Note: The Preparation strategy contains the books you need to refer with respect to each topic. Once you have read each of these books and in turn the corresponding topics, make sure you take mock questions and practice answer writing to determine how much of what you have read you are able to present ably. Keep practicing writing answers; that is the only way you can clear mains.
1. Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Essential Sources
a) Nitin Singhania’s book on Art and Culture
A one stop Solution is to read Nitin Singhania’s book on Art and Culture. A topper himself, the content is very well curated and presented. It is easy to read through and the important words are already highlighted.
b) IGNOU’s book on Art and Culture – Available on the RamaIAS App for free.
You can choose one of the two tectbooks and read extensively. Solve previous year Prelims paper as well.
c) Indian culture – Spectrum – This book is widely recommended. It is quite exhaustive and if you manage to remember all the facts in it, it will prove very useful for Prelims.
NCERTs
1. Ancient India – Class 11 – Makhan Lal
2. An introduction to Indian Art – Part 1
3. NCERT Class VI – History – Our Past
4. NCERT Class VII – Our Past -I
5. NCERT Class VIII – Our Past II and III
6. NCERT Class XII – Themes In Indian History I
7. NCERT Class-XII – Themes in Indian History – II
8. NCERT Class XII – Themes In Indian History III
For both Prelims and Mains, run through the previous year papers and solve them. Write answers for mains papers to understand how well you are able to present what you have already read.
You can read in the same order as I have suggested the books here. Begin with Niting Singhania’s book or the IGNOU material. Master it before reading from other source. You do not need more books than the ones mentioned above. They give you a very diverse picture as well as cover the subject in depth. Wherever you feel you need more information, please wiki it out. However, if you are the curious bug, you can also rummage through the following, but only after you have mastered the above.
General Reads
1) Important – AL Bashyam – The Wonder that was India – A fantastic book to read. Lots of insights.
Read AL Bashyam first. It will give you a good base to begin with.
References:
1) John Kaey – India: A history – Eurocentric view. Could be read to develop a perspective. Good language. Evokes emotion as you read. Helps you understand where you stand on certain topics like religion, art, architecture and how protective and biased you are towards your country or otherwise.
2) Indian culture – Spectrum – This book is widely recommended but I donot recommend it. It is not easy to read. The language and presentation is poor.
2. Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues
3. The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
- Bipan Chandra – India’s Struggle for Independence – Easily the best book there is for the above two topics although the book only starts from the Revolt of 1857.
- NCERTs – Themes in Indian History – Part 3
- Spectrum – A history of Modern India – This is also widely recommended. I would ask you to read Bipan Chandra and Guha’s India after Gandhi. If you have time after you have mastered these two books, then please read this one. Use this for revision.
- For 1750-1857 – You can use Wikipedia, research and make notes in addition to Spectrum’s Modern India. Keep looking in the Notes section for more.
You can read Bipan Chandra and the NCERT. Master it before moving on to the other sources.
References:
From Plassey to partition – Not a very interesting read. Has lots and lots of information though. If you have an avid interest in History, go for it.
4. Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
Essential Sources:
Ramachandra Guha – India After Gandhi
Ramachandra Guha – Patriots and Partisans.
Read these two books cover to cover as many times as you can before you begin to look for other sources. Gripping books. Lots of information. One stop shop.
References:
Bipan Chandra – India Since Independence – This book was widely popular before Guha’s India After Gandhi. Read this if you think you are not satisfied with Guha.
5. History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.- their forms and effect on the society.
Essential Sources:
1) BV Rao – History of Modern World – You will thoroughly enjoy reading this book. Very well written. It is a very exhaustive reading.
2) NCERTs:
- Contemporary World Politics – 12th standard
- India and Contemporary World 1 – 9th std
- India and Contemporary World 2 – 10th std
To understand concepts, you can run through Wikipedia. Notes will also be uploaded here
Please begin with the NCERTs. After you finish the NCERT, you can read through BV Rao.
References:
Norman Lowe – Mastering Modern World History – Widely recommended. I believe BV Rao is sufficient. However, please read this if you can make the time.
6. Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
Newspaper articles are the best source to answer topics like these. They give you current information, facts and happenings.
Bipan Chandra’s book, India’s Struggle for Independence and Ram Guha’s India After Independence will give you enough material to write through these topics.
The trick here is to write answers on these topics. That will help you present what you have learnt on these topics better.
References:
Politics – Oxford Publication – Pratap Bhanu Mehta – This is not an easy book to read. The language is scholarly. But if you put in the time and read it, the rewards are definitely there. More recommended for students of Sociology, Political Science and allied subjects.
7. Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
- IGNOU’s resources on Women’s Organisation – available on the RamaIAS App
- NCERT – Indian Society – 12th Std – Available on the RamaIAS App
- Economic Survey – contemporary information regarding all of these issues will be available.
These first two sources will present you with the general and historical issues associated with the above topics.
Newspaper articles, Economic Survey and other Current Affairs will help you make notes regarding the present state of affairs.
References:
- India’s tryst with destiny – Jagadish Bhagawati
- An uncertain glory – Amartya Sen
8. Effects of globalization on Indian society
You can find hundreds of news articles on this. Make points and practice writing answers for such topics.
Contemporary sources are Economic Survey, Newspaper Articles and Current Affairs articles.
References:
Ram Guha’s book covers this.
You can find enough material on Globalisation in Politics by Pratap Bhanu Mehta
You can refer Global Politics by Andrew Heywood if you can afford it.
You can also refer Fali Nariman’s State of the Nation – Mentions Globalization
9. Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
- NCERT – Indian Society – 12th std
- You can make a lot of points from Ram Guha’s book as well.
- Current affairs, Economic survey is also important
10. Salient features of world’s physical geography.
11. Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent);factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India)
12. Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,
Geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
- NCERTs – Easily the best source to read Geography. Read and re-read to understand concepts.
- Contemporary India – Geography – 9th standard
- Fundamentals of physical Geography – 11th standard
- India and Physical Environment – 11th standard
- Fundamentals of Human Geography – 12th standard
Also, Environment books – ICSE 9th and 10th by S. Chand publications are very good references.
Buy a really good atlas. You have standard Orient Longman and Oxford Atlas. They are good. If you can find Rashtriya atlas, buy it. Make sure you have huge maps of India and the World hanging on your walls. Looking at them everyday and cross referencing while studying will definitely help.
Binge watch National Geographic, Discovery and Animal Planet channels instead of Netflix as regularly as possible. It will help you a lot in answering Environment, Climate and biodiversity questions.
Physical Geography by Strahler & Strahler is a fantastic book. If you are interested in the subject or are unable to solve many questions correctly, read this book. It is very well written with lots of illustrations.
Environment book by Shankar IAS is very good.
References:
- Certificate Physical and Human Geography – Goh Cheng Leong – One of the all-time favorites of Old timers. It is now an outdated book although you can definitely buy it to understand the concepts if you do not understand them after reading the NCERTs
- Geography of India – Majid Hussain – TMH publications – For reference
- India and World Geography – Majid Hussain – TMH publications – For reference
- Geography in GS manual – TMH – Very similar to NCERTs. You can run through it if you decide to buy it.