As a UPSC aspirant, you are embarking on a journey that will test your intellect and your determination. It is a journey that is long, challenging and often confusing. Therefore, before looking at the list of books, we put forward a small cautionary note. A too-diverse set of books/study material can be helpful in certain ways, but it makes the coverage of syllabus as well as revision too tedious. It is therefore advised that:

1. Candidates must stick to a small set of study materials which can be revised multiple times before the exam.
2. If the textbooks are your direct source of preparation, then immediately after the first reading, students must focus on preparing concise notes for revision.
3. No matter how much you study, nothing prepares you better than practising questions.

Always remember, if you stay the course, this journey will be rewarding and fulfilling. Believe in yourself.

You’ve got this!

Book-list for GENERAL STUDIES

Polity and Governance

• NCERT Class XI – for understanding Political Theory
• Indian Polity by Laxmikanth covers a large portion of the syllabus comprehensively.
• Constitution of India by DD BASU – It is important for the ‘mains’ perspective but can be skipped if Laxmkanth suits you well.
• 2^nd ARC reports – These are a set of 15 reports, out of which the:
  1. 5^th report is important for police reforms,
  2. 10^th report for overall reforms in civil services in recruitments as well as e-governance.
  3. 12^th report for citizen-centric governance
• All this should be complemented with regular news updates on the issues mentioned in the syllabus, as UPSC often asks conceptional questions based on current events.
  1. Either The Hindu or Indian Express should suffice your preparation.
  2. PRS Legislative Research is another useful source.

Govt Schemes  

• Government websites like PIB, Vikaspedia;
• The Hindu/Indian Express;

Economy

• Macroeconomics – NCERT Class XII;
• Indian Economic Development – NCERT Class XI;
• Economic Survey Summary of at least the past three years;
• Budget Summary of at least the past three years;
• Websites like Arthapedia could work well for understanding basic concepts;
• The Hindu/Indian Express/Yojana magazine;

Ancient History of India

• Old NCERT by RS Sharma;
• Tamil Nadu class 11,12NCERT;
• Note: Ancient India is important for understanding Indian Heritage and culture.

Medieval History of India

• Only selective reading of Old NCERT by Satish Chandra.
• Note: Medieval history is too vast and much less rewarding. Therefore, there is no need to dive deep into it.

Modern History

• India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra;
• A Brief History of Modern India- Spectrum Publications;
• From Plassey To Partition And After by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay – It is only from the ‘mains’ perspective – and can be skipped if other books suit you.

Indian Art and Culture

• An Introduction to Indian Art – Class XI NCERT;
• Centre for Cultural Resource and Training (CCRT) booklet.
• Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania – this book itself is a gist of NCERT and CCRT books. However, it is still advisable to first read the NCERTs.

Environment and Biodiversity

• Biology chapter no 14,15,16 from class 12 NCERT;
• Chemistry chapter no. 14 from class 11 NCERT;
• Fundamentals of Physical Geography XI NCERT chapter no 15,16;
• India: Physical Environment XI NCERT chapter no 5,7;
• Can refer to magazines like Down to Earth and Science Reporter.

Science and Technology

• General Science books – IX and X standard;
• The updates in the fields of Science in India can be noted from The Hindu/Indian Express/Science Reporter.

Geography

• Fundamentals of Physical Geography XI NCERT;
• India: Physical Environment XI NCERT;
• Fundamentals of Human Geography XII NCERT;
• India: People and Economy XII NCERT;
• Certificate Physical and Human Geography: GC Leong;
• Geography of India – by Majid Hussain, World Geography- by Majid Hussain, and Physical Geography by Savinder Singh can be seen from the main perspective, but it is advisable to stick to NCERTs and GC Leong.
• World Atlas ;

Society

• Society in India by RAM AHUJA
• Various current issues in Society can be covered through newspapers.

International Relations

• Books like India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri and Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor can be useful in making basic understanding but are not necessary.
• The Hindu/Indian Express/The Diplomats are useful in understanding the current issues.

Security

• The Hindu/Indian Express;
• The 8^th report and the 5^th report of the 2^nd ARC are useful in understanding basic concepts in security.

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

One of the following two books can be followed for Ethics.

• Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude is a standard book for reading ethics.
• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudhary.

CSAT

• Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Agarwal;
• Logical Reasoning by RS Agarwal.

How 99Notes covers these topics:

1. Master Notes by 99Notes: Covers all the resources mentioned above and continuously updates them based on current developments.
2. Practising Questions: Alongside the content, we provide the database of PYQs and an ample number of Model questions to cover each concept. All the material is uploaded to the website and can be browsed by anyone remotely with login credentials.
3. Current Affairs: 99Notes covers basic reports, Economic surveys, Budget, and Magazines (Science Reporter, Yojana, etc.) in its current affairs section.

Remember that success in the UPSC exam is not just about getting a job. It’s about becoming a part of the civil service community and working towards a better future for our country. Keep this in mind, stay focused, and keep moving forward.