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UPSC Management Syllabus: get the UPSC CSE Management Syllabus PDF, check the topic-wise Management Optional Syllabus for Papers 1 & 2 along with the best strategy and books

UPSC Management Optional Syllabus: Management is one of the 48 optional subjects in the civil service mains exam. The Management Syllabus for UPSC provides information about operational management concepts, which can be helpful for the aspiring manager. With this, many candidates pick management as their optional subject because various books and resources are available to cover the UPSC Management Optional Syllabus.

Going by the previous 5 years' statistics, approximately 40-60 candidates choose Management as optional subjects and the success rate hovers around 13%.  It is recommended to keep the printed copy of the Management Syllabus for UPSC  handy when preparing for the upcoming IAS exam. As per the feedback of previous toppers, the questions asked in the UPSC Management optional subjects are usually moderate level.

In this article, we shared the UPSC Management Syllabus PDF for Mains, along with question weightage, preparation tips, and best books.

UPSC Management Syllabus PDF

The UPSC Management optional syllabus comprises two papers, i.e., Paper 1 and Paper 2. The UPSC Management optional subject carries 500 marks, and each paper carries 250 marks. Thus, it is essential to adhere to the latest UPSC Management Syllabus PDF for Papers 1 and 2 and cover all the exam-relevant topics.  get the topic-wise UPSC Management Syllabus PDF for papers 1 and 2 shared below.

UPSC Management Optional Syllabus For IAS Mains

The UPSC Management Optional Syllabus is divided into two papers, i.e., Paper 1 and Paper 2.  It is recommended that the aspirants prepare a  study of the concept of management development as science and art, drawing upon the contributions of leading management thinkers and applying the concepts to the real life of government and business decision-making, keeping in view the changes in the strategic and operative environment. They should be well-acquainted with the topic-wise UPSC Management syllabus for main optional papers 1 and 2 and reshape their strategy accordingly.

UPSC Management Syllabus for Paper 1

The UPSC Management Paper I syllabus covers subjects like Managerial Function and Process, Organisational Behaviour and Design, Human Resource Management, Accounting for Managers, Financial Management, Marketing Management, etc.  Check the topic-wise UPSC Management Optional Syllabus for Paper I below.

1. Managerial Function and Process: Concept and foundations of management, Evolution of Management Thoughts; Managerial Functions— Planning, Organizing, Controlling; Decision-making; Role of Manager, Managerial skills; Entrepreneurship; Management of innovation; Managing in a global environment, Flexible Systems Management; Social responsibility and managerial ethics; Process and customer orientation; Managerial processes on direct and indirect value chain.
2. Organisational Behaviour and Design: Conceptual model of organization behaviour; The individual processes—personality, values and attitude, perception, motivation, learning and reinforcement, work stress and stress management; The dynamics of Organization behaviour—power and politics, conflict and negotiation, leadership process and styles, communication; The Organizational Processes—decision-making, job design; Classical, Neoclassical and Contingency approaches to organizational design; Organizational theory and design—Organizational culture, managing cultural diversity, learning Organization; Organizational change and development; Knowledge-Based Enterprise—systems and processes; Networked and virtual organizations.
3. Human Resource Management: HR challenges; HRM functions; The future challenges of HRM; Strategic Management of human resources; Human resource planning; Job analysis; Job evaluation, Recruitment and selection; Training and development; Promotion and transfer; Performance management; Compensation management and benefits; Employee morale and productivity; Management of Organizational climate and Industrial relations; Human resources accounting and audit; Human resource information system; International human resource management.
4. Accounting for Managers: Financial accounting—concept, importance and scope, generally accepted accounting principles, preparation of financial statements with special reference to the analysis of a balance sheet and measurement of business income, inventory valuation and depreciation, financial statement analysis, fund flow analysis, the statement of cash flows; Management accounting concept, need, importance and scope; Cost accounting— records and processes, cost ledger and control accounts, reconciliation and integration between financial and cost accounts; Overhead cost and control, Job and process costing, Budget and budgetary control, Performance budgeting, Zero-base budgeting, relevant costing and costing for decision-making, standard costing and variance analysis, marginal costing and absorption costing.
5. Financial Management: Goal of Finance Function. Concepts of value and return. Valuation of bonds and Shares; Management of working capital: Estimation and Financing; Management of cash, receivables, inventory and current liabilities; Cost of capital ; Capital budgeting; Financial and operating leverage; Design of capital structure: theories and practices; Shareholder value creation: dividend policy, corporate financial policy and strategy, management of corporate distress and restructuring strategy; Capital and money markets: institutions and instruments; Leasing hire purchase and venture capital; Regulation of capital market; Risk and return: portfolio theory; CAPM; APT; Financial derivatives: option, futures, swap; recent reforms in financial sector.
6. Marketing Management: Concept, evolution and scope; Marketing strategy formulation and components of the marketing plan; Segmenting and targeting the market; Positioning and differentiating the market offering; Analyzing competition; Analyzing consumer markets; Industrial buyer behaviour; Market research; Product strategy; Pricing strategies; Designing and managing Marketing channels; Integrated marketing communications; Building customer satisfaction, Value and retention; Services and non-profit marketing; Ethics in marketing; Consumer protection; Internet marketing; Retail management; Customer relationship management; Concept of holistic marketing.

