Every year lakhs of aspirants attend the UPSC exam. Though not all of them can make it to the end. That’s why UPSC is considered as the toughest exam in India. Aspirants need to prepare properly for the Civil Service Exam. It needs a few quality books rather than a bunch of unnecessary study materials. Over the years, NCERT books for UPSC, IAS, CSE, and Civil Service Exam are proven to be very important too. In the following article, we are going to give you all information about UPSC NCERT Books 2021.
Overview of Syllabus for UPSC 2021
Before knowing about the book, the aspirant needs to know about the syllabus thoroughly. And we already know that UPSC has a vast syllabus. This ocean of syllabus makes the exam more complicated. It almost covers every inch of information that a capable aspirant needs to know. After all, they are going to hold the prestigious position. NCERT books for IAS, CSE, and Civil Service Exam can help you with that.
We already know that this exam is divided into three parts. The first one is Prelims which is objective type. It measures the applicant’s aptitude within time-limit. Those who pass prelims appear in Main which is descriptive type. It measures the applicant’s depth of knowledge in their special subject. After passing the exam, the candidate will have to face the personal interview round. It is the hardest part of the entire exam procedure. A group of board members will scrutinize the candidate’s personality, attitude, and ability to make fast yet clear decisions. So, take a look at the overall UPSC syllabus 2021.
Prelims Round
There are two papers in prelims. One is General Studies paper I and the other one is CSAT. For paper I aspirants have to study Indian and international current affairs, movements in our country. There are Indian and world geography, ecology, history as well as general science, polity, and economics. While for the CSAT paper they need to prepare logical reasoning, communication skill including basic numeracy and mental ability. By the way, this round is too important for the Civil Service Exam. In short, it will decide whether you are going to the next round or not.
Mains Round
Paper I of Mains has essay writing. Other than it, the syllabus is almost the same as the Prelims. In addition, some subjects are included in the exam. Students have to study technology, ethics, international relations, Indian culture, and constitution, etc. also. And lastly, there are two optional subjects that applicants have to choose among the following ones. The subjects are- Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Anthropology, Commerce & Accountancy, Agriculture, Psychology, Physics, Political Science & International Relation, Electrical Engineering, Statistics, Sociology, Law, Medical Science, etc.
Interview Round
Though this part seems to be pretty simple, let me remind you, it is not. Not to mention, it is a very crucial step for the UPSC exam. Remember one thing, in this test your personality and capability will speak for you. So, you have to prepare yourself like that. Know yourself from the depth of your heart. So, there will be no room left for small mistakes. On the contrary, start to groom yourself from the beginning.
Why NCERT Books Are Important For UPSC?
Among you who decide to appear in this exam often wonder it. However, those candidates who already attended the exam before, know the answer. Well, these NCERT books can give you proper knowledge in depth about the syllabus. And it is one of the main factors to crack the exam as well as the IAS exam. You have to make your basic knowledge strong. Otherwise, you will lose track of that wide syllabus. In fact, UPSC toppers also recommend NCERT books for CSE, IAS, and Civil Service exams as well. Take a look at what books may help you in your study. By the way, no matter what are you reading, remember to maintain your time schedule.
List of NCERT Books That Will Help in UPSC Preparation
The Civil Service Exam is very hard to crack. And NCERT Books for CSE is very helpful. As I said before, lots of unnecessary notes will make students more confused, nothing else. So, they should try to prepare not only working hard but also smartly. These books will help those who are taking coaching for the exam. It can also help even if they are preparing themselves. We suggest going through from class VI to class XII NCERT books. Have a quick look at UPSC NCERT books 2021. Furthermore, to download these NCERT Books for UPSC, CSE, and Civil Service Exam, just click on them.
Prelims General Studies Paper I
- Indian Culture & Art Books:
- An Introduction to Indian Art, Living Craft Traditions of India (Chapters 9 and 10) – Class XI
- Geography Books:
- The Earth Our Habitat – Class VI
- Our Environment – Class VII
- Resource & Development – Class VIII
- Contemporary India I – Class IX
- Contemporary India II – Class X
- Fundamentals of Physical Geography – Class XI
- India – Physical Environment for Class XI
- Fundamentals of Human Geography and India – People & Economy – Class XII
- History Books:
- Our Past – Class VI
- Our Past II – Class VII
- India and the Contemporary World I – Class IX
- Our Past III – Class VIII
- India and the Contemporary World II – Class X
- Themes In World History I, II & III – Class XII
On the other hand, other than these you can also check out old NCERT History books too. They are India’s Ancient Past by RS Sharma, A History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra, History of the World part 1 & 2 by Arjun Dev, History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra.
- Books on Indian Society:
- Social Science: Social & Political Life I and II – Class VI and VII
- Social Science: Social & Political Life III – Class VIII
- Indian Society and Social Change and Development in India – Class XII
Mains General Studies Paper II
- Polity Books:
- Political Science: Democratic Politics Part I and Part II – Class IX and Class X
- Indian Constitution at Work and Political Theory – Class XI
- Political Science I: Contemporary World Politics and Political Science II: Politics in India Since Independence – Class XII. Try to read these books in detail.
Mains General Studies Paper III
- Science & Technology:
- Ecology Books: Class XII – Last four chapters of Biology Download.
- Economy Books:
- Economics – Class IX
- Understanding Economics Development -Class X
- Indian Economic Development – Class XI
- Introductory Microeconomics & Macroeconomics -Class XII.
List of Other Important Books That Helps in Preparation
While avoiding irrelevant books, don’t make the mistake of thinking that NCERT books are enough to crack UPSC. Although it will give you a jump start, there are a bunch of some good books too. If you have plenty of time in your hand then make a logical schedule together with NCERT Books for CSE to study. If you have time then read those thoroughly.
- Science and Technology: Newspapers like The Indian Express, Economic Times, The Hindu; ISRO official website, and other related sites.
- Current Affairs: Well, nothing is more suitable for knowing what is happing around us than newspapers. You can check online content too.
- Mathematics and Logical Reasoning: RS Aggarwal of S Chand Publication and Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey is enough.
- History: Concise History of Modern India by Sujata Menon, A Brief History Of Modern India by Spectrum.
- Geography: Keep yourself updated about climate change through newspapers and online resources. Oxford School Atlas can help you with the maps.
- Economy: Follow every current economic survey. You can also read the Indian Economy by Mishra and Puri & Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh.
- Polity: NCERT books are more than just good for UPSC preparation. But that doesn’t mean you won’t follow other sources. The Constitution of India by P. M. Bakshi, An Introduction to the Constitution of India by D. D. Basu are good suggestions for that too.
- Environment: NIOS study materials are really helpful in this case.
- As for English comprehension, UPSC tends to choose from journals. So, read magazines like Kurukshetra and Yojana.
- Lastly along with NCERT books for UPSC take mock tests and check previous years’ question pares very well. You will get a brief idea about questions from there.
You can also check about other books related to UPSC like Ethics Books, Generic Books, Books for Hindi Medium, CSAT Books, Geography Books & History Books.
FAQs Regarding NCERT Books for UPSC
Well, of course, it is important. More specifically NCERT Books for Civil Service Exam is a must-read for UPSC candidates.
These books help the aspirant to understand the subject from the core. If you look closely, you can see that NCERT books are quite informative. Moreover, NCERT Books for Civil Service Exam are written logically too. That’s why it saves a lot of precious time for the candidate
Well, here is one thing, it helps the student learn the respective subjects from depth. Needless to say, it is not enough to crack a tough exam like UPSC. Because here one aspirant has to compete with lakhs of competitors. If you have enough time in your hand then check out other books for specific subjects.
Of course! NCERT Books for IAS Exam works in the same way like Civil Service Exam. Otherwise, We won’t suggest them to you.
Certainly, there is! Some of them are – Facts of Indian Culture by Spectrum, Certificate Physical Geography by G C Leong, World Atlas, Indian Polity by M Laxmikanth, etc. On the contrary, these books can benefit you greatly.
Editor’s Note | UPSC NCERT Books
In conclusion, NCERT books only help an aspirant to grasp everything in a short amount of time. Therefore, read those books with keen attention. Always keep in mind that to crack UPSC is not everyone’s cup of tea. So in order to succeed you can’t leave any string of preparation loose. NCERT books will help you to strengthen your core of knowledge. However, now you have got the list. So don’t waste any more time. Start preparing right away.