List of Famous Books by Indian Authors – Static GK & General Awareness for Competitive Exams with Memory Tricks

Introduction

Books and their authors form one of the most consistently tested segments of the General Awareness paper in Indian competitive exams. From the timeless wisdom of Kautilya's Arthashastra and Kalidasa's Abhigyan Shakuntalam, to the freedom-era classics like Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India and Mahatma Gandhi's My Experiments with Truth, all the way to contemporary best-sellers like Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, and Geetanjali Shree's Tomb of Sand, Indian authors have shaped global literature for more than two thousand years. Recent 2025-2026 releases such as Sudha Murty's Tides of Time, General Manoj Mukund Naravane's Four Stars of Destiny, Amish Tripathi's The Chola Tigers, and Arundhati Roy's Mother Mary Comes to Me continue to add fresh exam-relevant material every quarter.

Questions on famous books and their Indian authors appear regularly in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO, SBI Clerk, RRB NTPC, RRB Group D, NDA, CDS, LIC AAO, NIACL, Insurance, and State PCS exams. Typical questions ask which book was written by a given author, who wrote a specific title, which book won the Booker Prize or Jnanpith Award, or which author published a particular work in the latest year. This article brings together every exam-relevant book by Indian authors in a structured, easy-to-revise format. For a year-wise tracker of the newest releases, you can also follow the Daily Current Affairs updates on Jobsme.in.

Beyond Prelims, books by Indian authors carry weight in UPSC Mains essay writing, SSC Descriptive paper, and Insurance and PSU Descriptive English sections, where aspirants are often expected to quote from or refer to works by Tagore, Gandhi, Nehru, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Amartya Sen, Raghuram Rajan, and Shashi Tharoor. Keeping a strong grip on this topic gives candidates an edge across both objective and descriptive evaluations.

Core Concepts: How Books and Authors Are Tested

Indian book-and-author questions in competitive exams fall broadly into the following categories. Understanding these categories helps you prepare the right kind of data for each exam.

• Ancient classics: Sanskrit and Prakrit works by Kautilya, Kalidasa, Vatsyayana, Aryabhata, Banabhatta, Panini, Bharata, and others. Most-asked in UPSC Prelims and SSC CGL.
• Medieval chronicles: Persian and Arabic court histories by Amir Khusrau, Alberuni, Ibn Battuta, Gulbadan Begum, Abbas Sarwani, and Jahangir. Heavily tested in UPSC and State PCS Indian History papers.
• Freedom-struggle writings: Books by Gandhi, Nehru, Tilak, Tagore, Bose, Savarkar, Maulana Azad, and Lala Lajpat Rai. Asked in nearly every Modern Indian History question paper.
• Post-Independence literature: Fiction and non-fiction by R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, Khushwant Singh, Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Jhumpa Lahiri, and others. Common in SSC, Banking, and Insurance General Awareness sections.
• Recent releases (current affairs): Books published in the last 12-24 months, especially autobiographies of public figures, memoirs of officials, and books released by the President, Vice President, or Prime Minister. Asked in Banking, Insurance, RRB, and SSC current-affairs segments.
• Award-winning books: Jnanpith, Sahitya Akademi, Booker, Booker International, and Pulitzer winners — especially those involving Indian authors.

Famous Books by Indian Authors - Complete List

The tables below cover the most exam-relevant books by Indian authors, organised period-wise. Every entry includes the book name, author, and the key features or exam-critical context students should remember.

Ancient and Classical Indian Books

These works span roughly 600 BCE to 1200 CE and form the bedrock of Indian Static GK. Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Pali texts dominate this period.

Medieval Indian Books (Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Era)

The medieval period (c. 1200-1750 CE) saw a rich body of Persian, Arabic, and regional-language literature produced by court historians, Sufi poets, and emperor-authors.

Modern Era Books — Freedom Struggle Period

This section covers books written between the late 19th century and 1947 — the period of India's freedom struggle. These works shaped national consciousness and are heavily tested in Modern Indian History sections of UPSC, SSC, and State PCS exams. To strengthen your Modern History base, you can also revise the broader Static GK section on Jobsme.in.

