Is UPSC planning to remove optional from the cse 2020?

No in 2020 upsc is not removing the optional and everything remains same as earlier

It can't be determined exactly when the optional subjects would be done away with by the UPSC. Whenever it is, uniformity across subjects will ensue and all attempting the Main Exam would be judged on more common and universalistic parameters.

But despite this what we cannot wish away is the fact that we will in any case need to be strong with the domain knowledge of esp those optional papers which lend themselves towards society and humanity and therefore so important to the scheme of CSE.

As such, General Studies Papers of the post 2013 era esp might have become more generic but the questions demand a broad based approach and a foundational vision which duly is the outcome of the combination of strands of knowledge derived from disciplines ranging from Sociology, Public Administration, Management, Philosophy, Human Geography, Psychology and so on.

In conclusion, even in the near future when optionals will have been phased out, the UPSC Syllabus of the aforementioned optionals will NECESSARILY be required to be studied and those topics having contemporary relevance mastered with finesse