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Public Administration, Geography, Sociology, History, and Political Science and International Relations (PSIR). Explanation Public Administration: Overlaps with the prelims and GS II syllabus Geography: Overlaps with the prelims, GS I, and GS III syllabus Sociology: Overlaps with the GS I, GS II, and essay syllabus Political Science and International Relations: Overlaps with the prelims and GS II syllabus Philosophy: Offers a unique perspective on fundamental questions of existence, knowledge, ethics, and reality Anthropology: Considered one of the top scoring subjects for UPSC History: Considered one of the top scoring subjects for UPSC Psychology: Considered one of the top scoring subjects for UPSC Literature: Literature of any language (like Hindi, English, etc.) is considered one of the top scoring subjects for UPSC Law: Considered one of the top scoring subjects for UPSC While these subjects are considered to be among the best scoring, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It's important to consider the syllabus overlaps and your own interests when choosing an optional subject. read less

I will divide this subject-wise to make it easier for you - 

Subject	Best Books
History	- Old NCERT by RS Sharma (Ancient)
	- Old NCERT by Satish Chandra (Medieval)
	- Spectrum by Rajiv Ahir (Modern)
	- Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe (World)
Geography	- NCERTs (Class 6-12)
	- GC Leong – Physical & Human Geography
	- Oxford/Orient BlackSwan Atlas
	- Majid Husain – Indian & World Geography
Polity	- Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
	- Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu
Economy	- NCERTs (Class 9-12)
	- Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
	- Economic Survey & Budget Documents
Environment	- Shankar IAS – Environment
	- NCERT Biology (Class 12 – relevant chapters)
Science & Tech	- NCERT Science (Class 6-10)
	- Current Affairs – The Hindu, PIB, Down to Earth
International Relations	- Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor (optional)
	- Current Affairs – The Hindu, MEA website
Ethics (GS IV)	- Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
	- Ethics in Governance (ARC Report 4)
	- G Subba Rao & PN Roy Chowdhury (for case studies)
Essay Writing	- Essays for Civil Services by Pulkit Khare
	- Yojana & The Hindu Editorials
Current Affairs	- The Hindu / Indian Express (Daily)
	- PIB, Yojana, Kurukshetra Magazines
	- Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV) Debates

 

 

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