The eligibility qualification mentioned in UPSC prospectus for exams is a graduation degree. If a person even does class 12 from NIOS and then does graduation then he is also eligible for UPSC. In the same way if a person has done a graduation course without class 12 then one is eligible for appearing in UPSC.
So the eligibility is graduation and if that degree is an approved one then there is no problem in applying for UPSC exam.
There are a large number of guide books that students use for preparing for this exam.
These books cover different subjects and basic knowledge in various areas like logical reasoning, general knowledge, science, history, arts and culture, geography, political science, commerce, economics, law, environment, and many more.
For preparing for UPSC exams a long term strategy is required because the syllabus is very wide and one has to work hard and cover a lot of subjects.
It is said that students who want to qualify in UPSC exams have to work on it right from their high school level and think and act in that direction.
Current affairs, business scenario in the international market, political and diplomatic relations, foreign policy, defence and army, agriculture and many other areas have to be well understood by the candidates.
Those who want to appear in UPSC exams have to focus in the studies from a larger perspective and it is necessary to solve the question papers of earlier years to find out one's speed of answering and things like that.
Experts believe that the studies for UPSC exams cannot be completed in one round because until the students repeats the material a few times it would not stay in his mind and he will not be able to reproduce the knowledge for a correct answer. So it is usual for the candidates to study at least 8-10 hours per day for a significant period.
Some common books advised are -
1. For general studies 'Prelims Manual for GS by Manohar Pandey' is a good choice.
2. Cracking the CSAT by Arihant Experts is a good resource.
3. Fundamentals of Essay and Answer Writing – by Anudeep Durishetty is a good book for developing writing power.
4. World History – by Krishna Reddy.
5. International Relations – by Pavneet Singh.
6. Environmental Studies: From Crisis to Cure by Rajagopalan.
7. Science and Technology – by Ravi P. Agrahari.
8. Indian Economy – by Nitin Singhania.
Knowledge is power.