The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of the examinations held by the Union Public Service Commission to choose candidates for positions in India’s civil services, such as IAS, IPS, IFS, and other associated services. The three stages of the examination include the UPSC CSE Prelims, UPSC CSE Main, and Personality Test or UPSC Interview.
All three rounds of the civil services exam, preliminary, mains, and interview, have focused on Indian politics and the constitution. In addition to knowing the Indian Constitution, applicants for the civil services exam should be familiar with the principles of our political system. The value of understanding Indian democracy and the constitution does not end with the selection process; it continues after one joins the services.
The days of UPSC aspirants studying Indian Polity from a single textbook are long gone. And studying from a single book is insufficient for the UPSC mains exam. When we look at the trend over the last 3-4 years, it is evident that the sources or publications from which UPSC formulates questions have changed dramatically.
On that note, let’s discuss a few good books that are sure to help you in your exhaustive preparation of Indian Polity for the civil services exam.
Indian Polity By Laxmikanth
The book is a one-stop reference for Civil Services aspirants, students of law, political science, and public administration. It is one of the most widely read and thorough books on the subject, and it has been a perennial best seller for many years.
The book includes 80 chapters and 16 appendices, and it covers the whole political and constitutional spectrum in India. Not only does each chapter in the book follow the most recent exam pattern, but it also covers recent events in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, as well as in constitutional interpretation, judicial review, and judicial activism.
Important Acts that Transformed India – Alex Andrews George
The UPSC Civil Services Exam (Prelims) 2019 had 22 questions on a single topic: Important Acts Enacted by the Indian Parliament. This is unsurprising given the UPSC wants prospective civil servants to be familiar with major Acts/Bills/Rules as well as important article in constitution of india.
The book ‘Important Acts that Transformed India’ is a one-stop-shop for all pertinent Acts, Rules, and Regulations for UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) General Studies Papers I, II, III, and IV.
The book takes a unique method, breaking down 100 must-know Acts into 12 parts that correspond to the subjects in the most recent UPSC CSE Syllabus. Introduction, background, objective, key provisions, amendments, criticism, importance, and impact are all sections of each chapter (Act).
Introduction to the Constitution of India by Durga Das Basu
In addition to the aforementioned UPSC books for Indian Polity, Durga Das Basu’s ‘Introduction to the Constitution of India’ should be included. It is a book for anyone in India or outside interested to know anything about the articles, parts and schedules of indian constitution throughout its first fifty years.
This book is useful not only for UPSC aspirants but also for individuals who want to take competitive examinations administered by the Union or State Public Service Commission. Various UPSC toppers continue to recommend this book.
Our Constitution by Subhash C. Kashyap
Subhash C. Kashyap, a former Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha Secretariat as well as a former Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha, has written a comprehensive guide to the Indian Parliament.
The book serves as an excellent introduction to the Indian Constitution for readers. This book has been prepared in such a way that readers from all walks of life will be able to grasp the concepts.
