Book list for UPSC
Below is a summary of all the books as recommended by toppers of the past 5 years. We have carefully analyzed their blogs, interviews and answers on multiple forums and the first thing that becomes apparent is that there is a great overlap and consistency in the books they have recommended over the years. Also all toppers have suggested sticking with your booklist and not refer to multiple resources for the same topic. Please note that this is a consolidated list and subject to our interpretation:
Book list for UPSC: NCERTS
· NCERTs (6-10th Standard) Geography, History, Social Science/Polity
· NCERTs (11-12th Standard) Art and Culture, Geography (Focus on mineral distribution, agriculture etc.) History (Selective reading)
· NCERT Class 12 Biology last 4 chapters on environment
Book list for UPSC: History
· Spectrum’s A Brief History of Modern India- Rajiv Ahir Spectrum
· India’s Struggle for Independence- Bipan Chandra (Selective reading)
· TN Board History (Class 11)
Book list for UPSC: Polity
· Indian Polity – Laxmikanth
Book list for UPSC: Geography
· Certificate Physical and Human Geography-G.C. Leong (Selective)
· Oxford Atlas for maps
Book list for UPSC: Environment
· Shankar IAS Notes/Book
Book list for UPSC: Economics
· Indian Economy- Ramesh Singh
· Economic Survey of India(Selective)
Book list for UPSC: Science & Technology
· Don’t refer to any specific book (Cover it using current affairs preparation)
Book list for UPSC: Art and Culture
· Indian Art and Culture – Nitin Singhania (Selectively)
Test papers
· Past 5-10 years papers of UPSC CSE
· A standard test series /MCQ booklet from any standard publication (Try to do 10-20 tests)
Current Affairs
· Hindu notes
· Monthly summary by any standard coaching or publication
Book list for UPSC: CSAT
Don’t refer to any book if you are good at it/Getting more than 33 percent in practice tests
Else any one of
· Mc Graw Hill – General studies II
· Arihant’s CSAT
There are certain books that can be avoided during the preparation. It is especially crucial for working professionals or candidates who do have limited time. We present below a list that most toppers believe can be put on hold or be used as reference books. However we advise that you use your own discretion in choosing a booklist for yourself.
· India’s Ancient Past – R.S. Sharma
· A history of Medieval India – Satish Chandra
· India Since Independence – Bipan Chandra
· A brief history of modern India – Bipan Chandra
· Introduction to Constitution of India – DD Basu
· Indian Economy- Dutt and Sundaram
· Geography of India – Majid Hussain
· Environment Studies – Bharucha
· Manorama Yearbook
Stick to these resources and revise them regularly. Do not keep switching books.
The package consists of summaries of curated sources for studying the most critical subjects of UPSC in the most comprehensive manner. The summaries are prepared in consultation with exam toppers and serving/retired civil servants along with our own team of experts who ensure that you refer to the most relevant content in your preparation journey.
In the current exam scenario the bigger challenge is not the lack of material but the availability of excessive material that often confuses aspirants. Hence this package is our endeavor to minimize wastage and maximize utilization of an aspirants precious time. What will also be of interest to you is the fact that unlike many other institutions we have prepared the whole package in an editable format so that you can easily edit, append, delete the notes to suit your current preparation.
Quality of the notes is our most important focus. Coming from the house of PSCPREP you can be rest assured that the notes are of the topmost quality.