Mains Book List

General Studies (GS) Paper 1 – History, Geography, and Society

History

  • Modern History :
  • India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
  • Modern India by Spectrum (Rajiv Ahir)
  • World History :
  • Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe
  • NCERT Class XI - Themes in World History
  • Post-Independence History :
  • IIndian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
  • Art and Culture:
  • Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania

Geography

  • NCERT Geography (Class VI to XII)
  • Certificate Physical and Human Geography by G.C. Leong
  • Oxford School Atlas
  • Geography of India by Majid Hussain

Society

  • NCERT Sociology (Class XI and XII)
  • Indian Society by Ram Ahuja
  • Relevant current affairs (e.g., Yojana, Kurukshetra magazines)

General Studies (GS) Paper 2 – Polity, Governance, and International Relations

1.Polity

  • Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth (5th/6th edition)
  • Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu

2. Governance

  • Governance in India by M. Laxmikanth
  • Second ARC Reports (Select Chapters)

3.Social Justice

  • Social Problems in India by Ram Ahuja
  • Government schemes and programs (PIB, Yojana magazine)

4. International Relations

  • India’s Foreign Policy by V.P. Dutt
  • International Relations by Pavneet Singh
  • Current Affairs (Newspapers: The Hindu, Indian Express, ORF and IDSA websites)/span>

General Studies (GS) Paper 3 – Economy, Environment, Science & Tech, Security

1.Economy

  • Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
  • Indian Economy Key Concepts by Shankar Ganesh
  • Economic Survey (latest)
  • Union Budget (latest)

2. Environment and Ecology

  • Environment by Shankar IAS Academy
  • NCERT Biology (Class XII – relevant chapters)
  • India Yearbook (Environment sections)

3.Science and Technology

  • NCERT Science (Class VI to X)
  • Science and Technology by Ravi P. Agrahari
  • Current Affairs (science sections from The Hindu, PIB, and Yojana)

4. Internal Security

  • Challenges to Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar and Vipul
  • Internal Security and Disaster Management by M.Karthikeyan

General Studies (GS) Paper 4 – Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude

  1. Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by Chronicle Publications
  2. Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chowdhury
  3. Essays on Ethics and Values by G. Subba Rao
  4. Previous Year Papers for case studies practice

Essay Paper

  1. 151 Essays by S.C. Gupta
  2. Essays for Civil Services by Pulkit Khare
  3. Practice writing essays on a variety of topics (philosophical, current affairs, and developmental issues).
Mains Book List
Political Science and International Relations

Paper I – Political Theory and Indian Politics

  1. Political Theory
  2. Western Political Thought
  3. Indian Political Thought
  4. Comparative Politics
  5. Indian Government and Politics
  6. Public Administration (for Administrative Theories)

Paper II – International Relations and Indian Foreign Policy

  1. Theories of International Relations
  2. International Organizations and Global Governance
  3. India’s Foreign Policy
  4. India and the World
  5. Post-Cold War World Order

Additional Reading for Current Affairs and Perspectives

  1. Current Affairs for International Relations
  2. India Yearbook (Relevant Sections)
  3. Economic Survey and Budget
Public Administration

PAPER I – Administrative Theory

  1. Introduction to Public Administration
  2. Administrative Thought
  3. Administrative Behavior
  4. Organizations and Theories of Organization
  5. Accountability and Control
  6. Administrative Systems
  7. Development Administration
  8. Personnel Administration
  9. Financial Administration
  10. Public Policy
  11. Techniques of Administrative Improvement
  12. Good Governance