Civil Services · Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
UPSC CSE — Civil Services Examination — IAS, IPS, IFS & Central Civil Services
The complete UPSC CSE blueprint: tier-wise pattern, topic weightage from previous-year analyses, and free chapter-by-chapter study material.
3 stages — Prelims, Mains, Interview2,025 final-merit marks (Mains + Interview)200 GS Paper I marks · 100 questions Free · tutor-verified
UPSC CSE at a glance
Conducted byUnion Public Service Commission (UPSC)
CycleOnce a year (notification ~Feb; Prelims ~May–Jun; Mains ~Sep; Interview ~Jan–Apr of the following year)
ModePrelims & Mains: pen-and-paper (OMR for Prelims, descriptive/written for Mains); Interview: in-person personality test board
EligibilityBachelor's degree in any discipline (final-year students may apply provisionally); age 21–32 for General category (relaxations for reserved categories); General category gets 6 attempts, unlimited attempts for SC/ST up to the age limit
LanguagesPrelims: English & Hindi. Mains: answers may be written in English, Hindi or any of the 22 Eighth Schedule languages (except the English-language qualifying paper itself).
Selection intoIAS/IPS/IFS and ~20 other Central Civil Services start at Pay Level 10 (₹56,100 basic) and can rise, over a career, to Cabinet/Chief Secretary at Pay Level 17–18
Services you can enter
IAS — Indian Administrative ServiceIPS — Indian Police ServiceIFS — Indian Foreign ServiceIRS (IT & Customs) — Indian Revenue ServiceIA&AS — Indian Audit & Accounts ServiceIRTS / IRPS — Indian Railway servicesIDAS — Indian Defence Accounts ServiceIPoS — Indian Postal ServiceCentral Secretariat Service & other Group A/B services
⚡ What changed recently
- Prelims marks are used only to screen candidates into Mains (roughly 12–13× the year's vacancies qualify) — they play no role in the final merit list.
- CSAT (Paper II) is purely qualifying: you need 33% (66/200) to clear it, but scoring beyond that buys you nothing — GS Paper I accuracy is what determines whether you're shortlisted.
- Mains is almost entirely descriptive, long-answer writing across 9 papers; 2 language-qualifying papers do not count toward merit, leaving Essay + GS I–IV + 2 Optional papers (1,750 marks) plus the 275-mark Interview as your real final score out of 2,025.
- This hub currently builds the GS Paper I static-knowledge foundation — the single most leverage-dense investment in the whole exam, since it directly feeds Prelims, Mains GS I–III, and interview depth.
How UPSC CSE selection works
Know what each stage is for before you spend a single hour preparing.
SCREENING GATE ONLY
Prelims — GS Paper I + CSAT
Two objective papers on the same day: GS Paper I (100 Qs · 200 marks · −1/3 per wrong answer) and CSAT Paper II (80 Qs · 200 marks · qualifying at 33%, also −1/3 per wrong answer). Marks from this stage are NOT added to your final rank — they only decide who advances to Mains.
THE REAL SCORING STAGE
Mains — 9 written papers
2 qualifying language papers (need 25%, not counted) + Essay (250) + GS I–IV (250 each = 1,000) + Optional Subject Paper I & II (250 each = 500). Counted written total: 1,750 marks, all descriptive/long-answer.
FINAL 275 MARKS
Personality Test (Interview)
A board interview assessing judgement, awareness and communication, not just recall. Final merit = Mains 1,750 + Interview 275 = 2,025 marks, ranked to allot services and cadres.
The exam pattern, tier by tier
Marks, timing and negative marking exactly as per the official notification.
Prelims — General Studies Paper I
Screening — clearing this (alongside CSAT) advances you to Mains200 marks · 100 Q
2 hours (120 min) · −1/3 (0.66) per wrong answer
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| History & Culture | 16–20 | 32–40 | No sectional limit |
| Geography | 10–14 | 20–28 | No sectional limit |
| Polity & Governance | 18–22 | 36–44 | No sectional limit |
| Economy | 13–17 | 26–34 | No sectional limit |
| Environment & Ecology | 10–14 | 20–28 | No sectional limit |
| Science & Technology | 8–12 | 16–24 | No sectional limit |
💡 Every question carries 2 marks. Roughly 85–90 questions come from the six static-knowledge subjects below; the remaining questions are dynamic current-affairs application on top of that static base — a daily newspaper + PIB habit, not a chapter list, is what covers them.
