Mains Marks Booster

UPSC Mains examination requires a deep understanding of multiple subjects. Selecting the right set of books can make a significant difference in your preparation. Here’s a detailed list of books provided by TheIASHub that can help you with General Studies (GS) paper and other subjects in the UPSC Mains.

Indian Polity (Mains Marks Booster) - 2024
Indian Polity (Mains Marks Booster) - 2024
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Indian Economy (Mains Booster Series) - 2024
Indian Economy (Mains Booster Series) - 2024
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About the Book:

  • Prepared exclusively by MK Yadav sir and the team that prepares quality enrichment programs(QEP).
  • Includes important points from 5 Newspapers to ease your preparation efforts.
  • Full coverage of important static topics with comprehensive coverage.

About the Author:

  • MK Yadav sir is a founder of theIAShub who has mentored Aditya Shrivastava AIR 1, Medha Anand - AIR 13, Ayan Jain AIR 16.
  • He has helped 1200+ students crack the civil service exam in the last 6 years.
  • He has been featured in many media houses like Josh talks, The Hindu, Indian Express etc.

UPSC Mains Booklet

TheIASHub UPSC Mains booklet  covers a list of subject-wise books for UPSC Mains, covering all 9 papers. These books are recommended for aspirants to build a strong understanding of the syllabus and excel in the exam.

1. UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 1 Books

Indian Heritage & Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society

Indian Heritage and Culture:

  • NCERT History (Class 6–12) – Essential for building a solid foundation in history.
  • Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania – Comprehensive coverage of the cultural and heritage aspects.
  • Cultural History of India by R. C. Majumdar – For a detailed understanding of India’s cultural heritage.

Modern Indian History:

  • India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra – Detailed analysis of India’s freedom struggle.
  • A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir – A quick but effective read for key events.

World History:

  • Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe – A thorough book on world history with emphasis on significant events.
  • Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud – To understand the socio-political dynamics in world history.

Geography of India and the World:

  • Certificate Physical and Human Geography by G.C. Leong – A popular choice for geography basics.
  • Geography of India by Majid Hussain – For in-depth coverage of Indian geography.
  • Physical Geography by Savindra Singh – Detailed for the physical geography of India and the world.

2. UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 2 Books

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations

Indian Polity:

  • Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth – An essential and comprehensive book for understanding Indian polity and governance.
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu – An excellent resource for understanding the constitutional framework.

Governance and Social Justice:

  • Governance in India by M. Laxmikanth – A detailed approach to understanding Indian governance systems.
  • Social Justice and Governance by K.K. Aziz – A focused book for social justice-related topics.

International Relations:

  • International Relations by Pavneet Singh – One of the top books for understanding global relations.
  • India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri – To study the evolution of India’s foreign policy.

Polity and Governance (Additional References):

  • The Indian Constitution at Work by D. D. Basu – A critical book for understanding the practical application of the Constitution.

3. UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 3 Books

Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management

Economics:

  • Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh – An indispensable book for understanding economic concepts in India.
  • Economic Survey (Latest Year) – To get updates on India’s economic situation.
  • Budget (Latest Year) – Critical for questions related to economic development.

Environment and Biodiversity:

  • Environment by Shankar IAS – A popular book covering environment-related topics.
  • Biology by N.C.ERT (Class 11 and 12) – For in-depth understanding of biodiversity and ecology.

Security and Disaster Management:

  • Security Issues in India by Chandra & Kumar – Essential reading for understanding the national security aspects.
  • Disaster Management by K. K. Aziz – Focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of disaster management.

Science and Technology:

  • Science and Technology by Ravi P. Agrahari – For a deeper understanding of the key technological developments.

4. UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 4 Books

Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude

  • Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by Subba Rao & P.N. Roy Chowdhury – The go-to book for understanding the ethical dilemmas and case studies asked in this paper.
  • Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by Niraj Kumar – A concise guide for understanding key concepts in ethics.
  • Civil Services Ethics by K.K. Aziz – For practical case studies and examples.