UPSC Management Syllabus for Paper 2

The UPSC Management Paper II Syllabus focuses on subjects like Quantitative Techniques in Decision-making, Production and Operations Management, Management Information Systems, Government Business Interface,  Strategic Cost Management, and International Business. Check the topic-wise UPSC Management Optional Syllabus PDF for Paper II below.

1. Quantitative Techniques in Decision-making: Descriptive statistics—tabular, graphical and numerical methods, introduction to probability, discrete and continuous probability distributions, inferential statistics-sampling distributions, central limit theorem, hypothesis testing for differences between means and proportions, inference about population variances, Chi-square and ANOVA, simple correlation and regression, time series and forecasting, decision theory, index numbers; Linear programming—problem formulation, simplex method and graphical solution, sensitivity analysis.
2. Production and Operations Management: Fundamentals of operations management; Organizing for production; Aggregate production planning, capacity planning, plant design: process planning, plant size and scale of operations, Management of facilities; Line balancing; Equipment replacement and maintenance; Production control; Supply, chain management—vendor evaluation and audit; Quality management; Statistical process control, Six Sigma; Flexibility and agility in manufacturing systems; World class manufacturing; Project management concepts, R&D management, Management of service operations; Role and importance of materials management, value analysis, make or buy decision; Inventory control, MRP; Waste management.
3. Management Information System: Conceptual foundations of information systems; Information theory; Information resource management; Types of Information Systems; Systems Development—Overview of Systems and Design; System Development management life-cycle, Designing online and distributed environments; Implementation and control of project; Trends in information technology; Managing data resources—Organising data. DSS and RDBMS; Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Expert systems, e-Business architecture, e-Governance; Information systems planning, Flexibility in information systems; User involvement; Evaluation of information systems.
4. Government Business Interface: State participation in business, Interaction between Government, Business and different Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India; Government’s ploicy with regard to Small Scale Industries; Government clearances for establishing a new enterprise; Public Distribution System; Government control over price and distribution; Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and The Role of Voluntary Organizations in protecting consumers’ rights; New Industrial Policy of the Government : liberalization, deregulation and privatisation; Indian planning system; Government policy concerning development of Backward areas/regions; The Responsibilities of the business as well as the Government to protect the environment; Corporate Governance; Cyber Laws.
5. Strategic Cost Management: Business policy as a field of study; Nature and scope of strategic management, Strategic intent, vision, objectives and policies; Process of strategic planning and implementation; Environmental analysis and internal analysis; SWOT analysis; Tools and techniques for strategic analysis—Impact matrix: The experience curve, BCG matrix, GEC mode, Industry analysis, Concept of value chain; Strategic profile of a firm; Framework for analysing competition; Competitive advantage of a firm; Generic competitive strategies; Growth strategies—expansion, integration and diversification; Concept of core competence, Strategic flexibility; Reinventing strategy; Strategy and structure; chief Executive and Board; turnaround management; Management of strategic change; Strategic alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions; Strategy and corporate evolution in the Indian context.
6. International Business: International Business Environment: Changing composition of trade in goods and services; India’s Foreign Trade: Policy and trends; Financing of International trade; Regional Economic Cooperation; FTAs; Internationalisation of service firms; International production; Operation Management in International companies; International Taxation; Global competitiveness and technological developments; Global EBusiness; Designing global organisational structure and control; Multicultural management; Global business strategy; Global marketing strategies; Export Management; Export-Import procedures; Joint Ventures; Foreign Investment: Foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio investment; Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions; Foreign Exchange Risk Exposure Management; World Financial Markets and International Banking; External Debt Management; Country Risk Analysis.

How to Prepare the UPSC Management Syllabus 2023?

Candidates should analyse the UPSC Management syllabus thoroughly before starting the test preparation. This will allow them to cover the basic concepts and advanced subjects relevant to the exam. Additionally, aspirants can follow the tips and tricks shared below to prepare for the upcoming UPSC IAS test adequately.

