🎯 Smart preparation for India's competitive examsHindi + English • Practice • Analyse • Improve
Acadvik — Learn, Practise, Analyse
ACADVIK • Learn • Practice • Analyse

RAS Mains General Studies Paper IV — General Hindi and General English

Structured preparation resources for India's competitive examinations.

RPSC’s RAS Mains Paper IV has three components in the syllabus dated 9 January 2026: General Hindi (90 marks), General English (70 marks) and Essay (40 marks). The paper is designed to assess language competence, clear expression and the ability to organise ideas. This guide follows the prescribed components rather than a generic language syllabus.

Unit I: General Hindi — 90 marks

Part A — 30 marks: grammar, usage and administrative terminology

  • Prefixes and suffixes: identify the prefix or suffix in a word and explain how it changes meaning.
  • Words with similar pronunciation but different meanings: show the distinction by using each word correctly in a sentence.
  • Word correction and sentence correction: identify the error, apply the rule and rewrite the expression clearly.
  • Idioms: explain meaning through correct usage in a sentence.
  • Proverbs and folk sayings: demonstrate the intended meaning in context rather than simply memorising a definition.
  • Administrative terminology: provide appropriate Hindi equivalents for English terms used in administration.

Part B — 30 marks: précis, expansion and translation

  • Précis writing: condense a prose passage to approximately one-third of its words; the syllabus indicates a passage of about 150 words. Preserve the central idea and essential supporting points without adding opinion.
  • Expansion of an idea: explain a quotation, poetic line or well-known statement in approximately 100 words. Clarify the meaning, develop the central thought and conclude coherently.
  • Translation: translate the given English passage into Hindi, approximately 50 words. Preserve meaning, names, figures and tone while using natural Hindi syntax.

Part C — 30 marks: letters and drafting

  • Letter writing: general official letter, office order, demi-official letter, reminder and report (रिपोर्ट).
  • Drafting: notification, tender notice, circular, press release and office memorandum.

For each format, learn the purpose, addressee, subject line, reference or date where required, body structure, closing and signature designation. Use the format expected by the question; an office order, demi-official letter and press release serve different purposes.

Unit II: General English — 70 marks

Part A — Grammar and Usage, 20 marks

  • Prepositions: learn usage in context, including common verb–preposition and adjective–preposition combinations.
  • The same word as different parts of speech: identify how a word functions in the sentence rather than assuming its part of speech is fixed.
  • Phrasal verbs and idioms: demonstrate meaning through application in a sentence.
  • One-word substitution: select a precise word or term for the definition given.
  • Words often confused or misused: distinguish meaning, spelling and grammatical role.

Part B — Comprehension, translation and précis, 30 marks

  • Unseen passage: approximately 300 words, with five questions based on the passage. Answers should be supported by the text.
  • Précis: approximately 100 words based on the same passage. Retain the main idea, remove repetition and do not add unsupported commentary.
  • Translation: translate five sentences from Hindi into English, preserving meaning and using natural English structure.

Part C — Composition and letter writing, 20 marks

  • Elaboration of a theme: choose one of three given themes and write approximately 150 words.
  • Official writing: official letter, demi-official letter, official memorandum or report writing, approximately 150 words.

Unit III: Essay — 40 marks

Write one essay of approximately 600 words in either Hindi or English, based on one of the six thematic areas listed by RPSC:

  1. Language, literature and cultural heritage.
  2. Society, governance and public affairs.
  3. Science, technology, environment and sustainable development.
  4. Economy, agriculture, industry and commerce.
  5. Current affairs, disasters and national development initiatives.
  6. Tourism, culture and contemporary issues with reference to Rajasthan.

RPSC expects relevance to the assigned subject, coherent organisation, precision and brevity, clarity of thought and effective expression. A practical structure is: define the issue; establish context; develop three to five connected arguments; include a relevant example or evidence; consider a limitation or counterpoint; and conclude with a realistic way forward. Do not force every essay into identical headings if the topic calls for a different structure.

A practical weekly practice routine

  1. Complete one Hindi grammar and usage set.
  2. Write one Hindi précis or expansion and check the word limit.
  3. Practise one official Hindi drafting format.
  4. Complete one English comprehension passage and précis.
  5. Translate five sentences in each direction across the week.
  6. Write one 150-word composition and one essay outline from the six themes.
  7. Keep an error log for grammar, spelling, register, structure and time management.

Important: The syllabus points and marks distribution above are taken from the official RPSC Mains syllabus dated 9 January 2026. Check the original PDF for exact wording and any later correction.

Open official RPSC Mains syllabus ↗ · ← Back to point-wise RAS syllabus · RAS Study Materials