stream, which has been a constant trend since 2017, followed by humanities, science and medical science.

ADVERTISEMENT

Singh also shared that the medium of writing of the recommended candidates in the Civil Services (Main) examination during the last five years are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English, Dogri, and Maithili.

The data was released in response to a query raised by Sushil Kumar Modi in Rajya Sabha.

More News
NEET PG Answer Key LIVE: Result Date Confirmed for September 30
NEET PG 2026 Answer Key LIVE: Response Sheet Download Link Expected Soon, Result Date Confirmed for September 30 New Delhi: Aspirants who appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2026 are keenly awaiting the...
Government Scholarship Rules Revised For 2026–27: Key Changes to National Scholarship Portal (NSP) Framework Announced
Government Scholarship Rules Revised For 2026–27: Key Changes to National Scholarship Portal (NSP) Framework Announced In a major relief for students across the country, the Central Government—following updates echoed by key educational ...
Railway NTPC Graduate, Undergraduate Notification 2026 Released
Railway NTPC Graduate & Undergraduate Notification 2026 Released: Check Important Dates, Vacancy Breakdown, and Application Details New Delhi: The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has officially released the recruitment notification for the Non-T...
CAT 2026 Registration Closing Today: Check Revised Dates, Application Details
CAT 2026 Registration Closing Today: Check Revised Dates, Application Details NEW DELHI: Aspirants aiming for admission into premier management institutes across India, including the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), must act fast....
UCEED 2027: Registration Dates, Eligibility, and Steps to Apply
Undergraduate Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED) 2027: Registration Dates, Eligibility, and Steps to Apply New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay is gearing up to commence the registration process for the Undergraduate Commo...
CPRI Registration 2026: Know Eligibility Criteria, Vacancy Details
CPRI Registration 2026: Online Window Opens for 110 Vacancies – Check Eligibility, Posts, and Key Details   New Delhi: The Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, has ...
AIIMS NORCET 11 Result 2026 Out
AIIMS NORCET 11 Result 2026 Out: Highlights, Scorecard, and Direct Steps to Check The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, officially announced the AIIMS NORCET 11 Result 2026 for the Stage 1 Preliminary examination. Candidate...
AIAPGET Result 2026 Declared: Scorecards, Toppers List, and Counselling Details
AYUSH PG Entrance Test Result 2026 Declared: Scorecards, Toppers List, and Counselling Details New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the results for the All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) 2026. Candi...
Maharashtra Board 2027 HSC, SSC Dates Out
Maharashtra Board 2027 HSC, SSC Dates Out: Exams From February 8 New Delhi: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has officially announced the tentative dates for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Cla...
AP EAMCET Final Seat Allotment 2026
AP EAMCET 2026 Final Phase Seat Allotment Released: Check College Allotments, Reporting Guidelines, and Next Steps AMARAVATI — The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) has officially released the AP EAMCET 2026 Final Phase...