5 Non-Fiction Books You Must Read Before You Even Think of UPSC

In the period before you start preparing for the UPSC exam in all seriousness, you can try and lay a strong foundation for yourself. Empower yourself with knowledge and skills that will stand you in good stead when you sit for the exam and further in your career.
One very pertinent habit you can inculcate in yourself is of reading varied literature. Read books that will give you an insight into the social and political mores of the world. You must read the erudite writers who have explained and analyzed such issues in their books.
I am sharing with you some authors and their works which I would recommend. These works are a pragmatic look into Indian polity and the social milieu as it was and as it is. These are all scholars who are recognized around the world. The books will arm you with facts on India and a deep analysis of how our country has shaped and where it can go.

Below is the list Of must-read books for UPSC

1. India after Gandhi by Ramchandra Guha

This book is an account of modern Indian history post its independence, written by the historian Ramchandra Guha is a must-read book for UPSC. He consulted papers of many important figures and newspaper records from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. He particularly found the papers of Mr. C Rajagopalachari and Mr. P N Haksar very useful. This book won recognition from The Economist, The World Street Journal, The Outlook, and The Sahitya Academy of India, among others.

2. PaxIndica by Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor, a well-known diplomat, author, and politician, speaks of how Indian diplomacy has come of age and talks of where it will need to focus on the new age. He analyses India’s major international relationships, evokes the country’s soft power, and talks of how and why he thinks it is time for India to move from non-alignment to multi-alignment. He speaks of the global responsibility of India in the connected world of today.

3. Seeing like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon

Nivedita, Professor of Political Thought at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and a writer who addresses women’s issues, explores the transforming world with a lens of feminism. How the world is irrevocably being influenced by this world view. Be it the sexual harassment charges against world figures, caste politics challenging feminism or the ban on the veil in France, Menon addresses all of them and explores the world as it changes in light of such movements.