UPSC Books: Subject-wise Books List for Prelims & Mains
The UPSC Exam is one of the most prestigious exams in India and requires rigorous preparation. One of the most important aspects of UPSC Exam Preparation is selecting the right books. The right books can not only help you cover the complete syllabus but also aid you in understanding the concepts better. To clear the IAS exam, you will need the best books, dedication, a lot of practice and patience, and so on.
Every year, lakhs of candidates register themselves in the UPSC IAS recruitment. To get selected for such a competitive exam, you have to start your preparations as early as possible, and for that, you need to refer to the best books which are easy to understand and also provide great information. UPSC books provide an in-depth understanding of the various topics and sub-topics of the exam syllabus. These books also offer practice exercises, IAS Previous Year Question Papers, and tips and tricks to solve the questions accurately and quickly. In this article, we'll provide you with a comprehensive list of the best books for UPSC preparation, including books for both the UPSC Prelims and Mains exams. Whether you're looking for books on Indian History, Polity, Geography, Economics, or any other subject, we've got you covered.
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Best Books For UPSC Prelims
In the UPSC Prelims Exam, there are two papers, namely, GS Paper 1 & CSAT Paper. In this section, we will look at the list of best books for UPSC prelims exam.
UPSC Prelims Books for Mathematics
| Book Title | Author(s) | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Principles of Mathematical Analysis | Walter Rudin | Advanced |
| Introduction to Linear Algebra | Gilbert Strang | Undergraduate |
| Algebra | Michael Artin | Undergraduate |
| Calculus | Michael Spivak | Undergraduate |
| Abstract Algebra | David S. Dummit, Richard M. Foote | Advanced |
| Discrete Mathematics and its Applications | Kenneth H. Rosen | Undergraduate |
| A First Course in Probability | Sheldon Ross | Undergraduate |
UPSC Prelims Books for Physics
| Book Title | Author(s) | Level |
|---|---|---|
| The Feynman Lectures on Physics | Richard P. Feynman | All levels |
| Classical Mechanics | Herbert Goldstein | Advanced |
| Introduction to Electrodynamics | David J. Griffiths | Undergraduate |
| Concepts of Modern Physics | Arthur Beiser | Undergraduate |
| Quantum Mechanics: Concepts and Applications | Nouredine Zettili | Graduate |
| General Relativity | Robert M. Wald | Advanced |
| Optics | Eugene Hecht | Undergraduate |
UPSC Prelims Books Chemistry
| Book Title | Author(s) | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Organic Chemistry | Jonathan Clayden, Nick Greeves | Undergraduate |
| Physical Chemistry | Peter Atkins, Julio de Paula | Undergraduate |
| Inorganic Chemistry | J.D. Lee | Undergraduate |
| Principles of Biochemistry | Albert L. Lehninger, David L. Nelson | Undergraduate |
| Modern Inorganic Chemistry | F. Albert Cotton, Geoffrey Wilkinson | Advanced |
| Chemical Thermodynamics | Ira N. Levine | Advanced |
UPSC Prelims Books for Biology
| Book Title | Author(s) | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular Biology of the Cell | Bruce Alberts | Advanced |
| Campbell Biology | Lisa A. Urry, Michael L. Cain | Undergraduate |
| Principles of Genetics | D. Peter Snustad, Michael J. Simmons | Undergraduate |
| The Selfish Gene | Richard Dawkins | General |
| Essential Cell Biology | Alberts, Bray | Undergraduate |
| Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach | Dee Unglaub Silverthorn | Undergraduate |
| Microbiology: An Introduction | Gerard J. Tortora | Undergraduate |
UPSC Prelims Books for Computer Science
| Book Title | Author(s) | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Algorithms | Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Clifford Stein | Advanced |
| The Art of Computer Programming | Donald E. Knuth | Advanced |
| Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs | Harold Abelson, Gerald Jay Sussman | Undergraduate |
| Clean Code | Robert C. Martin | Intermediate |
| Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software | Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, John Vlissides | Intermediate |
| Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach | Stuart Russell, Peter Norvig | Advanced |
| Computer Networks | Andrew S. Tanenbaum | Undergraduate |
UPSC Prelims Books for Economics
| Book Title | Author(s) | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Principles of Economics | N. Gregory Mankiw | Undergraduate |
| Microeconomic Theory | Andreu Mas-Colell, Michael D. Whinston, Jerry R. Green | Advanced |
| Macroeconomics | Olivier Blanchard | Undergraduate |
| Development Economics | Debraj Ray | Advanced |
| The Wealth of Nations | Adam Smith | General |
| Econometrics | James H. Stock, Mark W. Watson | Undergraduate |
| Game Theory: An Introduction | Steven Tadelis | Undergraduate |
UPSC Prelims Books for History
| Book Title | Author(s) | Level |
|---|---|---|
