Source: Quora

Atul Roy, Appeared In UPSC CSE Mains 4 times & Interview twice, Mentoring UPSC
Aspirants
Answered Apr 24, 2017
Commandments for Success in UPSC Civil Services Exam 2018:

Newspapers & Magazines:

Standard Reference Books:

NCERTS:

Reading NCERTs for UPSC Civil Services Exam is very important for building
concepts. NCERTs become important not because of their content, but because
UPSC asks questions from them. UPSC will lift a line from NCERT and may convert
it into a question. And that’s why NCERTs are important.

Websites & Internet:

1. Editorial pages of Indian and Global Newspapers like The Hindu,
Indian Express, Economic Times, Mint, Business Line, NY Times, Guardian
etc.
2. Websites dealing with specific topics of the Syllabus like Down To
Earth (For Environment), IDSA (For Defence & Internal
Security), CFR(For International Relations; their backgrounders are
unmatched in describing the background details behind issues), The
Diplomat (For understanding Asia-Pacific Affairs), The Economist (For
a global perspective about issues)
3. YouTube for videos related to the syllabus (For Example: Michael Sandel
Videos for Ethics)

General Reading:
General reading is very important to build a holistic perspective about the issues
happening around oneself. And it’s very important to have a well-rounded and
balanced personality not from the point of view of Interviews but in general too. So,
one should read a lot from varied sources like Novels, Magazines, Books etc.
Current Affairs:
Skill Building:
For example, Mains demands excellent writing skills as well an ability to analyse
issues. So, to develop these skills, it is imperative that one do adequate writing
practice to be able to express one’s views effectively.

Month: Preparation Strategy (From Dec onwards)

Dec: Start Preparation: Cover Basic NCERTs

Jan-March: Finish Optional Papers along with Static Portion of GS

Apr-May: Focus Exclusively on Prelims: Take Mock Tests and Revise CA

June: Prelims Exams

July- Oct: Prepare for Mains: Do writing Practice, Revise GS and Optional
Oct: Mains Exam

Nov: Relax and do General Reading

Dec Onwards: Start Preparing for Interview

Nayan Singh, IPS in making.

Answered Apr 24, 2017
The idea is to be smart. Come on, even phones, watches and cities are getting smart
why can't the aspirants !!

 Read (Don't mug) the syllabus. Get an overview. You won't understand
much but it's important. An hour or two is enough for this.
 Start with Polity by Laxmikanth. First reading shouldn't take more than 15
days.
 Don't make notes.
 you have to separate an hour everyday for current affairs.
 Donwload ‘civils daily’ app. It hardly takes 20 mins to read a day's affair from
it.
 Next comes the history. To be able to create history, maybe someday, you
need to read it with all your heart, for now.
For ancient and medieval refer to old ncerts. Read it first. Then make notes during
your second reading which should immediately be followed by the first reading
otherwise you will miss the plot. This whole ‘two reading + notes’ will take as much
as 45 days.

 For modern you can either refer modern history by Late Bipan chandra
(which is the ncert old textbook ) or spectrum. I prefer Bipan chandra because
it takes care of both the prelims and mains.
 rt and culture. Buy this Indian Art and Culture by Nitin singhaniya. Be
careful though. If you catch sleep and left the book on your chest,
You may die in no time. Kidding, it just seems thick. Its an aweosme read.
 This is more or less a revision of art and culture things that you have already
read in the ancient and medieval ncerts. Don't make notes. Just read it twice.
Solve previous year. Utmost 20 days. Also, you can skip chapters
7,8,9,12,15,17,18,22 for the prelims.

 Now comes Geography. Read old ncerts 6 to 12. First reading shouldn't take
more than 25 days. Now make notes of Africa,Europe, North America,
South America etc. Don't make notes of Indian geography. This should take
around 10 days. Now read Physical geography by GC Leong ( 14 chapters ).
10 days. Here comes the toughest part. Make a combined notes of physical
geography with the help of ncerts and leong. This should include everything
right from the types of plateaus to the circulation of currents. Utmost 20
days. Geography is such a time sucker. Two months gone. Solve previous
year papers.
 Aniket Gangwal, Preparing for Competitive Examinations
Answered Apr 24, 2017

