Commerce and Accountancy Optional Syllabus for Civil Service Examination
The Commerce and Accountancy syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service Examination is one of the 48 optional subjects, that tests the understanding of the candidates on the core concepts and their application in commerce and accountancy, to solve the problems faced by the government and businesses.
The candidates who opt Commerce and Accountancy optional paper for the UPSC Mains examination will find that the UPSC syllabus gave importance to management-related commerce and accountancy. Chartered Accountants, candidates with a commerce background and people working in finance or finance-related firms would consider this optional paper as the best choice.
UPSC Syllabus for Commerce and Accountancy Optional: Paper I
- Financing Accounting
- Accounting as a financial information system
- Impact of Behavioural Sciences
- Accounting Standards
(For eg, Accounting for Depreciation, Inventories, Research and Development Costs, Long-term Construction Contracts, Revenue Recognition, Fixed Assets, Contingencies, Foreign Exchange Transactions, Investments and Government Grants, Cash Flow Statement, and Earnings per Share)
- Accounting for Share Capital Transactions
- Bonus Shares
- Right Shares and so forth
- Employees Stock Option
- Buy-Back of Securities
- Preparation and Presentation of Company Final Accounts
- Amalgamations, Absorption and Reconstruction of Companies
2. Cost Accounting
- Nature and functions of cost accounting
- Installation of Cost Accounting System
- Cost Concepts related to Income Measurement, Profit Planning, Cost Control and Decision Making
- Methods of Costing
- Job Costing
- Process Costing
- Activity Based Costing
- Volume-cost-Profit Relationship as a Tool of Profit Planning
- Incremental Analysis/Differential Costing
- Tool of Pricing Decisions
- Product Decisions
- Make or Buy Decisions
- Shut-down decisions and so forth
- Techniques of Cost Control and Cost Reduction
- Budgeting as a Tool of Planning and Control
- Standard Costing and Variance Analysis
- Responsibility Accounting and Divisional Performance Measurement
3. Taxation
- Income Tax
- Definitions
- Basis of charge
- Incomes which do not form part of total income
- Simple problems of Computation of Income under various heads (Individual only)
- Salaries
- Income from House Property
- Profits and Gains from Business or Profession
- Capital Gains
- Income from other sources
- Income of other Persons included in Assessee’s Total Income
- Set-off and carry forward of Loss
- Deductions from Gross Total Income
- Important Features or Provisions Related to VAT and Services Tax
4. Auditing
- Company Audit
- Audit related to
- Divisible Profits
- Dividends
- Special investigations
- Tax audit
- Audit of
- Banking
- Insurance
- Non-profit organisation
- Charitable
- Societies/Trusts/Organizations
- Audit related to
5. Financial Management, Financial Institutions and Markets
a. Financial Management
- Finance Function:
- Nature, Scope and Objectives of Financial Management
- Risk and Return Relationship
- Tools of Financial Analysis
- Ratio Analysis, Funds-Flow and Cash-Flow Statement
- Capital Budgeting Decisions
- Process, Procedures and Appraisal Methods
- Risk and Uncertainty Analysis and Methods
- Cost of Capital
- Concept, Computation of Specific Costs and Weighted Average Cost of Capital
- CAPM as a tool for Determining the Cost of Equity Capital
- Financing Decisions
- Theories of Capital Structure
- Net Income (NI) Approach
- Net Operating Income (NOI) Approach
- MM Approach
- Traditional Approach
- Theories of Capital Structure
- Designing of Capital structure
- Types of Leverages
- Operating, Financial and Combined
- EBIT-EPS Analysis
- Other Factors
- Types of Leverages
- Dividend Decisions and Valuation of Firm
- Walter’s Model
- MM Thesis
- Gordan’s Model Lintner’s Model
- Factors Affecting Dividend Policy
- Working Capital Management
- Planning of Working Capital.