Post-Independence Classic Indian Authors

Indian literature in English flowered after 1947 with a generation of internationally celebrated authors. This section covers seminal classics from 1947 up to about 2015 — books regularly tested in Banking, SSC, and Insurance exam General Awareness. Banking aspirants can also strengthen their factual base via the Banking Awareness notes on Jobsme.in.

Recent Books by Indian Authors (2018-2026)

This is the most current-affairs-heavy section. Books from the last 8 years are frequently asked in Banking, SSC, RRB, and Insurance current-affairs segments. To keep up with newer releases between revisions, you can attempt the Daily Current Affairs Quiz on Jobsme.in regularly.

Award-Winning Books by Indian Authors

This table covers the most exam-critical national and international literary awards won by Indian authors.

Memory Tricks and Mnemonics

Trick 1: Kalidasa's Big Five — "AVRKM"

Use this acronym to remember Kalidasa's five major works:

• A → Abhigyan Shakuntalam (drama).
• V → Vikramorvashiyam (drama).
• R → Raghuvansham (epic).
• K → Kumarasambhavam (epic).
• M → Meghaduta (lyric).

"AVRKM — Kalidasa wrote three dramas, two epics, one cloud."

Trick 2: Nehru's Prison Trilogy — "DGT"

All three of Nehru's most famous books were written in prison. Remember them as "DGT":

• D → Discovery of India — Ahmednagar Fort, 1942-46.
• G → Glimpses of World History — 196 letters to daughter Indira, 1930-33.
• T → Toward Freedom (An Autobiography) — Almora Jail, 1936.

"DGT — Discovery, Glimpses, Toward — all behind bars."

Trick 3: Gandhi's Four Mouthpieces — "Young Harijan Navjivan & Hind Swaraj"

Gandhi's writings revolve around four key publications:

• Young India — English weekly (1919-31).
• Harijan — Weekly (from 1933).
• Navjivan — Gujarati weekly.
• Hind Swaraj — 1909 book on self-rule.

And the autobiography is "My Experiments with Truth."

Trick 4: Indian Booker Prize Winners — "RRDA"

Four Indians have won the Booker Prize for Fiction. Use "RRDA" in chronological order:

• R → Rushdie (Salman) → Midnight's Children → 1981.
• R → Roy (Arundhati) → The God of Small Things → 1997.
• D → Desai (Kiran) → The Inheritance of Loss → 2006.
• A → Adiga (Aravind) → The White Tiger → 2008.

"RRDA — and then Geetanjali Shree took the International Booker in 2022."

Trick 5: Tagore's Many Sides — "GHGC"

Tagore wrote across genres. Remember the four genres he conquered as "GHGC":

• G → Geetanjali (poetry — Nobel 1913).
• H → Home and the World / Hungry Stones (novel & short stories).
• G → Gora (novel).
• C → Chandalika (dance-drama / play).

Trick 6: Abdul Kalam's Inspirational Quartet — "WIIT"

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's four most-asked books form "WIIT":

• W → Wings of Fire (with Arun Tiwari).
• I → Ignited Minds.
• I → India 2020.
• T → The Turning Point.

"WIIT — Kalam wrote for the youth of a young nation."

Trick 7: Mahabharata Compared to Other Books — "Indian Versions"

Many Indian authors compare their work to global classics. Memorise these contrast pairs:

• The Great Indian Novel → Shashi Tharoor → Mahabharata retold as Indian political history.
• The Shiva Trilogy → Amish Tripathi → Lord Shiva reimagined as a flawed hero.
• Anandamath → Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay → Spiritual basis of "Vande Mataram."
• Geetanjali → Tagore → Lyrical "Song Offerings" to the Divine.
• Savitri → Sri Aurobindo → Spiritual epic of 24,000 lines.

