UPSC Book List, Best Books for UPSC Prelims, Mains & Optionals

The Best Books for UPSC Civil Services Examination preparation are those that offer a well-organized and comprehensive coverage of the syllabus. These books should help you save time by providing detailed explanations and stay updated with the latest changes in the exam pattern and content. Selecting the right UPSC CSE Books is crucial for each stage of the exam. The Prelims consist of objective-type questions, while the Mains require descriptive answer writing skills. It's essential for aspirants to be discerning in their choice of books and categorize their reading list into Prelims and Mains preparation materials.

UPSC Booklist for History 

Strategy to Prepare History UPSC Booklist

Developing Foundation for History Subject

To build a strong foundation in the History and Culture section for UPSC CSE, start with the class notes and handouts provided by the faculty of the institute and then graduate to NCERT textbooks and complement them with respective TN textbooks as given above. These books will give you a fair idea and understanding of key events, movements, societal changes and important civilisational developments.

Advance Preparation of the subject:

For advanced preparation in the History and Culture section for UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains, it's important to move beyond basic concepts and delve deeper into specialised topics. For the same ,read the advanced book as given above and suggested by faculty. Then, refer to Previous Year Questions (PYQs), generate relevant content, and prepare notes from both Basic and Advanced sources. A greater focus shall be on often repeated themes like Buddhism, Jainism, Culturaldevelopments under Cholas, terminology-based questions etc. For Modern History, UPSC CSE has asked questions on topics like freedom movements, important acts, social reform movements, significant leaders, British policies, and various revolts. Prioritise these topics by revising both basic and advanced sources. In Prelims UPSC CSE has also been asking questions related to the political history of Ancient and Medieval India. Students need to have a fair idea of the major ruler, dynasties and their timelines to effectively guess and eliminate if not exact timelines. A comprehensive overview of the same is provided in Yellow Books. Students also need to keep a tap on historical issues or personalities in the news.

UPSC Booklist for Geography Prelims and Mains 

Strategy to Prepare for Geography Subject: 

Developing Foundation for the subject:

For basic preparation in the geography section of the UPSC CSE exam, start with NCERT textbooks particularly of Classes 11th and 12th in addition to your class notes and handouts provided by the faculty, as they provide a clear understanding of fundamental concepts in physical geography, human geography, and India’s geography. Once you've covered the NCERTs, refer to G.C. Leong's Certificate Physical and Human Geography for in-depth coverage of topics like climate, landforms, and associated human interactions. Also, you can read Total Geography Class X ICSE Board for your enhanced understanding of the basic concepts. Understanding map-based questions is crucial for both Prelims and Mains, so practice map reading and marking locations of important physical features like mountains and volcanoes, location of industries and resource distribution is required for India and around the World.

Advance Preparation of the subject:

For advanced preparation in geography for UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains, it's important to move beyond basic concepts and delve deeper into specialized topics. After mastering NCERTs and class notes, focus on topics like climatology, geomorphology, oceanography, and from advanced sources such as yellow books and other standard books for reference like Physical Geography by Savindra Singh and Indian Geography by Majid Hussain. Stay updated on recent developments related to geographical phenomena, such as disasters, effect of climate change on physical features like river trajectories, sustainable urban development, etc. For Mains, practice diagram-based answers and learn to effectively incorporate maps and flowcharts to enhance your presentation. Focus on India's regional geography, socio-economic issues like urbanization, industrial location, and agriculture patterns, while also understanding global issues like geopolitics and migration. Make use of contemporary examples(taking help from Recitals and the DTE magazine) to support your arguments, and practice answer writing regularly with PYQs. 