UPSC Mains General Studies Books:

Subject

Books

General Studies Paper I

  • Ancient India: NCERT Class 11 & 12, "History of Modern India" by Bipin Chandra
  • Indian Geography: "Physical Geography" by Savindra Singh
  • India's Struggle for independence by Bipin Chandra
  • Geography of India by Majid Husain
  • Cultural India by Nitin Singhania

General Studies Paper II

  • Polity: "Indian Polity" by M. Laxmikanth
  • Governance: "Governance in India" by M. Laxmikanth
  • Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by G. Subba Rao
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu
  • International Relations by Pavneet Singh

General Studies Paper III

  • Economics: "Indian Economy" by Ramesh Singh
  • Environment: "Environmental Studies" by R. Rajagopalan
  • Technology: "Science and Technology" by Ravi P. Agrahari
  • Economic Survey of India (latest)
  • Science and Technology in India by Kalpana Rajaram
  • Disaster Management by R. B. Singh
  • Environment and Ecology by Majid Husain

General Studies Paper IV

  • Ethics: "Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude" by Subba Rao
  • Ethics in Governance by P. M. S. Siraj
  • Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by Niraj Kumar

Essay Papers

  • The Art of Essay Writing by M. K. Pandit
  • Essays for Civil Services by K. K. Aziz
  • Mastering the Essay by Anirudh Soni
  • Thinkers & Philosophers of India (for thought process)
  • Practice writing essays on current topics

5. UPSC Mains Optional Subject Books

Choosing the right books for your optional subject is equally important. Below are some commonly chosen options:

Political Science and International Relations:

  • Political Science by M. Laxmikanth – A solid book for both political theory and Indian polity.
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu – A must-read for constitutional studies.
  • International Relations by Pavneet Singh – Covers key global issues and India’s foreign policy.

Category

Recommended Books

Political Theory

Political Theory – Rajeev Bhargava

Introduction to Political Theory – O.P. Gauba

A History Of Political Thought: Plato To Marx – Mukherjee and Susheela Ramaswamy

Indian Constitution

Introduction to the Constitution of India – D.D. Basu

International Relations

Does The Elephant Dance? Contemporary India Foreign Policy – Malone

World Politics

Politics – Heywood

Foundations of Indian Thought

Foundations of Indian Political Thought – V.R. Mehta

Public Administration:

  • Public Administration by M. P. Sharma & B. L. Sabine – A classic for the basic understanding of public administration.
  • Public Administration by Mohit Bhattacharya – An in-depth book for various aspects of public administration.

Category

Recommended Books

Indian Administration

Indian Public Administration – Arora and Goyal

Public Administration in India (1st Edition) – Maheshwari

Public Administration in India – B.L. Fadia (Optional)

General Reference

Public Administration – M. Laxmikanth

Thinkers and Theories

Administrative Thinkers – Prasad and Prasad

Advanced Concepts

New Horizons of Public Administration – Mohit Bhattacharya

Comparative Public Administration

Public Administration and Public Affairs (12th Edition) – Nicholas Henry

Organizational Behavior

Essentials of Organizational Behaviour (10th Edition) – Robbins, Sanghi, and Judge

History:

  • History of Modern India by Bipin Chandra – Essential for modern Indian history.
  • Ancient India by R.S. Sharma – A thorough book for ancient Indian history.
  • Medieval India by Satish Chandra – Detailed focus on medieval Indian history.

Category

Recommended Books

Modern History

History of Modern India – Shekhar Bandopadhyaya/Bipan Chandra

India’s Struggle For Independence – Bipan Chandra and Others

Ancient History

India’s Ancient Past – R.S. Sharma

The Wonder That Was India – A.L. Basham

Ashoka and Mauryas

Ashoka and the Decline of the Mauryas – Romila Thapar

Medieval History

Medieval India: From Sultanat to Mughals (Vol 1 & 2) – Satish Chandra

World History

Mastering Modern World History – Norman Lowe

History of the World – Arjun Dev

Economics:

  • Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh – A comprehensive book for understanding the economic concepts and policies of India.
  • Economic Survey (Latest Year) – An essential reference for current economic developments in India.
  • Principles of Economics by Mankiw – Great for understanding micro and macroeconomic principles.
  • Public Finance by H.L. Bhatia – Important for topics related to government finance and taxation.

