UPSC syllabus and book list

This is a comprehensive list of all books that you would need for preparation of civil services examination. It is not necessary that you purchase all these books and read the entire book.
Cover the relevant topics from each of these books. If you have already started with any other material then do follow the same. 

Revision is the key. Plan and read with that in mind. 

Go through are the syllabus and selectively cover topic from this book list. This is a comprehensive list of all books that you would need for preparation of civil services examination. 

GENERAL STUDIES I

• HISTORY
• INDIAN ART AND CULTURE  
• HISTORY OF MORDERN INDIA BY BIPAN CHANDRA
• INDIA'S STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE BY BIPAN CHANDRA
• INDIA SINCE INDEPENDENCE BY BIPIN CHANDRA
• INDIA AFTER GANDHI BY RAMACHANDRA GUHA
• HISTORY OF THE WORLD BY ARJUN DEV AND INDIRA ARJUN DEV 
• CONTEMPORARY WORLD (OLD NCERT)

• SOCIAL ISSUES
• NCERT SOCIOLOGY CLASS IX
• SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN INDIA BY RAM AHUJA

• GEOGRAPHY
• PRINCIPLES OF GENERAL GEOGRAPHY CLASS IX NCERT
• ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD CLASS XI  NCERT
• PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA CLASS XII  NCERT
• ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY CLASS IX NCERT
• CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA CLASS XII NCERT
• ORIENT BLACKSWAN ATLAS
• GEOGRAPHY AND YOU MONTHLY MAGAZINE

GENERAL STUDIES II

• INDIAN POLITY
• INDIAN POLITY BY LAXMIKANT
• OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM BY SUBHASH KASHYAP
• MAJOR POLITICAL SYSTEM BY GHAI
• DEMOCRACY AT WORK CLASS 12 NCERT
• NEWSPAPER UPDATES

• PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
• FROM GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNANCE BY KULDEEP MATHUR
• SOCIAL THEORY AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
• INDIA YEAR BOOK
• YOJANA
• ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMISSION REPORTS ON
• GOOD GOVERNANCE
• CITIZEN CENTRIC ADMINISTRATION
• PROMOTING E GOVERNANCE
• CRISIS MANAGEMENT
• INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• RETHINKING INDIA'S FOREIGN POLICY BY RAJIV SIKRI
• THE HINDU NEWSPAPER
• INDIAN EXPRESS RELEVANT ARTICLES
• FRONTLINE
• WORLD FOCUS
• WEBSITE OF
• IDSA
• cfr.org
• pin.in

GENERAL STUDIES III

• INDIAN ECONOMY
• INDIAN ECONOMY PERFORMANCE AND POLICY BY UMA KAPILA
• INDIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CLASS 11 NCERT
• INTRODUCTORY MACROECONOMICS CLASS 12 NCERT
• ECONOMIC SURVEY OF INDIA AND INDIA YEAR BOOK
• YOJANA
• EPW EDITORIAL
• ARTHAPEDIA.COM
• ECONOMICS DICTIONARY PENGUIN SERIES
• SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• THE HINDU
• SCIENCE REPORTER
• WEBSITES OF MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FOREST
• WEBSITES OF MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• WEBSITE OF DEPARTMENT OF SPACE

• SECURITY ISSUES
• HINDU
• INDIAN EXPRESS
• FRONTLINE
• MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
• ARC REPORTS ON
• COMBATING TERRORISM
• CONFLICT RESOLUTION

GENERAL STUDIES IV

• ARC REPORTS ON ETHICS IN GOVERNANCE
• UNDP WEBSITE ON ETHICS
• BUSINESS ETHICS TEXT BOOK XLRI
• WEBSITE OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
• NEWS LETTERS OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
• cecedusat (audio , video lectures)
• Ethics in public life
• Probity in public life

This is the list one would get if they were to attend an introductory session of honorable Raveendran sir in Vajiram and Ravi IAS Institute. 

Prelims Book list

Must read books for UPSC.

Go through are the syllabus and selectively cover topic from this book list. This is a comprehensive list of all books that you would need for preparation of civil services examination. 

DETAILED SYLLABUS

Also check:
Political Science Book list

Below I have attached the images of Vajiram coaching centre notes regarding syllabus and book list.