Prelims — CSAT Paper II
Qualifying only (need 33% / 66 of 200 marks)200 marks · 80 Q
2 hours (120 min) · −1/3 (0.83 of 2.5) per wrong answer
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | ~20–24 | ~50–60 | No sectional limit |
| Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability | ~25–30 | ~62–75 | No sectional limit |
| Decision Making | ~5–8 | ~12–20 | No sectional limit |
| Basic Numeracy & Data Interpretation | ~20–25 | ~50–62 | No sectional limit |
💡 Every question carries 2.5 marks. CSAT is purely qualifying — scoring beyond 33% buys you nothing toward your rank, so treat it as a gate to clear efficiently, not a score to maximise. Decision Making questions are conventionally treated as having no negative marking in practice, though official guidance has varied — don't bank on this exception when time-budgeting.
Mains — 9 descriptive papers
Merit — decides 1,750 of your final 2,025 marks1750 marks · Q
3 hours per paper, spread across ~5–7 days ·
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Society | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Indian Culture | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Ancient & Medieval History | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Modern History & Freedom Struggle | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Post-Independence India | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| World History | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Geography (World & Indian) | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Ethics & Human Interface | ~23 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Attitude & Emotional Intelligence | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Aptitude & Foundational Values | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Moral Thinkers & Philosophers | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Public Service Values & Ethical Dilemmas | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Probity in Governance | ~15 model answers | 10–15 each | No sectional limit |
| Ethics Case Studies | ~23 worked case studies | 15–20 each | No sectional limit |
Official syllabus units
- Essay (250 marks) — two essays, one from each of two sections
- GS Paper I (250) — Indian Heritage & Culture, History, World & Indian Geography — chapters live, see table above
- GS Paper II (250) — Polity, Governance, Constitution, Social Justice, International Relations
- GS Paper III (250) — Economy, Agriculture, Environment, Security, Disaster Management, Science & Tech
- GS Paper IV (250) — Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude — chapters live, see table above
- Optional Subject Paper I & II (250 each = 500) — one subject chosen from the UPSC optional list
💡 2 qualifying language papers (Indian Language + English, 300 marks each, need 25%) are not counted in merit. GS Paper IV (Ethics) and GS Paper I (Culture/History/Society/Geography) are the Mains papers with full chapters on this site so far — descriptive answers, not MCQs, so 'questions' below means model-answer count, not an exam question tally. Essay, GS II–III, and the Optional papers remain reference-only for now (see the official syllabus units below).
Where your 200 GS Paper I marks come from
Prelims does not decide your final rank — it is a screening gate. You must clear GS Paper I (200 marks, 100 questions) while also clearing a 33% qualifying cut-off on CSAT to be shortlisted for Mains. But the static-knowledge foundation you build here — Polity, History, Geography, Economy, Environment, Science & Tech — is not thrown away after Prelims: it is the base layer Mains GS I–III and even the interview build on. Here is how the 200 GS1 marks split across subjects — click any block to open its chapters:
Polity & Governance40 marks · 20%
18–22 questions — the single biggest GS1 block. Constitution, DPSPs, Union/State machinery and constitutional bodies recur almost verbatim from Laxmikanth-level detail every year.
History & Culture36 marks · 18%
16–20 questions spanning Ancient to Modern India plus Art & Culture. Freedom-struggle and heritage/culture questions are especially current-affairs-linked (anniversaries, UNESCO listings).
Economy30 marks · 15%
13–17 questions, heavily budget- and policy-linked. Static concepts (inflation, fiscal terms, banking) anchor scheme- and survey-based current questions.
Environment & Ecology24 marks · 12%
10–14 questions and rising each year. Species, protected areas and international conventions are the fastest-growing current-affairs overlap in the whole paper.
Geography24 marks · 12%
10–14 questions, map-heavy. Physical geography explains mechanisms; Indian and world geography supply the place-based facts UPSC loves to test as disaster/resource news pegs.
Science & Technology20 marks · 10%
8–12 questions, almost entirely current-affairs-driven (ISRO launches, defence platforms, biotech/health news) sitting on a compact static base.
Current affairs & static-GK application26 marks · 13%
The remaining ~13 questions apply that same static base to the last 12–18 months of news — Schemes, reports, indices, appointments. Built by daily reading, not a chapter list.
Subjects in UPSC CSE
Chapter-by-chapter study material built to the exam's own blueprint.
