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Haryana PCS

Important Dates

HCS CSE Important Dates 2024
Date Of Notification 17th November 2023
Prelims 11th February 2024
Mains 30th & 31st March 2024
Interview To Be Announced

About the Exam

The Haryana Civil Services (HCS) Combined Competitive Examination (CSE) is a highly competitive exam conducted annually by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) to recruit eligible candidates for various civil service posts in the Indian state of Haryana.

Examination Pattern

The HCS CSE is a Three-Stage Examination:

Examination

Exam Pattern

Marks

Prelims General Studies 100 marks
CSAT (Qualifying) 100 marks
Mains Hindi  100 Marks
English 100 Marks
General Studies  200 Marks
Optionals 200 Marks
Total – 600 Marks
Interview 75 Marks

Syllabus

General Studies

HCS Prelims Syllabus

GENERAL STUDIES

  • General Science – General appreciation and understanding of science including matters of everyday observation and experience.
  • Current events of national and international importance – Knowledge of significant national and international events.
  • History of India and Indian National Movement – Social, economic and political aspects.Indian National Movement will relate to the nature and character of the nineteenth century resurgence, growth of nationalism and attainment of Independence.
  • Indian and World Geography – Physical, social and economic Geography of the country, including the main features of Indian agricultural and natural resources.
  • Indian Culture, Indian Polity and Indian Economy – Panchayati Raj, social systems and economic developments in India.
  • General Mental Ability – Reasoning and Analytical Abilities.
  • Haryana – Economy and people. Social, economic and culture institutions and language of Haryana.

CSAT

  • 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, Order of Magnitude, etc. – Class X level), Data Interpretation (Charts, Graphs, Tables, Data Sufficiency etc. – Class X level)

HCS Mains Syllabus

PART-I

  • History of Modern India and Indian Culture – The History of Modern India, will cover history of the country from about the middle of the nineteenth century and would also include questions on important personalities who shaped the freedom movement and social reforms. The part relating to ‘Indian Culture’ will cover all aspects of Indian culture from the ancient to modern times.
  • Geography of India – In this part, questions will on the physical, economic and social geography of India.
  • Indian Polity – This part will include questions on the Constitution of India, Political system and related matters.
  • Current National issues and Topics of Social Relevance – This part is intended to test the candidate’s awareness of current national issues and topics of social relevance in the present-day India, such as the following : Demography and Human Resources and related issues. Behavioural and social issues and social welfare problems, such as child labour, gender equality, adult literacy, rehabilitation of the handicapped and other deprived segments of the society, drug abuse, public health etc. Law enforcement issues, human rights, corruption in public life, communal harmony etc. Internal Security and related issues. Environmental issues, ecological preservation, conservation of natural resources and national heritage. The role of national institutions, their relevance and need for change.

PART-II

  • India and the World – This part is intended to test candidate’s awareness of India’s relationship with the world in various spheres, such as the following:- Foreign Affairs External Security and related matters. Nuclear Policy. Indian abroad.
  • Indian Economy – In this part, questions will be on the planning and economic development in India, economic and trade issues foreign trade, the role and functions of I.M.F. world Bank, W.T.O. etc.
  • International Affairs and Institutions – This part will include question on important events in world affairs and on international institutions.
  • Developments in the field of science and technology, communications and space – In this part, questions will test the candidate’s awareness of the developments in the field of science and technology, communications and space and also basic ideas computers.
  • Statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams – This part will include exercises to test the candidate’s ability to draw common sense conclusions from information presented in statistical, graphical or diagrammatical from and to point out deficiencies, limitations or inconsistencies therein.

Optionals

HCS Sociology Syllabus

FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIOLOGY (PART–I)

1. Sociology – The Discipline:

  • Modernity and social changes in Europe and emergence of Sociology.
  • Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.
  • Sociology and common sense.

2. Sociology as Science:

  • Science, scientific method and critique.
  • Major theoretical strands of research methodology.
  • Positivism and its critique.
  • Fact value and objectivity.
  • Non-positivist methodologies.

3. Research Methods and Analysis:

  • Qualitative and quantitative methods.
  • Techniques of data collection.
  • Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability and validity.

