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UPSC Books for Mains 2024, Check Complete List

PWOnlyIAS September 19, 2024 03:42 2165 0

Books for UPSC Mains 2024 are essential to the IAS preparation process. Know all about the UPSC exam preparation and how to choose the best UPSC Books for UPSC Mains 2024.

UPSC Books for Mains 2024, Check Complete List

Books for UPSC Mains are essential to the IAS preparation process because they instill in candidates the importance of every topic. The foundation of IAS preparation consists of NCERT books and other reference Books for UPSC Mains. Learn more about the UPSC exam and how to choose the best UPSC Books for UPSC Mains for your preparation.

The best books for UPSC Mains are the most important resources for beginning UPSC CSE preparation unless IAS candidates rely on professional coaching to develop their foundation. Books for UPSC Mains are crucial, even for candidates who employ coaching. 

Do you want to know which Books for UPSC Mains are the best for preparing for the UPSC Main Exam? Which UPSC IAS books are recommended for studying for the UPSC Civil Services Examination Mains and Prelims? Continue reading the blog to learn more.

UPSC Books for Mains 2024 Overview

Books for UPSC Mains 2024 are very important for UPSC aspirants.Every year, the Union Public Service Commission administers the IAS Exam, also known as the Civil Services Examination. Exams are usually administered in three sections: preliminary, main, and interview. The candidate can only go forward to the next phase of the exam if one part has been qualified. The UPSC IAS exam was held on June 16, 2024 and the result has also been declared. It is the right time for candidates to read more about the important topics and Books for UPSC Mains 2024.

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Top-rated Books for UPSC Mains 2024

For candidates getting ready for the UPSC examinations in India, UPSC study guides and the successful Books for UPSC Mains can be helpful. Candidates are chosen for a variety of government positions, such as those in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) through the UPSC exam. 

In addition to offering practice questions and study materials to aid in exam preparation, preparation Books for UPSC Mains can assist people in understanding the structure and subject matter of the exams.

The UPSC Mains exam is extremely important, and applicants who pass the preliminary exam must work extremely hard to pass the Mains exam. IAS candidates who are confident they will pass the UPSC main test and who have the appropriate study plan and Books for UPSC Mains can continue without pausing in their preparation. 

A thorough comprehension of all the topics and subtopics covered in the exam curriculum is provided by standard UPSC Books for UPSC Mains. In addition, these publications provide practice questions, IAS Previous Year Question Papers, and quick and accurate answer keys.

The below table is the overall list of Books For UPSC Mains 2024 for all the four General Studies papers:

Overall List Of Books For UPSC Mains 2024
Mains Paper Subject UPSC Mains Books
GS Paper 1 History, Indian Heritage & Culture
  • Ancient India by RS Sharma
  • Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
  • History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
  • India after Independence by Bipan Chandra
  • India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
Geography
  • World Atlas (Orient Black Swan)
  • World Geography by Majid Husain
  • Geography of India by Majid Husain
  • Certificate Physical and Human Geography by G C Leong
  • Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT Class 11
GS Paper II Polity & International Relations
  • Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
  • International Relations: Pushpesh Pant
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu
GS Paper III Economy
  • Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania
  • Environment and Disaster Management by Tata McGraw Hill
  • Challenges to Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar
GS Paper IV Ethics
  • Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary
  • Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
  • Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Nanda Kishore and Santhosh Ajmera

Books for UPSC Mains 2024 by NCERT publications

The greatest Books for UPSC Mains for an introduction to UPSC subjects are the NCERT textbooks. Because the UPSC recognizes the factual and conceptual knowledge included in NCERT books, they play a crucial role in IAS preparation. It is advised to candidates to read, comprehend, and study the topics found in the NCERT texts as they are the best Books for UPSC Mains

Download the NCERT Books for UPSC Mains here

Reference Books for UPSC Mains 2024

The top IAS candidates from past years suggest that candidates start with NCERT books and progress to high-quality UPSC reference Books for UPSC Mains 2024. However, the best Books for UPSC Mains 2024 differ for each candidate. 

The reference Books for UPSC Mains begin with the subject’s foundation and progressively teach the advanced themes to the candidates. It helps applicants form a mental timeline of the subject. 