Trick 8: Latest 2025-2026 Releases — "TMCSO"

Five of the most-asked recent releases form "TMCSO":

• T → Tides of Time → Sudha Murty (2026).
• M → Mother Mary Comes to Me → Arundhati Roy (2025).
• C → The Chola Tigers → Amish Tripathi (2025).
• S → Operation Sindoor → Lt Gen K.J.S. Dhillon (2025).
• O → The One → Shikhar Dhawan (2025).

Trick 9: Authors and Their Famous Pen-Names

• Banabhatta → Court poet of Harshavardhana.
• Kautilya → Also called Chanakya / Vishnugupta → wrote Arthashastra.
• Amir Khusrau → "Tota-e-Hind" (Parrot of India).
• Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay → "Sahitya Samrat" → wrote Anandamath.
• Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay → "Kathasilpi" → wrote Devdas.
• Robert Galbraith is J.K. Rowling — used by exams to test attention.

Additional Notes

Frequently Confused Facts

• Discovery of India vs Glimpses of World History: Both by Nehru, but "Discovery" was written in Ahmednagar Fort (1942-46) as a survey of India; "Glimpses" was 196 letters to Indira from 1930-33.
• My Experiments with Truth vs Hind Swaraj: Both by Gandhi. "My Experiments with Truth" is the autobiography (1925-29); "Hind Swaraj" is the 1909 political treatise.
• Anandamath vs Devi Chaudharani: Both by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. "Anandamath" contains "Vande Mataram"; "Devi Chaudharani" features a woman-led rebellion.
• Tomb of Sand vs The God of Small Things: Tomb of Sand (Geetanjali Shree) won the International Booker Prize 2022; The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy) won the Booker Prize 1997.
• Geetanjali (Tagore) vs Geetanjali Shree: "Geetanjali" is Tagore's Nobel-winning 1913 poetry; "Geetanjali Shree" is the author of "Tomb of Sand."
• Wings of Fire vs Ignited Minds: Both by APJ Abdul Kalam. "Wings of Fire" is the autobiography (co-authored with Arun Tiwari); "Ignited Minds" is a motivational book on Indian youth.
• Arthashastra vs Indica: "Arthashastra" was written by Kautilya, an Indian; "Indica" was written by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador.
• Akbarnama vs Ain-i-Akbari: Both by Abul Fazl. Akbarnama is the chronicle of Akbar's reign; Ain-i-Akbari is its administrative gazette and forms the third volume.
• Humayun-Nama vs Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri: Humayun-Nama was written by Gulbadan Begum (Humayun's sister); Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri is Jahangir's own autobiography.
• Train to Pakistan vs A Suitable Boy: Train to Pakistan (Khushwant Singh, 1956) is on Partition; A Suitable Boy (Vikram Seth, 1993) is post-Partition India.
• The Inheritance of Loss vs Fasting Feasting: The first is by Kiran Desai (Booker 2006); the second is by her mother Anita Desai.
• Lilavati vs Surya Siddhanta: Lilavati was by Bhaskara II (12th century); Surya Siddhanta is attributed to Aryabhata (5th century).

Repeating PYQ Patterns

Certain author-book pairs come up almost every year across exams. Mahatma Gandhi (My Experiments with Truth, Hind Swaraj), Jawaharlal Nehru (Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History), Rabindranath Tagore (Geetanjali, Gora), Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Gita Rahasya), Dadabhai Naoroji (Poverty and Un-British Rule in India), Kautilya (Arthashastra), Kalidasa (Abhigyan Shakuntalam), APJ Abdul Kalam (Wings of Fire, Ignited Minds), Salman Rushdie (Midnight's Children), Arundhati Roy (The God of Small Things), Aravind Adiga (The White Tiger), Geetanjali Shree (Tomb of Sand), Jhumpa Lahiri (Interpreter of Maladies), Vikram Seth (A Suitable Boy), Khushwant Singh (Train to Pakistan), Amitav Ghosh (The Hungry Tide / Sea of Poppies), Shashi Tharoor (An Era of Darkness, Why I Am a Hindu), Raghuram Rajan (The Third Pillar, I Do What I Do), and Amartya Sen (The Argumentative Indian) dominate UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, RRB NTPC, IBPS PO, and SBI Clerk papers. Banking and Insurance exams pay special attention to books by RBI Governors, finance ministers, and CEOs. State PCS exams add regional language authors — Kannada (Kuvempu, U.R. Ananthamurthy), Malayalam (Perumal Murugan, M.T. Vasudevan Nair), Tamil (Vairamuthu, Perumal Murugan), Marathi (P.L. Deshpande, Vinda Karandikar), Bengali (Bankim Chandra, Tagore, Sarat Chandra), and Hindi (Premchand, Dinkar, Jaishankar Prasad, Mahadevi Verma).

