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This list is very important for the ensuing Miscellaneous examination. Also for other exams.

R.K. Narayan — Famous for his Malgudi Days series. Also’ Guide’

Arundhati Roy — “The God of Small Things.” ‘The Cost of Living’, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

Vikram Seth — “A Suitable Boy”, Two Lives,

Salman Rushdie — “Midnight’s Children” is his most famous work, which also won the Booker Prize.

Jhumpa Lahiri — Known for “The Interpreter of Maladies,” a collection of short stories that won the Pulitzer Prize. Unaccustomed Earth, The Namesake

Amitav Ghosh — “The Glass Palace” is a widely acclaimed novel that showcases his narrative skills.

Bhavik Sarkhedi— “The Unproposed Guy” , The Weak Point Dealer

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar- Samskara, Bhava

Khushwant Singh — Known for “Train to Pakistan,” which vividly describes the partition of India, ‘Delhi- A Novel’, ‘The History of the Sikhs, also known for the Santa Banta jokes,

Ruskin Bond — “The Blue Umbrella,” The Adventures of Toto, Cherry Tree, Susanna’s Seven Husbands, The Room on the Roof, Rusty, the Boy from the Hills

Sudha Murty — “Wise and Otherwise”

Shankha Ghosh – Adim Lata, Murkho Boro Na Shib Boro Na

Shashi Tharoor — “The Great Indian Novel” is a satirical take on the history of modern India, India: From Midnight to the Millennium, Why I Am A Hindu, Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India

Amish Tripathi — Famous for his Shiva Trilogy, starting with “The Immortals of Meluha.”

V.S. Naipaul — Although he spent much of his life in the UK, his Indian heritage profoundly influenced his work, including “A House for Mr Biswas.”

Anita Desai — Known for “Clear Light of Day,” which explores family dynamics in India, Fire on the Mountain

Mulk Raj Anand — One of the first Indian authors writing in English to gain international fame, known for “Untouchable.” Also ‘Coolie’,

Bhagat Singh — “Why I am an Atheist”

Devdutt Pattanaik — Known for “Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology.” Also ‘My Gita’, ‘Sati Savitri’

Nirad C. Chaudhuri — Famous for “The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian,” offering a personal view of Indian history.

Kamala Das — Known for her bold and honest autobiography, “My Story.”

Vikram Chandra — “Sacred Games,” a novel that dives deep into Mumbai’s underbelly, later adapted into a popular Netflix series.

Shobhaa Dé — Best known for “Starry Nights,” a novel that explores the darker side of the Bollywood film industry.

Raja Rao — “Kanthapura” is a significant work that narrates the impact of Gandhi’s teaching on nonviolent resistance against the British, The Serpent and the Rope

Aravind Adiga — Won the Booker Prize for “The White Tiger,” a novel that explores the dark side of India’s class struggle.

Rohinton Mistry — Famous for “A Fine Balance,” which captures the lives of four varied individuals in the backdrop of India’s Emergency period.

Manu Joseph — “Serious Men,” a novel that offers a satirical take on the Indian caste system and scientific community.

Anuradha Roy — Known for “Sleeping on Jupiter,” a novel that explores the theme of violence against women.

Gita Mehta — “Raj,” a historical novel that provides a profound look into the British Raj through the eyes of an Indian princess.

Manju Kapur — “Difficult Daughters” is a compelling story about partition, education, and women’s liberation in India.

Pankaj Mishra — “The Romantics,” a novel that elegantly captures the essence of coming of age in Varanasi.

Amartya Sen- The Argumentative Indian

Neel Mukherjee — “The Lives of Others,” a novel set in 1960s Bengal, exploring the impacts of socio-political unrest

Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree.

Rohinton Mistry- A Fina Balance

The Man Who Knew Infinity – book on S.Ramanujan by  Robert Kanigel

Indra Sinha — “Animal’s People,” a novel inspired by the Bhopal gas tragedy, shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Amitav Ghosh-  The Calcutta Chromosome ,The Glass Palace , The Hungry Tide , Sea of Poppies , River of Smoke

Mohsin Hamid — Although he is primarily known for his work related to Pakistan, his novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” captures post-9/11 tensions and is influential in South Asian literature.

