Important NCERTs for UPSC CSE | NCERT Booklist for IAS Exam

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide for UPSC Civil Services exam preparation using NCERTs. It advises which NCERT books to study, emphasizing that not all are necessary due to repetition. The speaker, Abhijeet Yadav, recommends specific books for subjects like History, Geography, and Economics, and suggests focusing on understanding concepts and practicing exercises rather than making extensive notes. The script also provides a list of books sorted by class for easy reference.

Takeaways

• 📚 NCERT books are fundamental for civil services exam preparation, covering prelims and mains.
• 🌐 Geography NCERTs from 11th and 12th are recommended, with repetition across lower classes.
• 📈 For History, focus on 'Ancient India', 'Medieval India', and 'Modern India' by specific authors.
• 🏛️ Current History NCERTs include Class 9th, 10th, and 11th, focusing on world history context.
• 📊 Economics NCERTs provide a background on economic concepts and Indian economic development post-1947.
• 🏢 Polity NCERTs include 'Indian Constitutional Network', 'Political Theory', and 'Politics in India since Independence'.
• 🌍 Geography NCERTs for Class 12th are 'India People and Economy', 'Fundamentals of Human Geography', and 'India Physical Environment'.
• 🎨 Art and Culture NCERTs are 'Themes in Indian History' Parts 1-3 and 'An Introduction to Indian Art'.
• 🔬 Science NCERTs recommend focusing on specific chapters like Biotechnology and Ecology from the 9th and 10th Science books.
• 👥 Sociology NCERTs for Indian Society include 'Social Change and Development in India' and 'Indian Society' for GS1, and 'Introducing Sociology' and 'Understanding Society' for optional Sociology.
• 📈 The script advises against extensive note-taking while studying NCERTs and emphasizes understanding and practicing exercises at the end of chapters.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of studying NCERTs for the UPSC Civil Services exam?

The primary purpose of studying NCERTs for the UPSC Civil Services exam is to build a strong foundation in various subjects, which is useful for both prelims and mains preparation.

Why is it not necessary to study all NCERTs from 6th to 12th for the UPSC exam?

It is not necessary to study all NCERTs from 6th to 12th because there is a lot of repetition in the content. Studying higher class NCERTs, particularly 11th and 12th, is sufficient for most topics.

What is the advice regarding making notes while studying NCERTs for UPSC preparation?

It is advised not to worry about making detailed notes while studying NCERTs for the first time, as it can lead to rewriting the entire book. Instead, focus on understanding the concepts.

How can the exercises at the end of NCERT chapters be beneficial for UPSC aspirants?

The exercises at the end of NCERT chapters, including MCQs and long answer questions, are similar in quality to mains questions. Practicing these exercises can significantly aid in UPSC preparation.

Which three NCERTs are recommended for History for UPSC preparation?

The three NCERTs recommended for History are Ancient India by R.S. Sharma, History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra, and History of Modern India by Bipin Chandra.

What are the NCERTs suggested for current History in UPSC preparation?

For current History, the suggested NCERTs are Class 9th's India and the Contemporary World Part 1, Class 10th's India and the Contemporary World Part 2, and an optional older book by Arjun Dev.

How does the NCERT on Economics help in UPSC preparation?

The NCERT on Economics, particularly the ones for Class 10th and 11th, provide a good background on economic development, planning, and reforms in India, which is useful for both prelims and mains.

What are the key NCERTs for Polity in UPSC Civil Services exam preparation?

The key NCERTs for Polity are Indian Constitutional Development for Class 11th, Political Theory for Class 11th, and Politics in India since Independence for Class 12th.

Why are the NCERTs on Geography considered comprehensive for UPSC preparation?

The NCERTs on Geography, including India People and Economy, Fundamentals of Human Geography, Fundamentals of Physical Geography, and India's Physical Environment, are considered comprehensive as they cover a wide range of topics and can be sufficient with an atlas for the subject.

Which NCERTs are recommended for Art and Culture in UPSC preparation?

For Art and Culture, the recommended NCERTs are Themes in Indian History Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 for Class 12th, along with An Introduction to Indian Art for Class 11th.

How should a UPSC aspirant approach the NCERTs for Science?

For Science, the recommended approach is to focus on specific chapters from the Class 9th and 10th Science Books and Unit 9 (Biotechnology) from the Class 12th Biology Book.

What are the key NCERTs for Sociology in UPSC preparation?

