UPSC revised its syllabus in 2012, after which the role of
Politics, Science and International Relations as an optional
subject has increased. The popularity of this optional subject is
due to its establishment as PSIR and the success of a large number
of students in the final selection list of UPSC every year for the
last decade.
The syllabus of PSIR looks very detailed but if PSIR is analysis
along with the essay on General Studies then the syllabus becomes
very brief. The role of PSIR is seen as an optional subject and in
all the four question papers of General Studies and in the essay.