Online Source to be followed:

a. Mrunal - Competitive exams Preparation (Best for economics related
material and to understand the concept, useful for non-commerce / non-
economics background aspirants)
b. Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (for Security issues)
c. Council on Foreign Relations (for International Relations purpose)
d. PRS | Home (refer monthly purblication report only, useful for recent laws
passed by Parliament and their analysis)
e. Startup Page (pib site)
f. UPSC IAS EXAM PREPARATION - INSIGHTS ON INDIA HOMEPAGE -
INSIGHTS (for answer writing practice of mains)
g. ForumIAS.com - UPSC Exam Preparation | IAS Exam Preparation
Online (for daily current news analysis and subject wise MCQs per day)
h. Indian Council of World Affairs, ICWA (for current international issues
explanation)
i. Some youtube Channels for videos on study material
i. Mrunal Patel
ii. Fantastic Fundas (this channel is awesome)
iii. SleepyClasses (not active now a days, but has made various videos already -
check it out).
iv. Unacademy - The Free Education Revolution! (but it is not active on
youtube, they upload it on above link / website)
v. Seeker Daily (for international issues - concepts & issues explained)

Chandan, former Career Counsellor

Answered Jul 14, 2017

UPSC/IAS Expected questions - https://goo.gl/qxYV6P

UPSC/IAS Burning Issues analysis- https://goo.gl/TLm98i

The HINDU newspaper editorial analysis- https://goo.gl/nCXIPQ

World History - UPSC / IAS - https://goo.gl/kwU9jC

Science and Technology for UPSC/IAS - https://goo.gl/35WmRh

Philosophy for UPSC/IAS - https://goo.gl/ZXFPqv

Yojana Magazine monthly analysis for UPSC/IAS- https://goo.gl/bTgSLD

INSIGHT IAS
Oh! So luck is needed for this exam.
Ya, only if you think you are unlucky. Anyway, let me modify a famous quote for you – Success is
one percent luck and ninety-nine percent perspiration. Don’t let that 99% thing slip from your
hand. Toil sincerely, and you will be rewarded with that 1 percent luck.

They say there is corruption in recruiting IAS officers. Is it true?

This allegation is utterly false. The whole examination is so opaque that you have to trust it blindly
(Oxymoron). There may be lacunae in the way examination is held, or there may be loopholes in
how an UPSC member is appointed, but there is never corrupt ion involved in the recruitment of
civil service officers. The steel produced is pure. You can trust it. (it gets corroded later, that is a
different story though)

Lakhs of aspirants give this exam and only few get into IAS. I am scared.
Though lakhs of aspirants apply and write this exam, the real competition is between only 2000 -
3000 serious aspirants. Those who study systematically and consistently, get into service. If you
do the same, you will be one among them. Don’t have fears even before you start. You must enter
the race and work hard to win it.

Remember this: “I never did a day’s work in all my Life. It was all fun” (Edison). Make the process
fun, enjoy reading, love what you do and do everything to please your heart. Not the society.

It was my last attempt. I failed in Prelims. Now I want to kill myself. Help me.
To kill you? First, kill your ego, not yourself. You took a journey but couldn’t reach the destination.
It doesn’t mean the end of your life or the end of the road – start a new phase in your Life from
where you are now. What matters in the end is how well you lived your Life, not how many
successes you achieved. If the King has painful piles in his anus, what is the use of diamond studded
golden throne?

They say IAS is the best job on Earth! Is it?

Well, I thought becoming the President of US was the best thing on Earth. Anyway, the above
statement is wrong. Ask Durga Shakti Nagpal.

At least in India it is the best job. Right?

Yes. If you want to make a positive impact on the lives of thou sands of poor, IAS is the best job.
But you have to swim in the ocean infested by so many sharks. You should know how to swim, be
fearless and armed with ammunition. There is a silver lining though. The ammunition is personal
integrity and The People – if you do a good work, help the poor man on the streets and in the huts,
people will love you. Sharks love votes. And the ocean will be safe for you.

Some say this exam is like a vast ocean and questions are asked from outside the syllabus, even
from extraterritorial sources. Is it?
No. Again wrong. UPSC strictly adheres to the syllabus. Though sometimes it seems like questions
are asked from outside of the syllabus, they are actually in some ways related to it. For example, if
there is a question like this, ‘Opportunity on Mars‘, one should not get bedazzled why UPSC is
asking questions from ET source and start answering like, ‘If Nuclear war takes place and the
Earth is destroyed, the opportunities on Mars are immense for the Humankind….. .’
Opportunity is the name of a Robot that was sent to mars in 2003. Awareness on ‘ Robotics‘ and
‘Space‘ is part of the UPSC syllabus (Paper-IV).

Government and Official websites for UPSC preparation:

https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/upsc-online-sources-gov-official-websites/

Refer IASBABA, Insight, IASParliament, ajiram for yojna analysis

Vajiram&Ravi test series begin from Oct.

Polity NCERT Books for IAS

The following NCERT books for Indian polity are recommended:

NCERT NCERT
Class Title Download

Democratic
9th Politics-I Available

Democratic
10th Politics-II Available
History NCERT Books for IAS
For Indian History, please obtain the following old syllabus NCERT history
textbooks, published in 1990, if you can get them somehow. They are
currently out of print but are highly recommended.

