Best UPSC Books/Resources Recommended by Previous Toppers

UPSC Civil Service Examination 2023 is coming soon and the aspirants have already started preparing for it. The Civil Service Examination conducted by UPSC is one of the toughest examinations in India and requires a lot of dedication and hard work to crack it. To help the aspirants, previous toppers of the examination have recommended some of the best UPSC books that can be used for preparation.

The NCERT Textbooks are a must to do book for all subjects to cover the basics and can be used for the preparation of various subjects like History, Geography, Economics, Political Science, and Environmental Science. These books are written in an easy-to-understand language and provide comprehensive coverage of the topics.

India Year Book 2022, published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This book contains essential information about India and its states in an easy-to-understand format. It includes information on the Indian Constitution, Economy, Geography, History, Culture, and much more. This book is considered the Bible for UPSC aspirants.

The Advance books: 

Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh: Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh is one of the best books for UPSC CSE preparation. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the Indian economy and covers all the important topics related to it. Previous toppers suggest that aspirants should refer to this book to gain in-depth knowledge of the Indian economy.

Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth: It provides an in-depth analysis of the Indian Constitution. It also explains the various government policies, principles, and constitutional provisions in great detail. This book is beneficial for aspirants who want to understand the Indian Constitution in a better manner.

Contemporary World Politics by K. Subramaniam, which covers the recent developments in the international political arena. This book helps the aspirants to understand the current affairs in the world and the impact of those on India.

India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra: This book provides an in-depth study of India’s struggle for independence, which is an important part of the UPSC exam.

Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhaniya: This book provides an in-depth study of the Indian art and culture. It is an important part of the UPSC exam.

Current Affairs from Newspapers:  The Hindu/Indian Express/ PIB are the key sources to refer. It helps you stay up-to-date with the latest news and happenings in the country. Your current affairs should be consolidated and organized enough to revise it again and again. Consider following 1 Magazine of any coaching institute like Elite IAS, Vajiram, Vision IAS, etc.

Other Books to refer for selective reading:

  1. Certificate of Physical Geography by GC Leong
  2. Economic Survey by the Ministry of Finance.
  3. Sanjeev Verma for Indian Economy
  4. Current Affairs – Yojna Magazine, Kurukshetra Magazine
  5. Oxford World Atlas for Mapping
  6. International Relations NCERT XI and XII
  7. NIOS Course Materials
  8. Science and Tech by spectrum publication
  9. A comprehensive booklet on government schemes.
  10. Ethics: Lexicon, 2nd ARC chapter on Ethics in Governance.
  11. General Studies Paper 2 Manual by MHE (CSAT)

These are some of the best UPSC books recommended by previous toppers that can be used for the preparation of the UPSC Civil Service Examination 2023. It is advisable to go through these books thoroughly and practice with the Elite IAS Test series as much as possible to get a good score in the examination.