4. Sociological Thinkers:

  • Karl Marx – Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle.
  • Emile Durkhteim – Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion and society.
  • Max Weber – Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.
  • Talcolt Parsons – Social system, pattern variables.
  • Robert K. Merton – Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups.
  • Mead – Self and identity.

5. Stratification and Mobility:

  • Concepts – equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty and deprivation.
  • Theories of social stratification – Structural functionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory.
  • Dimensions – Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity and race.
  • Social mobility – open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources and causes of mobility.

6. Works and Economic Life:

  • Social organization of work in different types of society – slave society, feudal society, industrial capitalist society.
  • Formal and informal organization of work.
  • Labour and society.

7. Politics and Society:

  • Sociological theories of power.
  • Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups and political parties.
  • Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.
  • Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.

8. Religion and Society:

  • Sociological theories of religion.
  • Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.
  • Religion in modern society: religion and science, secularization, religious revivalism, fundamentalism.

9. Systems of Kinship:

  • Family, household, marriage.
  • Types and forms of family.
  • Lineage and descent.
  • Patriarchy and sexual division of labour.
  • Contemporary trends.

10. Social Change in Modern Society:

  • Sociological theories of social change.
  • Development and dependency.
  • Agents of social change.
  • Education and social change.
  • Science, technology and social change.

INDIAN SOCIETY: STRUCTURE AND CHANGE (PART–II)

Introducing Indian Society :

    • Perspectives on the Study of Indian Society:
      • Indology (G.S. Ghure).
      • Structural functionalism (M. N. Srinivas).
      • Marxist sociology (A. R. Desai).
    • Impact of colonial rule on Indian society:
      • Social background of Indian nationalism.
      • Modernisation of Indian tradition.
      • Protests and movements during the colonial period.
      • Social reforms.

Social Structure:

    • Rural and Agrarian Social Structure:
      • The idea of Indian village and village studies.
      • Agrarian social structure — evolution of land tenure system, land reforms.
    • Caste System:
      • Perspectives on the study of caste systems: G. S. Ghurye, M. N. Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.
      • Features of caste system.
      • Untouchability-forms and perspectives
    • Tribal Communities in India:
      • Definitional problems.
      • Geographical spread.
      • Colonial policies and tribes.
      • Issues of integration and autonomy.
    • Social Classes in India:
      • Agrarian class structure.
      • Industrial class structure.
      • Middle classes in India.
    • Systems of Kinship in India:
      • Lineage and descent in India.
      • Types of kinship systems.
      • Family and marriage in India.
      • Household dimensions of the family.
      • Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour.
    • Religion and Society:
      • Religious communities in India.
      • Problems of religious minorities.

Social Changes in India:

    • Visions of Social Change in India:
      • Idea of development planning and mixed economy.
      • Constitution, law and social change.
      • Education and social change.
    • Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India:
      • Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation schemes.
      • Green revolution and social change.
      • Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture.
      • Problems of rural labour, bondage, migration.
    • Industrialization and Urbanisation in India:
      • Evolution of modern industry in India.
      • Growth of urban settlements in India.
      • Working class: structure, growth, class mobilisation.
      • Informal sector, child labour.
      • Slums and deprivation in urban areas.
    • Politics and Society:
      • Nation, democracy and citizenship.
      • Political parties, pressure groups, social and political elite.
      • Regionalism and decentralisation of power.
      • Secularisation.
    • Social Movements in Modern India:
      • Peasants and farmers movements.
      • Women’s movement.
      • Backward classes & Dalit movements.
      • Environmental movements.
      • Ethnicity and Identity movements.
    • Population Dynamics:
      • Population size, growth, composition and distribution.
      • Components of population growth: birth, death, migration.
      • Population Policy and family planning.
      • Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health.
    • Challenges of Social Transformation:
      • Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems and sustainability.
      • Poverty, deprivation and inequalities.
      • Violence against women.
      • Caste conflicts.
      • Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.
      • Illiteracy and disparities in education.

HCS Political Science & International Relations Syllabus

PART-I

Political Theory and Indian Politics:

1. Political Theory: meaning and approaches.

2. Theories of state: Liberal, Neo-liberal, Marxist, Pluiralist, post-colonial and Feminist.

3. Justice: Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawl’s theory of justice and its communitarian critiques.

4. Equality: Social, political and economic; relationship between equality and freedom; Affirmative action.

5. Rights: Meaning and theories; different kinds of rights; Concept of Human Rights.

6. Democracy: Classical and contemporary theories; different models of democracy — representative, participatory and deliberative.