Quick Insight

Books by Indian authors are more than literature — they are a continuous record of the nation's thought, struggle, and aspiration. Kautilya's Arthashastra still shapes how we read statecraft; Gandhi's Hind Swaraj still informs debates on development versus simplicity; Tagore's Geetanjali placed India on the Nobel stage in 1913; Geetanjali Shree's Tomb of Sand did the same for Hindi literature on the International Booker stage in 2022; and Sudha Murty's 2026 Tides of Time reminds us how living history is etched into the walls of Parliament itself. Understanding these works helps aspirants connect literature to current affairs — when a book is released by the President, Vice President, or PM, when a Jnanpith winner is announced, or when an Indian author wins the Booker. For wider Static GK preparation around such topics, students can refer to the Static GK notes and the Banking Awareness section on Jobsme.in.

One-Liners for Quick Revision

• Arthashastra → Kautilya (Chanakya) → 4th century BCE treatise on statecraft.
• Ashtadhyayi → Panini → World's earliest Sanskrit grammar.
• Mahabhasya → Patanjali → Commentary on Panini.
• Natyashastra → Bharata Muni → Ancient treatise on drama and dance.
• Buddha Charita → Ashvaghosha → Sanskrit biography of Buddha.
• Indica → Megasthenes → Greek envoy's account of Mauryan India.
• Abhigyan Shakuntalam / Vikramorvashiyam / Raghuvansham / Kumarasambhavam / Meghaduta → Kalidasa.
• Mudrarakshasa → Vishakhadatta → Sanskrit play on Chanakya-Chandragupta intrigue.
• Mrichhakatika → Shudraka → Sanskrit play "The Little Clay Cart."
• Kamasutra → Vatsyayana → Ancient treatise on love and human relationships.
• Panchatantra → Vishnu Sharma → Famous animal fables.
• Nitisara → Kamandaka → Treatise on politics modelled on Arthashastra.
• Harshacharita / Kadambari → Banabhatta → Court poet of Harshavardhana.
• Nagananda / Ratnavali / Priyadarshika → Harshavardhana himself.
• Gathasaptashati → Hala → Prakrit anthology by the Satavahana king.
• Aihole Prashasti → Ravikirti → Inscription praising Pulakeshin II.
• Aryabhatiya / Surya Siddhanta → Aryabhata → Astronomy and mathematics.
• Brihat Samhita / Panchasiddhantika → Varahamihira.
• Lilavati / Siddhanta Shiromani → Bhaskara II.
• Charaka Samhita → Charaka → Ayurveda; "Father of Indian Medicine."
• Sushruta Samhita → Sushruta → "Father of Surgery."
• Amarakosha → Amarasimha → Sanskrit thesaurus.
• Rajatarangini → Kalhana → First true historical text in Indian literature.
• Kathasaritsagara → Somadeva → Sanskrit folktales.
• Naishadhacharita → Sriharsha → Story of Nala and Damayanti.
• Gita Govinda → Jayadeva → Sanskrit lyric on Radha-Krishna.
• Swapnavasavadattam → Bhasa → Sanskrit drama on Udayana.
• Kitab-ul-Hind → Alberuni → Arabic account of India.
• Khamsa / Khazain-ul-Futuh / Nuh-Siphir / Tughlaq-Nama → Amir Khusrau.
• Tabaqat-i-Nasiri → Minhaj-us-Siraj → Persian history of early Delhi Sultanate.
• Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi → Ziauddin Barani → Chronicle of the Delhi Sultanate.
• Fatuhat-i-Firoz Shahi → Firoz Shah Tughlaq → Autobiographical work.
• Kitab-ul-Rihla / Safarnama → Ibn Battuta → Moroccan traveller's account of India.
• Humayun-Nama → Gulbadan Begum → Biography of Humayun.
• Akbarnama / Ain-i-Akbari → Abul Fazl.
• Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri → Emperor Jahangir → Persian autobiography.
