UPPSC Assistant Professor English Literature 2025: Comprehensive Syllabus & Exam Guide

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19-Sep-2025

The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has announced the Assistant Professor Recruitment 2025 for Government Degree Colleges across the state. Among the many disciplines, English Literature remains one of the most sought-after subjects due to its wide career scope, rich syllabus, and the demand for qualified faculty in universities and colleges. If you are planning to apply for the UPPSC Assistant Professor English Literature 2025, this guide will help you understand the vacancy details, eligibility, syllabus, exam pattern, preparation tips, and the Drishti Online Course.

UPPSC Assistant Professor English Literature 2025 – Vacancy Details
The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has announced 92 vacancies for the post of Assistant Professor in English Literature under Government Degree Colleges. The detailed category-wise distribution is as follows:
- Total Vacancies: 92
- Unreserved (UR): 41
- Scheduled Caste (SC): 16
- Scheduled Tribe (ST): 03
- Other Backward Classes (OBC): 23
- Economically Weaker Section (EWS): 09
- Dependents of Freedom Fighters (DFF): 01
- Persons with Disabilities (PH): 03
- Women (Horizontal Reservation): 18
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for UPPSC Assistant Professor (English Literature), candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Educational Qualification:
  - A Master’s degree in English Literature with at least 55% marks from a recognized university.
  - Candidates must have cleared the UGC-NET/JRF or possess a PhD degree in English Literature (as per UGC regulations).
Syllabus for English Literature
The syllabus is divided into eleven units, covering English literature from the 16th to the 20th century, as well as linguistics, various global literatures in English, and literary theory.
- Unit - I: Forms of Literature, Literary Trends, and Movements
  This foundational unit covers the background of major literary movements and trends from the 16th to the 20th century.
- Unit - II: Poetry
  This section focuses on key poets and their works, spanning from the Renaissance to the Modern period.
- Key Poets and Works Include:
  - Geoffrey Chaucer: Prologue to The Canterbury Tales.
  - John Donne: "The Canonization," "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning".
  - John Milton: Paradise Lost: Book I.
  - Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock (Canto 1 and 2)
  - William Blake: “The Tyger”, “The Lamb”
  - William Wordsworth: "Tintern Abbey," "Ode: On Intimations of Immortality".
  - Samuel Taylor Coleridge: "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” “Christabel”
  - John Keats: “Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode to a Nightingale”
  - B. Shelley:" Adonais: An Elegy on the Death of John Keats”, “To a Skylark”
  - Ted Hughes: “The Thought Fox” “Hawk Roosting”
  - W H Auden: “In the Memory of WB Yeats”
  - Alfred Lord Tennyson: “Ulysses,” “The Lotus-Eaters”.
  - Robert Browning: “My Last Duchess,” “Last Ride Together”.
  - S. Eliot: The Waste Land.
  - B. Yeats: “The Second Coming,” “Sailing to Byzantium”.
- Unit - III: Drama
  This unit covers major dramatic works from the Elizabethan era to the 20th century.
  - Key Playwrights and Works Include:
    - Christopher Marlowe: “ Faustus”.
    - William Shakespeare: Hamlet, “Last Ride Together”.
    - Ben Johnson: “Volpone”.
    - G B Shaw: “Candida”.
    - Harold Pinter: “The Home coming”.
    - Samuel Beckett: “Waiting for Godot”.
    - John Osborne: “Look Back in Anger”.
    - S. Eliot: “The Waste Land”.
    - B. Yeats: “The Second Coming,” “Sailing to Byzantium”.
- Unit - IV: Fiction and Prose
  This section includes major novels and prose from the 18th century through the Modernist period.
  - Key Authors and Works Include:
    - Jane Austen: “Pride and Prejudice”.
    - George Eliot: “Silas Marner”.
    - James Joyce: “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”.
    - H. Lawrence: “The Rainbow”.
    - William Golding: “Lord of the Flies”.
    - GrahamGreen: “The Power and The Glory”.
    - Francis Bacon: “Of Truth”, “Of Studies” “Of Adversity”.
    - Thomas Carlyle: “The Hero as Man of Letters”.
    - Charles Dickens: “Hard Times”.
    - Thomas Hardy: “Tess of the D'Urbervilles”.
    - Virginia Woolf: “To the Lighthouse”.
    - Francis Bacon: “Of Truth,” “Of Studies”.
    - Bertrand Russell: “Science and Values,” “Science and War”.
- Unit - V: Linguistics
  This unit focuses on the study of language, including its structure, social aspects, and teaching methodologies. Topics include Socio-Linguistics, Psycho-linguistics, Language Teaching Methods (like Grammar-Translation and Communicative Language Teaching), and Error Analysis.
- Unit - VI: Indian Writing in English
  This section is dedicated to prominent Indian authors who write in English.
- Key Authors and Works Include:
  - Rabindranath Tagore's poetry.
  - Sarojini Naidu: “Song of Radha", "The Milk Maid”
  - Raja Rao: “On the Ganga Ghat and Other Stories”.
  - Girish Karnad: “Nagamandala”.
  - Salman Rushdie: “Midnight's Children”.
  - Arundhati Roy: “The God of Small Things”.
  - Anita Desai: “The Fire on the Mountain”
  - Kamala Das: “An Introduction”, “The Looking Glass”
  - K. Ramanujan's poetry.
- Unit - VII: American Literature
  This unit covers significant works from American literary history.
- Key Authors and Works Include:
  - Walt Whitman: “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd”.
  - Robert Frost: “Mending Wall”.
  - Edgar Allen Poe: “The Raven”
  - Arthur Miller: “Death of a Salesman”.
  - Herman Melville: “Moby Dick”.
  - Sylvia Plath: “Lady Lazarus”, “Daddy”
  - Ernest Hemingway: “A Farewell to Arms”.
- Unit - VIII: New Literature in English
  This section explores post-colonial literature from Africa and the Caribbean.
