SSC CGL - Detailed Guide 2025
Self-Paced Course
Famous Indian Authors and Their Works
Reference: Lucent GK, NCERT Class 6–12
Classical & Modern Indian Literature (Highly Important for Exams)
| Book Title | Author | Notes / Genre |
|---|---|---|
| Godaan | Munshi Premchand | Hindi literature classic; focused on rural struggles |
| Gitanjali | Rabindranath Tagore | Nobel Prize-winning poetry collection (1913) |
| Malgudi Days | R.K. Narayan | Short stories set in fictional town “Malgudi” |
| The Guide | R.K. Narayan | Novel adapted into a Hindi movie |
| Train to Pakistan | Khushwant Singh | Based on Partition of India (1947) |
| A Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth | One of the longest English-language novels |
| The Discovery of India | Jawaharlal Nehru | Written during British imprisonment |
| Wings of Fire | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam | Autobiography of India’s Missile Man |
| My Experiments with Truth | M.K. Gandhi | Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi |
| Anandmath | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | Introduced the song "Vande Mataram" |
| Kamayani | Jaishankar Prasad | Hindi epic poem (Chhayavaad era) |
| Rashmirathi | Ramdhari Singh Dinkar | Epic poem on Karna (Mahabharata) |
SSC Tip: Godaan = Premchand, Gitanjali = Tagore, Wings of Fire = Abdul Kalam
Contemporary Indian Authors (Post-1980s to Present)
| Book Title | Author | Notes / Recognition |
|---|---|---|
| The White Tiger | Aravind Adiga | Booker Prize Winner (2008) |
| The Inheritance of Loss | Kiran Desai | Booker Prize Winner (2006) |
| The Ministry of Utmost Happiness | Arundhati Roy | Longlisted for Booker Prize |
| The God of Small Things | Arundhati Roy | Booker Prize Winner (1997) |
| The Namesake | Jhumpa Lahiri | Novel on diaspora, adapted into a film |
| Interpreter of Maladies | Jhumpa Lahiri | Pulitzer Prize (1999) – Short Stories |
| An Era of Darkness | Shashi Tharoor | Critique of British rule in India |
| Why I am a Hindu | Shashi Tharoor | Reflection on Hindu identity |
| India 2020 | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam | Vision for developed India by 2020 |
| The Story of My Assassins | Tarun Tejpal | Political-crime fiction |
| A Fine Balance | Rohinton Mistry | Booker-shortlisted novel |
| Serious Men | Manu Joseph | Won The Hindu Prize (2010) |
SSC Tip: White Tiger = Aravind Adiga (Booker), Inheritance of Loss = Kiran Desai (Booker)
Additional Important Books Frequently Asked in Exams
| Book Title | Author | Theme / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I Do What I Do | Raghuram Rajan | Memoir during RBI Governorship |
| Exam Warriors | Narendra Modi | Book for students on stress management |
| The Accidental Prime Minister | Sanjaya Baru | Memoir on Manmohan Singh's tenure |
| Half Girlfriend | Chetan Bhagat | Popular fiction, adapted into film |
| Revolution 2020 | Chetan Bhagat | Critique of education system |
| The Great Indian Novel | Shashi Tharoor | Satirical retelling of Mahabharata |
| Indira: India’s Most Powerful PM | Sagarika Ghose | Biography of Indira Gandhi |
| Narendra Modi: A Political Biography | Andy Marino | Biography |
SSC Tip: Books by APJ Abdul Kalam and Shashi Tharoor are often repeated
Nobel & Booker Prize-winning Indian Authors
| Author | Work | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Rabindranath Tagore | Gitanjali | Nobel Prize (1913) |
| Arundhati Roy | The God of Small Things | Booker Prize (1997) |
| Kiran Desai | The Inheritance of Loss | Booker Prize (2006) |
| Aravind Adiga | The White Tiger | Booker Prize (2008) |
| Jhumpa Lahiri | Interpreter of Maladies | Pulitzer Prize (1999) |
Final Revision Highlights
- Godaan = Premchand (Hindi literature)
- Gitanjali = Tagore (Nobel 1913)
- White Tiger = Adiga (Booker)
- Wings of Fire = Abdul Kalam
- The Guide = R.K. Narayan
Developed By Roopasree Challa
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