Take a look at list of Best Books for Excelling in UPSC Mains Exam Preparation, which is a crucial stage of Civil Services Exam.
When preparing for UPSC mains examination it is good to have access to right study materials.
Book named, Indian Economy by Sriram Srirangam, provides coverage of Indian economy is good resource for economics related topics for UPSC mains examination.
Book on Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania, it has topics related to Indian heritage, art, music, and architecture.
Students read, International Relations by Pushpesh Pant, covers international events, global affairs, diplomatic relations, and contemporary issues.
Another book, Oxford School Atlas, this atlas gives detailed physical and political maps of India and world, along with thematic maps on various subjects.
India Year Book published by Government offers information on various aspects of India, including government policies, demographics, trade, economy, and social issues.
Indian Polity for Civil Services Examination by SRIRAM’s IAS is for UPSC and State Civil Services Examination, with the current trend of the examination.
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A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir, presents a timeline-based approach to understanding modern Indian history, which is an important topic for mains examination.
Aspirants can also read Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, Climate Change & Disaster Management by Dr. Ravi Agrahari.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
The UPSC IAS Notification 2026 has been postponed due to administrative reasons. The Commission released a notice on its official website - upsc.gov.in regarding this. The Commission will also revise the last date for UPSC applications.
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Answered 6 days ago
The Union Public Service Commission will release the IAS Prelims Answer Key 2026 in May 2027. The Commission releases the official answer key after the declaration of final result.
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The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the IAS prelims exam on May 24, 2026. The Commission will release the IAS prelims result 2026 in the first week of June.
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The Cadre Controlling Authority for Indian Foreign Service is the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It is recruited through the Civil Service Exam.
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Answered 6 days ago
The Cadre Controlling Authority for Indian Police Service is the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It comes directly under the supervision of Home Minister of India.
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Answered 6 days ago
The Union Public Service Commission will notify the UPSC Civil Service vacancies in the official notification. The number of vacancies for IAS is 180 and for IPS it is 150. Rest of the vacancies are notified for the Central Civil Services.
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The Union Public Service Commission mention the age limit in the official notification. The upper age limit for the General Categoary candidates is 32 years. The Commission provides age relaxation to certain reserved categories.
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No, the Indian Foriegn Service is a Central Civil Service. It is organised and controlled by the Ministry of External Affairs. It is recruited through the UPSC Civil Service Exam conducted annually.
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Answered 6 days ago
The Union Public Service Commission will release the Civil Service (IAS) notification 2026 on its official website - upsc.gov.in. The Commission will mention the number of vacancies (tentative) in the notification. The Commission is releasing over one thousand vacancies in the recent years.
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Answered a week ago
International relations are important for you to understand so many things as a UPSC aspirant. You'll get to know about the global dynamics, politics, rules & policies, global affairs, and more.
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Abhay Anand is an experienced education journalist with over 15 years in print and digital media. Currently serving as Manager- Editorial at Shiksha.com, he specializes in higher education policy, student mobility,
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