  - Key Authors and Works Include:
    - A D Hope: “The Death of the Bird”
    - Patrick White: “The Solid Mandala”
    - Margaret Atwood: “The Blind Assassin”
    - Derek Walcott: “A Far Cry from Africa”.
    - Chinua Achebe: “Things Fall Apart”.
    - S. Naipaul: “A House for Mr. Biswas”.
    - Wole Soyinka: “A Dance of the Forest”.
    - Ngugi wa Thiong'o: “Decolonising the Mind”.
- Unit - IX: Women Writing
  This unit is dedicated to works by female authors, focusing on feminist themes and perspectives.
  - Key Authors and Works Include:
    - Jean Rhys: Wide Sargasso Sea
    - Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre.
    - Virginia Woolf: A Room of One's Own.
    - Tony Morrison: Beloved.
- Unit - X: Literature in Translation
  This unit covers the theory and practice of translation, as well as key translated works from global literature. It includes concepts like Skopos Theory and texts such as Munshi Premchand's The Gift of a Cow and Saadat Hasan Manto's “Toba Tek Singh”.
- Unit - XI: Literary Theory and Criticism
  This unit spans from classical criticism to contemporary theory.
  - Key Thinkers and Works Include:
    - Bharat Muni: The Natyasastra (chapter VI & VII).
    - Philip Sidney: An Apology for Poetry
    - Samuel Johnson: “Preface to Shakespeare”
    - T. Coleridge: Biographia Literaria Chapters XIII
    - William Wordsworth: “Preface to Lyrical Ballads”.
    - S. Eliot: “Tradition and the Individual Talent”.
    - Jacques Derrida: “Structure, sign and play...”.
    - Edward Said: “Introduction” to Orientalism.
    - Homi K. Bhabha: “Introduction: Location of Culture” from The Location of Culture
    - Gayatri C. Spivak: “Can the Subaltern Speak?”.
Preparation Strategies
A disciplined and well-planned approach is key to success in the UPPSC exams.
- Understanding the Syllabus and Exam Pattern:
  - Familiarize Yourself with the Structure: Before starting, candidates must have a clear idea of the UPPSC Assistant Professor syllabus and exam pattern. The exam includes a written test followed by an interview.
  - Know the Sections: The syllabus is divided into two main parts: General Studies and a subject-specific paper. General Studies covers topics like current events, Indian history and polity, geography, and general awareness with a special focus on Uttar Pradesh. The subject-specific paper evaluates in-depth knowledge in the candidate's chosen discipline.
  - Exam Format: The preliminary exam consists of 120 multiple-choice questions (30 from General Studies and 90 from the optional subject), totaling 150 marks, to be completed in 2 hours. The mains exam is descriptive, with 20 questions (10 short and 10 long answers) for 200 marks, to be completed in 3 hours.
Effective Study Techniques:
- Self-Study: Many successful candidates emphasize relying on self-study as the key to success, using online materials and recommended books. A disciplined and dedicated approach is crucial if not opting for coaching.
- Topper Interviews: Watching interviews of toppers can provide valuable insights into their strategies and recommended resources.
- Note-Making: Preparing concise notes (e.g., two pages for each syllabus topic) is a recommended strategy for mains preparation, as it helps in quick revision.
- Focus on Foundational Concepts: Building a strong foundation is essential. Some aspirants prefer to use standard UPSC lectures to cover the basics and then supplement with UPPSC-specific practice questions and previous year papers (PYQs).
Regular Practice:
- Mock Tests: Regularly taking mock tests is vital to simulate exam conditions, improve time management, and build confidence.
- PYQs: Practicing with previous years' question papers helps in understanding the exam format and identifying frequently asked topics.
Choosing the Right Resources:
- Select Quality over Quantity: It is better to study from one or two well-structured books per subject to avoid confusion.
- Updated Content: Ensure that the study materials and books are based on the latest syllabus and exam pattern.
- Analyze Coaching Reviews: If considering a coaching institute, research it thoroughly. Some aspirants have found that while study materials might be good, the faculty for lectures may not be up to the mark. Experiences with online coaching can vary significantly.
Drishti Online Course for UPPSC Assistant Professor English Literature
Admissions Open for the Drishti UPPSC Assistant Professor English Literature Online Course, specially designed for candidates preparing for the 2025 exam.
- Course Features:
  - Complete coverage of the latest syllabus.
  - General Studies + English Literature (optional subject).
  - Focus on both Preliminary and Main Examinations.
  - 200+ Live Online Classes with unlimited access for 24 months (via Drishti Learning App).
  - Class PDFs, Handouts, Mock Tests, and Interactive Doubt-Clearing Sessions.
  - Commencement Date: 25 September 2025.
  - Mode: Live Online (through Drishti Learning App).
- Additional Benefits:
  - Unlimited access to each class for 24 months (validity period).
  - Classes conducted as per the latest syllabus, organized by section importance.
  - Special focus on concept clarity and answer-identification skills.
  - Exam-oriented practice through discussion of probable questions.
  - Free access to mock tests through the Drishti Learning App.
  - Academic support team available via phone for doubt resolution.
  - Regular Interactive Doubt-Clearing Sessions with faculty.
  - PDF handouts prepared under expert guidance as study material.

The UPPSC Assistant Professor English Literature 2025 exam is a golden opportunity for candidates aspiring to secure a teaching position in Uttar Pradesh’s Government Degree Colleges. With the right mix of syllabus clarity, smart study planning, and guided preparation through Drishti’s Online Course, aspirants can maximize their success in this competitive exam.