Best Essay Books for UPSC: Perfect the Art of IAS Essay Writing

How is your UPSC preparation going on? To crack UPSC you can’t just be good at the subjects and take essay writing lightly. You will have to treat it as equal to the other subjects. This is something that can’t be mastered just by reading. Proper practise is needed to get your thoughts flowing with ideas to write during the time of the exam. That is why in this article we will recommend you some of the best essay books for UPSC. Read the article till the end to know all about the UPSC essay paper.

UPSC Essay Paper

This paper is the very first paper of the UPSC mains. The paper consists of two sections:

1. Section A
2. Section B

Each section has four topics. A candidate has to choose one topic from both the sections for essay writing. Each section carries 125 marks that make a total of 250 marks. The word count for each essay should be in the range of 1000-1200.

Essay Books for UPSC

Here some of the best essay books for UPSC:

Mastering Essay & Answer Writing by Dr Awdhesh Singh

This is from an expert which can be a great help for UPSC aspirants in essay writing as well as in answer writing. The book can be used for any other competitive exam where questions are of descriptive type. As the book is written by a former IRS officer you will be getting tips from his experience. The book also explains why candidates have to give an essay paper in the exam. This opens your mind and you will get a clear idea of what is expected from the candidates in IAS essay writing.

ESSAYS for Civil Services and Other Competitive Examination by Pulkit Khare

This book is from Arihant publication which is considered one of the best publications for educational books. The book contains many essays along with the suggested topics which are very similar to the actual UPSC exam. It also covers the thinking process and approach which is needed to write a perfect essay. If you follow the tips given in the book, you surely will be able to score well in the exam.

101 Essays for IAS/ PCS Exam & Other Competitive Exams by Disha Experts

If you want to look at the bunch of the essay samples that this book is the one for you. The book has divided static and current topics separately. In total it contains 12 sections so that you concentrate on each one of them and get better. The essay on topics like governance, world polity, economics, environment, social justice is covered. If you read this book you will easily understand how to write an essay on the topics mentioned above.

Also Read: How to write an Essay in IAS Exam?

Essay Topic for UPSC

Here are topics from the previous year paper for your practice:

Section A

• Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India
• A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge
• Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere
• Management of Indian border disputes-a complex task

Section B

• Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life
• ‘The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values
• A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both
• Reality does not conform to the ideal but confirms it

Also Read:8 Valuable Essay Writing Tips For UPSC That You Should Follow 

Conclusion

IAS essay writing can be a tricky job but if you prepare right then nothing can stop you. Practise writing one to two topics every week. Analyze them, get them checked by your tutor. Make a separate notebook for phrases and make a habit of using them frequently while practising.

Try writing for each topic from the previous year UPSC paper and let us know about your approach in the comment section below.