Month 1: Foundation + Modern History + Constitution Core
Modern History:
India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum)
Modern India by NCERT Class 12 (Themes 3 & 4)
Polity:
Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
Introduction to the Constitution of India by Durga Das Basu (selective)
Indian Polity by NCERT Class 11
Society (GS1):
Social Problems in India by Ram Ahuja
Indian Society by Ram Ahuja
NCERT Class 11 & 12 Sociology (for basics)
Sociology Optional Paper I:
Sociology: Themes and Perspectives by Haralambos & Holborn
Introduction to Sociology by Anthony Giddens (selected chapters)
Sociology by NCERT Class 11 (Foundations of Sociology)
Low-Yield (Ancient + Medieval):
Ancient India by R. S. Sharma (old but good)
Medieval India by Satish Chandra
Month 2: Post-Independence + Governance + Economy Basics
Post-Independence History:
India after Independence by Bipan Chandra
NCERT Modern India Class 12 (last chapters)
Governance:
Governance in India by M. Laxmikanth (select chapters)
Introduction to Public Administration by M. Laxmikanth (basic chapters)
RTI website and official documents for latest updates
Economy Basics:
Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh (basic chapters)
Economic Survey (latest, for data & trends)
NCERT Economics Class 11 & 12
Sociology Optional Paper I:
Research Methods in Sociology by C. R. Kothari
Classical Sociological Theory by George Ritzer (for Marx, Weber, Durkheim basics)
NCERT Sociology Class 12 (Social Change & Development)
Month 3: World History + IR + Agriculture
World History:
Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe (selective chapters)
Themes in World History by NCERT Class 12 (Optional but useful)
International Relations:
International Relations by Pavneet Singh
Introduction to International Relations by K.P. Sinha (selective chapters)
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) website updates
Agriculture:
Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh (Agriculture chapters)
Agricultural Economics by Sankaran (basic)
Economic Survey agriculture section
Sociology Optional Paper I (continued):
Contemporary Sociological Theory by George Ritzer
Social Stratification by Davis & Moore (available in various compilations)
Month 4: Geography + Environment + Science & Tech
Geography:
Certificate Physical and Human Geography by G.C. Leong
Geography of India by Majid Husain
NCERT Geography Class 11 & 12
Environment:
Environment by Shankar IAS
Oxford Handbook of Environmental Studies (selective)
Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change reports
Science & Technology:
Science and Technology in India by Kalpana Rajaram
Current Science & Tech from PIB / DRDO / ISRO websites for updates
Sociology Optional Paper II:
Social Change in Modern India by M.N. Srinivas
Social Movements in India by Shrinivas Kulkarni (selective)
Month 5: Ethics + Internal Security + Essay
Ethics:
Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by Subba Rao
Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by Niraj Kumar
Ethics in Governance by Ramesh K. Arora & Rajni Goyal
Internal Security:
Internal Security for Civil Services by Ashok Kumar (or similar notes)
India’s Internal Security by Laxmikanth (chapters on internal security)
Latest government reports & news updates
Essay:
151 Essays for UPSC by Arihant Publications
Oxford Book of Essays (for style and exposure)
Sociology Optional Paper II:
Population Studies by A.R. Desai
Social Problems in India by Ram Ahuja (poverty, inequality chapters)
Month 6: Revision + Low-Yield Sweep
Revision of above books selectively
Previous Years’ Question Papers (GS + Sociology Optional) from UPSC official site
Mock Tests from Vision IAS / Insights / ForumIAS
Use your own concise notes and flashcards for quick revise.