Category

Recommended Books

Microeconomics

Microeconomics – Ahuja and Koutsyansis

Macroeconomics

Macroeconomics – Ahuja and Mankiw

International Trade

International Economics – Salvatore and M.C. Vaish

Public Finance

Public Finance – Lekhi, Balton, and Bhatia

Banking

Money and Banking – Gupta and Ahuja

Growth & Development

Development Economics – Debraj Ray, Mishra and Puri

Indian Economy

Indian Economy – Mishra and Puri, Dutt and Sundaram

Economic Survey, EPW, RBI Reports

Current Affairs

Any Business Newspaper (ET, The Economist)

Geography:

  • Geography by Majid Hussain – A complete book for both physical and human geography.
  • Advanced Physical Geography by Savindra Singh – Detailed coverage of advanced topics.

Geography: Paper-I

Category

Recommended Books

Physical Geography

Physical Geography – Majid Hussain/Savindra Singh

Modern Physical Geography – Strahler and Strahler (Optional)

Certificate Physical and Human Geography – Goh Cheng Leong

Physical Geography Made Simple – Rupa Publication

Dictionary of Physical Geography – Penguin

Human Geography

Evolution of Geographical Thought – Majid Hussain

Economic and Social Geography Made Simple – Rupa Publication

Models in Geography – Majid Hussain

Atlas

Oxford Student Atlas

Geography: Paper-II

Category

Recommended Books

Indian Geography

India: A Comprehensive Geography – Khullar

Regional Planning

Regional Planning in India – Mahesh Chand

Current Affairs

India Year Book – Publication Division

Periodicals

Yojana and Kurukshetra Magazines

Sociology:

  • Sociology by Giddens – A critical resource for sociological theory.
  • Sociology by Haralambos – Detailed for both theory and practical aspects.

Category

Recommended Books

Sociological Theory

Sociology by Giddens

Sociology by Haralambos 

Indian Society

Indian Society by G.R Madan 

Indian Society and Social Change by C.N. Shankar Rao

Social Thinkers

Sociological Thoughts by R.K. Mukherjee

Sociological Thoughts by George Ritzer

Research Methodology

Research Methodology in Social Sciences by O.P. Sharma

Methods of Social Research by Goode and Hatt

Social Problems

Social Problems in India by Ram Ahuja

Contemporary Issues

Social Change in Modern India by M.N. Srinivas

6. UPSC Mains Essay Books

For UPSC Mains Essay, the following books are recommended:

  1. The Art of Essay Writing by M.K. Pandit
  2. Mastering the Essay by Anirudh Soni
  3. Essays for Civil Services by K.K. Aziz

7. UPSC Mains Language Books

For the English Language Paper, the following book is often recommended:

  1. High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
  2. English for General Competitions by S.P. Bakshi

UPSC Mains NCERT Books

NCERT books are essential for building a solid foundation in UPSC preparation, particularly for General Studies. They offer clear and concise content, making them vital for strengthening your understanding across various subjects. Candidates should make it a habit to read and revise these books consistently.

Here is a list of NCERT books:

Subject

Books

History

NCERT Class 6-12 (Ancient, Medieval, Modern)

Geography

NCERT Class 6-12 (Physical and Human Geography)

Polity

NCERT Class 6-12 (Political Science)

Economics

NCERT Class 9-12 (Indian Economy)

Science

NCERT Class 6-12 (Biology, Physics, Chemistry)

Environment and Ecology

NCERT Class 12 (Environmental Studies)

TheIASHub Free Mains Marks Booster Series for UPSC CSE Exam

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Mains Marks Booster FAQs

Some of the books recommended by the toppers are:
1. Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
2. Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
3. Introduction to the Constitution of India by Durga Das Basu
4. Ancient India by R.S. Sharma
5. India's Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
6. NCERT Textbooks (6th-12th)
7. Indian Economy by Nitin Singhania

For Geography, refer to Certificate Physical and Human Geography by G.C. Leong, Geography of India by Majid Hussain, and Physical Geography by Savindra Singh.

Refer to Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by Subba Rao & P.N. Roy Chowdhury and Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by Niraj Kumar.

For History, refer to History of Modern India by Bipin Chandra, India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra, and Ancient India by R.S. Sharma.

For International Relations, International Relations by Pavneet Singh and India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri are excellent resources.

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