Importance of NCERTs and Standard Books for UPSC

UPSC Civil Service Examination is one of the most prestigious examinations in the country held to select for job vacancies like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and various other posts. UPSC examines the candidates in three stages prelims, mains, and the personality test (interview). The candidates require many books and study material to refer to while preparing for all three stages.

There are many coaching institutes in the market that provide their own study material to the students to make the preparation easier. Reading only the coaching material while preparing for UPSC is not recommended. There are a few reasons why NCERTs and standard books are recommended for UPSC preparation. Also, IAS toppers recommend that aspirants should start their UPSC preparation with NCERT books and then move on to the standard reference books.

Importance of NCERTs for UPSC

NCERTs are the basic books that extensively covers the UPSC CSE syllabus. They are very easy to read and grasp. It is advised to start the UPSC preparation with NCERTs because of the following reasons

• Covers UPSC syllabus: NCERTs extensively covers the syllabus of UPSC CSE. It is useful for both prelims and the mains. If we look at the previous years’ questions, we may find that many questions are directly asked from the NCERTs.
• Uses Simple Language: NCERTs use simple language in its content. The content can be easily understood by students who are not well versed in English. It helps in enhancing the answer writing skills of the candidate.
• Conceptual Clarity: The content in the NCERTs are easy to understand. This helps in the concept building of the candidates. That is why NCERTs are recommended at the early stages of preparation.
• Authenticity of information: NCERTs provide genuine information. They are designed by experts after thorough research. Hence they are important to develop a strong base in any subject.

Importance of Standard Books for UPSC

NCERTs help in building conceptual knowledge. But to gain more knowledge required to handle the prelims and mains examination few standard books are recommended by the experts and toppers. The following are the benefits of standard books for UPSC.

• More Information: The standard books give more information required to handle General Studies Papers and Essays. These books are written by eminent authors after conducting research. Some examples of standard books for UPSC are Lakshmikant, Ramesh Singh, Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania, Goh Cheng Leong etc.
• Updated Information: Standard books are designed based on the UPSC syllabus. The facts and figures in the books are updated in new editions.

The coaching materials will provide information with updated facts and figures but the concept building can be done better only by NCERTs. That is why many experts and IAS Toppers recommend NCERTs and a few standard books for UPSC preparation. Only coaching material will not be sufficient while preparing for UPSC. Coaching materials will complement your preparation and will add value to your content.

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