Books for GS Paper 1: Toppers Booklist for UPSC Mains GS Papers 1-2-3 and 4

Books for GS Paper 1

History, Art & Culture, and Geography are the three major subjects covered in the GS Paper 1 Syllabus. The Paper is titled ‘Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society’ and totals 250 marks.

☛ History Questions for GS Paper 1

The GS 1 Booklist for UPSC Mains includes:

1. History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
2. India After Independence by Bipan Chandra
3. Introduction to Indian Art for Class XI (NCERT)
4. World Geography by Majid Hussain
5. India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
6. Oxford Atlas
7. Geography NCERTs (Class XI and XII)
8. Ancient India by RS Sharma
9. Geography of India by Majid Hussain
10. Central Physical and Human Geography by GC Leong
11. From Plassey To Partition And After by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay

☛ Indian History Notes

GS 2 Books for UPSC

The major topics covered in GS Paper 2 Syllabus are Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations, which consist of 250 marks. The score obtained in this paper is added to the UPSC Marksheet during the UPSC Result.

☛ Topic Wise UPSC GS 2 Previous Year Questions in UPSC Mains

The overview of the GS 2 Books for UPSC are:

1. NCERTs of Class XI and XII
2. Public Institutions in India: Performance and Design by Devesh Kapur & Pratap Bhanu Mehta
3. Introduction to the Constitution of India by Durga Das Basu.
4. India and the World: Through the Eyes of Indian Diplomats by Surendra Kumar.
5. Pax Indica – Shashi Tharoor.
6. Governance in India – M.Laxmikanth.
7. Indian Polity for Civil Services Examinations – M. Laxmikanth.

☛ Indian Polity Notes for UPSC

GS 3 Booklist for UPSC Mains

GS 3 Syllabus includes subjects like economics, science and technology, environment, security, and disaster management. GS 3 is one of the 9 papers in the UPSC Mains Exam. The topic included in GS Paper 3 are- Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management.

☛ Topic-wise UPSC Mains GS 3 Previous Year Questions

The books one should refer to prepare the UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 are:

1. NCERT Class XI – Indian Economic Development
2. IGNOU Notes on Cyber Security.
3. IGNOU Notes on Disaster Management.
4. NCERT Class X – Understanding Economic Development
5. NITI Aayog Reports
6. NCERT Class XII – Macroeconomics (chapters 2,5 and 6 are very important)
7. India Year Book
8. Indian Economy for Civil Services Examinations – Ramesh Singh
9. Challenges to Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar and Vipul

Other useful links

• Economy Notes for UPSC
• Environment Notes

Books for GS Paper 4

UPSC GS 4 Syllabus consists of Ethics, Aptitude, Human Interface, Attitude, Foundational values of civil services, and code of conduct of governance. The total marks of the GS Paper 4 are 250, and candidates will get 3 hours for this exam.

☛ Ethics Notes for UPSC

The Booklist for GS Paper 4 includes the following:

1. ARC Reports
2. Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude – Santosh Ajmera & Nanda Kishore Reddy
3. Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude for IAS General Studies Paper IV – Niraj Kumar
4. Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude – M Karthikeyan
5. Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude – G Subba Rao & P N Roy Chowdhury
6. Ethics in Governance: Innovations, Issues, and Instrumentalities – Ramesh K Arora

Also, Read

• Difference Between Ethics and Morality
• Difference Between Ethics and Values

How to Read Books for GS Papers 1?

Covering the Booklist for UPSC Mains Papers can be tough and stressful as it comprises a wide range of topics. However, an effective strategy and robust study plan beat all the hurdles. Below we have mentioned the best strategic approach to cover the GS Books most efficiently.

• First, the candidates must be familiar with the UPSC Mains Syllabus and the UPSC Exam Pattern.
• Many topics from the GS Papers 1 overlap with Current Affairs, so candidates must stay updated with recent news and current events.
• Choose the best UPSC Study Material for your preparation. Start with NCERT Books for UPSC, then go for advanced-level UPSC Books to understand concepts better.
• While covering the UPSC Mains Syllabus, make your hand-written notes for all the GS Papers.
• Go through the UPSC Previous Year Question Papers to understand question trends. Try to analyze the question papers properly to figure out the important sections.
• You can draw diagrams, flowcharts, etc., which would help you during revision.