UPSC books is embarking on the journey to become a civil servant in India is a monumental task, one that requires dedication, perseverance, and a comprehensive understanding of various subjects. At the heart of this preparation lies the selection of the right books. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, often dubbed as the toughest in the world, demands a strategic approach towards book selection. Here, we delve into a curated list of essential books across different stages and subjects crucial for UPSC aspirants.
1. UPSC Books for Preliminary Examination:
The UPSC Prelims serve as the gateway to the coveted Civil Services Examination. This stage comprises two papers – General Studies Paper-I and CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test).
- History: “India’s Struggle for Independence” by Bipan Chandra and “Indian Art and Culture” by Nitin Singhania are indispensable for covering Indian history comprehensively.
- Geography: “Certificate Physical Geography” by G C Leong is highly recommended, along with NCERT textbooks for a strong foundation.
- Indian Polity: “Indian Polity” by M Laxmikanth is a must-read to grasp the nuances of the Indian political system.
- Economics: “Indian Economy” by Nitin Singhania and “Economic Development & Policies in India” by Jain & Ohri provide a thorough understanding of economic concepts.
- Current Affairs: Regular reading of newspapers like “The Hindu” and “The Indian Express” coupled with monthly compilations of current affairs are indispensable.
2. UPSC Books for Mains Examination:
The Mains Examination consists of written tests focusing on the candidate’s understanding of various subjects.
- History: “History of Modern India” by Bipan Chandra, “India’s Ancient Past” by R.S. Sharma, and “The Wonder That Was India” by A.L. Basham are essential.
- Geography: Majid Husain’s “Geography of India” and “World Geography” are highly recommended along with NCERT textbooks.
- Polity & International Relations: Apart from “Indian Polity” by M Laxmikanth, “Introduction to the Constitution of India” by DD Basu and “International Relations” by Pushpesh Pant are crucial.
- Economics: “International Economics” by Bo Soderston and “Indian Economy” by Ramesh Singh provide in-depth insights.
- Ethics: “Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude for Civil Services” by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary is indispensable for GS Paper-4.
3. UPSC Books for Optional Subjects:
Candidates have the option to choose from a wide array of subjects based on their interest and background. Some popular optional subjects and their corresponding books include:
- Public Administration: “Administrative Thinkers” by Prasad and Prasad, and “New Horizons of Public Administration” by Mohit Bhattacharya.
- Sociology: “Sociology” by Haralambos and Holborn, and “Social Problems in India” by Ram Ahuja.
- Anthropology: “Physical Anthropology” by P. Nath and “Social Anthropology” by S. Srinivas.
- Literature: “An Introduction to Indian Art” by N.N. Sarkar and “Indian Literature” by C.R. Reddy.
4. General Tips for UPSC Books Selection:
- Quality over Quantity: It’s crucial to focus on a few standard books and revise them thoroughly rather than attempting to cover numerous resources superficially.
- Relevance: Ensure the books you choose are aligned with the latest UPSC syllabus and examination pattern.
- Consistency: Regular study habits, coupled with scheduled revisions, are key to retaining information effectively.
- Supplementary Resources: Apart from standard textbooks, incorporating supplementary resources like government reports, magazines, and online platforms can provide diverse perspectives.
Understanding the UPSC Examination:
The Civil Services Examination conducted by the UPSC is one of the most prestigious and competitive examinations in India. Annually, lakhs of aspirants appear for this examination with the hope of serving the nation by joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), or other Group A and Group B services.
The examination process consists of three stages:
- Preliminary Examination: It comprises two objective-type papers – General Studies Paper-I and CSAT. The Prelims serves as a screening test and is meant to shortlist candidates for the Mains examination.
- Mains Examination: Candidates who qualify the Prelims move on to the Mains Examination. It consists of nine descriptive papers, including Essay, General Studies, and Optional Subjects.
- Personality Test (Interview): Candidates who clear the Mains Examination are called for the final stage, which is the Personality Test, commonly known as the Interview. It aims to assess the candidate’s personality, leadership qualities, and suitability for a career in civil services.
Exam Pattern:
- Preliminary Examination (Objective Type):
- Paper-I: General Studies – 200 Marks (2 Hours)
- Paper-II: CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) – 200 Marks (2 Hours)
- Negative marking of 1/3rd marks for each wrong answer in Paper-I.
- Mains Examination (Descriptive Type):
- Nine Papers:
- Paper-A: Compulsory Indian Language (Qualifying Nature)
- Paper-B: English (Qualifying Nature)
- Papers-I to VII: Essay and General Studies
- Papers-VIII & IX: Optional Subjects (Two Papers of 250 Marks each)
- Total Marks: 1750 (7 Papers)
- Nine Papers:
- Personality Test (Interview):
- Candidates who clear the Mains Examination are called for the final stage, which is the Personality Test, commonly known as the Interview.
- The interview aims to assess the candidate’s personality, leadership qualities, and suitability for a career in civil services.
- The interview carries 275 Marks.