Topic-wise weightage — what to study first
Question counts per topic, distilled from previous-year paper analyses. Click any topic with a link to open its full chapter.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to crack History for Prelims (timeline-first method) | — | Very high |
| Ancient India & the Indus Valley Civilisation | 3–4 | High |
| Medieval India — Sultanate to Mughals | 3–4 | High |
| Modern India — Company rule to 1857 | 3–4 | Very high |
| Indian freedom struggle, 1885–1947 | 4–5 | Very high |
| Indian art, culture & heritage | 4–5 | Very high |
🎯 UPSC History rewards a timeline you can reason from, not a pile of disconnected dates. Ancient and Medieval India set up the civilisational base (dynasties, administration, society); Modern India and the Freedom Struggle are the highest-yield block because they connect directly to current-affairs anniversaries and are tested from NCERT plus Bipan Chandra depth. Art & Culture (architecture, dance, music, literature) is pure structured recall that pays off fastest per hour studied — build it as flashcards, not prose.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to crack Geography for Prelims (map-first method) | — | Very high |
| Physical geography & geomorphology | 4–5 | Very high |
| Indian geography & natural resources | 4–5 | Very high |
| World geography & map-based facts | 3–4 | High |
🎯 Geography questions are rarely pure recall — they test whether you understand a mechanism (why a monsoon behaves as it does, why a region is seismically active) well enough to place it correctly on a map. Physical geography supplies the 'why'; Indian geography supplies the resource/river/soil facts UPSC quotes almost every year; world geography is smaller but near-certain, usually pegged to a country in the news. Always study with an atlas open.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to crack Polity for Prelims (Constitution-first method) | — | Very high |
| Constitution, Preamble & Schedules | 3–4 | Very high |
| Fundamental Rights, Duties & DPSPs | 3–4 | Very high |
| Union executive & Parliament | 3–4 | Very high |
| State executive & state legislature | 2–3 | High |
| Judiciary & constitutional bodies | 4–5 | Very high |
| Local governance & Panchayati Raj | 2–3 | High |
🎯 Polity is the most learnable, highest-density block in GS1: the Constitution's text, schedules, articles and the machinery of government are fixed, well-documented facts, not open-ended current affairs. Laxmikanth-level detail on the Union and State executive, Parliament, judiciary and constitutional bodies converts almost 1:1 into marks. It also feeds Mains GS II directly, so time spent here compounds across both stages.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to crack Economy for Prelims (concept-then-news method) | — | Very high |
| Economic concepts & national income | 3–4 | High |
| Money, banking & inflation | 4–5 | Very high |
| Fiscal policy, Budget & taxation | 4–5 | Very high |
| Economic reforms & sectors of the economy | 3–4 | High |
🎯 Economy is where static concepts and current affairs fuse most tightly: you need the vocabulary (fiscal deficit, repo rate, GDP deflator, direct/indirect tax) cold before a Budget or Economic Survey headline becomes an answerable question. Build the concept layer first from this chapter set, then layer the year's Budget and RBI policy on top — the concept layer is what makes the news actually stick.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to crack Environment for Prelims (mechanism-first method) | — | Very high |
| Ecosystems, biodiversity & conservation | 6–7 | Very high |
| Climate change & environmental policy | 5–6 | Very high |
🎯 Environment has grown from an afterthought to a near-Polity-sized block because it sits exactly where static ecology meets daily news — a species, protected area or international convention is almost always tied to a current report or summit. Learn the ecological mechanisms once (they don't change), then let every conservation headline slot into that structure instead of feeling like a new fact to memorise.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to crack Science & Tech for Prelims (mechanism-over-memorisation method) | — | Very high |
| Space technology & defence | 4–5 | High |
| Biotechnology, IT & health | 4–5 | High |
🎯 Science & Tech is the smallest static block but among the highest current-affairs density: an ISRO launch, a new defence platform or a biotech breakthrough becomes a question almost the moment it makes news. The static base — how satellites/orbits work, vaccine/genome-editing mechanisms, missile and defence-system categories — is what turns a headline you half-remember into a question you can actually answer.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to crack Reading Comprehension for CSAT (careful-read method) | — | Very high |
| Passage comprehension, inference & vocabulary-in-context | ~20–24 | Very high |
🎯 CSAT passages are shorter and denser than CLAT's, often on abstract, philosophical or administrative themes rather than pure news. The marks come from correctly identifying the author's main point and valid inferences, not from reading speed alone — a slower, more careful single read usually beats a fast skim followed by re-reading. Since CSAT is purely qualifying, the goal is consistent, reliable accuracy on this section, not maximising score.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to crack Logical Reasoning for CSAT (diagram-first method) | — | Very high |
| Analytical puzzles & critical reasoning | ~25–30 | Very high |
🎯 This section blends two distinct skills: analytical puzzle-solving (seating arrangements, blood relations, coding-decoding, series) which rewards drilled technique and diagram habits, and critical reasoning (statement-assumption, statement-conclusion, course of action) which rewards careful, literal reading of exactly what is and isn't stated. Treat them as two different sub-skills to practise separately, not one undifferentiated 'reasoning' block.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Decision making & problem solving | ~5–8 | Medium |
