Best Books for UPSC Preparation (Prelims & Mains)
UPSC Prelims – Best Books (Objective Type)
History (Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Art & Culture)
• NCERT History Textbooks (Class 6-12)
• Tamil Nadu State Board History Book (Class 11 & 12)
• India’s Ancient Past – R.S. Sharma (Ancient)
• Medieval India – Satish Chandra (Medieval)
• Spectrum’s Modern India – Rajiv Ahir (Modern)
• A Brief History of Modern India – Bipan Chandra (Modern)
• Nitin Singhania’s Indian Art & Culture
Indian & World Geography
• NCERT Geography Textbooks (Class 6-12)
• Certificate Physical & Human Geography – G.C. Leong
• Oxford Student Atlas for India
• Majid Hussain’s Indian & World Geography
Indian Polity & Governance
• Indian Polity – M. Laxmikanth (Must-read)
• Introduction to the Constitution of India – D.D. Basu (Reference)
• NCERT Political Science Books (Class 9-12)
Indian Economy
• NCERT Economics Textbooks (Class 9-12)
• Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh
• Sanjeev Verma’s Indian Economy
• Economic Survey of India & Budget (Latest Edition)
Environment & Ecology
• Shankar IAS Environment Book
• NCERT Biology (Class 12 - Selected Chapters on Ecology)
• Current Affairs on Environmental Issues (PIB, Down to Earth, etc.)
Science & Technology
• NCERT Science Books (Class 6-10)
• Science Reporter Magazine
• ISRO & DRDO Websites for Latest Tech Updates
Current Affairs & Government Schemes
• The Hindu / Indian Express Newspaper
• Yojana & Kurukshetra Magazines
• PIB (Press Information Bureau) Reports
• Vision IAS / Insights IAS Monthly Current Affairs
CSAT (Paper 2) – Best Books
CSAT Preparation
• CSAT Manual – Arihant or Tata McGraw Hill
• A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal
• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams – R.S. Aggarwal
• Previous Year Papers + Mock Tests
UPSC Mains – Best Books (Descriptive Type)
Essay Paper
• Essays for Civil Services – Pulkit Khare
• Selected Essays – By Ramesh Singh
• The Hindu Editorials for practice
General Studies Paper 1 – History, Geography, Society
• Spectrum’s Modern India – Rajiv Ahir, Bipan Chandra’s India Since Independence
• Mastering Modern World History – Norman Lowe
• NCERT Geography Books, Majid Hussain’s Indian Geography
• Social Problems in India – Ram Ahuja
General Studies Paper 2 – Polity, Governance, IR
• Indian Polity – M. Laxmikanth, Governance in India – M. Laxmikanth
• Current Affairs (The Hindu, IDSA Reports)
General Studies Paper 3 – Economy, Science, Security, Environment
• Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh, Economic Survey & Budget
• NCERT Science Books, Science Reporter
• Shankar IAS Environment
• Challenges to Internal Security of India – Ashok Kumar IPS
General Studies Paper 4 – Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
• Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude – Lexicon
• Solved Case Studies – G. Subba Rao
Optional Subject
• History – Bipan Chandra’s India Since Independence, R.S. Sharma’s Ancient India
• Political Science & IR – Foundations of Political Science – O.P. Gauba
• Geography – Physical Geography – Savindra Singh
• Public Administration – Public Administration – M. Laxmikanth
• Sociology – Sociology: Themes and Perspectives – Haralambos & Holborn
UPSC Personality Test (Interview) – Best Resources
Interview Preparation
• Current Affairs – The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB
• Mock Interviews – Vision IAS, Drishti IAS, Insights IAS Mock Panels
• Personality Development – Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude – Lexicon
