Preparing for the Civil Services Exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) requires extensive reading and knowledge across various subjects. Following is a broad list of recommended books that cover the subjects typically included in the UPSC syllabus. It’s important to note that this list is not exhaustive, and candidates are encouraged to refer to multiple sources and stay updated with the latest developments. Here are some popular books for different subjects:
Note: You are not required to read all the books mentioned below for every subject. Pick some that suit your test in each subject.
- Indian Polity:
- Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
- Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu
- Our Parliament by Subhash Kashyap
- Governance in India by M. P. Singh and Himanshu Roy
- History & Art and culture:
- India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
- A Brief History of Modern India by Spectrum
- India After Gandhi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy by Ramachandra Guha
- Ancient and Medieval India by Poonam Dalal Dahiya
- India’s Ancient Past by R.S. Sharma
- The Wonder That Was India by A.L. Basham
- Facets of Indian Culture by Spectrum
- Geography:
- Certificate Physical and Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong
- Oxford School Atlas
- Economic and Social Geography Made Simple by Rupa Publisher
- Indian and World Geography by Majid Husain
- Economy:
- Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
- Indian Economy by Sanjiv Verma
- Indian Economy: Performance and Policies by Uma Kapila
- Economic Survey (published by the Government of India)
- Environment and General Science:
- NCERT Science textbooks (Class 6-10)
- General Science by Lucent Publication
- Science and Technology in India by Spectrum
- Environment and Ecology by Majid Husain
- Shankar IAS notes on environment
- Current Affairs:
- The Hindu/The Indian Express newspapers
- Yojana and Kurukshetra magazines
- Current Affairs Monthly magazine by Vision
- India Yearbook
- General Studies Paper 4:
- Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudhary
- Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by Chronicle Publications
- Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by G. Subba Rao
These are just a few examples, and there are many other books available for each subject. It’s essential to refer to the UPSC syllabus, previous years’ question papers, and consult with experienced candidates or mentors to create a comprehensive reading list tailored to your needs.
Remember that in addition to these books, developing a habit of reading newspapers, magazines, and quality online sources for current affairs is crucial for the UPSC CSE exam.