🎯 Decision Making is unlike every other CSAT section: scenarios describe an administrative or ethical situation and ask which response is most appropriate, and there is no formula-based way to derive the 'best' answer the way you can for a syllogism. The skill is recognising the administratively/ethically soundest option among several plausible ones — practical, balanced, and within the responder's actual authority — rather than the most extreme or most passive option.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to crack Numeracy for CSAT (Class-10 foundation method) | — | Very high |
| Numeracy & data interpretation | ~20–25 | Very high |
🎯 The numeracy syllabus is explicitly capped at Class 10 level — no calculus, no advanced algebra. The two blocks are basic numeracy (number systems, percentages, ratios, profit-loss, time-speed-distance) and data interpretation (reading tables/graphs/charts accurately, plus data-sufficiency questions that test whether given information is enough to answer, not the answer itself). For a non-maths background, this is usually CSAT's most learnable section with focused practice.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to write GS4 Ethics answers for Mains (structure & method) | — | Very high |
| Ethics fundamentals & human interface | ~8 | Very high |
🎯 Mains answers here are descriptive (150 or 250 words, 10 or 15 marks each), not MCQs — this site's practice sets give you full model answers to study and self-check against, the same way you'd use a coaching-class answer bank. Start here: the essence/determinants/consequences of ethics and the private-vs-public dimension are the conceptual base every later GS4 subject (attitude, probity, case studies) assumes you already have.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Attitude, structure & emotional intelligence in governance | ~15 | High |
🎯 Attitude (its components, formation, and relationship to behaviour) and Emotional Intelligence (its components and administrative application) are examined together because they're the same underlying skill: reading and managing your own and others' internal states in a way that improves decisions. Both reward concrete governance examples over abstract definitions — an answer that only defines 'self-awareness' scores worse than one that shows a self-aware officer handling a real situation differently.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational values for civil servants | ~15 | Very high |
🎯 UPSC's syllabus names these values explicitly (integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance, compassion for weaker sections), which means questions often ask about one value by name. Learn each one with a working definition, how it differs from its near-neighbours (impartiality vs. objectivity is a classic confusion), and one concrete administrative scenario per value.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Indian & Western moral thinkers | ~15 | High |
🎯 Questions here are usually direct: 'Explain X's view on Y' or 'How is Z's idea relevant to modern governance.' The highest-leverage prep is a short, accurate one-line core idea per thinker plus one governance-relevant application — depth on 4-5 thinkers you can write confidently beats shallow familiarity with twenty.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Public service values & ethical dilemmas | ~15 | Very high |
🎯 This subject is where GS4 stops being definitional and starts being situational: real dilemmas in government and private institutions, what to do when law, rules, and conscience point in different directions, and what 'ethical governance' actually requires in practice. Treat it as the conceptual bridge to case studies — the reasoning habits built here are applied directly there.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Probity in governance & transparency | ~15 | Very high |
🎯 Probity questions reward naming the actual institutional mechanisms (RTI Act provisions, citizen's charters, codes of conduct vs. codes of ethics, e-governance initiatives) rather than general statements about 'the need for transparency.' This subject is also the most current-affairs-linked part of GS4 — recent reforms and scandals are frequently the hook for a question.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to write ethics case studies (structure & method) | — | Very high |
| Worked ethics case studies | ~15 | Very high |
🎯 Case studies are worth close to half the paper, and are scored on structure as much as content: identify the stakeholders and the actual ethical issues (not just the practical problem), lay out genuinely distinct options, evaluate them against the values and principles from earlier GS4 subjects, and commit to a specific, actionable decision — a well-structured answer that reaches a defensible decision consistently outscores an eloquent one that stays undecided.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| How to write GS1 Mains answers (structure & method) | — | Very high |
| Indian society: diversity, change, and social issues | ~15 | Very high |
🎯 Unlike History or Geography, Indian Society has almost no Prelims-level factual overlap to build on — it's a genuinely new analytical skill: reading social phenomena (a new census figure, a policy debate, a social movement) through named sociological lenses (social stratification, social change, structural versus cultural explanations) rather than reciting facts. Questions reward a specific, defensible analytical stance over a purely descriptive survey.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Indian art, literature, and architecture | ~15 | High |