- Determinants of Working Capital
- Components of Working Capital-Cash, Inventory and Receivables
- Corporate Restructuring with a focus on Mergers and Acquisitions (Financial aspect only).
- Concept, Computation of Specific Costs and Weighted Average Cost of Capital
b. Financial Markets and Institutions:
- Indian Financial System: An Overview
- Money Markets
- Participants, Structure and Instruments
- Commercial Banks
- Reforms in the Banking Sector
- Monetary and credit policy of RBI
- RBI as a Regulator
- Capital Market
- Primary and Secondary Market
- Financial Market Instruments
- Innovative Debt Instruments
- SEBI as a Regulator.
- Financial Services
- Mutual Funds
- Venture Capital
- Credit Rating Agencies
- Insurance
- IRDA
UPSC Syllabus for Commerce and Accountancy Optional: Paper II
- Organisation Theory and Behaviours,
- Human Resource Management
- Industrial Relations Organisation Theory
- Behaviour
- Organisation Theory:
- Nature and Concept of Organisation
- External Environment of Organisation
- Technological, Social, Political, Economical and Legal
- Organizational Goals Primary and Secondary Goals
- Single and Multiple Goals
- Management by Objectives.
- Evolution of Organisation Theory
- Classical Neo-classical and system approach
- Modern Concepts of Organisation Theory
- Organisational Design, Organisational Structure and Organisational Culture
- Organisational Design
- Basic Challenges
- Differentiation and Integration Process
- Centralisation and Decentralisation Process
- Standardisation/Formalisation and Mutual Adjustment
- Coordinating Formal and Informal Organizations
- Mechanistic and Organic Structures
- Designing Organizational structures
- Authority and Control
- Line and Staff Functions
- Specialization and Coordination
- Types of Organisation Structure
- Functional
- Matrix Structure
- Project Structure
- Nature and Basis of Power
- Sources of Power
- Power Structure and Politics
- Impact of Information Technology on Organizational Design and Structure
- Managing Organisational Culture
2.Organisation Behaviour
- Meaning and Concept
- Individual in organisation
- Personality, Theories, and Determinants
- Perception Meaning and Process
- Motivation
- Concepts, Theories and Applications.
- Leadership
- Theories and Styles
- Quality of Work Life (QWL)
- Meaning and its influence on Performance
- Ways of its Enhancement
- Quality Circles (QC)
- Meaning and their Importance
- Management of Conflicts in Organisations
- Transactional Analysis
- Organisational Effectiveness
- Management of Change
3. Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations
a. Human Resources Management (HRM) :
- Meaning Nature and Scope of HRM
- Human Resource Planning
- Job Analysis
- Job Description
- Job Specification
- Recruitment Process
- Selection Process
- Orientational and Placement
- Training and Development Process
- Performance Appraisal and 360° Feed Back
- Salary and Wage Administration
- Job Evaluation
- Employee Welfare
- Promotions
- Transfers and Separations
b. Industrial Relations (IR)
- Meaning, Nature, Importance and Scope of IR
- Formation of Trade Union, Trade Union Legislation, Trade Union Movement in India
- Recognition of Trade Unions, Problems of Trade Unions in India
- Impact of Liberalisation on the Trade Union Movement
- Nature of Industrial Disputes
- Strikes and Lockouts
- Causes of Disputes
- Prevention and Settlement of Disputes
- Worker’s Participation in Management
- Philosophy, Rationale, Present Day Status and Future Prospects
- Adjudication and Collective Bargaining
- Industrial Relations in Public Enterprises Absenteeism and Labour Turnover in Indian Industries and their Causes and Remedies.
- ILO and its Functions
As the Commerce and Accountancy optional paper is highly specific, it is apt for commerce graduates or people who are working in financial firms. To secure a high score in the examination, the candidates need to work on the previous year’s question papers. In addition, they need to be thorough with the syllabus and also attend the CSE mock tests to turn down the paper easily.