Geetanjali Shree — “Tomb of Sand,” originally written in Hindi, won the International Booker Prize, highlighting the depth of Hindi literature.

S. Hareesh — “Moustache,” a novel that vividly portrays the social and political fabric of Kerala.

Perumal Murugan — “One Part Woman,” a controversial yet powerful novel that explores the impact of societal pressures on a couple.

Jaswant Singh Kanwal — “Lahu Di Lo” (River of Blood), a Punjabi novel that explores the struggles of Punjab’s farmers.

Sudhir Kakar — “The Ascetic of Desire,” a psychological exploration of the life of Vatsyayana, the author of the Kama Sutra.

Upamanyu Chatterjee — “English, August: An Indian Story,” a novel that offers a humorous yet insightful look at the Indian bureaucratic life, The Last Burden

Vikas Swarup — “Q & A,” which was adapted into the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Kavery Nambisan — “The Scent of Pepper,” a narrative that delves into the lives of plantation families in Coorg.

Bapsi Sidhwa — “Cracking India,” a novel that provides a poignant look at the Partition of India through the eyes of a young girl.

Arun Joshi — “The Strange Case of Billy Biswas,” a novel that explores the themes of existential search and the conflict between modernity and traditional values.

Gopinath Mohanty — “Paraja,” spotlighting the exploitation and struggle of tribal people in Orissa.

Anuja Chauhan — “The Zoya Factor,” a delightful mix of cricket, romance, and luck, which became a hit among readers.

Twinkle Khanna — “Mrs Funnybones,” a witty and humorous look at the life of an Indian woman, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad

Kalki Krishnamurthy — “Ponniyin Selvan,” a historic novel set in the Chola dynasty, deeply revered in Tamil literature.

M.T. Vasudevan Nair — “Randamoozham” (The Second Turn), a retelling of the Mahabharata from Bhima’s perspective, a masterpiece in Malayalam literature.

R.M. Lala — “The Creation of Wealth,” a detailed account of the Tata family’s contribution to India.

Harivansh Rai Bachchan — “Madhushala,” a collection of poems that sings praises of the simplicity of life and the beauty of wine, Agneepath

Amrita Pritam — “Pinjar,” a poignant novel that explores the human dimension of the Partition of India.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad – India Wins Freedom

Ramachandra Guha- Makers of Modern India

Jawaharlal Nehru – The Discovery Of India

Kiran Desai- The Inheritance of Loss, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard

Durgesh Nandini — “Hridaya Ki Madhuri,” a novel that reflects on the emotional depths of human relationships.

Shankar — “Chowringhee,” a novel that offers a glimpse into the lives of the people associated with a hotel in Kolkata.

Vijay Tendulkar — “Ghashiram Kotwal,” a play that critiques the politics of power through the story of a police chief in Peshwa-era Pune.

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan –    Indian Philosophy

Sarojini Naidu –  Broken Wing

P.Chidambaram – Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India

Navin Chawla – Every Vote Counts – The Story of India’s Elections

List of Autobiographies

B. R. Ambedkar                Waiting for a Visa

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

Rajendra Prasad                Atmakahktha

Shantabai Kamble            Majya Jalmachi Chittarkatha        (First autobiography of Dalit woman)

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam          Wings of Fire     

Khushwant Singh             Truth, Love & a Little Malice        

J. B. Kripalani      My Times: An Autobiography    

In the Name of the People: Reflections on Democracy, Freedom and Development by K. R. Narayanan

Sania Mirza- Ace Against Odds

Milkha Singh      The Race of My Life         

Kapil Dev              Straight from the Heart                 

Vijay Kumar Singh            Courage and Conviction

Yuvraj Singh        The Test of My Life          

M. Karunanidhi                 Nejukku Needhi

Satyajit Ray, director        Jakhan Choto Chilam      

K. Natwar Singh One Life Is Not Enough  

Sachin Tendulkar              Playing It My Way

Mary Kom- Unbreakable

Bina Das- A Memoir

Phoolan Devi      The Bandit Queen of India

L. K. Advani         My Country My Life                        

V. R. Krishna Iyer               Wandering in Many Worlds

Abhinav Bindra          A Shot at History

Ravi Shankar      My Music, My Life