The key NCERTs for Sociology are Introducing Sociology and Understanding Society for Class 11th, and Social Change and Development in India and Indian Society for Class 12th.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Importance of NCERTs in Civil Services Exam Preparation

The speaker, Abhijeet Yadav, emphasizes the significance of NCERT textbooks for civil services exam preparation, particularly for prelims and mains. He clarifies that not all NCERTs from 6th to 12th are necessary due to content repetition. Instead, he advises focusing on 11th and 12th standards, suggesting that if those seem too advanced, one can refer to earlier classes. He shares his experience of clearing the UPSC exam twice and mentoring over 70 successful candidates. He advises against excessive note-taking while studying NCERTs and encourages engaging with the exercises at the end of chapters to prepare for mains questions. The video will cover which NCERTs to study for each subject in-depth.

05:02

📘 NCERT Recommendations for Each Subject

Abhijeet provides specific NCERT recommendations for various subjects. For History, he suggests three out-of-print books: Ancient India by R.S. Sharma, History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra, and History of Modern India by Bipin Chandra. He mentions that current editions are similar but with better paper quality. For current history, he recommends NCERTs from classes 9th to 11th, focusing on world history. He also suggests an old world history book by Arjun Dev for comprehensive coverage. In Economics, he highlights the importance of 'Understanding Economic Development' for class 10th and 'Indian Economic Development' for class 11th, along with 'Introductory Macroeconomics' for class 12th, advising to understand concepts over memorizing formulas. For Polity, he recommends three books covering constitutional and political theory, and post-independence politics. He also suggests four books for Geography, focusing on class 12th, with the option to refer to classes 9th and 10th if the content seems heavy.

10:03

🎨 NCERTs for Art, Culture, Science, and Sociology

Abhijeet discusses NCERTs for Art and Culture, recommending three books focusing on Indian history's art and culture aspects, along with 'An Introduction to Indian Art' for class 11th. He clarifies that these books, though related to history, emphasize art and culture. For Science, he suggests specific chapters from class 9th and 10th science books and the biology book for class 12th, focusing on basic concepts rather than formulas. Lastly, he covers Sociology, recommending two introductory books for class 11th and two comprehensive books for class 12th, which are particularly beneficial for mains preparation and optional Sociology. He highlights the direct relevance of the topics in these books to the mains exam questions.

Keywords

💡NCERTs

NCERTs stands for National Council of Educational Research and Training books, which are a series of textbooks published by India's National Council of Educational Research and Training. These books are considered foundational for civil services exam preparation in India. In the video, NCERTs are emphasized as essential resources for building a strong base of knowledge across various subjects for both prelims and mains exams. The script specifically mentions that not all NCERTs from 6th to 12th are necessary, but rather a curated list that avoids repetition and focuses on quality content.

💡Prelims

Prelims refers to the preliminary examination, which is the first stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It is a筛选性的考试 designed to shortlist candidates who qualify for the main examination. The video mentions that certain NCERT books are particularly useful for this stage, indicating their importance in establishing a strong foundation for answering questions in the prelims.

💡Mains

Mains refers to the main examination phase of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, which candidates enter after clearing the prelims. The video script highlights that NCERT books are not just for prelims but also crucial for mains, where in-depth knowledge and understanding of subjects are required to answer descriptive questions.

💡Geography

Geography is one of the subjects in the UPSC syllabus, covering both physical and human geography. The video discusses how NCERT books on geography can aid in both prelims and mains by providing essential knowledge. It also points out the redundancy in content across different classes, suggesting that focusing on 11th and 12th standard NCERTs may be sufficient.

💡Art and Culture

Art and Culture is a subject area in the UPSC syllabus that includes Indian culture, heritage of dance, theatre, and literature, among other aspects. The video mentions specific NCERT books that cover art and culture in depth, emphasizing their utility for mains preparation by providing detailed insights into various art forms and cultural developments.

💡Economics

Economics is a subject in the UPSC syllabus that includes Indian economic development, economic planning, and macroeconomics. The video recommends particular NCERT books for Economics, suggesting that they provide a good understanding of economic concepts and the historical development of the Indian economy, which is crucial for mains exam preparation.

💡Polity

Polity refers to the governance and political system of a country, which is a significant part of the UPSC syllabus. The video script recommends specific NCERT books for Polity, indicating that they offer a comprehensive overview of the Indian constitution, political theory, and post-independence political developments.