• Tarikh-i-Shershahi → Abbas Sarwani → On Sher Shah Suri.
• Padshahnama → Abdul Hamid Lahori → Chronicle of Shah Jahan.
• Bhavartha Dipika (Dnyaneshwari) → Sant Dnyaneshwar.
• Ramcharitmanas → Tulsidas → Awadhi retelling of the Ramayana.
• Sur Sagar → Surdas → Brajbhasha Krishna devotion.
• Padmavat → Malik Muhammad Jayasi → Awadhi Sufi epic on Rani Padmini.
• Poverty and Un-British Rule in India → Dadabhai Naoroji → Drain of Wealth theory.
• Anandamath / Devi Chaudharani → Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
• Bharat Durdasha / Satya Harishchandra → Bharatendu Harishchandra.
• Gita Rahasya / Kesari / The Maratha → Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
• Geetanjali / Gora / Home and the World / Chandalika / The Post Office → Rabindranath Tagore → Nobel Prize 1913.
• My Experiments with Truth / Hind Swaraj / Young India / Harijan / Navjivan → Mahatma Gandhi.
• Unhappy India → Lala Lajpat Rai → Rebuttal to Mayo's Mother India.
• A Nation in Making → Surendranath Banerjee.
• Indian War of Independence 1857 / Hindutva → V.D. Savarkar.
• India Wins Freedom / Al-Hilal / Gubar-e-Khatir → Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• Discovery of India / Glimpses of World History / An Autobiography / Letters from a Father to His Daughter / A Bunch of Old Letters → Jawaharlal Nehru.
• India Divided → Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
• The Indian Struggle / An Indian Pilgrim → Subhash Chandra Bose.
• Savitri / The Life Divine / Essays on the Gita → Sri Aurobindo.
• Bandi Jeevan → Sachindra Nath Sanyal.
• Devdas / Parineeta / Srikanta → Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.
• Agni Veena → Kazi Nazrul Islam.
• Bang-e-Dara / Tarana-e-Hind → Muhammad Iqbal.
• Indian Philosophy → Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.
• Kamayani → Jaishankar Prasad → Hindi Chhayavadi epic.
• Yama → Mahadevi Verma → Jnanpith Award winner.
• Bharat Bharati → Maithili Sharan Gupt → "Rashtra Kavi."
• Chandrakanta Santati → Devkinandan Khatri → First modern Hindi novel.
• The Guide / Malgudi Days / Swami and Friends → R.K. Narayan.
• Coolie / Untouchable → Mulk Raj Anand.
• Train to Pakistan / We Indians → Khushwant Singh.
• Aadhe Adhure → Mohan Rakesh.
• Midnight's Children / Satanic Verses / Victory City → Salman Rushdie.
• The God of Small Things / The Ministry of Utmost Happiness / AZADI / Mother Mary Comes to Me → Arundhati Roy.
• A Suitable Boy → Vikram Seth.
• The Inheritance of Loss → Kiran Desai → Booker 2006.
• The White Tiger / Selection Day → Aravind Adiga → Booker 2008.
• The Hungry Tide / Sea of Poppies / Gun Island / Jungle Nama / The Nutmeg's Curse / Wild Fictions → Amitav Ghosh → Jnanpith 2018.
• Interpreter of Maladies / The Namesake / Whereabouts → Jhumpa Lahiri → Pulitzer 2000.
• A Fine Balance / Such a Long Journey → Rohinton Mistry.
• Wings of Fire / Ignited Minds / India 2020 / The Turning Point → APJ Abdul Kalam.
• The Great Indian Novel / An Era of Darkness / Why I Am a Hindu / The Paradoxical Prime Minister / Ambedkar: A Life → Shashi Tharoor.
• The Argumentative Indian / Home in the World / Development as Freedom → Amartya Sen.
• The Shiva Trilogy / Ram Chandra Series / Legend of Suheldev / Immortal India / The Chola Tigers → Amish Tripathi.
