KAS Prelims Syllabus 2025

The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) conducts the Kerala Administrative Service (KAS) examination in three stages: KAS Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Interview. The Preliminary Examination comprises two papers, each designed to assess a candidate’s knowledge across various subjects. Below is the detailed syllabus for the KAS Preliminary Examination: 

KAS Prelims Syllabus 2025: Complete Guide for Kerala Aspirants

Paper I: General Studies I

1. History (India and Kerala):

   • Ancient and Medieval Period:
     
     • Salient features and major landmarks of ancient and medieval India.
     • Art, culture, literature, and architecture.
     • Major dynasties, their administrative systems, and prominent movements.
   • Modern Period:
     
     • Significant events, personalities, and issues from the 18th century to the present.
     • India’s struggle for independence.
     • Social and religious reform movements in the 19th and 20th centuries.
     • Post-independence consolidation and reorganization.
     • India and her neighbors.
   • Kerala History (from the 18th century):
     
     • Pre-independence socio-political movements.
     • Formation of Kerala state, political parties, movements, governments, landmark legislations, and policies.

2. History of the World (from the mid-18th century):

   • Industrial revolution.
   • World wars.
   • Redrawing of national boundaries.
   • Colonization and decolonization.
   • Globalization.
   • Communism, capitalism, socialism—their forms and effects on society.

3. Cultural Heritage of Kerala:

   • Art forms, literature, sculpture, architecture, and salient features of society.
   • Tribal culture, pilgrimage centers, tourist places, folk culture, cinema, and theatre.
   • History and evolution of the Malayalam language and literature.

4. Indian Constitution, Public Administration, Political System, Governance, Social Justice, and International Relations:

   • Salient features of the Indian Constitution.
   • Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States; structure, function, power, and privileges of Parliament and State Legislatures.
   • Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure; devolution of power and finances up to local levels.
   • Constitutional authorities—their powers, functions, and responsibilities.
   • Panchayati Raj, public policy and governance, impact of liberalization, privatization, and globalization on governance.
   • Statutory, regulatory, and quasi-judicial bodies.
   • Rights issues (human rights, women’s rights, SC/ST rights, child rights, etc.) and important acts.
   • India’s foreign policy, international organizations, treaties, and forums—their structure and mandate.
   • Judiciary in India—structure and functions; important provisions relating to emergency and constitutional amendments; judicial review; public interest litigation; land revenue laws.
   • Fundamental rights, fundamental duties, and directive principles.
   • Principles of administrative law.

5. Reasoning, Mental Ability, and Simple Arithmetic:

   • Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
   • Number series, coding-decoding, problems related to relations, shapes and their subsections, Venn diagrams.
   • Problems based on clocks, calendars, and age calculations.
   • Simple arithmetic.

6. Geography:

   • General Geography:
     
     • Solar system, motion of Earth, concept of time, seasons, internal structure of the Earth, major landforms and their features.
     • Atmosphere—structure and composition; elements and factors of climate; air masses and fronts; atmospheric disturbances.
     • Oceans—physical, chemical, and biological characteristics; hydrological disasters; marine and continental resources.
   • Physical, social, and economic geography of the world, India, and Kerala.
   • Geophysical phenomena like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, cyclones, floods, and landslides.

Paper II: General Studies II

1. Economy and Planning:

   • Indian Economy:
     
     • Economic development since independence; new economic reforms; NITI Aayog; national income and per capita income; sectoral composition (output and employment) in primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.
     • Development under different policy regimes, including Five-Year Plans—goals, constraints, institutions, and policy framework.
   • Agriculture Sector:
     
     • Land reforms in India; technological changes in agriculture; major crops and cropping patterns; irrigation; pricing of agricultural inputs and outputs; agricultural finance policy and marketing.
     • Issues in food security and public distribution system; Green Revolution; policies for sustainable agriculture and organic farming.

2. Science and Technology:

   • Basic concepts and developments in science and technology.
   • Energy—conventional and non-conventional sources.
   • Space programs and their applications.
   • Information and communication technology—basics, applications, and effects.
   • Environmental science—ecology, biodiversity, and climate change.

3. Current Events:

   • Significant national and international events.