Bookilist For Upsc Civils Examination

GS-1 (Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society)

Complete Book List

  • History: NCERT Class VI – Our Past
  • History: NCERT Class VII – Our Past -I
  • History: NCERT Class VIII – Our Past II and III
  • History: NCERT Class IX – India and the Contemporary World – I
  • History: NCERT Class IX – India and the Contemporary World – II
  • History: NCERT Class X – Themes In World History
  • History: NCERT Class XII – Themes In Indian History – I
  • History: NCERT Class XII – Themes in Indian History – II
  • History: NCERT Class XII – Themes In Indian History – III
  • Indian Society: NCERT Class VI – Social Science: Social & Political Life I
  • Indian Society: NCERT Class VII – Social Science: Social & Political Life II
  • Indian Society: NCERT Class VIII – Social Science: Social & Political Life III
  • Indian Society: NCERT Class XI – Sociology: Understanding Society
  • Indian Society: NCERT Class XII – Indian Society
  • Indian Society: NCERT Class XII – Social Change and Development in India
  • Art & Culture: NCERT Class XI – An Introduction to Indian Art
  • Art & Culture: NCERT Class XI – Living Craft Traditions of India (Chapters 9 & 10)
  • Geography: NCERT Class VI – The Earth Our Habitat
  • Geography: NCERT Class VII – Our Environment
  • Geography: NCERT Class VIII – Resource and Development
  • Geography: NCERT Class IX – Contemporary India – I
  • Geography: NCERT Class X – Contemporary India – II
  • Geography: NCERT Class XI – Fundamentals of Physical Geography
  • Geography: NCERT Class XI – India – Physical Environment
  • Geography: NCERT Class XII – Fundamentals of Human Geography
  • Geography: NCERT Class XII – India – People and Economy

Detailed Syllabus and Reference Books

Art & Culture

Indian Culture – Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Reference Books

  • An Introduction to Indian Art – Class XI NCERT
  • Chapters related to culture in Ancient and Medieval India NCERTs
  1. NCERT Class VI – History – Our Past
  2. NCERT Class VII – Our Past -I
  3. NCERT Class VIII – Our Past II and III
  4. NCERT Class XII – Themes In Indian History I
  5. NCERT Class-XII – Themes in Indian History – II
  6. NCERT Class XII – Themes In Indian History III
  • Centre for Cultural Resource and Training (CCRT) material
  • Heritage Crafts: Living Craft Traditions of India -NCERT

Modern Indian History

  • Significant events, issues, personalities during the middle of the eighteenth century (1750s) until the present.
  • Different stages and important contributors and contributions from various parts of the country in ‘The Freedom Struggle’.

Reference Books

  • A Brief History of Modern India- Spectrum Publications
  • India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra (Read selectively for topics not covered in the Spectrum book)

Post- Independent India

Post-independence consolidation and reorganisation within the country.

Reference Books

India Since Independence by Bipan Chandra

World History

Events, forms and effect on society since the 18th century (world wars, industrial revolution, colonisation, redrawal of national boundaries, decolonisation, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, etc.)

Reference Books

World history from NCERT books of class IX, X and XI (only Modern World History part).

Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe

Indian Society

  • Indian society and diversity – Salient aspects.
  • Role of women and women’s organisations, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanisation, their problems and remedies.
  • Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
  • Effects of globalisation on Indian society.

Reference Books

NCERT Sociology Class XI and XII

Geography

  • Distribution of key natural resources across the world including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent; factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world including India.
  • Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.
  • Geographical features and their location, changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and polar ice caps) and, in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
  • Salient features of world’s physical geography.

Reference Books

  • 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: GC Leong

GS- 2 (Governance, Constitution, Welfare Initiatives, Social Justice & International Relations)

Complete Book List

  • Polity: NCERT Class IX – Political Science: Democratic Politics Part – I
  • Polity: NCERT Class X – Political Science: Democratic Politics Part – II
  • Polity: NCERT Class XI – Political Science: Indian Constitution at Work
  • Polity: NCERT Class XI – Political Science: Political Theory
  • Polity: NCERT Class XII – Political Science I: Contemporary World Politics
  • Polity: NCERT Class XII – Political Science II: Politics in India since Independence
  • Polity & Governance
  • Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
  • Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
  • Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
  • Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
  • Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
  • Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
  • Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
  • Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
  • Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
  • Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
  • Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
  • Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
  • Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
  • Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
  • Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
  • Role of civil services in a democracy.
Reference Books
  • Indian Polity by M Laxmikanth
  • ARC 2 report International Relations
  • India and its neighborhood- relations.
  • Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
  • Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
  • Important International institutions, agencies and fora – their structure, mandate.
Reference

GS-3 (Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)

 

Complete Book List

  • Economy: NCERT Class IX – Economics
  • Economy: NCERT Class X – Understanding Economic Development
  • Economy: NCERT Class XI – Indian Economic Development
  • Economy: NCERT Class XII – Introductory Microeconomics (Specific Chapters)
  • Economy: NCERT Class XII – Introductory Macroeconomics
  • Science: NCERT Class VI
  • Science: NCERT Class VII
  • Science: NCERT Class VIII
  • Science: NCERT Class IX
  • Science: NCERT Class X
  • Science: NCERT Class XI – Chemistry: Unit 14 & Biology: Units 4 & 5
  • Science: NCERT Class XII – Chemistry: Unit 16 & Biology: Units 8, 9 & 10
  • Science: Class XII – Biology: last four Chapters (13 to 16)
  • Indian Economy
  • Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
  • Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
  • Government Budgeting.
  • Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, – different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
  • Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System-objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
  • Food processing and related industries in India- scope’ and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
  • Land reforms in India.
  • Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
  • Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
  • Investment models.
Reference
  • Above mentioned NCERT’s 
  • Economic Survey
  • Science & Technology
  • Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
  • Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
  • Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Reference Books
  • Prior mentioned NCERT’s
  • Environment
  • Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
  • Class XII – Biology: last four Chapters (13 to 16)
  • India Year Book chapters on Ecology
  • Chapter on Climate Change from Economic Survey
  • Disaster Management
  • Disaster and disaster management.
  • NCERT Class X
  • NCERT Class XI
Internal Security
  • Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
  • Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
  • Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.
  • Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
  • Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.
  • Reference 
  • Any Standard book

GS 4 (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)

Complete Book List

  • Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics – in private and public relationships. Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
  • Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
  • Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.
  • Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
  • Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
  • Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
  • Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
  • Case Studies on above issues.

Reference Books

The LEXICON For Ethics, Integrity And Aptitude