The first advice any IAS topper gives is: “Read the NCERTs.” But with over 40+ textbooks from Class 6 to 12, the real question is—which ones should you actually read? NCERT Book List for UPSC
Reading every single page of every book is a waste of time. To clear UPSC, you need to read selectively. At Trademark IAS, we have curated the definitive NCERT Book List for UPSC that filters out the noise and focuses only on what is relevant for the exam.
![Image: Stack of NCERT books with a checklist on a study table. Alt Text: Must read NCERT Book List for UPSC 2025]
The “Old vs New” NCERT Debate: Solved NCERT Book List for UPSC
Before looking at the list, let’s settle the biggest confusion.
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History: Old NCERTs are better for detailed political history (Kings, Wars). New NCERTs are better for Art & Culture and Society.
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Geography/Polity/Science: Always stick to the New NCERTs for updated data and diagrams.
Subject-Wise NCERT Book List NCERT Book List for UPSC
1. History (The Foundation)
For History, we recommend a mix of Old and New to cover both facts and culture.
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Class 6: Our Past I (Ancient)
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Class 7: Our Past II (Medieval)
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Class 8: Our Past III (Modern)
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Class 11 (Old): Ancient India (R.S. Sharma) – Highly Recommended
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Class 11 (Old): Medieval India (Satish Chandra)
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Class 12 (Old): Modern India (Bipan Chandra)
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Class 12 (New): Themes in Indian History (Part I, II, III) – Crucial for Art & Culture
2. Geography (The Bible of UPSC) NCERT Book List for UPSC
For Geography, NCERTs are often enough. You might not even need a reference book if you master these.
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Class 6-10: Read once to build a base (Focus on “The Earth Our Habitat”).
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Class 11: Fundamentals of Physical Geography – Most Important Book.
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Class 11: India: Physical Environment.
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Class 12: Fundamentals of Human Geography.
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Class 12: India: People and Economy.
3. Indian Polity (Constitution) NCERT Book List for UPSC
Don’t jump to Laxmikanth directly. Read these first to understand why the Constitution exists.
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Class 9: Democratic Politics I
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Class 10: Democratic Politics II
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Class 11: Indian Constitution at Work – Must Read (Direct questions asked).
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Class 11: Political Theory (Helps in Ethics & Essay).
4. Indian Economy
Skip the statistics, focus on the concepts.
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Class 11: Indian Economic Development.
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Class 12: Introductory Macroeconomics (Skip Microeconomics).
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Focus Areas: Budget, GDP, Banking chapters.
5. Science & Environment
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Class 6-10: General Science (Read selectively).
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Class 12 (Biology): Only the last 4 Chapters (13-16) on Ecology & Environment.
How to Read NCERTs for UPSC? (The 3-Reading Rule)
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First Reading: Read it like a novel. Don’t underline anything. Just understand the story.
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Second Reading: Read with previous year questions (PYQs) next to you. Underline what is important.
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Third Reading: Make crisp notes (or Flashcards) of the underlined parts.
Conclusion
This NCERT Book List for UPSC is your starting point. Once you finish these (in 2-3 months), you are ready for the advanced reference books.
Want to save time? Don’t buy 40 books. Join our NCERT Foundation Course where we teach the crux of all these books in just 3 months.