💡Indian Society

Indian Society covers the social structure, change, and development in India, which is a crucial topic in the UPSC syllabus. The video suggests that certain NCERT books provide an in-depth understanding of Indian society, its evolution, and current issues, which is vital for mains preparation.

💡Science

Science, particularly biology and biotechnology, is a subject area in the UPSC syllabus. The video recommends specific chapters from NCERT Science books that are relevant for the exam, highlighting that these sections cover essential scientific concepts and advancements that may appear in the prelims.

💡Notes

Notes refer to the study materials or summaries that students create while preparing for exams. The video advises against making detailed notes while studying NCERTs initially, as it may lead to rewriting entire books. Instead, it suggests focusing on understanding the concepts, which will be more beneficial for the exam preparation.

💡MCQs

MCQs stands for Multiple Choice Questions, a common question format in exams. The video encourages students to utilize the MCQs provided at the end of NCERT chapters, as they are similar in quality to the questions asked in the mains exam. This practice is recommended to familiarize oneself with the question format and to test comprehension of the subject matter.

Highlights

NCERTs are fundamental resources for civil services exam preparation.

Quality geography, art, and culture NCERTs are useful for both prelims and mains.

Not all NCERTs from 6th to 12th are necessary due to repetition.

For geography, focus on 11th and 12th NCERTs, but consider lower classes if advanced.

Do not worry about making notes while studying NCERTs for the first time.

Utilize exercises at the end of NCERT chapters for practice.

For History, recommend 3 old NCERTs: Ancient India, Medieval India, and Modern India.

Current history NCERTs are Class 9th, 10th, and 11th, focusing on world history.

Economics NCERTs provide background on Consumer Protection Act and Indian economic development.

Polly NCERTs include Indian Constitutional Network, Political Theory, and Politics in India since Independence.

Geography NCERTs for Class 12th are India People and Economy and Fundamentals of Human Geography.

Art and Culture NCERTs include Themes in Indian History and An Introduction to Indian Art.

Science NCERTs recommend Class 9th and 10th Science Books and Class 12th Biology Book's Unit 9.

Indian Society Sociology NCERTs are Introducing Sociology, Understanding Society, Social Change, and Development in India.

For Sociology optional, Class 12th NCERTs are particularly beneficial.

NCERTs for Indian Society are more than enough for mains preparation when paired with current affairs.

A daily plan for UPSC CSE 2025 is available for those beginning their preparation.

The UPSC Essential Course is a 15-month program covering Foundation, Basics, and Advanced.

Transcripts

NCERTs are one of the most fundamental resources that you have to do for your civil services

exam preparation.

And this is a bare minimum list of NCERTs which will not just be useful for building

your fundamentals but are also useful for your prelims and mains preparation.

Particularly, if we talk about quality, geography, art and culture in NCERTs, then these will

not only help you in prelims but will also help you in mains.

So, this video is going to cover in depth which NCERTs you have to study for each subject

because a lot of times we are told to do all NCRTs from 6th to 12th.

You don't have to do all NCERTs because there is a lot of repetition there.

For example, if we talk about geography, the cover in 6th, 7th, 8th will be repeated in

9th and 10th and it will be repeated again in 11th and 12th.

So, here we will only be covering 11th and 12th NCRTs.

But, if at any point you feel that these NCRTs are advanced, then you can also do NCERTs

from 6th to 10th.

So, that will be the discussion in today's video.

And for those of you who are meeting me for the first time, my name is Abhijeet Yadav.

I have given 6 attempts at the UPSC Civil Services exam.

I have cleared it twice.

And over the last 3 years, through UPSCprep.com, we have mentored more than 70 people who have

gotten ranks in the UPSC Civil Services exam.

So, let's get started.

Before we go any further into this video, I would like to point out 2 things.

Number 1, when you are studying NCRTs, then please don't be worried about making notes.

Because, if you are making notes along with whatever you are studying for the first time,

that is a very bad idea because you will make notes of the entire book again.

In this, if you are a student who thinks that if I write while studying, then I remember

well, sure, make notes.

But, don't consider that my exam preparation will be done at the end with these notes.

These are just your rough work, rough sheets.

Second thing, whenever you are studying NCRTs, then you are given some exercises at the end

of the chapter.

For example, this is the Fundamentals of Physical Geography book from 11th.

Here, you are also given MCQs.

You have 30-word answer questions also.

And, technically, if you see here, then you are also given some questions to write in

150 words.

150 words is the exact limit of a 10-mark question in General Studies mains.

