Before diving into the book’s contents, it is important to understand the credibility of its author. R.K. Bansal is a retired professor and a renowned author of engineering textbooks. His other famous works include A Textbook of Fluid Mechanics, Strength of Materials, and Engineering Thermodynamics.
Bansal’s writing style is uniquely suited to the Indian engineering curriculum. He avoids overly complex theoretical jargon and focuses on:
Because of this, A Textbook of Engineering Mechanics is prescribed in the syllabus of dozens of universities, including UPTU, RGPV, VTU, and many state technical boards.
Chapter 1: Basics & Force Systems
Chapter 2: Moments and Couples
Chapter 3: Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies
Chapter 4: Trusses and Frames
Chapter 5: Centre of Gravity and Centroid
Chapter 6: Moment of Inertia
Chapter 7: Friction
A: No. For GATE (Mechanical or Civil Engineering), you need a higher level of conceptual depth and problem-solving speed. Use Bansal for building fundamentals, then switch to Engineering Mechanics by S.S. Bhavikatti or standard GATE preparatory books.
Yes. It thoroughly covers Statics (Part A) and Dynamics (Part B). It does not cover advanced topics like relative velocity or Coriolis acceleration in depth, but for a first-year course, it is sufficient.