UPSC Civil Services Mains exam syllabus: Urdu

(Answers must be written in Urdu)

Paper I

Section A

Development of Urdu Language

- Development of Indo-Aryan: Old Indo-Aryan, Middle Indo Aryan and New Indo Aryan

- Western Hindi and its dialects: Brij Bhasha, Khadi Boli, Haryanavi, Kannauji, Bundeli

- Theories about the origin of Urdu Language

- Dakhani Urdu: Origin and development, its significant linguistic features

- Social and Cultural roots of Urdu language and its distinctive features: Script, Phonology, Morphology, Vocabulary

Section B

Genres and their development

Poetry: Ghazal, Masnavi, Qasida, Marsia, Rubai, Jadid Nazm,

Prose: Novel, Short Story, Dastan, Drama, Inshaiya, Khutoot, Biography

Significant features of:

- Deccani, Delhi and Lucknow schools

- Sir Syed movement, Romantic Movement, Progressive movement, Modernism

- Literary Criticism and its development with reference to Hali, Shibli Kaleemuddin Ahmad, Ehtisham Hussain, Ale-Ahmad Suroor

- Essay writing (covering literary and imaginative topics)

Paper II

This paper will require first hand reading of the texts prescribed and will be designed to test the candidate's critical ability.

Section A

Mir Amman Bagho: Babar

Ghalib: Intikhab-e-Khutoot-e Ghalib

Mohd. Husain: Nairang-e-Khayal Azad

Prem Chand: Godan

Rajendra Singh: Apne Dukh Mujhe Bedi Dedo

Abul Kalam Azad: Ghubar-e-Khatir

Section B

Mir: Intikhab-e-Kalam-e-Mir (Ed. Abdul Haq.)

Mir: Hasan Sahrul Bayan

Ghalib: Diwan-e-Ghalib

Iqbal: Bal-e-Jibrail

Firaq: Gul-e-Naghma

Faiz: Dast-e-Saba

Akhtruliman: Bint-e-Lamhat