Best Books for UPPCS 2025 (Prelims + Mains + Optional)

Preparing for the UPPCS (Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission) Exam 2025 requires the right mix of NCERTs, standard reference books, and UP-specific study material. Since the exam covers a wide range of subjects, choosing the correct set of books is the first and most important step for aspirants.

Here’s a comprehensive list of the best books for UPPCS 2025 Prelims, Mains, and Optional subjects in both Hindi and English.

 UPPCS Prelims 2025 – Best Books

The Prelims exam has two papers – GS Paper I (General Studies) and GS Paper II (CSAT).

General Studies Paper I (GS-I)

SubjectRecommended Books

History (Ancient & Medieval)

NCERTs (Class 6–12), Satish Chandra (Medieval), RS Sharma (Ancient)

Modern History

Spectrum – A Brief History of Modern India

Art & Culture

Nitin Singhania – Indian Art & Culture

Geography

NCERTs (6–12), G.C. Leong, Oxford Atlas

Indian Polity

M. Laxmikanth – Indian Polity

Economy

NCERT Economics (Class 11 & 12), Ramesh Singh – Indian Economy, Economic Survey & Budget Highlights

Environment & Ecology

Shankar IAS Book, NCERT Biology (Class 12 – Ecology Chapters)

Science & Tech

NCERT Science (6–10), Current Affairs-based Science Updates

Current Affairs

The Hindu / Indian Express, Yojana, Kurukshetra, Uttar Pradesh Yearbook

General Studies Paper II (CSAT)

SectionRecommended Books

Comprehension

Previous Year Papers, Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual

Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability

R.S. Aggarwal – Logical Reasoning

Mathematics (Basic Numeracy)

NCERT Maths (6–10), Quantitative Aptitude by R.S. Aggarwal

 UPPCS Mains 2025 – Best Books

The Mains exam is descriptive and includes General Hindi, Essay, 4 GS papers, and an Optional Subject.

General Hindi

Lucent’s Samanya Hindi

Previous Year UPPCS Hindi Papers

Essay

UPSC/State PCS Essay Books by Arihant

UP-specific Topics from Lucent GK & Uttar Pradesh Yearbook

GS Paper I (History, Geography, Society)

Spectrum – Modern History

Satish Chandra – Medieval India

R.S. Sharma – Ancient India

NCERT Sociology (Class 11 & 12)

G.C. Leong + NCERT Geography

GS Paper II (Polity, Governance, International Relations)

M. Laxmikanth – Indian Polity

DD Basu – Introduction to the Constitution of India (for depth)

Ministry of External Affairs website (for IR updates)

GS Paper III (Economy, Agriculture, Environment, Science & Tech)

Ramesh Singh – Indian Economy

Economic Survey & Budget

Shankar IAS – Environment

NCERT Biology & Science updates

GS Paper IV (Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude)

Lexicon – Ethics

Subba Rao & P.N. Roy Chowdhury – Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude

Case Study Practice (Previous Year Papers)

 Best Books for UPPCS Optional Subjects

UPPCS offers a wide range of Optional Subjects like History, Geography, Public Administration, Political Science, Sociology, Agriculture, Hindi Literature, English Literature, etc.

Here are some of the most popular Optional Subjects with recommended books:

1. History

R.S. Sharma – Ancient India

Satish Chandra – Medieval India

Bipan Chandra – Modern India

Shekhar Bandhopadhyay – Indian National Movement

2. Geography

Majid Husain – Geography of India

Savindra Singh – Physical Geography

Goh Cheng Leong – Certificate Physical & Human Geography

3. Political Science & International Relations

Subhash Kashyap – Indian Constitution

Rajeev Bhargava – Political Theory

Andrew Heywood – International Politics

4. Sociology

Haralambos & Holborn – Sociology Themes & Perspectives

George Ritzer – Sociological Theory

IGNOU Notes for Paper-II (Indian Society)

5. Public Administration

Mohit Bhattacharya – New Horizons of Public Administration

Laxmikant – Public Administration

Prasad & Prasad – Administrative Thinkers

6. Literature (Hindi / English)

For Hindi Literature: रामचंद्र शुक्ल, नागेंद्र, आचार्य हजारीप्रसाद द्विवेदी

For English Literature: William J. Long – History of English Literature, M.H. Abrams – Glossary of Literary Terms

 Additional UP-Specific Books

Uttar Pradesh Yearbook (Drishti / Arihant)

Lucent’s Samanya Gyan

UPPSC Previous Year Question Papers