And, if you see the quality of the questions here, then they are pretty much very similar

to the question quality of the mains.

So, please make the most use of these NCRTs by doing these sorts of exercises as you are

reading them.

Because, if you are serious in UPSC preparation, then you don't need to do a lot of different

things at this stage.

If you just do these basic things, the questions behind the NCRT, don't worry about the notes,

focus on understanding, your journey will become so much easier.

Now, let's get started with the rest of the video.

To start off, let's begin with History.

For History, I will recommend 3 old NCRTs.

Ancient India, Medieval India, and Modern India.

Now, these NCRTs are out of print.

And, generally, if you go online on Amazon or Flipkart, then you can get these variants.

Ancient India by R.S.

Sharma, History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra, and Bipin Chandra's History of Modern

India.

The slim book, not the big book.

These 3 books will make your basic fundamentals for History.

And, the print version and the old NCRT version I have shown, there is not much difference

between them.

Only 1 or 2 chapters will be better or better in those print versions.

But, obviously, the main difference will be the quality of the paper.

And, since these are reprint versions, the paper looks greyish.

So, if you like to read and collect books, like me, you might want to check the other

ones.

But, there is no major difference.

So, these 3 are your basic books for History.

Let's move to the next subject.

So, next, let's talk about the current history NCRTs.

NCRT is Class 9th, Class 10th, and Class 11th.

So, these are books more for world history.

Because, these are themes in world history.

And, these 2 books for Class 9th and 10th are called India and the Contemporary World

Part 1 and 2.

So, India's history is mentioned in these books.

But, it is more about setting a context for what was happening in the world in the middle

of Indian Independence Movement.

Now, there is also an old world history book by Arjun Dev.

This was an NCRT.

And, as we talked about in the first section, this is also a reprint of the same old NCRT.

So, you can also take this book instead of, you know, big bulky books.

This is more than enough for covering world history.

In world history, whatever questions come in the mains, generally, after these 3-4 books,

you will be able to solve 80-90% of them, even for mains.

Next, let's talk about Economics.

So, this is Class 10th's NCRT, Understanding Economic Development.

This provides a very good background for Consumer Protection Act, what is Supply and Demand.

Then, this is Class 11th's NCRT, Indian Economic Development.

This is a very very good background book for understanding what has happened in the Indian

economy ever since 1947.

What was the planned economy?

First Plan, Fifth Plan, Twelfth Plan?

What was happening in LPG reforms?

So, all of these things you will find in this book.

And finally, this is a book that I would highly recommend, Introductory Macroeconomics for

Class 12th.

Even in this book, you will find a lot of formulas like GDP, XYZ, M1, M2, etc.

Ignore all formulas, but focus on the concept.

These formulas, GDP, GNP, NNP at Factor Cost, all of these things you should read.

But more than that, you have to see the basic things like what is the balance of payments,

how is the government budgeting, etc.

Next, it's Polity.

For Polity, you have three books.

Two for Class 11th, Indian Constitutional Network, Class 11th, Political Theory, Class

11th, and Politics in India since Independence for Class 12th.

All of these three books are great books.

Politics in India since Independence basically tells you a lot about post-independence history

and at the same time, it will also give you a brief background of elections, problems,

wars, changes.

All of those things will be covered over here.

But these are the two most important books for Polity.

These are books that will be helpful for you even in prelims and mains regardless of anything

and everything else.

Even when you are reading reference books, it is useful if you keep referring to them.

Let's move on to the next subject.

Next, we will talk about the four books for Geography.

This is for Class 12th, India People and Economy, Fundamentals of Human Geography, Class 11th,

Fundamentals of Physical Geography, and India Physical Environment.

If at any given point, you feel that these four NCRTs are a bit heavy, you can read the

NCRTs for Class 9th and 10th.

The NCRT for Class 9th is repeated in 11th.

The NCRT for Class 10th is basically the same.

You will get a little more information in these books.

These are great books in the sense that even if you only read these books for Geography,

apart from this and an atlas, you really don't need anything else.

This is a complete resource in and of itself.

One thing I would also recommend for all NCRTs is to try the questions at the end of the

chapters.

Be it MCQs or be it science-type questions.

Next, we come to Art and Culture.

These three books, Themes in Indian History Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 are the NCRTs for

Class 12th.

But, these contain more art and culture related information.

So, pair it with this, An Introduction to Indian Art for Class 11th.

If you read these three books, you will be ready for art and culture.

