When we think of preparing for IAS Exams, we think of those limited edition fat books are the key to qualify pre and mains exams. The candidates preparing for UPSC civil services exams are always recommended to read those school days NCERT books thoroughly. It is believed that class 6 to 12 textbooks integrate foundation in preparation for the exam. NCERT books are the best instruments to start off the preparation with.

Why go for NCERT Books?

The NCERT Books are designed for school kids; that is why it is presented in a very articulated way. They are the most straightforward instrument to study and save a lot of time. The candidates can quickly lay hold of the old forgotten concepts. If the candidates are not starting from a time closer to the upcoming exam, it is advisable to start reading NCERT Book starting from class 6 to 12 of all the relevant subjects. All the static question of the reviews can be covered by reading NCERT textbooks.

Here’s a list of some of the relevant textbooks the IAS aspirants should take into consideration for preparation:

Science NCERT textbook

  • Chapter- Living Organisms and their Surroundings- Std. 6
  • Chapter- Soil, Climate and Weather & Adaptations of Animals- Std. 7
  • Chapter- Crop Production & Management, Coal & Petroleum, Conservation of Plants & Animals, Friction, Pollution of Air & Water- Std. 8
  • Chapter- Natural Resources- Std. 9
  • Chapter- Sources of Energy, Our Environment, Management of Natural Resources
  • Biology- Std. 11
  • Ecology, Organisms & Population, Ecosystem, Biodiversity & Conservation, Environmental Issues- Std. 12

History NCERT textbooks

  • Our past 1- Std. 6
  • Our past 2- Std. 7
  • Our past 3- Std. 8
  • India and the Contemporary World 1- Std. 9
  • India and the Contemporary World 2- Std. 10
  • Themes in World History- Std. 11
  • Themes in Indian History- Std. 12

Economics NCERT textbooks

  • Economics- Std. 9
  • Understanding Economic Development- Std. 10
  • Indian Economic Development- Std. 11
  • Introductory Microeconomics and Introductory Macroeconomics- Std. 12

Political Science NCERT textbooks

  • Democratic Politics I- Std. 9
  • Democratic Politics II- Std. 10
  • Indian Constitution at Work- Std. 11
  • Political Theory and Politics in India Since Independence- Std 12

The candidates need to select exclusive chapters from Science NCERT textbooks. They need to classify the chapter and choose the correct matching textbooks from the particular class book. For sociology and Fine arts, you can go with std 11th books. You can buy the book or download NCERT books pdf versions and read. Some UPSC veterans advise the subject wise reading method because it consumes less time and gives an effective result. Also, when there is a class-wise method, it leads to a gap in the study, so people forget them more, and it becomes difficult to relearn.

Features of NCERT textbook

  • NCERT books are followed as a standard for UPSC exams.
  • NCERT books are available for students of Hindi as well as English medium in all the rural and urban areas across the country.
  • In the past few exams, it has been observed that some questions in exam come directly from NCERT book.
  • NCERT books are followed and recommended by most of the toppers and successful candidates for pre as well as mains examinations.
  • There is a stabilized and tight explanation of topics. The topics are authentic and well researched.

Points to remember

  • Plan your study well. First of all, you are required to make a list of all the books you need to read.
  • It is imperative to keep taking notes on everything you read so that it doesn’t consume much time in revising them.
  • The candidates should always start reading NCERT books before jumping into other advanced books.
  • For general studies, you do not need to go for the details of the concept. The crisp explanation on NCERT books will be a great help for it.
  • Both the old and new updated NCERT books are recommended for subjects like history and geography. People generally study new ones for geography and old ones for history.
  • It is recommended to revise all your book 2 to 3 times before actually going for the UPSC exam.
  • You need to filter the content that is important and not relevant. You should avoid reading the descriptions that are meany for school kids alone.
  • NCERT textbooks are particularly relevant for a few particular subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, polity, economy, geography, and history.
  • Make a time table and fix a time to complete the particular chapter.

Once you finish studying the basics from NCERT books, start reading books from famous authors like India’s Struggle for Independence and History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra, Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth, Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh etc. The candidates need to understand that UPSC likes to keep all the things as simple as possible. They also keep the language far away from complexity. In order to facilitate a clear and better understanding of the concept, the content has been kept in a simple language and well-structured too.