UPSC Book List – Best Books for UPSC Prelims and Mains 2024, IAS Books PDF

UPSC is one of the toughest government exams in the country, and to crack it you will need access to the best UPSC books. There are many books that will help you to prepare for IAS, but here are some books that you can not miss.

• India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha
• NCERT books: The Complete Package
• Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
• Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania
• Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu
• India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra

Some popular books for UPSC Mains include “India’s Struggle for Independence” by Bipan Chandra, “Indian Polity” by M. Laxmikanth, “Ancient India” by R.S Sharma, “India After Gandhi” by Ramachandra Guha, etc. These books provide comprehensive coverage of important topics and are highly recommended for UPSC Mains preparation.

UPSC Prelims is the screening test to find eligible candidates for Mains. The difficulty level of the questions will be moderate, so you need to start your preparation with all the NCERT UPSC Books. Apart from NCERTs, some UPSC standard books that you can follow are Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth, Geography of India by Majid Husain, Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania, and Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu.

CSAT paper is qualifying in nature, and that’s why candidates need to take this very seriously. No matter if they score big in the Paper-I Prelims exam, if they fail in the CSAT, then they won’t qualify for the Mains. Here are some of the best books for UPSC preparation in CSAT paper.

• Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R S Aggarwal
• Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual

Even though there are tons of choices when it comes to choosing the UPSC Books, candidates must have the following books while preparing for Civil Service Examination.

• Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania
• India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha
• Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
• India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
• Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu

It won’t be wise to read from the books from IAS during the revision period. That is why you must start making notes that can be handy during revision. To make notes you must finish the UPSC books, and then start covering topic-wise as per the syllabus. Make sure to add bullet points for important events, facts, or anything you like.

You may find many suggestions for UPSC Books for Prelims or Mains, but at the end of the day, it is about how comfortable you are in reading that book. You must choose a book that you find easy to read, and easy to comprehend. If you are a beginner then you can start with some basic books, and after some time you can switch to some advanced books.

We have provided a direct link to download the UPSC book list for the candidates above in this post. Candidates can download the PDF file and take a printout to keep for future reference.

History is a large part of the Mains syllabus, and it includes, ancient history, world history, Indian history, etc. To cover these sections, you will need the following History books for UPSC Mains:

• Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
• India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
• India after Independence by Bipan Chandra
• History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
• Ancient India by R.S Sharma

It is not the number of UPSC Books but how well you are preparing from a certain book that matters. It would be great if you covered most of the books we have mentioned above, but make sure you are not following multiple books to cover one topic. However, it is advised to read books to gather more knowledge on a particular subject.

Economics books for UPSC are a must for the preparations as it is included in all stages of the CSE exam. Beginners can start with Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania, Economic Development & Policies in India – Jain & Ohri, NCERT XI to cover the economics section. These economics UPSC Books have covered the economics section in easy, and simple language.

India Year Book is one of the most recommended UPSC Books for the exam to cover current affairs and the latest government schemes. Candidates must target to finish the India Year Book as per chapters as the entire book might look overwhelming. Pick each chapter, revise the GS theory related to it and then add year book notes to your static portion.

Candidates who are just beginning their preparation must refer to NCERTs as their standard books for UPSC. In the first reading, the basic NCERT books for UPSC history, geography, polity and economics must be completed.

Yes, the IPS Exam is the same as the IAS exam. Therefore, the UPSC book list for prelims and Mains is similar for both exams. The book list for UPSC optional subjects will vary for all aspirants depending on their choice.