UPSC Booklist for Polity Prelims and Mains 

Strategy to Prepare for Polity Subject

Developing Foundation for the subject:

• To lay the foundation for the polity section of your UPSC CSE syllabus, start with the NCERT textbook of Class 11th. This book will introduce you to the basic concepts of democracy, elections, political institutions, fundamental rights, Parliament, judiciary, power-sharing and federalism. Club this with the class notes and handouts provided by the faculty. These together will help you in building a clear understanding of how India’s polity functions and will prepare you for more advanced study. 
• Once you've gone through these sources, the next step is to refer to a standard book like Vajiram & Ravi Polity Yellow Book 1 & 2 or M. Laxmikanth’s "Indian Polity". These books are important for UPSC CSE aspirants because of its comprehensive coverage of topics related to the subject aligned as per the demand of the paper . To further cement your understanding of the subject you can add Indian Constitution by Madhav Khosla to your preparation strategy.

Advance Preparation of the subject:

• Once you’ve built a strong foundation in polity through the NCERTs, class notes and
• handouts, it's essential to shift towards mains-centric preparation. This requires a deeper
• and more conceptual understanding of constitutional provisions and contemporary political issues.
• To enhance your preparation, Vajiram and Ravi’s Yellow Book on Polity (Polity 1 and 2) is highly recommended. These books are designed for both prelims and mains, offering detailed explanations of key topics while focusing on analytical aspects on contemporary polity issues relevant to the mains exam. You can also add the 12th standard NCERT here to gain an overall perspective of politics in India since Independence.
• Staying updated with current affairs is equally crucial. Regularly read newspapers like The Hindu or The Indian Express, particularly editorials, which link political debates, judicial rulings, and governance reforms directly to mains questions.
• Additionally, study the Polity section from Vajiram and Ravi’s Recitals to enrich your understanding of changes in laws and rules, which will greatly enhance the depth of your

main answers.

• Finally, solve previous year mains questions (PYQs) to grasp the analytical nature of
• questions and refine your answer-writing skills.

UPSC Booklist for Social Justice and Governance

Strategy to Prepare for Social Justice and Governance: 

Developing Foundation for the subject:

After studying the nature and weightage of PYQs one must read the Class notes as well as the Class Handouts provided by Faculty thoroughly. This gives clarity with respect to each topic mentioned in the syllabus. These notes are to be updated with the relevant facts, data points and examples from the newspapers and the recitals. Contemporary issues and the measures to solve the same must be also read and made a part of class notes side by side.

Advance preparation

Here, important case studies, international best practices, successful governance models and data points are to be applied directly to the main answers. Also interlinkages with GS 2 polity section(say the DPSPs for social justice) and GS4 are to be learnt so as to write holistic answers. After revising class notes as well as the handouts given by the faculty, additions can be made from the yellow books on Social Justice and Governance and Government Schemes respectively.

UPSC Booklist for International Relations

Strategy to Prepare for International Relations

Developing Foundation for the subject:

To prepare for the International Relations for UPSC CSE Mains GS 2, start by understanding key areas like bilateral relations, regional groupings, and global institutions. Read class notes and handouts for conceptual understanding. NCERT books and reference books like Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor can be used for adding to the foundational knowledge. Regularly follow current affairs through newspapers like The Hindu and the Recitals. Focus on India’s evolving foreign policy (e.g., Act East, Indo-Pacific) and its role in organizations like the UN, WTO, and BRICS. Keep a track of India’s neighborhood relations, major global events, and their impact on India. Practice answer writing and review past year questions to align your preparation with the exam pattern.

Advance Preparation of the subject:

For advanced preparation, focus on analyzing India's strategic interests in a globalized world, including emerging geopolitical trends and India's role in multilateral forums like the G20, QUAD, and BRICS. Deep dive into India's evolving relationships with major powers like the US, China, Russia, and the EU, examining trade, defense, and diplomatic ties. Study regional complexities in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific, and West Asia, including India's response to changing power dynamics. Utilize advanced sources like Vajiram Yellow book on International Relations, MEA website and the PIB. Prioritize critical issues like climate diplomacy, cyber security, and global economic governance, integrating current events with a historical perspective for nuanced answer writing. For Prelims, focus on mapping-based questions and international organizations, ensuring a strong grasp of locations and structures. For Mains, prioritize regular answer writing practice, integrating current affairs and India's foreign policy stances into structured responses.

