In this article on UPSC Books, we endeavour to provide you with the list of best books for the IAS Exam 2024 Prelims & 2024 Mains exam. The IAS Exam or the Civil Services Exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The highly prestigious exam is also one of the toughest exams in the country.
UPSC IAS Books List PDF
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Importance of Good IAS Books
UPSC Prelims 2024 was held on 28th May, 2023.
UPSC Prelims 2024 is scheduled for 26th May 2024.
To follow up on the upcoming civil services examination, aspirants may check UPSC Calendar in the linked article.
Out of a plethora of study material available both online and offline, it is crucial that the candidates select the best books for UPSC IAS preparation.
IAS toppers recommend that aspirants start their UPSC preparation with NCERT books and then move on to the standard reference books.
The best IAS books can vary from candidate to candidate depending on their previous expertise and knowledge of the subject matter. However, the UPSC booklist recommended by experts are listed in this article subject-wise.
Choosing the right IAS exam books online for different stages of the UPSC exam is quite important. The UPSC Prelims comprises only objective type questions while the IAS Mains contains descriptive essay type question papers.
Not only should the candidates be selective about the UPSC preparation books but also divide the reading list into Prelims and Mains preparation.
Read/download the UPSC Syllabus for the upcoming examination of civil services.
UPSC Books – Best Books For UPSC Prelims
There are two papers in Prelims (GS 1 and CSAT) and both are of objective type with negative marking. The best IAS books for Prelims are given below:
| Subject | UPSC Books | ||
| History |
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| Geography |
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| Indian Polity |
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| Economics |
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| International Relations |
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| CSAT |
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Solved Papers |
For more information on CSAT, check the linked article |
UPSC BookList – Best Books For UPSC Mains
Candidates who clear the Prelims reach the Mains stage of the IAS Exam. There are 9 theory papers in UPSC 2023 out of which two papers are on the optional subject. Candidates should follow the important IAS general studies Mains books for the best preparation.
Given below are the best general studies books for the UPSC Mains:
| Subject | UPSC Books |
| History, Indian Heritage & Culture [GS Paper 1] |
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| Geography [GS Paper 1] |
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| Polity & International Relations [GS Paper 2] |
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| Economy [GS Paper 3] |
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| Ethics [GS Paper 4] |
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| Solved Papers |
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In the UPSC mains exam, a candidate has to choose an optional subject also. The optional papers count for 500 marks in total and therefore, it is imperative that the right books are read for the optional subjects also. The following table gives the links to the list of IAS books for the respective optional subjects.
The linked articles for UPSC books for Optional subjects are given in the table below:
Study Material for UPSC
Apart from the books mentioned above, the essential UPSC Study Material includes:
- 2nd ARC Report (To read more on ARC Reports, check the linked article.)
- Economic Survey (Latest)
- Budget (Latest)
- Finance Commission Report (Latest)
- Annual reports by central ministries
- Current Affairs
- The Hindu Newspaper
- Yojana Magazine
- Press Information Bureau Releases
- Niti Aayog Action Agenda
UPSC Online Books
Currently, candidates also have an option to download e-books. These are easily available online and candidates can easily avail of these. For every subject, a different book is required and aspirants cannot carry the entire bundle along with them anywhere.
Thus, these UPSC online books are easily available and can be accessed from anywhere. Candidates can download them for free using the internet and carry along their PDF files on their laptops or tablets.
These e-books have also become popular as with technology, candidates can get the desired information within seconds without going through every single detail under any of the topics. A PDF format of NCERT books, monthly magazines and other important books is available for free use on the internet and candidates can easily download these UPSC online books.
Read only the Best UPSC Books
- The UPSC syllabus is vast and it takes at least one year to comprehensively cover it. Therefore, you cannot waste precious time by reading books that are below standard or worse, contain incorrect and unauthenticated information. In this case, you would have to unlearn what you had previously read and this can prove difficult.
- Learning from the recommended sources would mean you can directly make notes out of it, if necessary.
- There are many books that give information tailor-made for the IAS exam. For instance, Laxmikanth for Polity is a book that you must read if you are taking the UPSC exam. Many questions have been asked that seem to come directly from this book.
- In addition, many books including the one discussed above, contain information in a ‘notes’ format. So, they are readymade for IAS preparation. You don’t have to waste time trying to make notes.