To save students time when searching for the best study materials for IAS preparation, we have compiled a list of the top Books for UPSC Mains exam below. The authors of these books are academics, mentors, teachers, and IAS toppers.

Books for UPSC Mains 2024 for GS I Paper: History & Geography

There are eleven subjects under GS Paper I, which comprises three main subjects: Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society.

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Ancient History Books for UPSC Mains 2024

While there are not many questions on ancient history in the Prelims exam, there are quite a lot in the Mains exam, according to UPSC. Here are a few of the top ancient history Books for UPSC Mains 2024:

  • Ancient History NCERT Class 11th  by R.S. Sharma
  • India’s Ancient Past by R.S. Sharma
  • Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania

Medieval History Books for UPSC Mains 2024

Medieval history is not particularly significant for either the preliminary or main exam as they are not high-weightage topics. However, UPSC can surprise candidates at any time, so we cannot completely disregard the material even if we will spend less time on it. 

  • History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
  • Medieval History NCERT Class XI-XII

Modern History & Indian National Movement Books for UPSC Mains 2024

For both the main exam and the preliminary exams, Modern History & Indian National Movement is the most crucial topic. This subject covers the historical events of the years 1800-1947, and 1947-1950. The candidates’ ability to connect to the goals of our nation’s leaders and their sacrifices to ensure India’s independence, makes this topic crucial.

Although there are many books on this subject, the IAS toppers have recommended the following Books for UPSC Mains 2024 as the finest reads:

  • India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
  • NCERT XII (Modern Indian History)
  • History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra
  • A brief history of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir-Spectrum

Geography Books for UPSC Mains 2024

  • Certificate Physical and Human Geography by G C Leong
  • Fundamentals of Physical Geography – NCERT Class 11
  • Geography of India by Mazid Hussain
  • Oxford Student Atlas
  • “Indian and World Geography” by D.R. Khullar
  • Concise Geography by ALS
  • “Geography Through Maps” by K. Siddhartha

Books for UPSC Mains 2024 For GS II Paper: Indian Polity

UPSC Mains covers Indian Polity as one of its papers. In the main paper, Polity is given a series of highly contorted and concept-based questions. To answer the UPSC’s Indian Polity question, one must be familiar with the country’s constitution. In addition to the Indian Constitution, the candidates should be familiar with the laws and their provisions that have been passed or proposed by the Indian Parliament. In recent years, UPSC has also begun to pose questions about national governance. 

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These are a few of the best Polity Books for UPSC Mains 2024:

  • Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
  • Constitution of India Bare Act
  • India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India authored by DD Basu
  • International Relations by Pushpesh Pant
  • Indian Constitution by P.M. Bakshi
  • Economic Development & Policies in India by Jain & Ohri

Books for UPSC Mains 2024 For GS III Paper: Indian Economy

A significant amount of the IAS syllabus is covered in Indian Economy for both the preliminary and main exams. Current events and Indian economics have been discussed together in the UPSC Mains exam. Concepts of the Indian economy are quite fluid, and statistics are updated annually. It is very difficult to prepare for the Indian economy because it is not an autonomous entity and depends on the shifting dynamics of the global economy and foreign ties.

The following are some key text Books for UPSC Mains 2024 for understanding the Indian economy:

  • Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania
  • The Indian Economy by Sanjiv Verma
  • Economic Development & Policies in India by Jain & Ohri
  • NCERT XI
  • Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
  • Environment and Disaster Management by Tata McGraw Hill
  • Challenges to Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar
  • Yojana for Disaster Management

Books for UPSC Mains 2024 For GS IV Paper: Ethics

The General Studies IV paper of UPSC Mains exam is about Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude. Understanding ethical theories, case studies, and current concerns about governance, integrity, and ethical difficulties are all necessary for preparing for UPSC Mains. 