UPSC Booklist for Economy 

Strategy to Prepare Economy Subject for UPSC Prelims and Mains

Developing Foundation for the subject:

For basic preparation in the economy section of the UPSC CSE exam, it is essential to build a strong foundation by starting with class notes , handouts and NCERT textbooks (Class 11 and 12) to grasp fundamental concepts like GDP , inflation, fiscal policy, and monetary policy and gradually build a deeper understanding. This will help you to understand the terms commonly discussed in the newspaper . For current affairs, regularly read newspapers like The Hindu or Indian Express to stay updated on government policies, economic reforms, and financial developments.

Advance Preparation of the subject:

For advanced preparation of the economy section, focus on integrating current economic developments with in-depth theoretical understanding. Use standard material like Vajiram Yellow books, monthly recitals magazine, Economic survey, etc for holistic preparation. Follow specialized sources like NITI Aayog reports and Yojana to understand sectoral issues in depth. For Mains, practice answer writing that incorporates critical analysis, data, and recent examples on topics like resource mobilization, inclusive growth, economic reforms, and financial inclusion. Solving previous year’s Mains questions and mock tests will enhance your ability to write structured answers, while for Prelims, focus on core concepts of economics, terms and terminologies, government schemes, etc.

UPSC Booklist for Science and Technology 

Strategy to Prepare Science and Technology for UPSC Prelims and Mains

Developing Foundation for the subject:

To prepare for the Science and Technology section of UPSC CSE GS 3, start by understanding the syllabus and focusing on both static concepts and dynamic current affairs. Build a strong foundation by reading class notes , handouts and NCERT Science textbooks to grasp fundamental concepts in physics, biology, and chemistry. For current developments, regularly read newspapers like and magazines like Science Reporter to stay updated on advancements in fields like space technology, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence.

Advance Preparation of the subject:

For an advanced strategy to prepare for the Science and Technology section of UPSC CSE GS 3, focus on integrating conceptual clarity with current developments and policy implications. Begin by mastering the advanced concepts with the help of Vajiram Yellow book on ‘Science and Technology’ and other standard reference books. Focus on India’s achievements in space, defence, and IT (Digital India). Stay updated on the latest breakthroughs by regularly reading the Hindu's science section, Science Reporter, and institutional websites such as ISRO, DRDO, and BARC for detailed reports on India’s technological achievements WHO website for diseases. Refer to previous 5 years’ Nobel Prizes for Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine to understand recent advancements in these fields. Additionally, stay informed on emerging technology solutions on climate change, promoting renewable energy, digital financing, pollution (air and water), electric vehicles, green hydrogen, quantum computing, and encryption as these are highly relevant areas of UPSC CSE. Focus more on application-centric news and avoid concentrating too much on issues/news that are still at initial levels of research. Practice answer writing by linking current technological advancements to societal impacts, and solve previous years’ UPSC CSE papers to understand the exam pattern. For the Preliminary exam, focus on a combination of conceptual clarity and current affairs. Practice solving MCQs from test series that focus on factual knowledge, recent developments, and government schemes related to science and technology.

UPSC Booklist for Environment and Ecology and Disaster Management

Strategy to Prepare Environment and Ecology and Disaster Management

Developing Foundation for the subject:

For foundational preparation in the Environment section of the UPSC CSE exam, start with NCERT textbooks as mentioned above combining them with your class notes and handouts. The key to mastering the Environment and Ecology section and DM is conceptual clarity, linking current affairs with static portions.Make dedicated effort to prepare map based questions of various National Parks and Sanctuaries and different species in news. Always keep a tap on news items from topics of syllabus and PYQ themes to develop broad understanding. After certain preparation, engage in daily solving of UPSC CSE prelims questions to keep preparation on the right track.

Advance Preparation of the subject:

For the environment and ecology part, shift your approach towards analytical and subjective style. Focus on major multilateral negotiations like UNFCCC COPs, Vienna Convention etc. give emphasis on major governmental initiatives in environmental conservation and our global commitments along with institutions like ISA, CDRI etc. Disaster management part requires a good understanding of both the theoretical framework and practical aspects of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Give special emphasis on Disaster Management Act 20005 and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030. Also prepare the major disasters in India and world of past 1 years to tackle specific mains questions effectively. 