• Check the UPSC Management optional syllabus thoroughly and prepare the list of subjects for the preparation accordingly.
• Ensure to have books and study resources that cover all the subjects in a simple and lucid manner.
• Solve UPSC Management's previous year's question paper to get an idea of the pattern and subjects usually asked in the IAS main exam.
• Practice answer writing regularly after completing 50-60% of the Management syllabus for UPSC to score well in the exam.

Booklist for UPSC Management Optional Syllabus

Candidates should choose the highly recommended books to prepare well for the UPSC Management optional subject. This will strengthen their basics and help them learn the advanced subjects without confusion. The right books will cover all the exam-relevant subjects prescribed in the UPSC Management Optional Syllabus. Here are the best UPSC Management Optional books for Paper 1 and Paper 2 below for the reference of the candidates.

• Cost and Management Accounting by MN Arora
• Fundamental of Management by DeCenzo, Agarwal, Bhattacharya & Robbins
• Human Resource Management by K Aswathappa
• Business Environment by AC Fernando
• Strategic Management by Hill and Jones
• Financial Management by Prasanna Chandra
• Marketing Management by Philip Kotler
• Operations Management by Heizer and Render

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FAQ

Let's say you build houses. It's a complex process, and some tasks must be done in a particular order. You can't install windows if you haven't put up the walls. You probably have dozens of specialists working on the buildings, and you have to know which days they're available to pour the foundation, lay the tile, and so forth. You also have to assign tasks so that they're done in the correct order. And what if it rains one day? The whole schedule may change. The way to manage task dependency in a complex project like this one is to use project management software.

PCMag has been testing project management apps since 2015. In that time, we've tested (and retested) more than 25 project management tools. Here, we tell you about those services that scored the highest in our ratings, with a few notes about what makes them different. Below our recommendations is more information on what project management software is and advice on how to shop for the right app for your business or team. If you manage less complex projects, you can save a lot of money and get a better tool for your needs by exploring the best collaboration software instead.

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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

Buying Guide: The Best Project Management Software for 2023

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What Is Project Management Software?

Project management software, sometimes called PM software, is a type of online collaboration tool. All the people who are working on a project log in and see what they're supposed to do and when. These workers also record their progress on those tasks and add relevant details, such as notes about any changes. With the appropriate permission level, people can also learn more about what everyone else is doing, what requirements must be met for them to get it done, and when.

For the project manager, the project management app provides a clear overview of each project's progress. Are all the tasks on track to be completed on time? If one task is late, how does it affect the projected deadlines of items on the task list? Is someone available to pick up an urgent task if the person assigned to do it is ill? Plus, if the project management app supports tracking finances, the app will also tell the people in charge whether the project is running on budget.

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How We Choose the Best Project Management Software

For this list of the best PM software, we evaluated and tested more than 25 project management platforms and have included here the products with the highest scores. Inclusion is based on PCMag's independent testing and evaluation. In determining scores, we consider the needs of a variety of business types, including small businesses on a budget and large organizations that need to manage many complex projects, people, and budgets simultaneously. We also look at ease of use, features, and value.

For this category, we stick to traditional project management apps only. These apps are specifically created to manage projects. A project is a set of work with a start date, an end date, and a deliverable. We don't include apps for managing ongoing work, such as answering support emails.

To be included in this list, the app must offer Gantt charts, which are a type of timeline view commonly used in project management. All the apps included here also have other standard tools in addition to Gantt charts for tracking, organizing, and scheduling project-based work.

While there are many excellent workplace collaboration apps that are sometimes called "project management apps" (such as Trello, Basecamp, and Airtable), we don't include them here. Collaboration or work-management apps are very capable when it comes to managing certain kinds of work, but they aren't necessarily designed for juggling the complexities of dozens or hundreds of projects and their schedules simultaneously. Therefore, we don't include them here.

Zoho Projects' Gantt chart view (Credit: Zoho)

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What Can You Do With Project Management Software?

Project management apps let you track progress and manage nearly any kind of project, such as the creation of a new product, building a house or website, or launching a marketing campaign. Teams that use project management apps tend to track more than one project at a time. The software helps them figure out when to schedule work based on when things need to get done and the human resources available to do them.

The best project management apps detect problems before they happen through detailed task management. By tracking the progress of work and individual tasks (for example, having completed six hours of a task that's estimated to take a total of eight hours), project management apps can sound an alarm when a deadline is in danger of slipping, but before it actually happens. The most powerful project management apps also offer to automatically reflow the project schedule when tasks do fall off course. They generate reports that give project managers insight into which team members have too much or too little work assigned to them. Some let you track project budgets and log billable hours so that you can send invoices to clients for time worked.