In conclusion, while the UPSC examination presents a formidable challenge, the right selection of books can significantly ease the journey towards success. Aspirants must adopt a balanced approach, combining diligent study with critical thinking and analytical skills. Remember, it’s not just about mastering the content but also about developing a holistic understanding of the socio-political landscape of India.
UPSC Preparation Books – Best Books For IAS Prelims
| SUBJECT | UPSC BOOKS |
| History | Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania |
| India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra | |
| NCERT XI (Ancient & Medieval) | |
| NCERT XII (Modern Indian History) | |
| Geography | Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong |
| World Atlas (Orient Black Swan) | |
| NCERT VI – X (Old Syllabus) | |
| NCERT XI, XII (New Syllabus) | |
| Indian Polity | Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth |
| Economic Development & Policies in India – Jain & Ohri | |
| NCERT IX-XII | |
| Economics | Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania |
| Economic Development & Policies in India – Jain & Ohri | |
| Important Acts that Transformed India by Alex Andrews George Important Judgments that Transformed India – by Alex Andrews George | |
| NCERT XI | |
| International Relations | NCERT XII (Contemporary World Politics) |
| Current Affairs | |
| CSAT | Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R S Aggarwal |
| Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual | |
| Solved Papers | IAS General Studies Prelims Solved Papers – Vishal Publications |
UPSC Preparation Book List – Best Books For IAS Mains
| SUBJECT | UPSC BOOKS |
| History, Indian Heritage & Culture (GS Paper 1) | History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra |
| India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra | |
| India after Independence by Bipan Chandra | |
| Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania | |
| World History – by Krishna Reddy | |
| History of the World – by Arjun Dev | |
| Ancient India by R.S Sharma | |
| Geography (GS Paper 1) | Certificate Physical and Human Geography – G C Leong |
| Geography of India by Majid Husain | |
| World Geography by Majid Husain | |
| World Atlas (Orient Black Swan) | |
| Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT Class 11 | |
| Polity & International Relations (GS Paper 2) | Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth |
| International Relations: Pushpesh Pant | |
| Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu | |
| Economy (GS Paper 3) | Indian Economy – Nitin Singhania |
| Challenges to Internal Security of India – Ashok Kumar | |
| Environment and Disaster Management – Tata McGraw Hill | |
| Ethics (GS Paper 4) | Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary |
| Solved Papers | IAS General Studies Prelims Solved Papers – Vishal Publications |
UPSC Books List For Optional Subjects
| OPTIONAL SUBJECT | UPSC BOOKS |
| Urdu | Urdu Shairi ka Tauqidi Mutala – Suenbul Nigar |
| Urdu Nasr ka Tauqidi Mutala – Suenbul Nigar | |
| Urdu Adab Ki Tarikh – Noorul Hasan Naqvi | |
| Management | Financial: Pandey/Chandra/Khan & Jain/Bearley |
| Economics: Any good economics book | |
| Operations: Adams/Taha | |
| Organisational Design: Khandwala; Madhukar Shukla | |
| Economics | International Economics – Bo Soderston |
| National Income Accounting – Bakerman | |
| Banking – S.B. Gupta | |
| International Trade – Bo Soderston | |
| Psychology | Psychology Robert A Baron |
| Social Psychology Baron & Byrne | |
| The Psychology of Small Groups Shaw | |
| Agriculture | Agronomy By Yellamananda Reddy |
| Soil Science – D.K Das Or Brady | |
| Genetics By B.D.Singh | |
| Entomology – Vasantha Raj & David | |
| Special Issue of Agriculture by The Hindu | |
| Chemistry | Theoretical principles of inorganic chemistry – G.S. Manku |
| Extradiction of metals, Principle of inorganic chemistry – Puri, Sharma, Jauhar | |
| Advance physical chemistry – Gurdeep Raj | |
| A guide to mechanism in organic chemistry – Peter Sykes | |
| Botany | Taxonomy: Nair along with Datta |
| Embryology: Bhojwani and Bhatnagar | |
| Physiology and Biochemistry: Salisbury and Ross or Fritz and Noggle | |
| Economic Botany: Kochar or Verma | |
| Mathematics | Ordinary Differential EQs:- MD Raising Lumina, Golden series-NP Bali |
| Real Analysis – Shantinarayan, Royden | |
| Linear Programming – SD Sharma | |
| Solid Mechanism – Kazmioo | |
| History | History of Modern India – Shekhar Bandopadhyaya/Bipan Chandra |
| India’s Ancient Past – R.S. Sharma | |
| The Wonder That Was India – A.L. Basham | |
| Ashoka and the Decline of the Mauryas – Romila Thapar | |
| India’s Struggle For Independence – Bipan Chandra and Others | |
| Electrical Engineering | Modern Central Engineering – Ogata |
| Electromagnetic Waives and Field – R.N. Singh | |
| Surveying and Levelling – T P Kanetakar | |
| Heat Conversion – Arora & Kundwar | |
| Anthropology | N. Hasnain: Tribal India |
| Herskovits: Cultural Anthropology | |
| Surender Nath: Forensic Anthropology | |
| Herskovits: Cultural Anthropology | |
| Stein & Rowe: An Introduction to Physical Anthropology |