- There are many books that are excellently written and contain a whole lot of valuable information. But you have to decide whether they are valuable for the UPSC exam or not. They might make a good read for academics and research scholars. But not necessarily for the UPSC exam. So, you need UPSC books that will help in your preparation and fetch you marks in the IAS exam.
Download NCERT books in Hindi here.
THANKS FOR THE USEFUL INFORMATION
THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU TEAM BYJU’S GO AHEAD
Really! That was very Helpful – Thanks
Should I only refer ncert books for the entire process or exam or should I refer another sources.
Hi, IAS Toppers recommend the NCERT books as the ideal starting point because of the concise nature of the information, especially the basic facts. However, after NCERT books, an aspirant should refer to subject-specific books like Lakshmikant, Bipin Chandra, Majid Hussain etc. You can find the booklist on this very page.
It’s really helpful for me because my all doubts are cleared about UPSC
It’s really helpful
Dear Sir
Please let me know how to start IAS preparation from begining.
Hi Abhay
You can first understand the UPSC Syllabus given in the linked article. Later, you can take help from our Free IAS Prep page.
why don’t you provided a booklist for management optional
Hi Punit
Check Management Booklist for UPSC in the linked article.
The books you have mentioned above is that mean we don’t have to read other material that material would be enough for upsc?
Hi Samiksha
It is best to keep your resources limited. You can rely on NCERT Books and a reference book for each subject. You can get NCERT Notes for UPSC in the linked article.
why don’t you provided a booklist public administration optional
Strategy & Booklist for Public Administration Optional
Sir please provide me study material for ias examination
You can take help from the following links:
1. NCERT Notes for UPSC
2. UPSC Notes PDF
hii sir/madam please help me in getting online access for free NCERT books&standard reference books of UPSC
Check NCERT Books PDF for UPSC
sir/ma’am can you please tell me how should i begin with the preperation because it is vast.
and also which subject is mandatory for being an ias officer
1. Understand UPSC Syllabus
2. Start with NCERTs and complement with daily newspaper.
3. Refer to UPSC previous years’ question papers.
4. Read Rajiv Ahir’s Brief of Modern History, M. Laxmikanth’s Indian Polity for GS 1 and 2 respectively.
5. Revise often.
6. Take mock tests periodically.
Any special book for science and environment
Science can be covered from NCERTs and current affairs and so can be the environment. For notes on both of these, check links below:
1. Science & Technology Notes For UPSC – General Science Notes For IAS Preparation
2. Environment And Ecology Notes For UPSC – Environment Notes For IAS Preparation
In prelims upsc exam have an optional subjects or not
Only in mains exams we have an optional subject please tell me the full information about upsc exams
Hi
please refer to the UPSC Exam Pattern at the linked article.
Dear sir/madam,
Please let me know how to start IAS
Preparation from beginning
1. Understand UPSC Syllabus
2. Start with NCERTs and complement with daily newspaper.
3. Refer to UPSC previous years’ question papers.
4. Read Rajiv Ahir’s Brief of Modern History, M. Laxmikanth’s Indian Polity for GS 1 and 2 respectively.
5. Revise often.
6. Take mock tests periodically.
Please prescribe books for sociology as optional
UPSC Sociology Optional Books
Sir/ma’am
Do we chose 1 book for a GS papers out of the 3-4 given options or are all mandatory to buy and read ??
I mean to say do I need to read all the 3-4 books corresponding to each paper that have been given?
Hi
For prelims, one has to read all the books mentioned. For Mains, you can choose one for Polity. For History, if Bipan Chandra’s books look hefty, you may refer to NCERTs, Rajiv Ahir’s Spectrum and Poonam Dahiya’s ancient and medieval history books. Rest books can be read as it is. Make sure that after one reading, you are able to answers previous years UPSC questions.
Plz provide me a booklist for marathi literature [optional subject ]
Hi
UPSC Marathi Literature Booklist
Hi sir
It’s really very helpful
And I have one doubt only this much book is enough for upsc preparation??
Hi,
Yes, you can filter down the books as per your comfort. One has to note that not all books have to read from cover to cover. Go through the UPSC syllabus and old UPSC question papers and then start reading. We are aiming to provide a comprehensive booklist as everyone has a different strategy to study.
Do we have to choose one or two optional subject?
Or just one and give that specific subject paper twice?
Hi,
A candidate has to choose one optional subject.
I have douts about mpsc
Find MPSC related information here.
Can I get law optional booklist
Dear Aspirant,
The Law Optional Booklist for UPSC is given here.