In clearias.com, we have mentioned many times that NCERT books are the best books to begin UPSC Civil Services Exam preparation. Having said that, we get mails from aspirants to select the most important NCERT texts to start with. We have observed that many aspirants are confused about which chapters from NCERT texts to be studied (especially for subjects like General Science). These queries and requests are quite natural. We thought about posting an article in detail about the must read NCERT books for IAS exam preparation.
Why NCERT Books?
NCERT texts being text books for school children, are written in a very simple and lucid manner. They are not only easy to study, but also can help to save a lot of time. You can quickly grasp difficult topics and concepts. If aspirants have enough time, it is always advised to start from standard 6 NCERT texts and read till standard 12 texts for all relevant subjects.
Extra tip: You may check our NCERT based online mock test series with negative marking for UPSC Prelims.
How to buy NCERT Books?
- You can buy NCERT books online from Amazon, and get it delivered at doorstep.
- You can buy NCERT books online from Flipkart, and get it delivered at doorstep.
Note: NCERT books are available in many leading book stores offline too.
How to download NCERT Books as PDF?
- If you find difficulty to get hard-copies of NCERT texts, you can always get soft copies in PDF form from the site ncert.nic.in.
- Just like NCERT website which offers free download of quality books, NIOS website as well as CBSE website offers quality PDFs.
- Click on the links above to download text books from these websites.
Important NCERT Books for UPSC Civil Services Exam
If exams are near, it’s a quite natural to prioritize. For general studies (Prelims or Mains), aspirants need to focus on the NCERT texts on the below subjects.
- Political Science
- Fine Arts
Tip: Books marked in red colour are more important.
History – Must Read NCERT Books
- 6th – Our Pasts 1
- 7th – Our Pasts II
- 8th – Our Pasts III – Part 1, Part 2
- 9th – India & the Contemporary World 1
- 10th – India & the Contemporary World II
- 11th – Themes in World History (Focus on Industrial Revolution)
- 12th – Themes in Indian History I, Themes in Indian History II, Themes in Indian History III
Geography – Must Read NCERT Books
- 6th – The Earth : Our Habitat
- 7th – Our Environment
- 8th – Resources & Development
- 9th – Contemporary India 1
- 10th – Contemporary India 1I
- 11th – Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 11th – India – Physical Environment
- 12th – Fundamentals of Human Geography, 12th – India – People & Economy
Economics – Must Read NCERT Books
- 9th – Economics
- 10th – Understanding Economic Development
- 11th – Indian Economic Development
- 12th – Introductory Microeconomics
- 12th – Introductory Macroeconomics, Class XII – Supplementary reading material in Economics – Introductory Macroeconomics
Political Science – Must Read NCERT Books
- 9th – Democratic Politics I
- 10th – Democratic Politics II
- 11th – Indian Constitution at Work
- 11th – Political Theory
- 12th – Contemporary World Politics (8th – Environment & Natural Resources)
- 12th – Politics in India Since Independence
Sociology – Must Read NCERT Books
- 12th – Social Change & Development in India
Culture/Fine Arts – Must Read NCERT Books
- 11th – An Introduction to Indian Art
Science – Must Read NCERT Books
For science, aspirants are advised to go through at-least these selected chapters from the mentioned standards.
- 6th – Chapter 9: The Living Organisms & their Surroundings
- 7th – Chapter 7: Weather, Climate & Adaptations of Animals, Chapter 9: Soil
- 8th – Chapter 1: Crop Production & Management, Chapter 5: Coal & Petroleum, Chapter 7: Conservation of Plants & Animals, Chapter 12: Friction, Chapter 18: Pollution of Air & Water
- 9th – Chapter 14: Natural Resources
- 10th – Chapter 14: Sources of Energy, Chapter 15: Our Environment, Chapter 16: Management of Natural Resources
- 12th (Biology) – Unit X: Ecology ( Chapter 13 – Organisms & Population, Chapter 14 – Ecosystem, Chapter 15 – Biodiversity & Conservation, Chapter 16 – Environmental Issues)
What next, after finishing NCERT books?
Once done with the a basic study of NCERT books, aspirants should go deep by referring books from authors like Bipan Chandra (History), Lakshmikanth (Polity), Ramesh Singh (Economy) etc. The recommended list of IAS books by clearias.com is listed in the link clearias.com/ias-books. Let your focus be right. Happy learning!