Karol Bagh | IAS GS Foundation Course | date 26 November | 6 PM Call Us
This just in:

State PCS


Browse Other Optionals

Optional Homepage Hindi Literature History
Law Philosophy PSIR
Public Administration Sociology Anthropology
Psychology


Syllabus of Geography Paper - I (PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHY)


Physical Geography

  1. Geomorphology: Factors controlling landform development; endogenetic and exogenetic forces; Origin and evolution of the earth’s crusts; Fundamentals of geomagnetism; Physical conditions of the earth’s interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics; Recent views on mountain building; Volcanicity; Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Landscape development; Denudation chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope development; Applied Geomorphology; Geomorphology, economic geology, and environment.
  2. Climatology: Temperature and pressure belts of the world; Heat budget of the earth; Atmospheric circulation; Atmospheric stability and instability. Planetary and local winds; Monsoons and jet streams; Air masses and fronts; Temperate and tropical cyclones; Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; Koppen’s Thornthwaite’s and Trewartha’s classification of world climate; Hydrological cycle; Global climatic change, and role and response of man in climatic changes Applied climatology and Urban climate.
  3. Oceanography: Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans; Temperature and salinity of the oceans; Heat and salt budgets, Ocean deposits; Waves, currents, and tides; Marine resources; biotic, mineral, and energy resources; Coral reefs coral bleaching; Sea-level changes; Law of the sea and marine pollution.
  4. Biogeography: Genesis of soils; Classification and distribution of soils; Soil profile; Soil erosion, Degradation, and conservation; Factors influencing world distribution of plants and animals; Problems of deforestation and conservation measures; Social forestry, agro-forestry; Wildlife; Major gene pool centers.
  5. Environmental Geography: Principle of ecology; Human ecological adaptations; Influence of man on ecology and environment; Global and regional ecological changes and imbalances; Ecosystem their management and conservation; Environmental degradation, management, and conservation; Biodiversity and sustainable development; Environmental policy; Environmental hazards and remedial measures; Environmental education and legislation.

Human Geography

  1. Perspectives in Human Geography: Areal differentiation; regional synthesis; Dichotomy and dualism; Environmentalism; Quantitative revolution and locational analysis; Radical, behavioral, human, and welfare approaches; Languages, religions, and secularisation; Cultural regions of the world; Human development index.
  2. Economic Geography: World economic development: measurement and problems; World resources and their distribution; Energy crisis; the limits to growth; World agriculture: a typology of agricultural regions; Agricultural inputs and productivity; Food and nutrition problems; Food security; famine: causes, effects, and remedies; World industries: location patterns and problems; Patterns of world trade.
  3. Population and Settlement Geography: Growth and distribution of world population; Demographic attributes; Causes and consequences of migration; Concepts of the over-under-and optimum population; Population theories, world population problems and policies, Social well-being and quality of life; Population as social capital. Types and patterns of rural settlements; Environmental issues in rural settlements; Hierarchy of urban settlements; Urban morphology; Concept of primate city and rank-size rule; Functional classification of towns; Sphere of urban influence; Rural-urban fringe; Satellite towns; Problems and remedies of urbanization; Sustainable development of cities.
  4. Regional Planning: Concept of a region; Types of regions and methods of regionalization; Growth centers and growth poles; Regional imbalances; regional development strategies; environmental issues in regional planning; Planning for sustainable development. 
  5. Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography: System analysis in Human geography; Malthusian, Marxian and demographic transition models; Central Place theories of Christaller and Losch; Perroux and Boudeville; Von Thunen’s model of agricultural location; Weber’s model of industrial location; Ostov’s model of stages of growth. Heartland and Rimland theories; Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.

