Best Books for UPSC Prelims and Mains 2024

PWOnlyIAS April 23, 2024 07:55 1135 0

Choose the Correct UPSC Books 2024 to Help You Pass the Exam and Unlock Success. Choose wisely and embark on your UPSC journey with confidence.

Best Books for UPSC Prelims and Mains 2024

Candidates preparing for UPSC will always have a question regarding the books that are required for preparation. Choosing the right UPSC books is important because, without the right books, the candidates will not receive the required knowledge. Superficial knowledge cannot be applied to solve questions in the UPSC exam.

As a first step in UPSC preparation, candidates have to collect the basics as well as reference books so that their preparation is on the right track. Candidates who stick to this simple rule consistently will greatly increase their chances of clearing the exam.

Complete List Of Books for UPSC Prelims 2024

Prelims and Mains are two important stages of the UPSC exam. Due to the nature of examination, both the stages require different approaches. While prelims demands a vast knowledge base, mains requires specific but detailed knowledge.

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List of Books for UPSC Prelims

UPSC prelims requires candidates to have vast knowledge, as questions can be asked from any nook or corner of the book. Hence, they are required to read 1-2 reference books along with the basic books. Apart from General Studies, candidates will also have to focus on CSAT. Following is a list of books for UPSC Prelims:

Subject	Book List
1. Polity	NCERT Class IX: Democratic Politics Part – I NCERT Class X: Democratic Politics Part – II NCERT Class XI: Indian Constitution at Work NCERT Class XI: Political Theory NCERT Class XII: Contemporary World Politics NCERT Class XII: Politics in India Since Independence Indian Polity by M Laxmikant Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu
2. History	NCERT VI – X NCERT XI (Ancient & Medieval) NCERT XII (Modern Indian History) India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra Ancient India by R.S Sharma A Brief history of Modern India by Spectrum
3. Geography	Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong NCERT VI – X Geography of India by Majid Husain World Geography by Majid Husain NCERT XI, XII Oxford School Atlas
4. Economy and Social development	India’s Economic Development (Class XI) Introductory Macroeconomics (Class XII) Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
5. Environment and Ecology	Textbook of Environmental Studies by Erach Bharucha Environment and Ecology – Biodiversity, Climate Change and Disaster Management by Majid Hussain
6. Science and Technology	NCERT Class VI to X Chemistry: NCERT Class XI: Unit 14- ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY NCERT Class XII: Chemistry Part I NCERT Class XII: Chemistry Part II Unit 16- Chemistry in Everyday Life Biology: NCERT Class XI Units 4 (PLANT PHYSIOLOGY) & Unit 5 (HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY) NCERT Class XII Units 8, 9 & 10
8. Art and Culture	Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania NCERT XI: An Introduction to Indian Art part I
9. CSAT	Analytic Reasoning by M K Pandey A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning by R S Aggarwal General Studies Paper II for UPSC Preliminary Examination by Tata McGraw Hill The Mantra of CSAT Paper II by Gautam Puri CSAT Manual by Pearson
10. Current Affairs	Newspapers (The Hindu, The Indian Express) Magazines (Down to Earth, Yojana, Kurukshetra) Reports (NITI Aayog, Budget, Economic Survey)

List of Books for UPSC Mains 2024

UPSC books for mains include books from prelims syllabus as well as other books that cover the topics in detail. UPSC mains includes subjects such as Ethics, Disaster Management, Social Issues and Essay which require additional books. The complete UPSC books list for mains is given below:

Subject	Books List
1. Polity	Indian Polity by M Laxmikant NCERT IX to XII Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu Current Affairs
2. Governance	Ethics in Governance, ARC Report Governance in India by M. Laxmikanth Administrative Reforms in India by Maheshwari S.R The Penguin Dictionary of Indian Polity by Subhash C. Kashyap Current Affairs
2. History	NCERT VI – XII India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra Ancient India by R.S Sharma A Brief history of Modern India by Spectrum
3. World History	Contemporary World History for NCERT class XII Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe
4. Art and Culture	Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania NCERT XI: An Introduction to Indian Art
5. Society	NCERT Classes XI and XII Themes and Social Issues by Nadeem Hasnain Structure and Change by S.C. Dubey Social Problems in India by Ram Ahuja Current Affairs: Social Issues
6. Geography	Geography of India by Majid Husain World Geography by Majid Husain Indian Geography by D. R. Khullar Certificate Physical and Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong Physical, Human and Economic Geography for Civil Services Examination by D R Khuller NCERT Class XI: Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT Class XII: Fundamentals of Human Geography NCERT Class XII: India – People and Economy
7. Economy and Agriculture	India’s Economic Development (Class XI) Introductory Macroeconomics (Class XII) Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh Indian Economy By Datt & Sundharam Economic Survey and Budget Current Affairs
8. International Relations	NCERT XII: Political Science I: Contemporary World Politics International Relations by Vinay Kumar Malhotra Global Politics by Andrew Heywood Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri Current Affairs: The Hindu, and IDSA and MEA websites
9. Environment and Ecology	Textbook of Environmental Studies by Erach Bharucha Environment and Ecology – Biodiversity, Climate Change and Disaster Management by Majid Hussain Current Affairs
10. Science and Technology	NCERT XI and XII Science and Technology by Ashok Singh Current Affairs
11. Disaster Management	Disaster Management for UPSC Exam by K Mounika IGNOU Notes on Disaster Management. National policy on disaster management. Websites of Disaster management authorities in the country. Current Affairs
12. Internal Security	Challenges to the Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar Internal Security and Disaster Management by R N Sharma Current Affairs
13. Ethics	Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by Niraj Kumar
14. Current Affairs	Newspapers (The Hindu, The Indian Express) Magazines (Down to Earth, Yojana, Kurukshetra) Reports (NITI Aayog, Budget, Economic Survey) India Year Book, Economic Survey and Union Budget.

In addition to General Studies, which is mentioned above, candidates are required to study an optional subject. The complete list of optional subjects, syllabus and book list can be explored by clicking here.

Importance of Selecting the Right UPSC Books 2024

Candidates preparing for UPSC are required to start by understanding the syllabus of the exam, followed by identifying the core books. In absence of such a strategy, their preparation loses track and they may not address the core demands of the syllabus. The major importance of choosing the right UPSC books is as follows:

Address Demand of the Syllabus: Candidates have to choose books that cover the demand of the syllabus. This will ensure that all the necessary topics and subtopics are adequately covered by the candidate.
Source of Questions: Candidates have to identify the source book from which maximum number of questions on a particular subject are asked. Based on the trend over the past few years, they can choose the correct book.
Easy to Understand: The books chosen by the candidate must be in simple language. Once they have grasped the content, they can move on to books with complex language. This will benefit candidates preparing for the first time.
To the Point: Books that address core concepts without moving towards unnecessary topics will have to be avoided. This saves time as well as the efforts of the candidates.
Integrating Current Affairs: Applying current affairs knowledge alongside standard books is essential in UPSC CSE preparation for both prelims and mains exams. It provides relevance to traditional subjects, aiding comprehension of contemporary issues. Remaining abreast of current events enhances answer quality and analytical abilities, which are very important for scoring well in all papers.

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Choosing the right UPSC books for both prelims and mains exams is crucial, as they shape your knowledge and can boost your performance. With the proper materials, your chances of success are higher. It’s important to pick your books wisely to avoid regrets later.

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

Best Books for UPSC Prelims FAQs

Yes. Reading NCERT books is very important. These books will introduce candidates to new subjects in the best way possible. It will also give them a good knowledge base for further preparation.

If hard copy is available, candidates are advised to read the hard copy of the book. In case of unavailability, they can read a soft copy.

Candidates are advised to revise UPSC books at least 2-23 times before the exam. This will help them remember concepts for a longer time.

Subjects such as History, Polity and Ethics require more than one reference book due to the vast nature of topics.

Yes. It is advisable for candidates to make short notes while reading UPSC books. This will help them in revising in future.

You can buy UPSC books from either e-commerce websites such as Flipkart and Amazon or from brick and mortar stores.

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Best Books for UPSC Prelims and Mains 2024