🎯 Culture questions are usually direct identification/explanation ('describe X school of painting', 'discuss the salient features of Y temple style'), which rewards a compact, accurate reference list of named forms far more than broad reading — a candidate who can precisely describe 8–10 painting/dance/architecture traditions consistently outscores one with vague familiarity with thirty.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient and medieval Indian administration, economy, and society | ~15 | Medium |
🎯 Mains treats ancient and medieval history very differently from Prelims: instead of 'who ruled when,' expect 'discuss the administrative features of X empire' or 'examine the socio-economic impact of Y period's land revenue system' — the same underlying factual base as Prelims History & Culture, reframed around institutions, economy, and society rather than chronology and identification.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Colonial economy, society, and the freedom struggle | ~15 | Very high |
🎯 This is Mains' most reliably tested History subject, and questions are usually specific rather than broad ('assess the contribution of X to the freedom struggle', 'discuss the significance of Y movement') — building a roster of specific, well-evidenced contributions (not just names) for the major movements and figures is the highest-leverage preparation here.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Integration, reorganisation, and nation-building since 1947 | ~15 | High |
🎯 Post-independence consolidation (princely-state integration, linguistic reorganisation, early economic planning, the evolution of India's party system) is frequently under-prepared relative to its yield, precisely because it sits awkwardly between 'history' and 'current governance' in most study plans — treating it as its own subject, rather than an afterthought to either, closes a real preparation gap.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| World history: revolutions, world wars, and decolonisation | ~15 | Medium |
🎯 World History has zero Prelims overlap, which means candidates often under-invest here relative to its guaranteed 1–2 questions a year — the highest-leverage approach is building solid coverage of a compact set of pivotal events (the two World Wars, decolonisation, the major political philosophies) with genuine cause-and-effect understanding, rather than broad but shallow date-memorisation.
| Topic | Qs in GS Paper I | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Physical geography, resources, and geophysical phenomena | ~15 | High |
🎯 Mains geography rewards explaining mechanisms (why do earthquakes cluster where they do; what determines an industry's optimal location) over recalling place names — the same physical-geography foundation from Prelims Geography, redeployed to explain causes and analyse real, often recent, geophysical events rather than simply identify facts.
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FAQs
Frequently asked questions
UPSC CSE has three stages: Prelims (two objective papers — GS Paper I and CSAT), Mains (nine descriptive papers), and a Personality Test (interview). Prelims is purely a screening gate — its marks are never added to your final rank; you only need to clear GS Paper I's cut-off (a moving target based on that year's difficulty) while separately scoring at least 33% on CSAT. Your actual final rank comes entirely from Mains (1,750 counted marks: Essay + GS I–IV + two Optional papers) plus the Interview (275 marks), for a grand total of 2,025 marks.
Because GS Paper I is the highest-leverage investment in the entire exam, even though its marks are discarded after Prelims. You cannot reach Mains without clearing it, and the exact same static-knowledge foundation — Polity, History, Geography, Economy, Environment, Science & Tech — reappears as the backbone of Mains GS Papers I–III and even shows up in interview questions. Time spent mastering GS1 content is never wasted; it compounds across every later stage of the exam.
CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) is Prelims Paper II — 80 questions, 200 marks, testing comprehension, logical reasoning, decision-making and basic (Class 10-level) numeracy. Since 2011, it has been purely qualifying: you need only 33% (66 marks) to clear it, and scoring higher gives no additional advantage. This means your entire Prelims strategy should prioritise GS Paper I accuracy — CSAT only needs to be cleared, not maximised.
Both GS Paper I and CSAT Paper II deduct 1/3rd (0.66) of the marks allotted to a question for every wrong answer; unattempted questions score zero with no penalty. Since each question in GS1 is worth 2 marks, a wrong answer costs you 0.66 marks — meaning blind guessing is a losing strategy unless you can eliminate at least one or two options first.
Static content is the stable, non-expiring knowledge layer — how the Constitution structures government, how a river system or monsoon mechanism works, what a fiscal deficit means, how photosynthesis or vaccine mechanisms function. Current affairs is the year's news layer that gets tested by being anchored to that static base — a new national park notified this year still needs to be understood through the static lens of ecosystem and biodiversity concepts. This hub builds the static foundation; current affairs must be layered on top through a daily habit of reading a serious newspaper and PIB releases, since no static chapter can stay current for more than a few months.
Polity & Governance and History & Culture together are roughly 38% of GS Paper I and are also the most 'learnable' — their facts are fixed and well-documented, unlike the fast-moving current-affairs layer. Most successful aspirants build Polity first (it also anchors Mains GS II), then History, before moving to Economy, Geography, Environment and Science & Tech — though Environment deserves early attention too, since it has grown fastest in weightage over recent years.
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