Ancient India (class 11th) authored by RS Sharma. This covers the ancient
Indian history syllabus completely.
Medieval India (class 12th) for covering medieval India syllabus authored by
Satish Chandra.
Modern India (class 10th) text book of old syllabus authored by Bipin
Chandra.
Also combine Bipin Chandra’s India’s Struggle for Independence to cover
the modern Indian history syllabus completely.
NOTE: If you cannot find old syllabus History NCERTs, read the alternatives
to old NCERT History books by the same authors.
However, if you would like to read the current NCERT books on Indian
History, then the following NCERT’s are recommended:

NCERT
Class NCERT Title Download
 History-Our
6th Past I Available

History-Our
7th Past II Available

History-Our
Pasts-III Part
8th 1 Available

History-Our
Pasts-III Part
9th 2 Available

India and the

Contemporary
10th World – I Available

India and the

Contemporary
10th World – II Available

Watch this video on the Recommended NCERT and other Books for IAS

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hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’1′ hide_fullscreen=’0′
autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgvPtgrnvzQ[/responsive_vid
eo]

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more videos on IAS preparation

Geography NCERT Books for IAS
The following NCERT books for Geography and Environment are
recommended:

NCERT
Class NCERT Title Download

Fundamentals
of Physical
11th Geography Available

Indian
Physical
12th Environment Available
 Fundamentals
of Human
12th Geography Available

India –
People and
12th Economy Available
Economy NCERT Books for IAS
The following NCERT books for Economy are recommended:

NCERT
Class NCERT Title Download

9th Economics Available

Understanding
Economic
10th Development Available

Indian Economic
11th Development Available

Introductory
12th Microeconomics Available

Introductory
12th Macroeconomics Available
Science & Technology NCERT Books for IAS
The following NCERT books for Science & Technology are recommended:

NCERT NCERT
Class Title Download

8th Science Available

9th Science Available

10th Science Available

However, if you would like to read the current NCERT books on Indian
History, then the following NCERT’s are recommended:
 NCERT
Class NCERT Title Download

History-Our
6th Past I Available

History-Our
7th Past II Available

History-Our
Pasts-III Part
8th 1 Available

History-Our
Pasts-III Part
9th 2 Available

India and the

Contemporary
10th World – I Available

India and the

Contemporary
10th World – II Available

Watch this video on the Recommended NCERT and other Books for IAS

[responsive_video type=’youtube’ hide_related=’1′ hide_logo=’0′

hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’1′ hide_fullscreen=’0′
autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgvPtgrnvzQ[/responsive_vid
eo]

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more videos on IAS preparation

Geography NCERT Books for IAS
The following NCERT books for Geography and Environment are
recommended:

NCERT
Class NCERT Title Download

Fundamentals
of Physical
11th Geography Available
 Indian
Physical
12th Environment Available

Fundamentals
of Human
12th Geography Available

India –
People and
12th Economy Available
Economy NCERT Books for IAS
The following NCERT books for Economy are recommended:

NCERT
Class NCERT Title Download

9th Economics Available

Understanding
Economic
10th Development Available

Indian Economic
11th Development Available

Introductory
12th Microeconomics Available

Introductory
12th Macroeconomics Available
Science & Technology NCERT Books for IAS
The following NCERT books for Science & Technology are recommended:

NCERT NCERT
Class Title Download

8th Science Available

9th Science Available

10th Science Available

Recommended Reference Books for IAS (UPSC)
1. IAS Solved Papers

Section-wise solved papers help you to analyse number and type of questions
from different topics each year. You can understand the current trend of
UPSC questions from this book. Solved papers will help you a great deal in
your Prelims preparation.

Buy Solved Papers Online

2. GS Manual for Paper 1

Mc-Graw Hill’s General Studies Manual is a highly recommended reference

manual for all topics of Paper 1. You can find all information at one place and
the information is very reliable. GS Manual is especially useful when you are
preparing for UPSC Prelims in 6-8 months time and need one good reference
book for all topics.

Buy GS Manual Online

3. CSAT Manual for Paper 2

Mc-Graw Hill’s CSAT Manual covers all the topics of Paper 2 in complete
detail with many test questions and examples. No need to refer any other
book for Paper 2.

Buy CSAT Manual Online

4. Manorama Year Book (MYB)

A good Year Book is must for IAS Prelims preparation. MYB is a

recommended source for general knowledge information. Its international
events section is also very useful.

