Bengali Literature Syllabus for UPSC

About Bengali Language: –

Bengali language, Bengali Bangla, member of the Indo-Aryan group of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. With some 100 million Bengali speakers in Bangladesh; about 85 million in India, primarily in the states of West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura speak Bengali language. It is the state language of Bangladesh and one of the languages officially recognized in the constitution of India.

Bengali Syllabus Subject For UPSC

Bengali is the language provided as a Literature Optional which focuses on the candidates’ understanding of the basic concepts of literature. Candidates who have studied the Bengali literature can opt for it as an optional subject in the IAS (UPSC CSE) Mains Exam. Analytical and unconventional questions are appearing in previous papers so while preparing students should keep IAS Mains Bengali Syllabus and previous papers for reference. The aspirants who are well versed with the Bengali language and are familiar with the grammatical aspects can easily score high marks in this optional. 

Bengali Syllabus Exam Pattern: –

The Bengali language is one of the optional subjects offered for the 2 optional papers in the IAS (UPSC CSE) Main Exam. Each Bengali optional paper consists of 250 marks. Duration for each Bengali mains paper is 3 hours. With well-planned strategies, you can easily score well in the Bengali literature. Interest should be the prime criteria for choosing any optional.

Advantages of choosing Bengali 

· Well defined syllabus and Less subjectivity

  • Direct and straightforward questions
  • Ample scope to score marks with diagrams
  • The inquiries in this subject are immediate and crucial.
  • Room for interpretation in the written answers
  • Quality of answers as there is no limitation to different kinds of answers.
  • Updation in the syllabus is rare

Disadvantages of choosing Bengali

  • Subjective Nature of the answers can lead to less scoring at times if your views do not match with the evaluator.
  • Lack of resources
  • No syllabus overlaps with GS papers
  • Essay writing and interviews won’t pose much of a problem as the amount of reading will help with these.

Bengali Paper 1 Syllabus

Section A

Topics from the History of Bangla language-

  1. The chronological track from Proto Indo-European to Bangla (Family tree with branches and approximate dates).
  2. Historical stages of Bangla (Old, Middle, New) and their linguistic features.
  3. Dialects of Bangla and their distinguishing characteristics.
  4. Elements of Bangla Vocabulary.
  5. Forms of Bangla Literary ProseSadhu and Chalit.
  6. Processes of language change relevant for Bangla. Apinihiti (Anaptyxis), Abhishruti (umlaut), Murdhanyibhavan (cerebralization), Nasikyibhavan (Nasalization), Samibhavan (Assimilation), Sadrishya (Analogy), Svaragama (Vowel insertion)-Adi Svaragama, Madhya Svaragama or Svarabhakti, Antya Svaragama, Svarasangati (Vowel hormony), yshruti and w-shruti.
  7. Problems of standardization and reform of alphabet and spelling, and those of transliteration and Romanization.
  8. Phonology, Morphology and Syntax of Modern Bangla. (Sounds of Modern Bangla, Conjuncts; word formations, compounds; basic sentence patterns.)

Section B

Topics from the History of Bangla Literature-

  1. Periodization of Bangla Literature: Old Bangla and Middle Bangla.
  2. Points of difference between modern and pre-modern Bangla Literature.
  3. Roots and reasons behind the emergence of modernity in Bangla Literature.
  4. Evolution of various Middle Bangla forms: Mangal kavyas, Vaishnava lyrics, Adapted narratives (Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata) and religious biographies.
  5. Secular forms in middle Bangla literature.
  6. Narrative and lyric trends in the nineteenth century Bangla poetry.
  7. Development of prose.
  8. Bangla dramatic literature (nineteenth century, Tagore, Post-1944 Bangla drama).
  9. Tagore and post-Tagoreans.
  10. Fiction, major authors: (Bankimchandra, Tagore, Saratchandra, Bibhutibusan, Tarasankar, Manik).
  11. Women and Bangla literature: creators and created.

 

Bengali Paper 2 Syllabus

Section A

  1. Vaishnava Padavali (Calcutta University) Poems of Vidyapati, Chandidas, Jnanadas, Govindadas and Balaramdas.
  2. Chandimangal Kalketu episode by Mukunda (Sahitya Akademi).
  3. Chaitanya Charitamrita Madya Lila, by Krishnadas Kaviraj (Sahitya Akademi).
  4. Meghnadbadh Kavya by Madhusudan Dutta.
  5. Kapalkundala by Bankimchandra Chattarjee.
  6. Samya and Bangadesher Krishak by Bankimchandra Chatterjee.
  7. Sonar Tari by Rabindranath Tagore.
  8. Chhinnapatravali by Rabindranath Tagore.

Section B

  1. Raktakarabi by Rabindranath Tagore.
  2. Nabajatak by Rabindranath Tagore.
  3. Grihadaha by Saratchandra Chatterjee.
  4. Prabandha Samgraha Vol. 1, by Pramatha Choudhuri.
  5. Aranyak by Bibhutibhusan Banerjee
  6. Short stories by Manik Bandyo-padhyay : Atashi Mami, Pragaitihasik, Holud-Pora, Sarisrip, Haraner Natjamai, Chhoto-Bokulpurer Jatri, Kustharogir Bou, Jakey Ghush Ditey Hoy.
  7. Shrestha Kavita by Jibanananda Das.
  8. Jagori by Satinath Bhaduri.
  9. Ebam Indrajit by Badal Sircar.