TeamGantt's Gantt chart and workload view (Credit: TeamGantt)

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What Is the Best Free Project Management Software?

A few of the best project management software systems have a free plan. The only one that made this list that is truly free is Redmine—more on that service momentarily. The free plan for most apps is severely limited in some way. For example, you might be allowed to manage only one or two projects at a time or invite only a handful of people to work alongside you. In the paid plan, you might get unlimited projects. Plus, you usually don't get all the most advanced features of the paid plan in the free plan. Still, if you have a small team and need to only manage one or two projects, it might work. Free versions also let you try out the app before deciding whether the paid plans will meet your needs.

You can get a free account from Zoho Projects, Teamwork, Wrike, TeamGantt, ProofHub, plus a few others that did not make this list, such as AceProject. 

Redmine is a 100% free PM tool, but you have to install and maintain it yourself. It's not an off-the-shelf product but rather an open-source alternative that requires you to have your own tech support. If you're looking for something simple that you can start using right away, Redmine isn't it. For simplicity, you're better off with Zoho Projects, TeamGantt, or AceProject.

Teamwork's project management dashboard (Credit: Teamwork)

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What Project Management App Is the Easiest to Use?

If you're new to project management and especially if your organization doesn't have a dedicated project manager, you need a project management app that's easy to use.

TeamGantt and GanttPro are the easiest project management apps to learn and use. They are both designed for beginners and other people who are inexperienced at project management.

Many of the project management apps we've reviewed are easy to use, provide good video tutorials, and work well for beginners, but after testing dozens of them, we believe GanttPro and TeamGantt are best.

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What's the Best Project Management App for a Small Business?

If your project team needs to manage and track a couple of projects, but you're less concerned with employee scheduling, collecting time sheets to bill clients, and comparing the progress of multiple projects in development, a low-cost tool such as Zoho Projects (starting at $5 per person per month for Premium) is your best bet. What we especially like about Zoho Projects is that it scales easily if your team ends up growing and needs more features. Zoho, the company, offers a wide range of other business apps that can connect to Zoho Projects to expand what you can do with it.

We also like GanttPro as a low-cost option. It's one of the easiest tools to use and is great for people who have limited or no prior experience with project management.

There's no need to spend more than about $15 per person per month if you aren't going to use the tools that are unique to more expensive software, so stick with something inexpensive.

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What's the Best Project Management App for Large Organizations?

Large organizations have starkly different needs than small businesses. Organizations with hundreds or thousands of employees and hundreds of projects use project management apps for scheduling, insights into their resources, budget-tracking, revenue projection, and time-tracking for billing purposes, among other reasons.

For a large company, it's important to be able to manage not just individuals but also teams. If you have 15 hours of work for a junior designer, and it doesn't matter which junior designer does it, you want to be able to see how much work each junior designer has assigned to them and whether you can free up one of them for the task.

For the same reason, all the managers and team leads in your company should be able to see what tasks are high-priority and which projects are in danger of slipping so that they can triage accordingly.

If your organization handles complex projects and has many team members collaborating on projects, we recommend Celoxis or LiquidPlanner.

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What Project Management Software Has the Best Special Features?

Teams that are neither small businesses nor enormous organizations may have special needs that they want their project management software to address.

Our top pick in this category is Teamwork, which is specialized to handle client work. If your team primarily completes projects as billable work for clients, then Teamwork should be on your shortlist. It includes billing and invoicing, as well as the ability to create intake forms for new projects. Another app called Paymo, which didn't quite score highly enough for this list, also has built-in billing and invoicing tools.

There are other areas of specialization for project management software, of course. If you're looking for a tool that can manage both project and non-project work, we recommend Wrike or Celoxis. (LiquidPlanner is a good pick, too, but we think it's best for large groups.) If your team spends a lot of time discussing and iterating visual assets, ProofHub is a great choice. Smartsheet is good for building automation into your project management.

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Choosing the right project management software can take time, but it's worth having as much nailed down as possible before rolling the solution out to an entire team. Project management apps typically have a significant setup cost. Even when they are simple to learn to use and let you import project data, it still takes time to fine-tune the app to do what you need it to do and then get everyone on board using it.

It's also important to consider what kind of work your team does, how many people are in the organization, and how you want to run your business. There are a lot of excellent options to fit every budget.

With a reliable project management solution in place, people can collaborate with greater ease on project work. Plus, small business owners and team managers can get useful insights into how their teams work, whether projects are on track, and how to guide them back to a successful place when they slip.