7. Concept of power: hegemony, ideology and legitimacy.

8. Political Ideologies: Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism, Gandhism and Feminism.

9. Indian Political Thought: Dharamshastra, Arthashastra and Buddhist Traditions; Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sri Aurobindo, M. K. Gandhi, B. R. Ambedkar, M. N. Roy.

10. Western Political Thought: Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, John S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt.

Indian Government and Politics

1. Indian Nationalism:

(a) Political Strategies of India’s Freedom Struggle: Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Non-cooperation, Civil Disobedience; Militant and Revolutionary Movements, Peasant and Workers Movements.

(b) Perspectives on Indian National Movement; Liberal, Socialist and Marxist; Radical Humanist and Dalit.

2. Making of the Indian Constitution: Legacies of the British rule; different social and political perspectives.

3. Salient Features of the Indian Constitution: The Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles; Parliamentary System and Amendment Procedures; Judicial Review and Basic Structure doctrine.

4. (a) Principal Organs of the Union Government: Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature and Supreme Court.

(b) Principal Organs of the State Government: Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature and High Courts.

5. Grassroots Democracy: Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; Significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments; Grassroot movements.

6. Statutory Institutions/Commissions: Election Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General, Finance Commission, Union Public Service Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Women; National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Minorities, National Backward Classes Commission.

7. Federalism: Constitutional provisions; changing nature of centre-state relations; integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations; inter-state disputes.

8. Planning and Economic development: Nehruvian and Gandhian perspectives; Role of planning and public sector; Green Revolution, land reforms and agrarian relations; liberalization and economic reforms.

9. Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics.

10. Party System: National and regional political parties, ideological and social bases of parties; Patterns of coalition politics; Pressure groups, trends in electoral behaviour; changing socio-economic profile of Legislators.

11. Social Movement: Civil liberties and human rights movements; women’s movements; environmentalist movements.

PART-II

Comparative Politics And International Relations

Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics

1. Comparative Politics: Nature and major approaches; Political economy and political sociology perspectives; Limitations of the comparative method.

2. State in Comparative Perspective: Characteristics and changing nature of the State in capitalist and socialist economies, and advanced industrial and developing societies.

3. Politics of Representation and Participation: Political parties, pressure groups and social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies.

4. Globalisation: Responses from developed and developing societies.

5. Approaches to the Study of International Relations: Idealist, Realist, Marxist, Functionalist and Systems theory.

6. Key Concepts in International Relations: National interest, security and power; Balance of power and deterrence; Transational actors and collective security; World capitalist economy and globalisation.

7. Changing International Political Order:

(a) Rise of super powers; Strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race and cold war; Nuclear threat;

(b) Non-aligned Movement: Aims and achievements.

(c) Collapse of the Soviet Union; Unipolarity and American hegemony; Relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world.

8. Evolution of the International Economic System : From Brettonwoods to WTO; Socialist economies and the CMEA (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance); Third World demand for new international economic order; Globalisation of the world economy.

9. United Nations: Envisaged role and actual record; Specialised UN agencies—aims and functioning; need for UN reforms.

10. Regionalisation of World Politics: EU, ASEAN, APEC, AARC, NAFTA.

11. Contemporary Global Concerns: Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice terrorism, nuclear proliferation.

India and the World

1. Indian Foreign Policy: Determinants of foreign policy; the institutions of policy-making Continuity and change.

2. India’s Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement Different phases; Current role.

3. India and South Asia:

(a) Regional Co-operation: SAARC-past performance and future prospects.

(b) South Asia as a Free Trade Area.

(c) India’s “Look East” policy.

(d) Impediments to regional co-operation: River water disputes; illegal cross border migration; Ethnic conflicts and insurgencies; Border disputes.

4. India and the Global South: Relations with Africa and Latin America; Leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations.

5. India and the Global Centres of Power: USA, EU, Japan, China and Russia.

6. India and the UN System: Role in UN Peace-keeping; Demand for Permanent Seat in the Security Council.

7. India and the Nuclear Question: Changing perceptions and policy.

8. Recent developments in Indian Foreign Policy: India’s position on the recent crises in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia, growing relations with US and Isreal; Vision of a new world order.