• Five Point Someone / 2 States / Half Girlfriend / 400 Days / One Arranged Murder → Chetan Bhagat.
• I Do What I Do / The Third Pillar / Fault Lines → Raghuram Rajan.
• Indian Fiscal Federalism → Y.V. Reddy.
• Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver / The Great Sanctions Hack → Urjit Patel.
• Hit Refresh → Satya Nadella.
• India Unbound → Gurcharan Das.
• The Idea of India → Sunil Khilnani.
• Breakout Nations / The Rise and Fall of Nations → Ruchir Sharma.
• Kurukshetra → Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.
• Jhootha Sach → Yashpal.
• Three Thousand Stitches / How the Earth Got Its Beauty / Tides of Time → Sudha Murty.
• Tomb of Sand → Geetanjali Shree → International Booker Prize 2022.
• The One: Cricket, My Life and More → Shikhar Dhawan (2025).
• Four Stars of Destiny → General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
• Operation Sindoor → Lt Gen K.J.S. Dhillon (2025).
• Karuna: The Power of Compassion / Diyaslai → Kailash Satyarthi.
• Why the Constitution Matters → Former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud.
• Wings to Our Hopes - Volume II → President Droupadi Murmu (2025).
• The Undying Light → Gopalkrishna Gandhi (2025).
• Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India → Srinath Raghavan.
• Beyond the Courtroom → Fali S. Nariman.
• How India Scaled Mt G20 / Made in India / Life on Mars → Amitabh Kant.
• The World After Gaza → Pankaj Mishra.
• BRING IT ON: The Incredible Story of My Life → Dr. Deepa Malik.
• Ambedkar: A Life / Pride, Prejudice and Punditry → Shashi Tharoor.
• Revolutionaries: The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom → Sanjeev Sanyal.
• Pyre → Perumal Murugan.
• Pranab, My Father → Sharmistha Mukherjee.
• Welcome to Paradise → Twinkle Khanna.
• Indomitable → Arundhati Bhattacharya.
• Lal Salam → Smriti Irani.
• Fearless Governance → Dr. Kiran Bedi.
• Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra → Navdeep Singh Gill.
• Karmayoddha Granth → Amit Shah.
• The Battle of Belonging → Shashi Tharoor.
• Death - An Inside Story → Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.
• Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism → Dinyar Patel.
• Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly → Anupam Kher.
• Mind-Master → Viswanathan Anand.
• Every Vote Counts → Navin Chawla.
• Making of New India → Bibek Debroy.
• Exam Warriors → PM Narendra Modi.
• Changing India → Dr. Manmohan Singh.
• A Century Is Not Enough → Sourav Ganguly.
• 281 and Beyond → V.V.S. Laxman.
• Imperfect → Sanjay Manjrekar.
• Citizen Delhi → Sheila Dikshit.
• Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature → Jairam Ramesh.
• Coalition Years (1996-2012) → Pranab Mukherjee.
• Mirage and Other Stories → Damodar Mauzo → Jnanpith 2022.
• Kabita → Nilmani Phookan Jr. → Jnanpith 2021.
• Things to Leave Behind → Namita Gokhale → Sahitya Akademi 2021.
• When God Is a Traveler → Arundhathi Subramaniam → Sahitya Akademi 2020.
• Tokri Mein Digant → Anamika → Sahitya Akademi Hindi 2020.
• Samrat Ashok → Daya Prakash Sinha → Sahitya Akademi Hindi 2021.

For more such Static GK lists and exam-ready notes, explore the Static GK section on Jobsme.in. You can also test your knowledge with the Static GK Quiz, brush up on banking terms via the Banking Awareness Quiz, and check out the latest exam notifications at Latest Government Job Notifications.