| A People's History of the United States | Howard Zinn | General |
| The History of the Ancient World | Susan Wise Bauer | General |
| Guns, Germs, and Steel | Jared Diamond | General |
| The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich | William L. Shirer | General |
| Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | General |
| The Silk Roads: A New History of the World | Peter Frankopan | General |
| A Short History of Nearly Everything | Bill Bryson | General |
UPSC Prelims Books for Psychology
| Book Title | Author(s) | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking, Fast and Slow | Daniel Kahneman | General |
| Psychology | David G. Myers | Undergraduate |
| Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion | Robert B. Cialdini | General |
| The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat | Oliver Sacks | General |
| Cognitive Psychology: A Student's Handbook | Michael Eysenck, Mark Keane | Undergraduate |
| Social Psychology | Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson | Undergraduate |
| Emotional Intelligence | Daniel Goleman | General |
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includedBest Books For UPSC Mains
Only those candidates who clear the prelims exam can appear for the Mains exam. The UPSC Mains exam includes a total of 9 papers and has a weightage of 1750 marks. Books for UPSC Mains provide in-depth knowledge of the diverse syllabus. They offer a structured approach to learning, cover the latest trends and developments in their respective fields, and help aspirants understand complex concepts. These UPSC books are crucial for an aspirant's success in cracking the UPSC exam and are regularly updated to keep up with the changing dynamics of the exam. Choosing the right books for UPSC Mains is essential for aspirants who want to excel in the exam and become civil servants.
We have tried to list down the best books for UPSC Mains based on the GS & Optional Papers You can find the complete UPSC booklist in the below sections.
| List Of UPSC Books For Mains GS Papers | ||
| Subject | Mains Paper | UPSC Books |
| History, Indian Heritage & Culture | GS Paper 1 |
|
| Geography |
|
|
| Polity & International Relations | GS Paper 2 |
|
| Economy | GS Paper 3 |
|
| Ethics | GS Paper 4 |
|
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Subject-wise Books For UPSC Mains (Optional Paper)
UPSC books for optional subjects are an essential part of an aspirant's UPSC preparation. These books provide candidates with an opportunity to specialize in a subject of their choice and help them score well in the Mains exam. IAS books for optional subjects are written by subject matter experts and provide aspirants with a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered in the syllabus. You can decide which UPSC preparation books you need to buy by looking at the booklist given in the table below for the optional subjects.
Agriculture
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Fundamentals Of Agricultural Extension Education | U Barman |
| A Text Book of Agricultural Statistics | R. Rangaswamy |
| Agronomy | Yellamanda Reddy |
| Entomology | Vasantha Raj & David |
| Genetics | B.D. Singh |
2. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| A guide on forest Entomology | Regupathy |
| A Textbook Of Animal Husbandry | G C Banerjee |
| Advanced Animal Nutrition | D. V Reddy |
| Agricultural Economics | S Subba Reddy |
| Animal husbandry & veterinary science | T.N. Palanivelu |
3. Anthropology
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Physical Anthropology | P Nath |
| Fossil Evidence | S Das |
| Social Anthropology | DN Majumdar & T N Madan |
| Indian Anthropology | Nadeem Hasnain |
| Anthropology Theories | Makhan Jha |
4. Botany
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Cell Biology | De Robertis & Ambrose or Powar |
| Cryptograms | B.R. Vasista |
| Botany for Degree Students; Pteridophyta (Vascular Cryptogams) | P.C. Vashishta |
| Ecology, Microbiology, Animal Behaviour, Pollution and Toxicology | Dr Veer Bala Rastogi |
| Economic botany in the tropics | S. L. Kochhar |
5. Chemistry
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| A guide to mechanism in organic chemistry | Peter Sykes |
| A textbook of environmental chemistry and pollution | S.S. Dara |
| A textbook of organic chemistry | Bahl & Ba |
| A textbook of physical chemistry (Vol. – IV) | K.L. Kapoor |
| Advance physical chemistry | Gurdeep Raj |
6. Civil Engineering
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics | Irving Herman Shames |
| Strength of Material | Prof. S. Ramamrutham |
| Mechanics for Engineers | B Johnson |
| Structural Analysis | C. K. Wang |
| Limit state design of steel structures | S K Duggal |
7. Commerce & Accountancy
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Corporate Accounting | Naseem Ahmed |
| Accounting Standards | D. S. Rawat |
| Students’ Guide to Auditing | Aruna Jha |
| Income Tax | V.K. Singhania or Girish Ahuja |
| Cost Accounting; Theory & Problems | Maheshwari & Mittal |
