IAS preparation books for UPSC Exams: Top Resources for IAS Preliminary and Main Exams
The 2024 UPSC Exam: The UPSC has released a list of 2024 test dates. The UPSC Prelims will be held on May 26, while the UPSC Mains will be held on September 20.
It is critical to use appropriate study materials while preparing for the UPSC(IAS Preparation Books) CSE. Aspirants need to do their homework to choose the best study resources, even though there are plenty of online and offline options. Before moving on to the standard reference books, UPSC applicants are advised to begin their preparation using NCERT books. The candidate’s subject-matter knowledge and test-taking experience will choose the reference book that is most appropriate for them.
UPSC Study Materials – Top Books for IAS Preparation Books Preliminary Exams
The General Studies Preliminary Exam consists of two objective-type papers with negative markings: Paper I and CSAT. The following are some of the top IAS Preparation Books for the IAS prelims:
Subject UPSC Books List:
History
- NCERT 11th Ancient and Medieval
- NCERT 12th Modern Indian History
- Indian Art & Culture by Nitin Singhania
- India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra
Geography
- NCERT VI-X Old Syllabus
- NCERT XI, XII New Syllabus
- World Atlas (Orient Black Swan)
- Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong
Indian Polity
- NCERT IX-XII
- Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth
- NCERT XI
- Economic Development & Policies in India – Jain & Ohri
Economics
- Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania
International Relations
- Current Affairs
- NCERT XII (Contemporary World Politics)
CSAT
- Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual
- Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R S Aggarwal
Papers Solved
- IAS General Studies Prelims Solved Papers by Vishal Publications
Recommended Books for UPSC IAS Mains Preparation
Those who do well in the UPSC preliminary test can go on to the IAS mains. There are nine theory papers in total; two of them are electives. Here, we have provided the top general studies IAS Preparation Books for the UPSC Mains; thus, aspirants can follow the given book details to prepare for the exam.
Upcoming Exam Subject: Books
History, Indian Heritage & Culture (GS Paper 1),
- Ancient India by RS Sharma
- India after Independence by Bipan Chandra
- History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
- Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
- India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
Geography [GS Paper 1]
- Geography of India by Majid Husain
- World Atlas (Orient Black Swan)
- Certificate Physical and Human Geography by G C Leong
- World Geography by Majid Husain
- Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT Class 11
Polity and International Relations(GS Paper 2)
- Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu
- Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
- International Relations: Pushpesh Pant
Economics (GS Paper 3)
- Environment and Disaster Management by Tata McGraw Hill
- Indian Economy – Nitin Singhania
- Challenges to Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar
Ethics (GS Paper 4)
- Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary
Solved Papers
- IAS General Studies Prelims Solved Papers – Vishal Publications
UPSC Book list for optional subject:
Agriculture
- Agronomy By Yellamananda Reddy
- Soil Science – D.K Das Or Brady
- Genetics By B.D.Singh
- Entomology – Vasantha Raj & David
- Special Issue of Agriculture by The Hindu
Anthropology
- Hasnain: Tribal India
- Herskovits: Cultural Anthropology
- Surender Nath: Forensic Anthropology
- Herskovits: Cultural Anthropology
- Stein & Rowe: An Introduction to Physical Anthropology
Botany
- Taxonomy: Nair along with Datta
- Embryology: Bhojwani and Bhatnagar
- Physiology and Biochemistry: Salisbury and Ross or Fritz and Noggle
- Economic Botany: Kochar or Verma
Chemistry
- Theoretical principles of inorganic chemistry – G.S. Manku,
- Extradiction of metals, Principle of inorganic chemistry – Puri, Sharma, Jauhar.
- Advance physical chemistry – Gurdeep Raj
- A guide to mechanism in organic chemistry – Peter Sykes
Economics
- International Economics – Bo Soderston
- National Income Accounting – Bakerman
- Banking – S.B. Gupta
- International Trade – Bo Soderston
History
- History of Modern India – Shekhar Bandopadhyaya/Bipan Chandra
- India’s Ancient Past – R.S. Sharma
- The Wonder That Was India – A.L. Basham
- Ashoka and the Decline of the Mauryas – Romila Thapar
- India’s Struggle For Independence – Bipan Chandra and Others
Management
- Financial: Pandey/Chandra/Khan & Jain/Bearley
- Economics: Any good economics book
- Operations: Adams/Taha
- Organisational Design: Khandwala; Madhukar Shukla
Mathematics
- Ordinary Differential EQs:- MD Raising Lumina, Golden series-NP Bali
- Real Analysis – Shantinarayan, Royden
- Linear Programming – SD Sharma
- Solid Mechanism – Kazmioo
Electrical Engineering
- Modern Central Engineering – Ogata
- Electromagnetic Waives and Field – R.N. Singh
- Surveying and Levelling – T P Kanetakar
- Heat Conversion – Arora & Kundwar
Urdu
- Urdu Shairi ka Tauqidi Mutala – Suenbul Nigar
- Urdu Nasr ka Tauqidi Mutala – Suenbul Nigar
- Urdu Adab Ki Tarikh – Noorul Hasan Naqvi
Psychology
- Psychology Robert A Baron
- Social Psychology Baron & Byrne
- The Psychology of Small Groups Shaw
The Importance of UPSC Study Materials
Anyone looking to ace the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations in India will benefit significantly from studying with a good UPSC study guide. Candidates for a variety of government positions, such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS), are chosen through these extremely tough examinations.
A person can better grasp the exam’s structure and content, as well as study tools and practice questions, from a preparation book. While UPSC study guides are an excellent place to start, they shouldn’t be relied upon solely for research and preparation. To make sure you’re ready for the UPSC exams, it’s a good idea to use online study aids, practice exams, and coaching programmes, among other things.
Importance of High-Quality IAS Study Resources
Having high-quality IAS books to study from is crucial for the civil services test. To emphasise their importance, below are five critical points:
- Thorough Coverage: High-quality IAS Preparation Books cover every subject and topic on the extensive curriculum, ensuring that test takers are well-prepared for everything.
- Concept Clarity: They aid in building groundwork by elucidating intricate ideas so that candidates can easily understand and remember.
- Exam Relevance: A good IAS Preparation Books would cover material directly applicable to the questions and subjects covered in the UPSC examination.
- Practice and Revision: With the help of practice questions, past exams, and revision notes, applicants can assess their knowledge and prepare well for the IAS exam.
- Save time: Aspirants can avoid drowning in a sea of information by using recommended IAS Preparation Books to save time and focus on the most critical and relevant study resources.
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