Rule of LAW

Law - an Optional subject in UPSC Mains

Over the past few years, Law Optional has garnered a lot of attention in UPSC Mains. Among the popular choices, Law optional has consistently drawn aspirants who have either a legal background or a gravitation towards  constitutional matters, governance, and analytical subjects.

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Let’s explore the reasons why Law has become a smart choice for UPSC Mains

Scoring subject

Law is a rational, conceptual, and relatively scoring optional subject that requires clarity in legal interpretation and strong answer-writing skills. With the right preparation candidates with Law optional have consistently been scoring more than 270 marks. Your presentation, clarity, and referencing appropriate judgments are crucial to fetch you good marks.

Commonality with General Studies Papers

Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and International Relations overlap with GS Paper 2.

Helpful both in Essay and Interview: Law helps in presenting structured arguments in the essay and discussing governance-related issues in the interview.

Useful in your road ahead

Knowledge of Law would be helpful in your services but also while working in administrative services, especially IAS, IPS, or IRS.

Syllabus and Exam Pattern

UPSC Law optional consists of two papers

Paper I: The optional paper 1 in the Mains exam consists of questions with 250 marks. The topics that would be covered would be Constitutional and Administrative Law, International Law detailing Constitution and Constitutionalism, Fundamental Rights—Public interest litigation; Legal Aid; Legal services authority, relationship between Fundamental rights, Directive principles and Fundamental duties, Constitutional Position of the President and relation with the Council of Ministers, Centre, states and local bodies, emergency provisions etc.

In international law, you would cover topics like relationship between international law and municipal law; state recognition and state succession, law of the sea: inland waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone and high seas, fundamental principles of international humanitarian law—international conventions and contemporary developments, international terrorism, state sponsored terrorism, hijacking, international criminal court,new international economic order and monetary law: WTO, TRIPS, GATT, IMF, World Bank and protection and improvement of the human environment: international efforts.

Paper II: Law of Crimes, Law of Torts, Contract and Mercantile Law, Contemporary Legal Developments. It would comprise topics like General principles of Criminal liability,kinds of punishment and emerging trends as to abolition of capital punishment, preparations and criminal attempt,joint and constructive liability,abetment, criminal conspiracy;offences against the State, public tranquility,human body,offences against property and the like.

Law of Torts would entail topics like Liability based upon fault and strict liability; absolute liability, vicarious liability including State Liability,general defences,joint tort lessors,remedies,negligence,defamation,nuisance,conspiracy,false imprisonment,malicious prosecution, Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and the like.

Law of Contracts and Mercantile Law would have topics like types of contracts, Contract of agency,sale of goods and hire purchase,formation and dissolution of partnership,negotiable Instruments Act, 1881,arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996,Standard form contracts etc.

Another important topic would be Contemporary Legal Developments like Public Interest Litigation, Intellectual property rights,Information Technology Law including Cyber Laws, Competition Law, Alternate Dispute Resolution,environmental law,Right to Information Act and trial by media.

How can you score well

As already stated, Law is a scoring subject if your presentation of facts is concise and you are able to cross reference legal aspects. However, use them in an appropriate manner. Law has a wealth of available reading material. Some of the standard text books you should be reading are V.N. Shukla for Constitution, and Avtar Singh for Contract Law.

Summing up

If you are a law graduate or have a legal background, Law as an Optional Subject would be very helpful for you. If you have the gravitation towards putting in the initial effort to understand  legal concepts and case-based learning, this is going to hold you in good stead  not only for cracking UPSC Mains but also in your future roles.