8. Economics
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Indian Economy | Ramesh Singh |
| The Indian Economy | Sanjiv Verma |
| Indian Economy | Mishra and Puri |
| Indian Economy | R. Dutt and KPM Sundaram |
| Banking | S.B. Gupta |
| Dictionary of Economics | Graham Bannock, T.E. Baxter, Ray Rees |
9. Electrical Engineering
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Electromagnetic Fields & Waves | Kd Prasad |
| Energy Conversion | Ashfaq Hussain |
| Circuit Theory: Analysis and Synthesis | A. Chakrabarti |
| Signals and Systems | Alan V. Oppenheim, Alan V. Willsky, S. Hamid Nawab |
| Physics of Semiconductor Devices | Simon Sze |
10. Geography
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| A Geography by Population | R.C. Chandna |
| Agricultural Geography | Majid Husain |
| Climatology | D.S.Lal |
| Economic and Social Geography – Made Simple | R.Knowles & J.Wareing |
| Economic Geography | Hartshorn & Truman A |
11. Geology
| Book Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Advancing Frontiers in Geology and Geophysics | A P Subramaniam & S. Balakrishnan |
| Ananda K. Coomaraswamy Writings on Geology and Mineralogy | Ranganathan, A. & Rao, K. Srinivasa |
| Concise Glossary of Geology | Mathur, S.M. |
| Deccan Traverses: The Making of Bangalore’s Terrain | Mathur, Anuradha & Cunha, Dilip Da |
| Dimensions of Himalayan Geology | Biyani A.K. |
Importance Of Books For UPSC Preparation
The UPSC exam is a highly competitive exam that requires thorough preparation to crack. One of the most important aspects of this preparation is the selection of the right study materials, and UPSC preparation books are an essential component of this. Let's understand the importance of these books in the below-mentioned pointers.
- Syllabus Coverage -These IAS books are designed to cover the entire syllabus in a comprehensive and structured manner. They provide a step-by-step guide for aspirants to understand and master each topic in a detailed manner.
- Develops Analytical Skills - These books help aspirants develop analytical and critical thinking skills that are essential for cracking the exam. By presenting multiple perspectives and approaches to a particular topic, these books encourage aspirants to think beyond rote learning and develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
- Provides Practice Questions - UPSC preparation books also provide ample practice questions and previous year question papers that help aspirants assess their preparation level and identify their strengths and weaknesses. By solving these questions and analyzing their mistakes, aspirants can improve their performance and increase their chances of clearing the exam.
- In-depth Explanation - These preparation books are written by experts and experienced educators who have a deep understanding of the exam and its requirements. They provide valuable insights and tips on how to approach different types of questions and how to manage time effectively during the exam.
- Easy Availability - IAS preparation books are also easily accessible and affordable, making them a popular choice among aspirants from diverse backgrounds and geographical locations. Aspirants can purchase these books from a wide range of sources, including online marketplaces, bookstores, and libraries.
Beyond Books: Supplementary Study Materials For UPSC
If you're serious about cracking the UPSC exam, it's not enough to depend solely on books. You need to go beyond the textbooks and explore a range of supplementary study materials that can help you ace the exam. These supplementary study materials can include everything from online forums and study groups to mock tests and current affairs magazines. By using a combination of these materials, you can enhance your preparation and stay ahead of the competition. Some of the supplementary study materials for UPSC are listed below.
- 2nd ARC Report
- Budget (Latest)
- Economic Survey (Latest)
- Niti Aayog Action Agenda
- Finance Commission Report (Latest)
- Annual reports by central ministries
- Current Affairs - The Hindu newspaper, Yojana Magazine, PIB releases, Testbook UPSC Current Affairs, and more.
- Yearbooks and reference books like India Year Book, Economic Survey, and Manorama Yearbook.
- Informative videos on Testbook's IAS SuperCoaching Youtube Channel.
Conclusion
To conclude, we can say that IAS books are the backbone of exam preparation, providing a strong foundation and in-depth knowledge of various subjects and their topics. However, to crack the toughest exam in India, candidates must also refer to other study materials such as newspapers, online courses, and mock tests. With the right combination of books and study materials, candidates can significantly improve their chances of clearing the exam with good marks. Best Luck!
We hope this article has provided valuable insights into the list of important UPSC books and supplementary study materials for comprehensive UPSC exam preparation. You can also install our latest Testbook app now and get access to mock tests, study materials and more!