Here are some suggested Books for UPSC Mains 2024 for GS IV paper:

  • Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary
  • Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
  • Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Nanda Kishore and Santhosh Ajmera
  • Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by M Karthikeyan
  • Ethics in Governance: Innovations, Issues, and Instrumentalities by Ramesh K Arora

Top Books for UPSC Mains 2024 for Current Affairs

Current affairs is the most comprehensive topic for IAS mains preparation, and it affects every other topic covered above. To cover both the fundamentals and the most recent national and international events, the candidates must thoroughly prepare their current affairs. The following Books for UPSC Mains 2024 are available for the candidates to discuss current affairs:

  • Newspapers -The Hindu, Indian Express
  • Press Information Bureau (PIB) website
  • Yojana and Kurukshetra – Monthly magazines
  • Physics Wallah – Online Platform

Books for UPSC Mains 2024 and Study Materials for UPSC

The UPSC study material contains certain outside sources in addition to NCERT and reference Books for UPSC Mains. To prepare for the UPSC test and be able to respond to the important questions, candidates should read the required study material. The following is a list of the study guides that applicants study for the UPSC mains exam:

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  • Economic Survey (Latest)
  • Budget (Latest)
  • Finance Commission Report (Latest)
  • Current Affairs (The Hindu Newspaper, Yojana Magazine, PIB Reports)
  • Annual reports by central ministries
  • NITI Aayog Reports
  • 2nd ARC Report
  • NCERT E-Books
  • Physics Wallah courses

Subject-specific Books for UPSC Mains 2024 for Optional Papers

For optional papers in the UPSC Mains exam, the subject-specific books for UPSC Mains are a crucial component of the preparation. These Books for UPSC Mains give applicants the chance to focus on a subject of their interest and improve their Mains exam scores. UPSC IAS books for elective courses are authored by subject matter experts and give candidates a thorough grasp of the subjects included in the syllabus. 

The below table is the comprehensive list of Books for UPSC Mains 2024 for Optional papers:

List of Books for UPSC Mains 2024 for Optional Subjects
Optional Subjects Books Name
Agriculture
  • Fundamentals Of Agricultural Extension Education by U Barman
  • A Text Book of Agricultural Statistics by R. Rangaswamy
  • Agronomy by Yellamanda Reddy
  • Entomology by Vasantha Raj & David
  • Genetics by B.D.Singh
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
  • A guide on forest Entomology by Regupathy
  • A Textbook Of Animal Husbandry by G C Banerjee
  • Advanced Animal Nutrition by D.V Reddy
  • Agricultural Economics by S Subba Reddy
  • Animal husbandry & veterinary science byT.N. Palanivelu
Anthropology
  • Physical Anthropology by P Nath 
  • Fossil Evidence by S Das
  • Social Anthropology by DN Majumdar & T N Madan
  • Indian Anthropology by Nadeem Hasnain
  • Anthropology Theories by Makhan Jha
Botany
  • Cell Biology by De Robertis & Ambrose and Easy or Powar
  • Cryptograms by B.R. Vasista
  • Botany for Degree Students; Pteridophyta (Vascular Cryptogams) by P.C. Vashishta
  • Ecology, Microbiology, Animal Behaviour, Pollution and Toxicology by Dr Veer Bala Rastogi (Part II, Paper III)
  • Economic botany in the tropics by SL.Kochhar
Chemistry
  • A guide to mechanism in organic chemistry by Peter Sykes
  • A textbook of environmental chemistry and pollution by S.S. Dara.
  • A textbook of organic chemistry by Bahl & Ba
  • A textbook of physical chemistry by K.L. Kapoor (Volume 1 to 4)
  • Advance physical chemistry by Gurdeep Raj
Civil Engineering
  • Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics by Irving Herman Shames
  • Strength of Material by Prof. S. Ramamrutham
  • Mechanics for Engineers by B Johnson
  • Structural Analysis by C. K. Wang
  • Limit state design of steel structures by S K Duggal
Commerce & Accountancy
  • Accounting Corporate Accounting by Naseem Ahmed
  • Accounting Standards by D. S. Rawat
  • Auditing Students’ Guide to Auditing by Aruna Jha
  • Income Tax book by V.K. Singhania or Girish Ahuja
  • Cost Accounting: Theory & Problems by Maheshwari & Mittal
Economics
  • Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
  • The Indian Economy by Sanjiv Verma
  • Indian Economy by Mishra and Puri
  • Indian Economy by R. Dutt and KPM Sundaram
  • Banking by S.B. Gupta
  • Dictionary of Economics by Graham Bannock; T.E. Baxter, Ray Rees
Electrical Engineering
  • Electromagnetic Fields & Waves by Kd Prasad
  • Energy Conversion by Ashfaq Hussain
  • Circuit Theory: Analysis and Synthesis by A. Chakrabarti
  • Signals and Systems by Alan V. Oppenheim, Willsky, S. Hamid Nawab
  • Physics of Semiconductor Devices by Simon Sze
  • Analog Electronics by J.B. Gupta
  • Digital Logic and Computer Design by M. Morris Mano
  • Principles of Electronics by V .K. Mehta
Geography
  • A Geography by Population  by R.C. Chandna
  • Agricultural Geography by Majid Husain
  • Climatology by D.S.Lal
  • Economic and Social Geography: Made Simple by R.Knowles & J.Wareing
  • Economic Geography by Hartshorn & Truman A
Geology
  • Advancing Frontiers in Geology and Geophysics: A Volume in Honour of M.S. Krishnan by A P Subramaniam & S. Balakrishnan
  • Ananda K. Coomaraswamy Writings on Geology and Mineralogy: Scientific Papers and Comments by Ranganathan, A. & Rao, K. Srinivasa (Eds.)
  • Concise Glossary of Geology by Mathur, S.M.
  • Delta Sedimentation: East Coast of India by Singh, I.B. & Swamy, A.S.R.
  • Dimensions of Himalayan Geology by Biyani A.K.
History 
  • A History of South India by K.A. Nilkantha Sastri
  • Ancient India by Upinder Singh
  • Anatomy of the Raj (PPH) by Suhash Chakravarty
  • Age of Capital by E.J. Hobsbawm
  • The story of Civilization (NCERT) by Arjun Dev
Law
  • International Law by SK Kapoor
  • Our Constitution by Subhash C. Kashyap
  • The Constitution of India (Bare Act) by PM Bakshi
  • An Introduction to Public International Law by S. K. Verma
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D Basu
  • Constitution of India by VN Shukla
Management
  • Fundamentals of Management by DeCenzo, Agarwal, Bhattacharya and Robbins
  • Marketing Management by Philip Kotler
  • Cost and Management Accounting by MN Arora
  • Organization Behaviour by Stephen Robbins
  • Financial Management by Prasanna Chandra
Mathematics
  • Dynamics, Statics and Hydrostatics by M. Ray
  • Differential Calculus by Shanti Narayan, PK Mittal
  • Analytic Geometry by Shanti Narayan, DK Jha, HC Sinha and Sharma
  • Differential equations: Golden series by NP Bali
  • Vector Analysis by Shanti Narayan, PK Mittal
  • Linear Algebra by K.C. Prasad, K B Datta
Mechanical Engineering
  • Thermodynamics by R Yadav
  • Theory of Mechanics by S S Rattan
  • Heat Conversion by Arora and Kundwar
  • Heat Transfer by Gupta Prakash
  • Heat and Mass Transfer by R.Yadav
  • Theory of Mechanism and Mechanics by Jagdish Lal
Medical Science
  • Human Anatomy by B D Chaurasia
  • Embryology from I B Singh
  • Human Physiology by Ganong; Guyton and A.K. Jain book
  • Biochemistry by U.Satyanarayana book.
  • Pathology by Robbins, and Cotran
Philosophy Books
  • A History of Philosophy by Frank Thilly
  • Survey of Indian Philosophy by C D Sharma
  • Existentialism: A Reconstruction by David Cooper
  • An Introduction to Indian Philosophy by S Chatterjee
  • A History of Philosophy by Frank Thilly
  • An Introduction to Political Theory by O P Gauba
  • Introduction to Religious Philosophy By Y Masih
Physics
  • B.L Theraja (Volume 1) or Vincent Del Toro
  • Classical Mechanics by H.Goldstein
  • Electricity & Magnetism by D.C. TAyal, B.S. Agarwal, Griffith
  • Introduction of Electrodynamics by David Griffiths
  • EM Theory by Chopra&Agarwal and Satya Prakash
Political Science & International Relations
  • An Introduction To Political Theory by O.P Gauba
  • Fifty Major Political Thinkers by Ian Adams And R W Dyson
  • A History Of Political Thought: Plato To Marx by Subrata Mukherjee And Sushila Ramaswamy
  • An Oxford Companion To Politics In India by niraja Gopal Jayal And Pratap Bhanu Mehta
  • Foundations Of Indian Political Thought by V.R Mehta
Psychology
  • Psychology XI & XII NCERT
  • Introduction to Psychology by Morgan & King
  • Systems & Theories of Psychology by Krawiec & Chaplin
  • Psychology by Ciccarelli
Public Administration Books
  • Administrative Thinkers by Prasad and Prasad
  • Public Administration: Administrative Theories and Concepts by Fadia & Fadia
  • Public Administration and Public Affairs 12th Edition by Nicholas Henry
  • New horizons in Public administration by Mohit Bhattacharya 
Sociology Books
  • Sociology by Anthony Giddens
  • Sociological Theory by Ritzer George
  • Sociology by Haralambos & Holborn
  • Oxford Dictionary Of Sociology
  • Sociological Thought by M Francis Abraham and John Henry Morgan
Statistics
  • An Introduction to Probability Theory & Mathematical Statistics by V K Rohtagi
  • An Outline of Statistical Theory (Volume 2) by A M Goon, M K Gupta and B. Dass Gupta
  • Fundamentals of Applied Statistics by S C Gupta and V K Kapoor
  • Fundamentals of Mathematical Statistics by A C Gupta and V K Kapoor
  • Fundamentals of Statistics (Volume) by A M Goon, M K Gupta and B Dass Gupta
Zoology
  • Modern Zoology by Ramesh Gupta
  • Organic Evolution (Evolutionary Biology) by Veer Bala Rastogi
  • Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology
  • Medical Physiology by Guyton and Hall
  • Cell Biology by CB Powar