Online/Offline Programme Test Series Books
Delhi Praygaraj
Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now

Syllabus of Geography Paper - II (GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA)

  1. Physical Setting: Space relationship of India with neighboring countries; Structure and relief; Drainage system and watersheds; Physiographic regions; Mechanism of Indian monsoons and rainfall patterns; Tropical cyclones and western disturbances; Floods and droughts; Climatic regions; Natural vegetation, Soil types and their distributions.
  2. Resources: Land, surface and ground water, energy, minerals, biotic and marine resources, Forest and wildlife resources and their conservation; Energy crisis.
  3. Agriculture: Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power; Institutional factors; land holdings, land tenure and land reforms; Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability; Agro and social-forestry; Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications; Significance of dry farming; Livestock resources and white revolution; Aquaculture; Sericulture, Agriculture and poultry; Agricultural regionalisation; Agro-climatic zones; Agroecological regions.
  4. Industry: Evolution of industries; Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel, aluminum, fertiliser, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage, and ago-based industries; Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings; Industrial regionalisation; New industrial policy; Multinationals and liberalisation; Special Economic Zones; Tourism including ecotourism.
  5. Transport, Communication, and Trade: Road, railway, waterway, airway, and pipeline networks and their complementary roles in regional development; Growing importance of ports on national and foreign trade; Trade balance; Trade Policy; Export processing zones; Developments in communication and information technology and their impacts on economy and society; Indian space programme.
  6. Cultural Setting: Historical Perspective of Indian Society; Racial linguistic and ethnic diversities; religious minorities; Major tribes, tribal areas, and their problems; Cultural regions; Growth, distribution, and density of population; Demographic attributes: sex-ratio, age structure, literacy rate, work-force, dependency ratio, longevity; migration (inter-regional, intraregional and international) and associated problems; Population problems and policies; Health indicators.
  7. Settlements: Types, patterns, and morphology of rural settlements; Urban developments; Morphology of Indian cities; Functional classification of Indian cities; Conurbations and metropolitan regions; Urban sprawl; Slums and associated problems; Town planning; Problems of urbanisation and remedies.
  8. Regional Development and Planning: Experience of regional planning in India; Five Year Plans; Integrated rural development programmes; Panchayati Raj and decentralised planning; Command area development; Watershed management; Planning for backward area, desert, drought-prone, hill tribal area development; Multi-level planning; Regional planning and development of island territories.
  9. Political Aspects: Geographical basis of Indian federalism; State reorganization; Emergence of new states; Regional consciousness and inter-state issues; International boundary of India and related issues; Cross-border terrorism; India’s role in world affairs; Geopolitics of South Asia and Indian Ocean realm.
  10. Contemporary Issues: Ecological issues: Environmental hazards: landslides, earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods and droughts, epidemics; Issues related to environmental pollution; Changes in patterns of land use; Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management; Population explosion and food security; Environmental degradation; Deforestation, desertification, and soil erosion; Problems of agrarian and industrial unrest; Regional disparities in economic development; Concept of sustainable growth and development; Environmental awareness; Linkage of rivers; Globalisation and Indian economy.

Download Syllabus PDF

Previous Year UPSC Questions

2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
2018 2017
2024 2023 2022 2021
2020 2019 2018 2017

Paper-1


SECTION ‘A’

  1. Answer the following in about 150 words each:
    a). What are truncated spurs' ?Where and how are they formed?
    b). Formation of temperate cyclone depends on the condition of axis of dilation. Elucidate.
    c). With suitable examples explain the factors causing sea level changes.
    d). Examine the impacts of social forestry in socio-economic transformation of rural areas.
    e). Mountain regions are more fragile to ecological changes. Elucidate.

  2. a). Examine the recent views on mountain building process and divide the world mountains on the basis of their genesis.
    b). Describe latitudinal distribution of Köppen's classification of world climate.
    c). With suitable sketches elaborate the bottom topography of the Indian Ocean.

  3. a). Explain air masses and associated weather dynamics. How do air masses influence the weather conditions of the Northern Hemisphere?
    b). "Soil erosion is creeping death." Explaining the statement, suggest various soil conservation measures.
    c). Perception, Attitude, Value and Emotion (PAVE) are important components for biodiversity and sustainable environmental conservation. Elaborate.

  4. a). How is carbon neutrality essential for future environmental conservation? Describe various efforts taken by nations in this regard.
    b). What is a Yazoo stream? Why are Yazoo basins the areas of repeated flooding? Give examples of Yazoo stream/areas from various parts of the world.
    c). "The latitudinal gradient in species richness is an important geographic trend in biodiversity." Examine the statement.

