UPSC Book List: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the civil services examination every year, known for its competitiveness. To succeed in the IAS examination, it is crucial to cover the extensive syllabus, and selecting the right books is essential.
The preparation journey for the UPSC IAS examination emphasizes choosing quality study materials. Many aspirants often find themselves searching extensively, attending bookstores, book fairs, and more, in pursuit of the right resources. Based on recommendations from IAS toppers, NCERT books are widely considered beneficial for preparation. Below is the curated UPSC Book List PDF that will help candidates focus on the right materials.
UPSC Book List PDF
In an effort to minimize the time and effort spent by IAS aspirants in gathering preparation materials, we've compiled a concise IAS book list featuring links to essential UPSC books commonly required.
NCERT Books List for UPSC IAS Exam
Below is the list of NCERT books recommended for the UPSC IAS exam.
| S.No | Subject | UPSC Books |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | History | India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra Indian Culture – Spectrum NCERT XI (Ancient & Medieval) NCERT XII (Modern Indian History) |
| 2 | Geography | Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong NCERT VI – X (Old Syllabus) NCERT XI, XII (New Syllabus) World Atlas (Orient Black Swan) |
| 3 | Indian Polity | Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth NCERT IX-XII |
| 4 | Economics | Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania Economic Development & Policies in India – Jain & Ohri NCERT XI |
| 5 | International Relations | NCERT XII (Contemporary World Politics) Current Affairs |
| 6 | CSAT | Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual CSAT II – Arihant Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R S Aggarwal |
UPSC Book List - IAS Prelims
Here is the list of books helpful for the IAS prelims examination.
| S.No | Subject | UPSC Books |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | History, Indian Heritage & Culture [GS Paper 1] | Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra India after Independence by Bipan Chandra History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra Ancient India by R.S Sharma |
| 2 | Geography [GS Paper 1] | Geography of India by Majid Husain World Geography by Majid Husain World Atlas (Orient Black Swan) Certificate Physical and Human Geography – G C Leong Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT Class 11 |
| 3 | Polity & International Relations [GS Paper 2] | Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu International Relations by Pushpesh Pant |
| 4 | Economy [GS Paper 3] | Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania Environment and Disaster Management by Tata McGraw Hill Challenges to Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar |
| 5 | Ethics [GS Paper 4] | Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary |
| 6 | Solved Papers | IAS General Studies Prelims Solved Papers by Vishal Publications |
UPSC Book List PDF for Civil Services Exam
You can download the UPSC Book list for the Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC in PDF format using the link below.
Also Read:
List of UPSC Optional Subjects and Literature Optional Subjects List for 2025.