Book for UPSC preparation (Preferred by IAS Aspirants)

A big aspect of preparing for UPSC is finding out what books to buy and what books to read.

Book for UPSC preparation

UPSC Aspirants often find themselves drowning under book lists and suggestions of books to read.

So today we have compiled a list of essential books for each subject of the UPSC Preparation.

List of recommended books for UPSC preparation.

Subject: History

India’s Struggle for Independence 

Author: Bipan Chandra

Publication: Orient Blackswan, 2009

This book traces the timeline of the British Rule in India between the eighteenth and the nineteenth century constituting a major part of Modern History of India. This book focuses more on the sociological factors that made the British Rule possible rather than on the historical and political narratives.

India’s Ancient Past – (Ancient India)

Author: R.S. Sharma

Publication: Oxford University Press, 2005

This is a comprehensive book that captures the history starting from neolithic and chalcolithic times to Harappan civilization, Vedic times, rise of Mauryas, Gupta’s. Satvahanas right up to the times of Harshavardhana. The ancient social milieu, the existing varna system, developments in science and technology, commerce and trade and the cultural legacy that shaped society are all treated in the context of the rise and fall of empires.

History Of Medieval India – (Medieval India)

Author: Satish Chandra

Publication: Orient BlackSwan, 2007

A history of India between the eighth and the eighteenth century spanning across 1000 years is captured in this book. Detailing the events and the empires that shaped India and what makes India what it is today, this book is a detailed and easy read of the medieval history of India.

Subject: Geography

Certificate Physical Geography

Author: G C Leong

Publication: Oxford University Press, 1995

Whether it is climate change, types of natural vegetation, mountain chains, desserts, climatic patterns, glaciers, minerals or other natural phenomenon, Certificate Physical and Human Geography is the best book to learn from. All elementary topics of physical and human geography have been covered in this book in an easy language with lots of maps and illustrations.

Oxford School Atlas: India’s Most Trusted Atlas

Publication: Oxford University Press, 2016

With accurate and detailed maps, charts and diagrams, it is easy for students to learn the locations of countries, mountains, reserves and mineral reserves with the help of the Oxford School Atlas: India’s Most Trusted Atlas.

Subject: Indian Polity

Indian Polity

Author: M Laxmikanth

Publication: Resonance, 2019

This is the most popular and comprehensive book on Indian Polity especially for UPSC Exams. This is not available in an accessible epub version that lets students access it through their mobile anytime anywhere.

Introduction to the Constitution of India

Author: D. D. Basu (Constitution)

Publication: Lexis Nexis, 2018

This book is a pioneering work on the origin and development of the Constitution of India. It is extensively used for LL.B., LL.M., B.A. and M.A. (Political Science) courses as well as for preparing for competitive examinations held by the Union and State Public Service Commissions.

Subject: Economics

Indian Economy

Author: Ramesh Singh

Publication: McGraw Hill Education, 2018

This book covers all aspects of the syllabus for both prelims and mains for UPSC and has sold 1 million copies in the last 10 years. Ramesh Singh is a subject expert and renowned teacher who has done an extensive coverage of all aspects of the Indian Economy along with the modern concerns plaguing it.

Economic Development & Policies in India

Author: Jain & Ohri

Publication: VK Global Publications Private Limited, 2019

Concentrating on both the historical and social development of the Indian Economy through the years after independence, this book is a comprehensive guide to understanding the Indian Economy in depth.

Subject: Art and Culture

The Wonder That Was India

Author: A.L. Bhasham

Publication: Picador; Indian edition, 2004

This book covers Indian history that includes culture, religion, governance, social evolution, tradition, languages, philosophy and science, and spans across the advent of the Harappa civilization and settlement to Aryan invasion theory. It traces the rich cultural history of India by tracing various time periods and eras of Indian history in a simple to understand language and using an engaging narrative.

Facets of Indian Culture

Author: Vidya, R. Rajaram, Kalpana

Publication: Spectrum, 2014

Along with solved and unsolved questions from UPSC and similar examinations, this book comprises of chapters on religion and philosophy, music, dance, theater and cinema, art and architecture and language and literature. It is one of the most comprehensive books on the subject.

Subject: International Relations

International Relations

Author: Pavneet Singh

Publication: McGraw Hill Education, 2017

This book covers the complete prelims and mains syllabus of UPSC Exam for International Relations and Political Science. It covers world politics, foreign policy and international relations entirely and is supplemented with a number of case studies and mnemonics to aid comprehension and recall.

Pax Indica

Author: Shashi Tharoor

Publication: Penguin India, 2013

Shashi Tharoor narrates the importance of India’s role in the world stage in the backdrop of Indian Foreign Policy. This book gives a very good coverage of India’s foreign policy and its evolution since independence. This book also explains why foreign policy is important even for domestic transformation and at the absolute ground level of policy building.

Subject: CSAT

Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual

Publication: Tata McGraw Hill

This is one of the most popular and extensive books to practice and solve questions for CSAT for UPSC

CSAT II – Arihant

Publication: Arihant, 2018

This is another very popular books to practice and solve questions for CSAT for UPSC

Newspaper for Current Affairs

The Hindu

This is one of the most reads and recommended newspapers to prepare for UPSC. Aspirants swear by its editorials and well as its articles and in-depth coverage.

Indian Express

This is another highly read and recommended newspaper for UPSC preparation. Aspirants read it along with The Hindu especially for preparing for the Mains and Interview round.