What Are Books that we have to refer to for Prelims?

In this article, we will list the best books aspiring candidates should refer to for their UPSC CSE Prelims preparation. Contrary to the belief that one needs to read numerous books, browse multiple websites, and prepare extensive notes from newspapers and magazines every day to clear the IAS exam, this approach is impractical and unnecessary.

Even if a person were to follow all these actions, there is still a chance that they may not clear the Prelims or Mains. Therefore, what truly matters is not the quantity of study materials, but the quality of learning and revision.

The UPSC conducted the Prelims for CSE 2021 on October 10th. The paper was more random compared to the previous years, focusing more on facts rather than logic. The questions even included topics usually seen in state PCS exams, such as one-liner history questions and sports-related questions. There were also obscure science and technology questions and questions about random organisms.

In this type of paper, it becomes more crucial for candidates to determine which questions to leave unanswered rather than attempting all of them.

The strategy for UPSC CSE preparation should be as follows:

• Read standard books and grasp basic concepts.
• Focus on the fundamentals of current affairs.
• Thoroughly read newspapers every day.
• Stay aware and observant.
• Emphasize quality over quantity.

UPSC CSE toppers recommend starting the preparation with NCERT books and then moving on to standard reference books.

The best books for UPSC preparation may vary from candidate to candidate depending on their previous expertise and knowledge of the subject matter. However, the following Books refer for Prelims are recommended by experts:

Common for Both Prelims and Mains:

Current Affairs:

• Newspapers (Choose any two): Hindu, Business Line, Financial Times, Indian Express
• Monthly current affairs: IAS Gazette
• IAS GYAN website
• Down to earth, science reporter

Polity and Governance:

• NCERTs 9th and 10th (for basic understanding)
• Acts/Bills and judgements: PRS website
• Constitution of India at Work (Class XI) NCERT Publication
• Indian Polity by Laxmikant
• Introduction to Indian Constitution by D.D. Basu
• From Government to Governance by Kuldeep Mathur
• Ethics in Governance, ARC Report
• NITI Aayog reports, Government reports
• Governance in India by M.Karthikeyan

Developmental Issues:

• Human Development Report & World Development Report
• Panchayati Raj in India by Kuldeep Mathur

History:

• Ancient History of India: Old NCERT by RS Sharma/TN class 11th book
• Medieval History of India: Old NCERT by Satish Chandra/TN class 11th book
• Modern History: NCERTs, Plassey to Partition Book, Spectrum
• India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra (Selective Reading)
• Indian Art and Culture: An Introduction to Indian Art (Class XI NCERT), Chapters related to culture in Ancient and Medieval India NCERTs, Centre for Cultural Resource and Training (CCRT) material, Heritage Crafts: Living Craft Traditions of India (NCERT), Nitin Singhania book (optional)

Environment and Biodiversity:

• Shankar IAS Book
• Biology 12th NCERT (last 4 chapters)

Geography:

• Fundamentals of Physical Geography XI NCERT
• India: Physical Environment XI NCERT
• Fundamentals of Human Geography XII NCERT
• India: People and Economy XII NCERT
• Certificate Physical and Human Geography by GC Leong
• OXFORD Atlas

Economy and Agriculture:

• Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
• Microeconomics and Macroeconomics: NCERT Class XI and XII
• Indian Economic Development: NCERT Class XI
• Indian Economy by Sanjiv Verma
• Economics Dictionary published by Collins & Penguin

Science and Technology:

• NCERT Class 6th to 10th
• NCERT Biology 11th (Unit IV & V only – read basic concepts, not technical details)
• NCERT Biology 12th (Chapters 4, 5, and rest from 7 to 16)
• NCERT Biology 12th (OLD) – Chapter 9 onwards
• NCERT Physics 11th (Chapters 1, 5, and 8) and 12th (Chapter 15 only)
• NCERT Chemistry 11th (Chapters 1 and 14 only) and 12th (Chapters 14 and 16 only)

Prelims Specific:

• IASGYAN Prelims Xpress Compilation
• IASGYAN Daily Prelims test
• IAS GYAN Mock tests