Kurukshetra magazine is one of the most popular magazines for civil services exam preparation among UPSC aspirants. Serious candidates for the UPSC are advised to read the magazine on a monthly basis for at least 18 months to familiarise themselves with the issues of rural development.
On this page we have uploaded PDF copy of latest issues of Kurukshetra magazine for last 18 months for free download. This page is updated regularly. So, you can visit us every month to download the PDF of the latest issue of Kurukshetra magazine for free.
| S. No. | File Name (English) | Download | File Name (Hindi) | Download |
| 1. | March 2021 Issue | Open | March 2021 Issue | Open |
| 2. | February 2021 Issue | Open | February 2021 Issue | Open |
| 3. | January 2021 Issue | Open | January 2021 Issue | Open |
| 4. | December 2020 Issue | Open | December 2020 Issue | Open |
| 5. | November 2020 Issue | Open | November 2020 Issue | Open |
| 6. | October 2020 Issue | Open | October 2020 Issue | Open |
| 7. | September 2020 Issue | Open | September 2020 Issue | Open |
| 8. | August 2020 Issue | Open | August 2020 Issue | Open |
| 9. | July 2020 Issue | Open | July 2020 Issue | Open |
| 10. | June 2020 Issue | Open | June 2020 Issue | Open |
| 11. | May 2020 Issue | Open | May 2020 Issue | Open |
| 12. | April 2020 Issue | Open | April 2020 Issue | Open |
| 13. | March 2020 Issue | Open | March 2020 Issue | Open |
| 14. | February 2020 Issue | Open | February 2020 Issue | Open |
| 15. | January 2020 Issue | Open | January 2020 Issue | Open |
| 16. | December 2019 Issue | Open | December 2019 Issue | Open |
| 17. | November 2019 Issue | Open | November 2019 Issue | Open |
| 18. | October 2019 Issue | Open | October 2019 Issue | Open |
| 19. | September 2019 Issue | Open | September 2019 Issue | Open |
| 20. | August 2019 Issue | Open | August 2019 Issue | Open |
| 21. | July 2019 Issue | Open | July 2019 Issue | Open |
| 22. | June 2019 Issue | Open | June 2019 Issue | Open |
| 23. | April 2019 Issue | Open | April 2019 Issue | Open |
| 24. | March 2019 Issue | Open | March 2019 Issue | Open |
| 25. | February 2019 Issue | Open | February 2019 Issue | Open |
| 26. | January 2019 Issue | Open | January 2019 Issue | Open |
Kurukshetra magazine is published by the Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. It is published on a monthly basis.
It covers various issues of rural development such as various government policies and programmes for the rural poor, infrastructure development in the villages, agricultural modernization, enhancing livelihood opportunities in rural areas, financial inclusion of the rural population, removal of rural poverty, sanitation, water supply in rural areas, etc.
Trend analysis of UPSC question papers over the years reveals that the UPSC is asking an increasing number of questions pertaining to rural development and the problems of rural areas. For instance, in the latest 2020 Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam there were numerous questions from agriculture and allied sectors. In the Mains exam also, UPSC has been asking an increasing number of questions pertaining to rural development.
UPSC toppers year after year have been referring to Kurukshetra magazine while preparing for the Civil Services exam.
Many UPSC aspirants are based in the cities and do not have much connect with rural India. However, as IAS officers they are required to serve all areas in the district including rural as well as urban. Reading Kurukshetra magazine enables the students to get acquainted with the problems and issues of rural India.
All articles in Kurukshetra magazine are holistic, cover different points of view and undertake a very thorough analysis of issues of rural development.
Information, data and perspectives mentioned in the kurukshetra magazine can be used in the UPSC exam answers to substantiate one's point of view.
The content of Kurukshetra magazine is very authentic, reliable and correct information since it is published by the Government of India.
As Gandhiji said, 'India lives in its villages'. India till date continues to be a predominantly rural society. As per the Census report of 2011, 68.8 % of India's population continues to lives in rural areas. Therefore it is essential for any person aspiring to to serve the country to be acquainted with the problems of two-thirds of its population.
Rural India is rapidly changing. The changes are taking place due to a variety of factors such as the spread of modern education, changes in agricultural techniques, migration to the cities, agrarian distress, etc. Importantly the government plays an important role in rural transformation through its executive arm. Civil servants like IAS and IPS are expected to play an increasingly important role in rural development. This emphasis is also reflected in the examination pattern for the selection of civil servants by the UPSC.
Rural issues are frequently in news due to a variety of factors. From this perspective it becomes important for the UPSC exam for the current affairs questions. Some of the rural issues which have been asked again and again by UPSC in the Civil Services examinations are related to farmers' protests, farmers' suicides, BT cotton, corporate farming, etc.