Buy Manorama Year Book Online

5. India Year Book (IYB)

IYB is the official govt. publication and very important source of all the
schemes and facts and figures related to census and other topics like
defence, economy, agriculture, education etc.

Buy India Year Book Online

6. Oxford Student Atlas

IYB is the official govt. publication and very important source of all the
schemes and facts and figures related to census and other topics like
defence, economy, agriculture, education etc.
Buy India Year Book Online
Recommended Topic-wise Books for IAS Preparation
1. Indian Polity by Laxmikanth

Mc Graw Hill’s Indian Polity book covers the entire Constitution – Articles,
Schedules and Amendments- in detail. The language is easy to grasp for lay
readers. The latest developments in polity are also covered.

Buy Indian Polity Online

2. Environment by Shankar

Environment and Ecology is a very important topic for Prelims and Mains and
many questions are asked from it. Shankar’s Environment is a good reference
book for preparing Environment related topics, including, climate change,
global warming, various international agreements etc. More useful for Prelims
than Mains.

Buy Shankar’s Environment Online

3. Environment and Ecology by Rajagopalan

What Shankar’s Environment leaves out is covered by this excellent book

called Environment and Ecology: A Complete Guide by R Rajagopalan. It
tackles many current issues related to environment, climate change, pollution,
water scarcity etc. in detail in very simple to understand language. You should
definitely read this book, for both, Prelims and Mains.

Buy Environment and Ecology Online

4. Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra

Most questions on Indian History 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.

5. Brief History of Modern India

What Bipin Chandra’s book leaves out, Spectrum’s Brief History covers well
including Social Reform movements of 19th Century, important details of all
the pro-independence movements of 20th Century etc. It is a handy reference
book for Modern Indian History.

Buy Brief History Online

Note: Also refer NCERT books for UPSC on Ancient, Medieval and Modern
India.o-independence movements of 20th Century etc. It is a handy reference
book for Modern Indian History.
6. Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania

As you know Art and Culture is an important topic for both Prelims and Mains.
Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania covers all the aspects of this topic in detail
so you don’t have to refer different sources for information on Indian art and
culture.

Buy Art and Culture Online

7. Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh

Mc Graw Hill’s Indian Economy covers the entire Economy syllabus quite well.
It covers all the relevant sub-sectors of Indian economy like Planning,
Industrialization and Policy, Agriculture, Economic Reforms, Inflation, Banking,
External Trade and so on.

Buy Indian Economy Online

8. Physical Geography by Goh Cheng Leong

Another very important 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.

Buy Physical Geography Online

9. Science and Technology by Ravi Agrahari

Science and Technology is a current affairs related topic for Prelims and
Mains and apart from updating it from news sources, there is a good book
written by Ravi Agrahari and published by Mc Graw Hill for UPSC Prelims and
Mains preparation. It covers all aspects of Science and Technology from basic
to advanced level making it easy to understand for non-science background
IAS aspirants.

Buy Science and Technology Online

Recommended IAS Books for UPSC Mains
Above I have listed the reference books for Prelims and topic-wise books for
Prelims and Mains. In this section you will find the recommended books for
preparing General Studies papers of IAS Mains, exclusively.

1. Solved Papers for General Studies

Just like I recommended topic-wise solved papers for Prelims, similarly you
should refer topic-wise solved papers for GS Mains as well since you will
know the current trend of UPSC questions in Mains and also the importance
of various topics of the 4 GS papers.

Buy GS Solved Papers Online

2. India Since Independence by Bipin Chandra

The GS Paper-1 syllabus covers developments in modern Indian history right

till the present period and the best book to cover the post-Independence
developments is India Since Independence by Bipin Chandra and other
authors. It covers the significant prime ministerial tenures and is updated
regularly.

Buy India Since Independence Online

3. Governance in India by Laxmikanth

GS Paper-2 deals with governance issues and M. Laxmikanth’s Governance

in India is the most recommended book to cover all topics of this paper. Read
this book in addition to Indian polity by the same author referred earlier and
GS Paper-2 syllabus of the Mains is taken care of.

Buy Governance in India Online

4. Challenges to Internal Security of India

Internal Security, its challenges and disaster management is one of the key
parts of GS Paper-3 syllabus and this topic is handled quite well along with
focus on disaster management (so you don’t need to refer separate book on
disaster management) in the book Challenges to Internal Security of India by
Ashok Kumar and Vipul.

Buy Challenges to Internal Security Online

5. Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Karthikeyan

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by M Karthikeyan covers the entire syllabus of

GS Paper-4 comprehensively. This paper tests the values held by a candidate
against the core values of the civil services and the book by Karthikeyan helps
to instil the values required of the civil services in a young civil servant.

Buy Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude Online