There were some questions on Numismatics, Development of Indian Art in the Nationalist

Era, Mughal Art and Architecture.

All these things are covered in these four books.

So, there is a lot of confusion as to whether these books are for history.

They are, but they focus a lot more on the art and culture aspects, which is why I have

kept them along with this in the art and culture section for NCRTs.

Now, coming to Science, I would recommend these three NCRTs for Science.

Class 9th's Science Book, Class 10th's Science Book, and Class 12th's Biology Book.

Now, you don't have to read the whole book because this would be way, way, way too much.

You just have to do Unit 9 which is Biotechnology.

So, the last four chapters 9, 10, and then Ecology's next section 11, 12, 13.

These are the four or five chapters that you have to do from this book.

If we talk about these two books, you will find a lot of formulas.

Mole concept, how much is the mole, you know, calculating the resistance.

Ignore all the formulas you should have the basic understanding of what is oxidation,

what is reduction, what is metal, and what is non-metal.

These are the basic things you have to do from these books.

And particularly, in both these books, you can pay attention to these things because

these things are often asked directly in prelims.

Right, which brings us to the last subject.

The final subject for NCRTs is Indian Society, Sociology.

So, Class 11th has these two books Introducing Sociology and Understanding Society.

These are very good books for a basic introduction of what exactly is Sociology.

But if your Sociology is not optional, you can skip these two.

But these two books are Class 12th, Social Change and Development in India, and Indian

Society.

These are absolutely wonderful books which are very useful for your GS1 part of Indian

Society.

So, these two books, I would highly recommend that all of you read.

But, if you are thinking of taking Sociology as optional, then this book is absolutely

phenomenal.

So much so, that in the first chapter of this book, you will see that there are these very

simple topics on which questions have been asked directly.

Right, that you are being asked about Sociological Imagination.

You will go to the PYQs of the mains and you will see that there is a question on Sociological

Imagination.

Right, then you talk about Sociology and Common Sense.

You will go to the PYQs of the mains and you will see that there is a question on Sociology

and Common Sense.

What went into making Sociology?

There are questions on this.

So, this book, there are questions directly from every chapter in the mains.

But, again, Sociology is basically, these two books are more than enough.

Right, so that brings us to the end of this video.

So, now for the final subject, if you want to prepare for the Indian Society, then there

is no better book than these two books.

These are Class XII's NCRT's Indian Society and Social Change and Development in India.

These books are more than enough for your mains preparation.

Obviously, you will have to pair them with current affairs.

What is the latest data?

What are the latest findings?

Is anything new coming up?

So, if you look at the impact of AI, but how to think about the Indian Society, you will

find in these two books.

At the same time, if you are preparing for Sociology optionally, then these two books

from Class XI's Introducing Society and Understanding Society, these are absolutely phenomenal.

Why?

If we talk about this book, then every chapter, you will see from this, even let's say the

first chapter.

In the first chapter, Sociological Imagination is one of the points that is being directly

questioned.

Sociology and Common Sense, directly questioned.

Ideas that went into making Sociology, directly questioned.

So, all of these things, Beginning of Growth and Study in Sociology, Sociology and Economics,

Sociology and Psychology, first chapter, every chapter of this book has had questions that

have come in mains.

So, that will be all.

I will just show you a brief summary of all the books that we have discussed so far.

This is a list sorted by class of all the NCRTs that we discussed in today's video.

Class IX's History, Indian Contemporary World, Indian Contemporary World II, Themes and World

History, Intro to Indian Art, Indian Constitution and Work, Political Theory, Fundamentals of

Physical Geography, Indian Economic Development, Themes 1, 2, 3.

If you want to take a screenshot of this, you can.

And what is this sheet?

This sheet was I think a few weeks ago, I shared a daily plan for UPSC CSE 2025.

If you are beginning, if you are just starting your preparation, this is a daily plan where

you know, everything is given to you in a broken down way that you have to do this much

today, you have to do this.

Because this is part of our UPSC Essential Course.

So, our UPSC Essential Course is a 15 month long course for UPSC 2025 where we will be

covering Foundation, then Basics, and then Advanced.

In Foundation, your NCRTs section is with mentorship, with test, with you know, doubt

session, all of these things will happen.

If you are interested in knowing more about the UPSC Essential Course, you can check out

the link in the video description and you can take a screenshot of this for the NCRTs

that you have to get.

So, that will be all for today's video.

Thank you all and best of luck on your UPSC journey.