Importance of Books for UPSC Mains 2024 in Preparation

Adhering to high-quality Books for UPSC Mains is essential for successful Civil Services Examination preparation. These books are excellent tools that cover the entire syllabus in detail and aid applicants in developing a full understanding of the material. 

Here’s why it’s critical to adhere to reliable Books for UPSC Mains 2024:

  • Extensive Coverage: Reputable publications provide a systematic and thorough overview of the whole UPSC syllabus. They make sure that applicants have a firm grasp of each subject by going over all of the themes and subtopics in detail.
  • Conceptual Clarity: These publications make difficult subjects easier for applicants to understand by providing clear and succinct explanations of concepts. To assist applicants in developing a solid conceptual basis, they offer thorough explanations, examples, and illustrations.
  • Updated Content: Revisions are made to the UPSC syllabus and exam pattern regularly, and good UPSC books are updated accordingly. Adhering to current textbooks guarantees that applicants are up to date on the most recent advancements and are exam-ready.
  • Time-saving: By offering pertinent and clear information, well-written books save applicants’ time. They make it unnecessary to consult several sources, which expedites the preparation process and frees up applicants to concentrate on their studies.
  • Practice Questions: A lot of Books for UPSC Mains come with practice questions and past years’ papers so that applicants can evaluate their knowledge and become used to responding to various kinds of inquiries. This aids applicants in assessing their level of readiness and pinpointing areas in need of additional focus.

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To Wrap Up!

The Books for UPSC Mains 2024 are updated frequently to reflect the evolving nature of the exam, and are essential for candidates hoping to pass the UPSC exam. For candidates hoping to pass the exam and get hired as public servants, selecting the appropriate Books for UPSC Mains is crucial. Based on the GS & Optional Papers, we have attempted to compile a list of the top books for UPSC Mains. In addition to the aforementioned resources, candidates need to hone their skills using mock exams and question papers from prior years. The secret to success in the IAS Prelims and Mains exams is preparation.

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Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs UPSC Daily Editorials
Daily Current Affairs Quiz Daily Main Answer Writing
UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

Books for UPSC Mains FAQs

The UPSC Mains Exam consists of nine papers: one essay paper, two optional papers, two qualifying language papers, and four General Studies papers.

You can consult textbooks such as R.S. Sharma's Ancient India, Spectrum's Facets of Indian Culture, and Bipin Chandra's Modern History.

For UPSC Prelims and Mains, Nitin Singhania's Indian Art & Culture is a must read.

While NCERT plays a significant role in UPSC IAS preparation, it is insufficient. In addition to taking into account NCERT, candidates are required to consult standard books for every subject.

Candidates can access daily current events PDFs, NCERTs, and a few other books online as free study materials. But not every book can be found online, so applicants have to buy them from stores.
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Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
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Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
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UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
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