U.P.S.C Exam is the most difficult and painful exam of all exams. If you want to get a high rank in UPSC IAS Exam, you will need to prepare with the right books. But which book should I pick?
UPSC Booklist – Best Books For IAS Exam
We’ve got a comprehensive list of books that can help you prepare for the UPSC CSE (IAS/IPS) – Prelims and mains. We are providing you with the books that are recommended by previous toppers of the IAS Exam so you can pick up the book that suits your requirements best and ace your Civil Services Examinations too.
Best UPSC Booklist 2022
This is a list of the best books to study that will help you crack the UPSC exam in 2022. Recommended by Toppers, these are the best books for UPSC IAS Prelims and Mains Exam Preparation.
Booklist for UPSC CSE Prelims Exam Prep
Check out the table below to know the UPSC booklist to refer to while studying for the UPSC CSE Prelims examination
| Paper | UPSC Booklist |
|---|---|
| General Studies (Paper 1) | 1. Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth 2. Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh 3. India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra 4. Indian Modern History – Spectrum 5. NCERTs of (History, Geography & Polity) Class 6th-12th 6. Physical Geography – GC Leong 7. Environment – By Shankar IAS 8. Map – Oxford World Atlas |
| CSAT (Paper 2) | 1. Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R S Aggarwal 2. Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual 3. English Grammar & Composition – Wren & Martin 4. Cracking the CSAT Paper-2 – by Arihant Experts |
Also refer: UPSC Previous Year (1979-2021) Question Paper
Booklist for UPSC CSE Mains Exam Prep
| Paper | UPSC Mains Booklist |
|---|---|
| General Studies – (Paper 1) | 1. History ➥ Ancient India – R.S Sharma ➥ History of Medieval India – Satish Chandra ➥ Modern History – Bipan Chandra ➥ Post Independence – Bipan Chandra 2. Geography ➥ Indian Geography – Majid Husain ➥ Orient Black Swan Atlas ➥ Physical and Human Geography – G C Leong ➥ Physical Geography – NCERT Class 11 ➥ World Geography- Majid Husain 3. Society ➥ Indian Society – by Nadeem Hasnain |
| General Studies – (Paper 2) | 1. Polity ➥ Indian Polity – M. Laxmikanth ➥ Introduction to the Constitution of India – DD Basu ➥ Important Judgments that Transformed India – by Alex Andrews George 2. Foreign Policy ➥ India’s Foreign Policy – by Rajiv Sikri |
| General Studies – (Paper 3) | ➥ Indian Economy – by Ramesh Singh ➥ Internal Security of India – Ashok Kumar ➥ Environment – By Shankar IAS ➥ Science and Technology – Ravi P. Agrahari |
| General Studies – (Paper 4) | Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude ➥ Subba Rao ➥ P.N. Rao Chaudhry |
FAQ related to UPSC Booklist
Which book is best for UPSC IAS preparation?
Here is a list of the top 10 books for IAS aspirants who are aiming for the civil service:
1. Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth
2. Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh
3. India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
4. Indian Modern History – Spectrum
5. NCERTs of (History, Geography & Polity) Class 6th-12th
6. Physical Geography – GC Leong
7. Environment – By Shankar IAS
8. India Year Book
9. India’s Foreign Policy – by Rajiv Sikri
10 Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude – Subba Rao
Is laxmikant enough for polity?
Yes. Toppers have done Laxmikant’s polity book for UPSC scored well in prelims and mains exam. The reason for that is, you don’t have to study any other sources for polity subject. It follows the same syllabus as the one given by UPSC.
Which is the Best Book Recommended by UPSC Toppers?
The best books Recommended by UPSC Toppers are those which are published by NCERT or the ones published by authors who have good experience and understanding of the Indian Constitution like M. Laxmikant.
Is NCERT enough for IAS prelims?
NCERT books are a must-have while preparing for the IAS exam. However, keep in mind that these books alone will be insufficient preparation material. You must refer to subject-wise books (e.g. Indian Polity by Laxmikant) and stay abreast of current affairs.
This will give you a holistic view of the course and help you in planning your revision accordingly.