The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) conducts the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) exam to recruit Group A and Group B officers, including OAS, OFS, OPS, and others. This article provides the complete and original OPSC syllabus for both Prelims and Mains, including detailed topics, marks, recommended books, PDF download, preparation tips, and specialization guidance.

OPSC OAS Exam Overview

Component	Details
Exam Name	Odisha Civil Services Exam (OPSC OAS)
Conducting Body	Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC)
Stages	Prelims, Mains, Interview
Mode of Exam	Offline (Pen & Paper)
Medium	English & Odia
Total Marks	2,000 (Prelims + Mains + Interview)

OPSC Prelims Syllabus 2025

Exam Pattern

Paper	Subject	Marks	Duration	Nature
Paper 1	General Studies I	200	2 Hours	Merit-Based
Paper 2	General Studies II (CSAT)	200	2 Hours	Qualifying (33% Required)

Topic-Wise Prelims Syllabus

Subject	Topics
Current Affairs	Odisha & Indian Government Schemes, Reports, Awards, Sports, Summits, International Events
History	Ancient, Medieval, Modern Indian History, Odisha History (Kalinga War, Gajapati Rule)
Geography	Physical & Human Geography, Odisha Rivers, Soils, Resources, Climate, Urbanization
Polity	Indian Constitution, Panchayati Raj, Odisha Governance, Political Institutions
Economy	Indian & Odisha Economy, Budget, Planning, Poverty, Unemployment, Sectors
Environment	Biodiversity, Forests, Odisha’s Ecosystem, Pollution, Disaster Management
Science & Tech	Basic Science, Latest Technologies, Innovations, Applications
CSAT (Paper II)	Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, Basic Numeracy

OPSC Mains Syllabus 2025

Mains Exam Pattern

Paper No.	Subject	Marks	Duration
Paper I	Odia Language	250	3 Hours
Paper II	English Language	250	3 Hours
Paper III	English Essay	250	3 Hours
Paper IV	General Studies I	250	3 Hours
Paper V	General Studies II	250	3 Hours
Paper VI	General Studies III	250	3 Hours
Paper VII	General Studies IV (Ethics)	250	3 Hours
Paper VIII & IX	Optional Subject (Paper I & II)	250 × 2 = 500	3 Hours Each

OPSC Mains Exam 2025 – Subject-Wise Detailed Syllabus

Paper I – Odia Language

Section	Topics	Description
Essay Writing	General and Odisha-specific themes	Structured essays with logical arguments and literary command in Odia
Grammar, Usage, Vocabulary	Sentence construction, idioms, synonyms, antonyms	Grammar accuracy, spelling, punctuation, and appropriate usage
Translation	English to Odia	Translating standard English text into correct Odia
Precis Writing	Summarizing a passage	Condensing content while retaining the original meaning
Comprehension	Unseen passage	Understanding and answering questions from a given Odia passage

Paper II – English Language

Section	Topics	Description
Essay Writing	Developmental, national, and Odisha-specific topics	Critical thinking, grammar, fluency, and originality assessed
Grammar and Usage	Articles, prepositions, voice, narration	Testing grammatical correctness and vocabulary knowledge
Translation	Odia to English	Precise and grammatically correct translation from Odia
Precis Writing	English passage summary	Summarize a given passage in your own words
Comprehension	Unseen passage	Analyze and answer vocabulary and content-based questions

Paper III – Essay

Topic Area	Types of Topics	Description
Society	Women, caste, healthcare, education	Analytical essays reflecting societal challenges and reforms
Polity & Governance	Democracy, federalism, governance reforms	Structure, function, and reform of institutions and processes
Economy	Growth, development, budgeting, employment	Essays on economic challenges and government strategies
Ethics	Morality, integrity, justice	Philosophical and ethical perspectives in public life
Odisha-related	Culture, development, regional identity	Topics focusing on Odisha’s development and issues

Paper IV – General Studies I

Subject	Topic	Description
History	Ancient, Medieval, Modern India; Odisha History	Paika Rebellion, freedom movement, key rulers of Odisha
Geography	India & Odisha	Rivers, monsoon, soil, agriculture, mineral resources
Culture	Indian and Odisha Heritage	Temples, classical dances, folk culture, tribal heritage

Paper V – General Studies II

Section	Topics	Description
Constitution	Preamble, FRs, DPSPs, Union-State Relations	Structure, features, and amendments of the Indian Constitution
Governance	Executive, Judiciary, Local Governance	Policy implementation, governance reforms, Panchayati Raj
Social Justice	Welfare programs, marginalized groups	Government schemes like PMAY, MGNREGA, KALIA, etc.
International Relations	India’s Foreign Policy, Odisha’s Political Structure	Bilateral relations, neighborhood policy, UN, BRICS

Paper VI – General Studies III

Section	Topic	Description
Economy	Indian & Odisha Economy	Budget, planning, inflation, agriculture, mining in Odisha
Science & Tech	Developments, Robotics, IT	ISRO, DRDO, scientific advancements, digital governance
Environment	Climate, Conservation	Biodiversity, deforestation, sustainability, Odisha’s coastal risk
Disaster Management	NDMA, Odisha-specific plans	Floods, cyclones, mitigation strategies and rehabilitation
Security	Internal Security, Cybersecurity	Border security, naxalism, cybercrime, role of armed forces

Paper VII – General Studies IV (Ethics)

Component	Topics	Description
Ethics & Integrity	Values, Public Service, Corruption	Ethical reasoning, transparency, whistleblowing, honesty
Emotional Intelligence	Empathy, Self-awareness	Role of EI in administration and leadership
Attitude & Aptitude	Moral & Political Attitudes	Attitude formation, influence, values shaping personality
Case Studies	Ethical dilemmas and role-based decisions	Administrative case scenarios on conflict resolution, integrity

Optional Subjects (Any One)

Subjects
History, Geography, Sociology, Public Administration
Philosophy, Psychology, Political Science, Law
Anthropology, Economics, Education, Statistics
Physics, Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, Agriculture
Mathematics, Civil/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

OPSC Syllabus PDF Download

Click the link below to download the official OPSC syllabus PDF:

 Download OPSC Syllabus PDF

Best Recommended Books

Subject	Recommended Books
History	NCERT 6–12, Bipan Chandra, Odisha History by Dr. Tripathy
Geography	NCERTs, Majid Husain, Odisha Atlas
Polity	Laxmikanth’s Indian Polity
Economy	Ramesh Singh, Economic Survey, Odisha Budget
Science & Tech	NCERTs, Current Affairs Magazines
Ethics	Lexicon, Subbarao, ARC Reports
CSAT	RS Aggarwal, TMH CSAT Manual
Odia/English	School Grammar Books, Essay Books

Preparation Strategy

Phase	Strategy
Foundation	Start with NCERTs, focus on Odisha-specific topics
CSAT	Practice reading comprehension and quantitative aptitude
GS Papers	Cover syllabus line by line, make short notes
Essay/Ethics	Practice weekly writing and case studies
Optional	Select based on graduation or strong subjects
Revision	Revise monthly, take mock tests and PYQs

Specialization in OPSC

The Mains optional subject allows for subject-specific specialization. Choose based on:

• Graduation background
• Availability of study material
• Personal interest and aptitude

Conclusion

The OPSC OAS syllabus is comprehensive but can be mastered with smart planning and consistent effort. With a detailed understanding of each paper, strategic preparation, and regular revision, aspirants can succeed in one of Odisha’s most prestigious exams.