Best Books to Prepare for Indian Society for UPSC

Indian Society is a part of UPSC Mains General Studies paper 1 and a few topics related to social issues in India are also asked in Prelims and Mains GS-II of the IAS Exam. It becomes important for the aspirants to read the right books to study Indian Society-related topics. Thesis article will provide you with a list of books that once can refer to for both prelims and mains preparation of the UPSC Exam.

To get a list of relevant books for UPSC preparation, once can refer to linked articles below that can be useful to cover UPSC Syllabus:

Social Issues Books | Indian Society Books – UPSC Prelims

The questions asked in the preliminary stage of the IAS Exam are objective in nature, i.e. multiple-choice questions are asked. Hence, it is very important for candidates to know about the topic holistically. That can be done with exhaustive reading of the books. However, it is not the number of books that make the difference but it is a consistent revision from those books that decide the fate of the aspirant in the exam.

The table below mentions the list of Indian Society books that can be referred to for UPSC Prelims preparation:

The above-mentioned four NCERT books are sufficient for a basic understanding of the Indian Society and social issues. For prelims, an aspirant can complement these books’ reading with current affairs. Important editorials and news articles related to social issues should be focussed upon. To complement your current affairs preparation, candidates can take help from the below-mentioned BYJU’s initiatives:

1. Daily News Analysis
2. Current Affairs
3. Gist of RSTV
4. Gist of Yojana

Preparation Tips for Social Issues for UPSC Prelims

1. Read NCERTs carefully and make the most out of it.
2. Periodic revision of NCERTs will be beneficial for the candidates.
3. Understanding concepts like:
   1. Diversity in India
   2. Social Issues in India
   3. Social Sector Schemes; will help candidates make a clear picture of Indian society and can help them answer better.
4. Focus on each chapter of the four NCERTs mentioned above. Update yourself with the latest figures of indices wherever important. For example-
   1. India’s rank in HDI
   2. India’s current population
   3. Linguistic Diversity
   4. India’s rank in other social development indices like – Press Freedom Index, World Happiness Report, etc.

Social Issues Books | Indian Society Books – UPSC Mains

Mains stage is a subjective one where General Studies Paper-I and General Studies Paper-II cover Indian Society topics. Also, aspirants can find relevant topics being asked in the Essay paper too of UPSC Mains. A holistic approach to study the Indian Society for IAS Mains will help. The table below mentions the relevant books, resources, and online study material to prepare for Indian Society/Social Issues in UPSC:

Preparation Tips for Social Issues for UPSC Mains

1. General understanding of topics is a must, hence, a candidate should focus on covering 5Ws & 1H of every important social issue.
2. A balanced analysis of the social issues of India for the UPSC Exam is important. An aspirant should be wary of using extreme opinions related to social issues like –
   1. Poverty
   2. Women Empowerment
   3. Hunger
   4. Casteism
   5. Reservation
   6. Empowerment, etc
3. Candidates should take the exact topic as it is mentioned in the Indian Society Syllabus for UPSC, and prepare notes on each and revise them only.
4. Aspirants should be updated with government welfare schemes and should know how to connect a particular scheme with a social issue or any other related topic of Indian society.

Apart from the tips above, aspirants can check Social Issues related important articles below:

Indian Society Booklist for UPSC:- Download PDF Here

Conclusion

Aspirants preparing for IAS Exam with Sociology optional will find it easy to cover Indian Society for prelims and mains. General Studies-I is one of the nine papers of the Mains. Along with Indian Society, there are other major subjects which are covered in the GS paper 1 of UPSC Mains. Candidates can check the GS 1 related articles from the links below: