Even today when Indian Polity is quite useful for Pub Ad mains paper and quite a few aspirants also refer Laxmikanth for preparing Indian polity for the Prelims as well. What makes Indian Polity by Laxmikanth so popular?

The format and language of the book is highly readable. It reads more like a guide than  a standard text book. Laxmikanth explains all aspects of India’s polity like fundamental rights, duties, panchayati raj, budget, state and central government, judiciary, constitutional bodies etc in a very easy to understand manner.

IAS aspirants with no background knowledge of Indian polity and constitution will grasp the concepts quickly as the book is intended for beginners as well as experienced candidates. Indian Polity consists of useful bullet points to get the concepts across concisely and clearly.

No wonder Laxmikanth is highly popular book among IAS aspirants for Prelims as well as Pub Ad mains paper.

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As I mentioned in the eBook on IAS preparation that map based questions can fetch you 10-15 marks quite easily in the Prelims provided you go through the atlas regularly. But not all books or atlases are equal. I always recommend the Oxford Student Atlas as the best atlas to refer for the civil services exam. As I said in Books for CSAT the Oxford Atlas is very detailed, accurate, has good colour contrast for readability and is the atlas of choice for UPSC as most of the map based questions in Prelims are asked from it.

But so many aspirants find it difficult to prepare the atlas. Let me tell you, once you know how to read/see the atlas it will be a fun filled experience and you will actually look forward to exploring it more. So let’s get started with preparing the atlas. I’ve taken the Oxford Student Atlas as the reference for this guide, so if you have it beforehand it will be really beneficial and this article will make more sense to you.

Note: Refer this IAS Preparation Guide to get started with IAS exam preparation.

Rule – There are No Rules to Start with the Atlas

Yes you read it right. Don’t think there’s a perfect way to begin with reading the atlas, mostly, from start to finish like we do with other books. Remember, the atlas is a graphic representation of maps so you can look at the map which you need or want to. If you want want to start with India’s political map, fine. Or maybe you prefer the world map at a glance, even this is ok. Some people may be curious about the middle east countries, they can find more information about them. So to reaffirm start the way you want to, there are no rules.

In this post I will cover the WHAT and HOW of atlas preparation. What to look for and How to look for. If you can master these two aspects you’ve mastered atlas preparation. It’s this simple really.

Understanding the Political Map of India

When looking at India’s map focus on these things – location of states and major cities, neighbouring states and countries, coastal states and cities, and position of states with respect to tropic of cancer. If you’re wondering why focus on these topics, remember the WHAT and HOW of atlas reading. To understand what type of questions are asked refer the past 5 years solved papers as mentioned in post on the importance of solved papers and syllabus. Now I will elaborate on how to read the atlas to tackle these questions.

When looking at states remember to determine the number of bordering states. For instance, Maharashtra shares borders with 6 other states. Also you should know the states by name. Do this for all states, particularly states sharing borders with 5 or more states like UP and MP. Next remember the bordering countries as questions are asked relates to it. For instance question like “Which among Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya does NOT border Bangladesh”. Visualise different variations of this question.

Also in case of North Eastern states remember the north-south chronology of the states as well as the bordering countries. For instance while Arunachal, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram border Myanmar, Tripura does not.

Numerous questions on cities are also asked like arrange the cities from North to South or East to West. Or which city appears on river abc etc. So focus on the location of the city relative to other major cities and also if they lie on any river bank.

The tropic of cancer also requires attention. Always remember the 8 states through which the tropic of cancer passes. Also have a look at the states that lie just below and above the tropic of cancer.

Understanding the Physical Map of India

Compared to the political map the physical map is harder to prepare, simply because there are so many things to cover and remember. Rivers, lakes, mountains, soils, islands etc. So lets take them one by one. If starting with mountain ranges and plateaus, cover them systematically. Look at the middle Indian plateaus from east to west or west to east like Mahadeo Hills, Maikal Range, Ramgarh Hills and Garjhat Hills.

Next, remember the mountain ranges in the southern peninsula that appear from north to south like Nallamalla Hills, Palkonda Range, Nagari Hills, Javadi Hills, Shevaroy Hills, Panchaimalai Hills, Palni Hills etc. If you find it difficult to memorize the names think up some acronym like NPJS (first letters of the mountain ranges) or something of your own. Do the same for mountain ranges in the north-east.

Rivers – Flow with the Waves

Many aspirants find it difficult to tackle questions based on rivers simply because there are so many rivers and different combinations of questions are possible. So you should prepare accordingly.

First cover the important rivers of India. Their origin, flowing through which states, major tributaries and where do they meet the main river, place where the river meets the sea (its mouth) and so on. Next also focus on whether the river is east flowing or flowing westwards, understand the chronology of the major rivers from north to south. Also keep an eye on major dams or river disputes in news. For instance the Periyar river which is in focus owing to the Mullaperiyar dam dispute.

Also look at the major rivers in a state or region. For instance in J&K, questions have been asked on north-south chronology of Shyok, Zaskar and Spiti. Some aspirants find it difficult to locate these rivers but if you look at the Oxford Atlas closely you can easily locate them. Tributaries of Ganga and Yamuna have been asked many times. When looking at the tributaries look at the left bank and right bank tributaries. That is, taking the flow of the river from west to east in the case of Ganga its major left bank tributaries (those rivers that meet from left) are Yamuna and Son while the major right bank tributaries include Rapti, Gandak and Kosi.

Now take the case of the mighty Brahamaputra. Originating from the Mansoravar lake in Himalayas it flows through Tibet where it is known as the Tsangpo (pronounced Sangpo) and enters India in Arunachal Pradesh where is called Dihang then continues its journey through Assam and Bangladesh (where its name changes to Jamuna) before meeting the Bay of Bengal. The major towns that lie along its banks include Guwahati and Dibrugarh.

Notice how I traced its origin, flow, different names, and major towns. Do the same for other important rivers.

While on the topic of rivers locate the major dams on rivers. For example Govind Sagar dam on Satluj, Hirakud dam on Mahanadi and so on. Apart from rivers and dams also locate the important lakes on the map.

Understanding Mountains and Glaciers

Although I’ve told to understand the north-south and west-east chronology of mountains, lets look at the mountain ranges in more detail.

The Himalayas are by far the most important mountain ranges in India. They are classified into three parts – northern (Greater), middle and eastern (Little). Locate the important mountain peaks like Karakoram, Kanchenjunga, Mt Everest etc. Further, in the northern Himalayas there are a number of ranges like Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar, Dhaoladhar Shivalik, and Pir Panjal. Arrange them from north to south. Do the same for other groups of mountain ranges.

Then in the northern Himalayas there are number of glaciers with their length indicated. Find out the biggest ones and determine their north-south chronology.

While in the topic of mountains lets take a look at national parks. Although important national parks and wildlife and bird sanctuaries are indicated, not all are listed. And the reason is not too difficult to find out. With over 500 sanctuaries and national parks it is not possible to list all. Further the list is dynamic. New ones are getting added all the time. So you will find only the most prominent national parks and sanctuaries listed on the atlas. Find the location of all. If you want to know about more parks and sanctuaries look up on the internet or the Manorama Year Book.

Finally, determine the important mountain passes and the states they are situated. Some prominent ones include Shipki La, Jelep La, Khardung La, Lipu Lekh, and Chang La.

Tackling Highways in the Atlas

If you look at the past years papers you will realize that questions related to highways, the golden quadrilateral, north-south and east-west corridors are pretty common. So how should you prepare for these?

While its not possible to remember or recollect all the 235 national highways nor is it required focus on the important ones, the first ten. Know the starting and ending towns and important towns en-route. For instance NH-7, the longest NH, stretches from Varanasi to Kanyakumari and passes through 5 states and important cities like Jabalpur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.

Also look for cities and towns where many NH’s meet. One such city is Nagpur where three important  National Highways cross.  But apart from the first 10 NH’s there a few other important National Highways like NH-31, 223, and 228. National Highways is also a good way to understand the location of major towns and cities from north to south and west to east. For instance Bangalore is located in a lower latitude than Chennai. Keep your eyes open for such kind of minute information in the Atlas.

Likewise, study the golden quadrilateral and north-south, east-west corridor route and locate the major towns en-route.

Understanding India’s Coastal Regions

Coasts and Islands are other interesting topics in the atlas to prepare. First have a look at all the coastal states and towns. Then continue to the important straits and gulfs between islands. For instance, the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Strait, Nine and Ten Degree channel etc. The Andaman and Nicobar islands are quite important from the exam viewpoint. Look at their position from north to south. The lowest point (Indira point), the dormant volcanoes on Barren island, the Coco channel separating them from Coco islands and so on.

Your curiosity is the key here. The more you’re curious to know about places and things the more you can gain from the atlas. For instance the Adam’s Bridge lies in the Palk Bay in the Gulf of Mannar and not the Palk Strait. A question related to this was asked a few years back in the Prelims and candidates who weren’t aware chose Palk Strait which is obviously incorrect. The more often you go through the atlas the more places and facts you will discover. Keep discovering.

Similarly locate the important ports along the east and west coasts. As you might now there are separate maps for waterways, highways, railway zones in the Oxford Atlas which is what makes it so useful for the prelims.

India’s Neighbours and the World

Now that we are done with India lets get on with other countries. I suggest you go through the maps of our neighbours in detail. Look at the important cities and towns as well as the major rivers and mountains. Similarly do so for other countries and continents.

Find out the countries through which the Equator passes. Also, in case of island countries like Japan, Indonesia, Philippines and others find out the major islands and locate the island on which the capital city is located. Also you should know the location of disputed islands in the news like the Coco Islands and Falkland Islands. Some rivers like the Mekong, Amazon, Danube and Nile pass through several countries. Which are these? Also do you know the capital cities and other major towns that lie on river banks? Find out.

Locate all the major sea’s and the surrounding countries like the Mediterranean and Caspian sea countries. Similarly discover important bays surrounding bigger nations like the Bay of Biscay, English Channel, Strait of Hormuz, Torres Strait etc.

As I mentioned earlier, curiosity is your best friend when preparing the atlas. Look at the atlas at least four times a week for minimum 30 minutes, and if possible, everyday. Keep the What and How questions in mind and once in a while let your self go and just keep discovering stuff for the pleasure your get from it. And I guarantee in no time you will actually seek more map based questions in the exam and excel at them too. Once again I recommend the Oxford Student Atlas for its comprehensiveness, accuracy and detail. Happy reading.

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Political Science Books for Paper 1

Unlike other subjects political science paper 1 focuses on Indian aspects of the subject.

History of Political Thought – Plato to Marx

Before starting out with any subject you should first get a grasp of its fundamentals and its no different with Political Science. History of Political Thought by Mukherjee and Ramaswamy explores the concept of Political Theory in detail including the different perspectives like political theory as a history of political thought, as a technique of analysis, etc. It then explores the key theoretical concepts in political theory before proceeding to discuss key concepts like Positivism and Behaviouralism. And this is just the first chapter.

The core of History of Political Thought explores the views of different political thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau, Karl Marx and others. This covers Section A syllabus in different measure like political theory, theories of the state, and political ideologies. The language of this book for political science is straight forward and easy to grasp without too many high sounding terminologies. A recommended read.

Political Theory by O.P Gauba

Books of every Mains subject like Public Administration, Sociology or Geography have one or two definitive books by a renowned author that you just cannot afford to skip if you wish to score well in your chosen subject. The same holds true for Pol Science.

Dr O.P Gauba is a highly respected author and authority figure in Political Science. In Political Theory Gauba discusses the concepts of State, Sovereignty, Law, Power, Citizenship and other core concepts of Political Science in detail. O.P Gauba’s language is very reader friendly and he breaks down seemingly difficult concepts to levels that beginners to Political Science can easily grasp.

But Political Theory is not just limited to concepts rather it goes much beyond. It discusses Marxist and Democratic theories, ponders over current issues like globalization, and elaborates on Gandhian concepts of sustainable development. An added bonus is that O.P Gauba has provided maps, flow charts and illustrations to put his point across. This will be all the more useful for IAS aspirants. A must read book for Political Science.

Indian Political Thought: Themes and Thinkers

If you glance through the Political Science syllabus you will realize that Indian Political Thought is a separate topic in Paper 1. Thankfully, Indian Political Thought by Mahendra Prasad and Himanshu Roy seems to be written with the civil services exam in view. This book covers all the major schools of Indian political thought from the time of Kautilya and Manu.

Indian Political Thought then elaborates prominent political thinkers like B.R Ambedkar, Gandhi and others in detail. Another recommended book for political science for IAS mains.

Our Constitution or Introduction to the Constitution of India

One advantage of taking political science as an optional for IAS mains is that it covers a significant portion of GS paper as well. This is also means that some GS books are very relevant as political science books as well. One of these important books is Our Constitution by Subhash Kashyap. I have already it  GS Books for IAS Mains. Still, elaborating it from the Political Science books perspective Our Constitution these areas of paper 1: Salient Features of the Indian Constitution, Landmarks in Constitutional Development, the Executive System, and Supreme Court and High Courts.

The other popular book for covering these topics in Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D Basu, but I don’t recommend it for reasons mentioned in the post on GS mains books for IAS. Rather you should go with Our Constitution as it is very easy to grasp for beginners as well as experienced IAS aspirants.

Our Parliament by Subhash Kashyap

One of the topics is paper 1 is on Indian Parliament and the various parliamentary committees. To understand these very important topics not just for Political Science but GS Mains as well you should go through Our Parliament authored by Subhash Kashyap. This book for political science discusses the role, responsibilities and functioning of the Indian Parliament. It also discusses the system of Parliamentary Committees which is important for Pub Ad as well apart from Pol Science and GS. All this makes Our Parliament an important read.

Politics in India by Rajni Kothari

The last book for political science I recommend for paper 1 is Politics in India by eminent political scientist Rajni Kothari. This book traces the evolution of the party system in India, coalition politics, social base and ideologies that influence and impact politics in India. Politics in India also touches upon the aspects of caste and class in Indian politics which is also part of the paper 1 syllabus.

Political Science Paper 2 Books

Political Science books for paper 2 will be very useful for GS and Essay papers as well. After all paper 2 deals with International Relations and International Organisations which are important topics in GS paper 2 as well. So covering this part will take care of an important portion of GS paper as well.

Foreign Policy of India

Gupta and Shukla have authored a very useful book on Indian Foreign Policy. This book traces the evolution of Indian Foreign policy from the British period and its gradual development and evolution during the freedom struggle. The impact of Nehruvian and Gandhian thoughts on India’s foreign policy.

Foreign Policy of India explains all the doctrines and core principles of India’s foreign policy like Non-Alignment, Nuclear Non-proliferation, Peace co-existence etc in a very lucid manner. Civil Services aspirants will find Foreign Policy of India useful not just for political science but GS as well.

India’s Foreign Policy in the 21st Century

Political Science paper 2 syllabus contains various topics on India’s relations with its neighbours and major world powers. India’s Foreign Policy in the 21st Century analyses India’s relations with China, Pakistan, Nepal, Russia, South Asia, Africa and Middle East. This book also delves into the contemporary issues affecting these regions from an Indian perspective.

United Nations by Rumki Basu

The final book I will suggest for paper 2 is United Nations by Rumki Basu. Basu is an eminent author of books on Political Science and Public Administration. In this book Basu discusses the evolution, role and functioning of UN and its organizations. United Nations is thus an important book for Political Science as well as GS.

If you feel there are too many books to go through, remember many of these books will also be useful for GS paper 2 apart from Essay and Interview. So get going with these useful books for political science.

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But to score well you need to study the recommended books as well. So which are the Geography books highly recommended by successful IAS aspirants? Find out below.

Comprehensive Geography by D.R Khullar

Whenever you start preparing a subject don’t dive into a specialized topic straightaway rather learn more about the subject as a whole, its key concepts so you can identify its important sections and plan accordingly. For this reason Khullar’s Comprehensive Geography is such a nice introduction about the key concepts of Geography.

From physiography, climate, environment to transport, agriculture, and foreign trade, Comprehensive Geography is truly comprehensive in scope. Written with a focus on India, this book for geography is equally useful and recommended for both, paper 1 and 2. Beginners to Geography should especially go through this book to get a hang of the subject.

Physical Geography by Savindra Singh

Physical Geography is a highly recommended book for physical geography by people who have emerged successful in the civil services exam. Physical Geography by Savindra Singh covers all relevant topics relating to physical geography like Earth’s origin, age, its structure, movements and physical features like rocks, plateaus, plains.  Apart from this it covers all the topics relating to Atmosphere and Hydrosphere.

If you take a look at the Geography syllabus, you will realize Physical Geography covers a good part of Geomorphology, Climatalogy, and Oceanography. A must read book for Geography paper 1.

 Geography through Maps by K Siddhartha

If you look at the Geography paper 2 syllabus you will notice it mentions

Candidates will be required to answer one compulsory map question pertinent to subjects covered by this paper

So candidates will surely encounter one map based question in the Geography paper. But you shouldn’t let go of this golden opportunity to score some easy marks by practicing maps through K Siddhartha’s Geography through Maps. K Siddhartha is a renowned coach for geography and his classes in Delhi at Ensemble are much in demand. In Geography through Maps the picture of the whole world has been presented in a sequential manner so that at no point the reader finds it monotonous, dull or uninteresting. In fact K Siddhartha has ensured that by studying Geography through Maps students will be able to locate places and natural resource regions easily and thus score guaranteed marks in the IAS mains exam.

Human Geography by Majid Hussain

The second paper focuses on Indian geography in relation to the human aspects of population, urbanization, planning, economy and so on. Human Geography looks into these aspects very lucidly. The book contains detailed maps and diagrams to aid your learning and contains references from the developed and developing parts of the world. Human Geography by TMH is recommended for getting a basic understanding of the second paper.

Geography of Population by RC Chandna

As the title suggests this book dwells on the Population aspects of the second paper and is a specialized book for this purpose.Population Geography explains all the relevant topics like migration, demographic attributes, patterns of settlements, etc in easy to understand manner. The latest edition of this book takes the 2001 census as its base to explore population aspects in detail. Population Geography is recommended to study this important topic of paper 2 in detail.

Regional Planning in India by Puri and Chand

Planning is the backbone of India’s economic system. The concept of 5-year plans was borrowed from the erstwhile Soviet Union and continues to form the basis of the economic system in India. But now the focus has shifted from top-down to bottom-up planning and hence the importance shown to regional planning in the Paper 2 syllabus.

For this reason you should study Regional Planning in India to cover topics like regional imbalances, tribal development and environmental issues, urbanization process etc. Regional Planning is recommended as reading a generic textbook for a specialized topic like planning may not be the best approach towards Geography paper 2.

Models in Geography by Majid Hussain

The final section of the Geography syllabus deals with models, theories and laws. To tackle these topics Majid Hussain has written yet another useful book called Models in Geography. This book explains all the important models and theories in a very lucid and cogent manner. Beginners as well as those having some background in Geography will find it useful.

More specifically Models in Geography  covers the following models: Malthusian, Marxian, Agricultural Land Use and Demographic Transitional apart from these theories: Central Place Theory, Theory of Industrial Location, Rostow’s Stages of Growth, Heartland and Rimland Theories besides others. Hussain was thoughtful enough to also include a chapter on Climate Change, which is useful not just for Geography but GS Mains as well.

This wraps up books for Geography for IAS mains exam. If you have some more suggestions or doubts you can leave your valued comments below. Happy reading

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GS Mains Books for Indian History

India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra

This book is a legend among IAS aspirants. A must read book for prelims as well as mains, Bipin Chandra along with other renowned Historians takes us from the Uprising of 1857 right till the dawn of Independence in 1947. The book covers all the important topics like Gandhi’s role and contribution, major movements, peasants and farmers movements, Congress party and Muslim League etc.

Numerous questions are regularly asked in the Mains GS paper on the above topics and IAS aspirants would do well to go through this all important GS mains book for tackling the Indian History part of the GS paper.

How to Read India’s Struggle for Independence:

First go through the entire book once. After that pick and focus on the topics that are of more significance from the IAS Mains point of view. How to find out the important topics? Simple. First go through the past few years GS mains section wise papers. Section wise is important to identify all questions asked from a particular section, say Indian History. In the second stage try to identify a pattern relating to the questions asked from a particular topics in that section.

For instance within Indian History the often asked questions relate to Gandhi’s role and contribution, the three movements like Civil Disobedience, Non-Cooperation and Quit India movement.  After you’ve identified such topics you can focus more on them from this important book for gs mains history.

Modern Indian History by B.L Grover

This book is a nice complement to Bipin Chandra’s book. In fact to cover the entire modern Indian history part of the GS paper you should read both these books. Modern Indian History starts off from the decline of Mughal rule after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707 and continues right till the post Independence period.

The good part about this book from the Mains point of view is that it quite factual and contains important information in a bullet points form. All the movements are thoroughly covered with their causes and implications. In fact whatever is missing in India’s Struggle is covered in Modern Indian History. To repeat once more both these History books should be read for GS mains.

GS Mains Book for Indian Polity

Our Constitution by Subhash Kashyap

Our Constitution is the best book for Indian polity mains as well as prelims. The book is regularly updated, very easy to read and understand and explains all important Articles of the Indian constitution with authority. Subhash Kashyap was a member for the National Commission to Review the Working of Constitution set up in 2000 and lists its suggestions as well which are also useful as questions relating to it have been asked before in the GS and Pub Ad papers.

Students attempting the IAS mains should definitely refer Our Constitution to pick up 40-60 marks in the GS paper.

Apart from reading Our Constitution for conventional questions like Appointment and Removal of Judges, Right to Life, Presidential Powers etc you should also keep track of the latest developments highlighted in leading newspapers like The Hindu.

These topics include Judges Impeachment, Supreme Court Collegium, Judicial Activism, Lokpal Bill, Civil Society etc.

Economy Books for IAS Mains

Indian Economy by Dutta and Sundharam

To understand the fundamentals of Indian economy read Datt and Sundharam’s renowned book, now in its 63th edition! This important book for GS economy covers all the aspects of Indian economy from land reforms, currency system, food security, stock market to international trade, agriculture, employment and more.

Answers to many questions can be directly found in this book.

Tips to read Indian Economy:

Although the book seems quite bulky and even intimidating, you don’t have to read the entire book from start to finish. The book contains the different versions of many economic programmes. Don’t read all the versions. Just develop an understanding about the salient features of the program in its latest form, the pros and cons of it, implementation and effects. For instance, MNREGA.

Secondly, skip those sections that you feel are irrelevant or less relevant from the Mains perspective and focus on the more important sections. This way you won’t need to read more than 40 percent of Indian Economy.

Economic Survey

Just like polity, Economy too requires keeping up with the latest trends and developments. At least two questions in every Mains GS paper relate to the current economic happenings. This makes Economic Survey released by the Finance Ministry before each Budget session one of the indispensable GS Mains Books.

In fact in the 2009 GS paper questions such as there were directly asked from the Economic Survey:

How far has impact of the global meltdown been
reflected in the Economic Survey 2008-09? Identify some
of the core areas given priority to neutralize the adverse
effects of the global downturn.

And remember getting this answer right could fetch you as many as 30 marks! The Economic Survey is divided into two parts. The first part is about the state of the economy, the developments in various sub-parts of the economy, international trade and its impact on India. The second part of Economic Survey contains very useful tables and statistics about every possible aspect of Indian economy.

As mentioned in my post on Books for CSAT these tables are very useful for Prelims as well. You can even download the Economic Survey. But I would suggest you get a physical book to read at your convenience, make notes, and refer it at will.

Geography Books for GS Mains Paper

Till recently reading just the NCERT text books of Class XI and XII was enough to cover the geography syllabus of GS paper. Not so now. In the revised GS syllabus the focus is on environment, ecology, spatial and urban geography apart from the conventional topics like climate, soils, rivers etc.

While the conventional topics can be covered from NCERT text books, the other topics that are just as or even more important cannot be. To prepare such topics I recommend Majid Hussain’s Geography of India published by TMH. Majid Hussain is a renowned coach for Geography and runs his own institute in Delhi for IAS aspirants.

Geography of India covers the conventional as well as the newer and off beat topics as well. The book is well illustrated with maps, diagrams, and tables to make learning easier for students. In fact if you wish to refer just one book in place of multiple NCERT text books and other books read Geography of India.

Current Affairs Books for IAS Mains

Questions related to current events need to be handled tactfully as your answer needs to be to the point, analytical, as well as unique. The best resources for current affairs are The Hindu newspaper and good magazines like Frontline, Civil Services Chronicle and Yojana.

These magazines and newspapers should be followed regularly to keep track of the developments of national significance like the debate on Lokpal Bill, Civil Society, Corruption and so.

In case you need additional books for GS mains current affairs go through General Awareness & Current Affairs Digest by Laxmikanth published by TMH. General Awareness covers all topics like sports, culture, news, personalities, culture etc. A good book to find all the current developments listed in one place.

GS Mains Books for Science and Technology

Science and Technology is of prime importance for any country’s progress. No wonder UPSC has been asking more and more Science and Tech related questions in the IAS mains GS paper. At the very minimum you can expect 40 marks questions from this topic and on the higher end even 120 marks. Such is the variation and importance of Science and Technology.

To tackle this all important section I recommend Science and Technology Manual by TMH. It’s comprehensive, it’s easy to grasp, it’s relevant. The Science and Technology manual covers all science and tech topics like nuclear energy, conventional energy, science institutions, telecommunication, medical science etc.

Apart from this book I suggest you keep yourself updated about latest developments through newspapers and magazines mentioned above especially about works of recently awarded Nobel scientists.

Books to Tackle Statistics in GS Paper

Some IAS aspirants, in fact many, fear statistics for different reasons. Some have never studied statistics past their high school, some didn’t bother to practice statistics before the paper, while the large majority fail to reach the last question of GS paper 2 which deals with statistics.

While there is no solution other than increasing your writing and thinking speed to tackle the last problem, I can suggest a remedy for the first two.

To get an understanding about basic Statistical concepts you can refer to Class X NCERT text book. However this is insufficient for tackling questions of a more complex nature that are asked in GS paper 2. For such questions as well as the basic ones go through Spectrum’s Statistical Analysis.

Long considered as a reliable book for statistics by IAS aspirants, Statistical Analysis contains many practice questions and tutorials to solve statistics based questions. But the key is to practice questions contained in the book as well as previous years statistics based questions to tackle the last part of paper 2. Doing this you can score 40 easy marks and thereby gain an edge over your competition.

This wraps up GS Mains Books for paper 1 and 2. If you’ve got some recommendations or feedback let’s hear it in the comments below.

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Sociology Paper 1 Books

Sociology- Themes and Perspectives by Haralambos and Heald

The most definitive and must read book for Paper 1. In fact to understand what’s Sociology is all about read Haralambos. This book touches upon all aspects of paper 1 be that family, marriage, kinship, stratification, power, economic system etc. In the old Prelims syllabus nearly 20-25 questions were asked from this book alone. Even in mains this book is indispensable. The biggest plus point about Sociology Themes and Perspectives is its language. Simple, easy to understand, comprehensive. It also contains relevant case studies of different social systems and phenomena that should be quoted in the IAS mains to score well.

Sociology by T.B Bottomore

One of the Sociology classics, Bottomore explains the evolution of Sociology in this short book and delves into other areas of Sociology. Upendra Gour, the renowned coach for Sociology  in Delhi recommends to read the first eighty pages of this book. Although not a must read book for sociology it will surely expand your horizons.

Sociological Thought by Abraham and Morgan

As you might be aware Sociology paper 1 is usually more scoring than Paper 2 as the paper 1 syllabus is quite manageable compared to the latter. Apart from this the section on Sociological Thinkers is most important from Mains point of view. Two 60 mark questions are almost always asked from this unit and if you master it you’re on your way to some pretty good marks in the first paper.

That’s why I recommend Sociological Thought which covers all the thinkers mentioned in this unit like Karl Marx, Max Weber, Durkheim, and RK Merton. It even covers other thinkers like Vilfredo Pareto, Auguste Comte, and Herbert Spencer so you can tackle some sections of the first and second unit as well. Sociological Thought is a must read for paper 1.

Methodology and Techniques of Social Research by Jaspal Singh

Unit 3 of Sociology syllabus is about Research Methods and Analysis. Many students tend to skip this section altogether in their preparation as they don’t consider it that important from the Mains viewpoint. But given UPSC’s fickle nature they could ask more than one question from this unit. To plug this hole you should read Methodology and Techniques by Jaspal Singh.

Methodology and Techniques explains the basics and details of various research methodologies used by social researchers as well as techniques of data collection and sampling methods. A good book to tackle the unit 3 syllabus.

How to cover the other units of Paper 1?

The topics like Systems of Kinship, Religion and Society, Works and Economic Life don’t require dedicated book rather they they are based on the works of social thinkers. So first understand their work in depth and then combine this understanding with topics and social studies from Haralambos  to frame your answers. Also prepare your own clippings of social surveys if you come across them in magazines or The Hindu to make your answers stand out.

Sociology Paper 2 Books

For paper 2 i will recommend just a few books not because they cover the entire syllabus but because no amount of books will cover the syllabus in its entirety.

Caste in Modern India and other essays by M.N Srinivas

The most striking reality of India is not class but caste and M.N Srinivas, one of the foremost Indian Sociologists, explains the caste system from the structural-functionalist perspective in a language that is very easy to comprehend. The book it self is quite short and can be read in just 3 days from start to finish. Caste in Modern India also contains social research conducted among the Coorgs by Srinivas and is very relevant for answering questions in Paper 2.

Recommended reading: Caste and its 20th Century Avatar by M.N Srinivas to understand how the caste structure and equations has changed over the years.

Social Change in Modern India by M.N Srinivas

Social change is another important focus of the Sociology syllabus. After all no society, however rigid, is completely statics and change in different degrees modifies it in myriad ways. To understand the changes taking place in Indian society right from the British period M.N Srivivas has written this very short and readable book. Through this book Srinivas refutes Louis Dumont’s theory of a static and unchanging India. A recommended book for Sociology mains paper.

Social Stratification by Dipankar Gupta

Dipankar Gupta is an eminent Sociologist who teaches at JNU, New Delhi. Although Social Stratification wasn’t very useful for the old syllabus prior to 2008, it’s one of the most useful and important books for Paper 2 revised syllabus. This book edited by Gupta contains important case studies of various social thinkers that are of direct relevance to Paper 2. As you might know case studies have to be quoted in the second paper to score well. In other words theory needs to be backed with figures and facts in sociology. Mere fluff doesn’t work.

From Louis Dumont to Andre Beteille, Marxist viewpoint to Functionalist, Social Stratification covers all. A must read.

IGNOU Notes

I can go on about sociology books but the fact is the above books are enough to cover the meat of the syllabus. For rest of the syllabus instead of referring individual books go through the IGNOU notes that covers the remaining paper 2 syllabus adequately.

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Public Administration Paper 1 Books

If you’re new to Public Administration I highly recommend you first go through SP Naidu’s Public Administration. This book introduces the basic concepts and theories in a very simple and engaging manner. Many IAS aspirants directly jump to Mohit Bhattacharya’s New Horizons in Public Administration with the result they end up giving up the subject altogether or get the impression that Pub Ad is not their cup of tea.

Poli Naidu on other hand was written keeping in mind the aptitude of a first year undergraduate student and is highly recommended by coaching institutes like Synergy as well.

Note: Aspirants shouldn’t get confused between two books by the same author: 1. Public Administration Concepts and Theories 2. Public Administration. Both these books have been authored by S.P Naidu or S. Poli Naidu. I recommend Public Administration since it’s more elaborate than Concepts and Theories.

New Horizons by Mohit Bhattacharya

After going through Poly Naidu you should then dive into New Horizons of Public Administration, an indispensable book written by Mohit Bhattacharya, a renowned Public Administration scholar and writer.

This book covers the entire Paper 1 syllabus in different degrees. The chapters where it really shines are Bureaucratic Theory, Public Policies, Development Administration, and Decision Making. These are Bhattacharya’s forte and he has explained these topics really well in his own unique style.

Speaking of style the language in New Horizons might seem a little too difficult to grasp at first but when you have read and re-read the book 2 or 3 times (Yes you have to), you’ll actually enjoy its contents. A must read.

Public Administration and Public Affairs by Nicholas Henry

An American Public Administration scholar of repute Nicholas Henry shot to prominence with his paradigms of Public Administration theory (also written about by Golembiweiski). The opening chapter of this book tackles these six paradigms in a very lucid manner. In fact the entire book is very easy to grasp.

The chapters on Public Policy and Contingency Theory are also to be read and understood from this important book.

Administrative Thinkers by Prasad and Prasad

Nearly two long questions of 60 marks each are asked from the Administrative Theories chapter every year and the best book to refer for this all important topic is Administrative Thinkers by Prasad and Prasad.

It covers all the thinkers in the new syllabus including Kautilya for Paper 2. Although quite a     slim book it contains a wealth of information. This is again a must read book for Paper 1.

Administrative Behaviors: Managing organizational behavior – Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard

Not a must have book but some parts of this book on Organizational Behaviour are must read for tackling the Administrative Behaviour portion of the Pub Ad syllabus as well as the Leadership and Motivation theories. The good part about this book is that there are plenty of illustrations and case studies to make your understanding easier. Recommended book for Public Administration.

Personnel Administration Notes of IGNOU

I could’ve listed a book here but why read more when you can make do with less and more effective material? Personnel Administration is a very important chapter from Mains point of view and one question is always asked from it. The IGNOU Pub Ad notes cover this topic quite well. Don’t read all the four volumes, just get this chapter somehow and you’re done.

Development Administration by Mohit Bhattacharya

This is another important book by Bhattacharya that covers the Development Administration topic thoroughly and as some of you might be aware the focus has once more shifted on Development Administration in developing countries.

Vajiram Pub Ad Printed Notes

The reason I’m asking you to get these notes is because no amount of books can cover the entire syllabus in its entirety. So you have to supplement the text books with these notes. Remember both are not exclusive rather complementary.

Just get the printed notes, no need for the hand written class notes.

Public Administration Paper 2 Books

With other optionals it’s harder to score well in Paper 2, but it’s the opposite with Pub Ad. The paper 2 syllabus focuses on Indian Administration and overlaps considerably with Indian polity part of the GS paper making it easy to score off. And the books required are less as well.

Indian Administration by Arora and Goyal

If there’s one book I’ll recommend for Paper 2, it’s Indian Administration by Ramesh Arora and Rajni Goyal. An excellent book that covered almost 90 percent of old syllabus single-handedly, it still covers about 70-75 percent of the new Pub Ad paper 2 syllabus.

The book explains all chapters really well including the Indian polity part and British administration, Mughal era and Kautilya’s theory.

In fact, you should read this book at least three times to really score well in Paper 2. Such is its significance.

IIPA Notes

Indian Institute of Public Administration comes out with quarterly journals covering all the relevant articles on current Public Administration issues. In fact some questions in Paper 1 and 2 are directly asked from these journals. A must read to acquaint oneself with the latest developments in Public Administration theory and practice.

Notes and Newspapers

For the new topics that have been added you should refer to the coaching notes I mentioned above as well as read a good newspaper like Indian Express as it covers administrative news items on a regular basis and Pub Ad requires supporting real life instances, particularly Paper 2. Newspaper reading is thus indispensable.

Quite frankly the above mentioned books and notes are adequate to cover the Public Administration paper 1 and paper 2 syllabus but if there is any new book that opens a new dimension or explains some topics in a better manner, please feel to share them in the comments below.

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Note: All the books mentioned on this page have been tried by me or highly recommended by fellow aspirants. Also I am constantly adding books to cover the entire syllabus gradually so keep visiting this page often. This page contains links to pages where you can purchase the books online. Wherever possible I have listed the current and previous year’s edition of current affairs related books.

Books for CSAT Paper 1

Before reading any other books get the past 5 years Solved Section-wise Question Papers and IAS Syllabus as these are your best friends and constant companions throughout your IAS exam journey. These two reference books will save a lot of valuable time and effort as you start preparing for the Prelims so be sure to get the solved section-wise questions papers and the IAS syllabus.

General Studies Manual (GS Manual)

When starting out with prelims preparation it is a must to have a GS manual with you. What is a GS manual? Well it is a all-in-one book for civil services prelims covering all the topics like History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Current Affairs, General Knowledge, Mental Ability, Facts, and more. It is very useful for finding all information at one place. Also many times the standard books do not contain information, especially the latest ones. For this the GS manual is very handy.

There are many GS manual available in the market but I recommend Tata McGraw Hill’s (TMH) GS Manual for prelims. Read this post on why the TMH GS Manual is still relevant for CSAT.
I think the information provided in TMH GS manual is up-to date, relevant and of high quality. Also the maps in the Geography section are very good for understanding the concepts. Language used is simple to grasp and its General Knowledge section is quite good. Good part is some discounts on the cover price are available.

Manorama Year Book

A good Year Book is must for IAS Prelims preparation. If you analyze the past 4 years GS papers you will find that minimum 15 question each year have appeared from General Knowledge based Year Books. I and many successful civil services candidates refer to Manorama Year Book. The best sections in MYB are the World profile with information on all countries, recent happenings. The Gk section is exceptional with many facts, data, recent news, awards, etc Other thing to read in MYB is the 500 or so Questions section. I have noticed that even if you just look at those questions in passing you will be benefited greatly in the Prelims as 3-4 questions come from just this section in the IAS Prelims. Discount on the cover price is also available.

Book for Indian Polity

As seasoned civil services aspirants are aware there are three books widely referred for Indian Polity, An Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu, Our Constitution by Subhash Kashyap, and India’s Constitution by MV Pylee. Of the three books I always recommend Our Constitution by Subhash Kashyap as the language used is very simple to grasp even by someone who is studying Indian polity for the first time, it covers all the concepts required to gain a mastery of the syllabus.

After reading and understanding this book you will only be required to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in Indian polity. The book will take care of all the conventional questions like How has the SC interpreted Article 21 (Right to Life and Liberty), Relative power of LS Speaker and RS Chairman, Anti-Defection Law and many more.

While DD Basu’s book is also OK, the language used is quite difficult to understand and the book has not been revised so it does not contain the recent amendments.

Another book to refer for Bare Acts of the Indian Constitution is Indian Constitution by PM Bakshi . This pocket-sized book lists just the articles along with all the amendment to the constitution and is very useful for Prelims as UPSC has started asking questions directly from the bare articles.

CSAT Books for Indian History

Indian History consisting of Ancient History, Medieval and Modern History is another important component of CSAT paper 1 and quite scoring too. Of these three sub topics the most number of questions are asked from the modern History part and the best book to tackle it is Bipin Chandra’s India’s Struggle for Independence. This book starts from the 1857 Revolt and continues right till the independence period.

India’s Struggle is important not just from the prelims perspective but is a must read book to secure 40-80 marks in GS Mains paper as well. Another good reference book for Modern History is Brief History of Modern India by Spectrum. The book is quite useful for quick revision before the Prelims.

Geography CSAT Books

Nowadays more map-related questions are being asked in the IAS Preliminary exams than conventional type questions. In fact such map based questions are highly scoring if you just scan and observe the Indian and World maps for at least 15 minutes every day. You can then easily score 6-10 marks in the CSAT exam as about 6-10 questions are asked every year in the civil services Prelims from the Geography Atlas. From my experience and that of other successful civil services candidates, I recommend the Oxford Student Atlas for GS Geography questions. The Indian and World maps are quite detailed and the Physical and political maps are very easy to understand. If you need help in studying the Oxford Atlas, just leave a comment and I will be glad to help.

Another book to read is Certificate Course in Physical Geography by Goh Cheng Leong to tackle questions related to physical geography. Whether it’s Climate, Earthquakes, Winds, or Oceans everything is covered in this book on Physical Geography.

Indian Economy Books for CSAT

Economy questions asked in the Prelims are a combination of facts and theory. For tackling the factual questions refer to the Economic Survey released by the Information Ministry before the Budget presentation every year. It contains a wealth of information on Indian economy including in-depth tables and figures in the second half of the book. Economic Survey is also a must read for GS Mains as some questions are directly asked from it.

To understand Indian Economy basics go with Datt and Sundharam which is a highly recommended book for Indian Economy. You don’t need to read this book from start to finish. Just refer what’s useful from exam point of view. This book is also very useful for GS Mains economy questions. Currently into it’s 63rd revised edition Indian Economy is a real classic.

Science Books for CSAT

The TMH GS Manual has a pretty good Science section and is adequate for to tackle science related questions. However if you want you can complement it with NCERT textbooks of class IX and X.

Books for CSAT Paper 2

Fortunately IAS Prelims paper 2 requires far less books compared to Paper 1. Here I list all the popular books for CSAT Paper 2. Remember, you don’t need to refer all of them and different people will like different books so I have listed more than one book.

Crack CSAT 2011

Crack CSAT by Disha is quite a useful book for IAS paper 2 as I have mentioned in this post. Not as popular as Unique Publication’s book for CSAT but equally effective, nonetheless.

CSAT Paper 2 by Unique

By far the most popular book for CSAT, Unique Publication has come out with a comprehensive book for Paper 2 covering all the topics in the 2nd paper. Something about Unique Publications. Although it’s not as popular as TMH but its books are trusted by many IAS aspirants for the comprehensive and correct approach to any subject. And CSAT Paper 2 is no exception to this.

Cracking CSAT by Arihant Publications

This is another good book for Paper 2 by Arihant Publications. Although it has been released quite late in the market I feel it is no less useful than the books listed above. The plus points of this guide for CSAT paper 2 are:

• It claims to be the only book to cover the CSAT Paper 2 completely
• There are many sample questions for understanding and many practice questions
• Difficult concepts are explained quite well to a beginner with non-Science background
• Decision making, interpersonal skills, comprehension are also covered

Although there are minor grammatical errors in some sections I feel, overall, Cracking CSAT by Arihant will add value to your CSAT preparation.

Apart from these books keep your eyes open to news happenings around you as UPSC asks not just the latest current affairs events but even those two to three years back.

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Note: List of IAS Books in English is also available.

Solved Questions Papers and Syllabus for IAS

As already stated in this post, you should refer the past 5 years solved section wise GS papers and syllabus yo effectively prepare for IAS exam. Arihant’s Solved GS papers in Hindi are very relevant for Hindi medium IAS aspirants as they are arranged section-wise and contain authentic solutions. The IAS Syllabus in Hindi for CSAT/Prelims and all Mains optionals contains the latest syllabus for IAS in Hindi. Get both these books before starting out with your IAS preparation.

Books for CSAT Paper 1 in Hindi

TMH GS Manual

As already mentioned the TMH GS Manual is very relevant for Paper 1 preparation of IAS prelims, particularly so for Geography and GK preparation. Even the Science section is noteworthy. Speaking of GK if you want to build up your knowledge base here is a nice book called Samanya Gyan by Student Aid publishers to boost your GK power.

Indian History

History questions can fetch you about 10-15 marks in Prelims Paper 1 of GS and of these about 7-8 questions are generally asked from Modern history. Adhunik Bharat is much needed book to study modern history in Hindi. Covering the entire period of Indian Freedom struggle and starting of the British Raj, Adhunik Bharat is a must read.

Geography Atlas

At least as far as Atlas is concerned there’s no relevance of English or Hindi atlas and Oxford Student Atlas in English is suitable for Hindi medium IAS students as well.

Year Book for Current Affairs and GK

Nearly all IAS toppers recommend the Manorama Year Book in Hindi as the best year book for GK and current affairs preparation and there’s a reason for it. Nearly 15-20 questions each year are asked from the Manorama year book in the IAS prelims and these should be grabbed with both hands by all IAS aspirants, irrespective of the medium of examination.

Books for IAS Paper 2 in Hindi

Fortunately there are two good books available to Hindi medium IAS aspirants for preparing paper 2 of CSAT. The Pearson CSAT Manual in Hindi as well as Arihant’s Crack CSAT in Hindi. While the Pearson CSAT Manual covers paper 1 syllabus as well, Crack CSAT by Arihant focuses exclusively on Paper 2. Both have their own uses.

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Although the Paper 2 syllabus of IAS Prelims has changed drastically as the optionals have been replaced by a GS paper, the first paper is still as is. The only change in it is that the mental ability part has been shifted to the second paper. So now you need one additional reference book for Preliminary preparation. Still, this does not exclude the book you used to refer till now for the first paper.

Now there are some books in the market focusing on CSAT 2011 like the Pearson CSAT Manual 2011 which are good as they balance both papers nicely. Also the Paper 2 part dealing with mental ability, data interpretation, logical reasoning, comprehension has been authored by Edgar Thorpe who is the highly regarded author of the well known book on Mental ability and Quantitative Aptitude but I feel in spite of this TMH GS Manual is still relevant for the first paper for the following reasons:

• The TMH manual has the best material on Geography, Science and GK amongst all the manuals
• It comes with detailed maps of soils, climatic types etc in the Geography section that are very useful for Prelims preparation
• A detailed section on Indian History covering all the important points in modern history
• A good section on mental ability

For these reasons I feel the TMH manual is still highly relevant for paper 1 of CSAT. In addition to this it also covers the mental ability part of Paper 2. In spite of this there are some areas not covered by the 2011 edition such as:

• English comprehension and passage
• Decision making
• Interpersonal skills

It would then make more sense to opt for the TMH GS Manual plus another book focusing exclusively on Paper 2 of CSAT. But if you don’t want to refer two books then I suggest you get the Pearson CSAT Manual which is also a good bet for the challenge ahead.

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