SECTION ‘B’

  1. Answer the following in about 150 words each:
    a). Critically examine the significance of Behavioural Approach in the development of human geography.
    b). “While scarcity of water resources are felt locally, but its causes are increasingly global." Comment.
    c). Central Business Districts (CBDs) are in decline as the economic core of metropolitan cities. Critically examine.
    d). There is a need for gender-sensitive regional development. Elaborate.
    e). Explain the theoretical framework and stages of economic growth proposed by Rostow's model.

  2. a). The urbanisation process is particularly pronounced in Asia and Africa, where too many urban residents grapple with extreme poverty, exclusion, vulnerability and marginalisation. Discuss.
    b). Explain how the physical view of geographical space has impacted the forms of spatial analysis.
    c). Explain the Heartland theory with reference to contemporary geopolitical scenario of the world.

  3. a). ExpIain the basis of D. Whittlesey's classification of agricultural regions of the world.
    b). What is Transnationalism? Why has the scale and scope of transnational linkages of diaspora multiplied in recent times?
    c). Assess the criteria required for selecting regions for developmental planning?

  4. a). What is complementary region? With reference to hierarchy of settlements, describe the different types of complementary regions as proposed by Christaller.
    b). Analyse the spatial changes and emerging patterns of semiconductor manufacturing in the world.
    c). "In developed countries, migration rather than fertility will be the main driver of population dynamics over the next few decades." Examine the statement.

Paper-2


SECTION ‘A’

  1. a). On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether physical/ commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry:
    (i) Lunkaransar
    (ii) Gua
    (iii) Raidak River
    (iv) Ekta Nagar
    (v) Chandanwari
    (vi) Babina
    (vii) Tatipaka
    (viii) Along Airport
    (ix) Karaikal
    (x) Panna
    b). Discuss the basis of various explanations for the formation of Shiwalik
    c). Conservation and breeding centres are important component of the Action PIan for Vulture Conservation 2020—2025. Why?
    d). North-Eastern States in India are geopolitically sensitive and strategically significant. Explain.

  2. a). Institutional factors are playing a dominant role in controlling the agricultural prosperity in India. Justify with evidences.
    b). The Indian Space Policy, 2023 supports the commercial presence in space. In what ways will it benefit the socio-economic development and security of India?
    c). Discuss the process of formation of conurbations in India and describe their problems.

  3. a). India has wide-ranging regional disparities in economic development. Explain the patterns, implications and challenges.
    b). Discuss the variations in nature of glaciers in India and the emerging issues due to climate change.
    c). Domestic tourism in India has immense local resource potential. Discuss the reasons and its various dimensions.

  4. a). Migration is the reflection of regional disparities. What socio-economic and demographic consequences are experienced at the place of origin and destination?
    b). In spite of various tribal area development programmes in India, tribal areas still lag behind. Discuss critically with examples.
    c). WaterScarcity is an important cause of disputes and conflicts in India. Suggest innovative methods for location-based solutions.

SECTION ‘B’

  1. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each:
    a). How are geographic factors influencing the distribution of high, annual rainfall in certain parts of India?
    b). Indian population belongs to large number of races. Discuss the spatial distribution of major races.
    c). Examine the transitional role of technology on Indian agriculture sector.
    d). Describe the area-specific strategies for the development of drought-prone areas in India.
    e). Examine the relationship between seaports and regional development in India.

  2. a). Industrial waste is diversified. Discuss the potentials and challenges associated with it.
    b). How is cultural background of States of India reflected in the attributes of sex and age structure?
    c). Discuss the targets of focused interventions of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain, 2024 in rural and urban areas.

  3. a). India is playing a very significant role in world affairs. Examine the stands taken by India in important global and regional summits.
    b). The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act devolved functions, finances and functionaries for planning of rural areas in India. Discuss the major achievements with examples
    c). How do small and fragmented landholdings affect the agro-ecological system in rural India? What are the resilient steps needed to overcome this issue?

  4. a). How can morphology of Indian towns be described historically? Discuss the major features of the first planned city in India after independence.
    b). Health is the outcome of interaction between physical setting, cultural traits and ecological connection. Explain.
    c). What are the major regional rapid transit systems developed in India? How are urban problems being addressed by them?

Download PYQs PDF

Online/Offline Programme Test Series Books
Delhi Praygaraj
Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now








close
SMS Alerts
Share Page
images-2
images-2
× Snow