UPSC Booklist for Internal Security 

Strategy to Prepare Internal Security for UPSC Prelims and Mains

Developing Foundation for the subject:

This is an exclusive mains portion of the syllabus. Develop a basic understanding of subject by reading the class notes, handouts. Yellow Book on Internal Security will refine the existing understanding of various internal security challenges. Supplement this with current and contemporary issues with the help of newspapers.

Advance Preparation of the subject:

Now to delve deeper into advanced preparation for Internal Security, keep a close tab on current and contemporary affairs in this domain(through “Recitals” and newspapers). Along with conventional threats like naxalism, terrorism etc, emerging threats like cyber security, drone warfare etc needs to be prepared well. Hence internal security current affairs and editorials are of prime importance to develop nuanced understanding. For value addition and content differentiation, selective EPW articles, IDSA reports and certain Yojana Magazines relevant to internal security should be judiciously prepared.

UPSC Booklist for Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

Strategy to Prepare for Ethic, Integrity and Aptitude for UPSC Mains

Developing Foundation for the subject:

Preparation has to be started with a fair knowledge about the Previous year questions, overall pattern and weightage of various topics . Reading of class notes and class handouts provided by Faculty will help in building concepts related to the subject(foundation).Preparation of definition,meaning and relevant examples of important terms will make one familiar with the subject, Yellow books can be used for adding content to existing notes and handouts. Gradually, important thinkers ,their theories and the related keywords are to be understood. Also the Ethics in Governance part has to be studied simultaneously with portions of governance in GS2 paper as many topics overlap with each other .

Case Studies:

Once the theory part is read it has to be applied in case studies. Reading newspapers give direct situation-based case studies ranging from law and order,crisis management to general administration related problems. One can clearly master the art of writing good case studies by following the ways and steps taught in the foundation classes (through class notes and handouts) referring to the newspapers.Advance Preparation of the subject: After building a strong foundation, one can enhance the quality of the subject matter by adding recent and relevant examples of successful initiatives by administrators. These can be collected through newspapers and sites like The Better India.Further, “Ethics in Public Administration- A Philosophical Approach by Patrick Sheeran” help build upon the existing class notes. Newspapers as well as knowledge from other GS and essay papers can be used at this stage i.e techniques to use interlinkages .Selected recommendations from important second ARC Report (i.e Ethics In Governance-4th Report) are also to be incorporated in answer writing practice for GS 4. After understanding the basics of approaching case studies one may refer to and practice from the Yellow Book. Also efforts to write each case study with a different style and within the time limit must be made while preparing at an advanced level. 

UPSC Booklist FAQs

Q1. Which book is useful for UPSC?
Ans. NCERT books (6th-12th) and standard reference books like Laxmikant for Polity, Spectrum for Modern History, and GC Leong for Geography are highly useful for UPSC preparation.

Q2. Which books are best for UPSC PDF?
Ans. Popular UPSC books in PDF include NCERTs, Laxmikant for Polity, Spectrum for History, and Economic Survey, which can often be found on educational sites.

Q3. How to choose a booklist for UPSC?
Ans. Pick a balanced mix of NCERTs for basics and standard reference books like Laxmikanth for Polity and Spectrum for History, and stick to one book per subject to avoid overload.

Q4. Which book is important for UPSC Prelims?
Ans. Essential books for Prelims include NCERTs, Laxmikant’s Indian Polity, Spectrum’s Modern History, and GC Leong’s Physical Geography.

Q5. Which is the main book for UPSC?
Ans. For many, Indian Polity by Laxmikant is indispensable due to its coverage of key concepts for both Prelims and Mains.

Q6. Is NCERT 6 to 12 enough for UPSC?
Ans. NCERTs are crucial for building a foundation, but additional reference books are needed to cover UPSC’s vast syllabus comprehensively.