Geography Syllabus UPSC Mains Exam

Geography Syllabus Paper – I [arr] Principles of Geography

Physical Geography

Geomorphology

• Factors controlling landform development; endogenetic and exogenetic forces;
• Origin andevolution of the earth’s crust; Fundamentals of geomagnetism;
• Physical conditions of the earth’s interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics;
• Recent views on mountain building; Vulcanicity; Earthquakes and Tsunamis;
• Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Landscape development ;
• Denudation chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope development;
• Applied Geomorphology [arr]  Geohydrology, economic geology and environment.

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 fronto genesis, Temperate and tropical cyclones;
• Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate;
• Koppen’s, Thornthwaite’s and Trewartha’s classification of world climates;
• Hydrological cycle; Global climatic change and role and response of man in climatic changes, Applied climatology and Urban climate.

Oceanography

• Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans;
• Temperature and salinity ofthe oceans; Heat and salt budgets,
• Ocean deposits; Waves, currents and tides;
• Marine resources [arr] biotic, mineral and energy resources; Coral reefs, coral bleaching;
• sealevel changes; law of the sea and marine pollution

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; Wild life; Major gene pool centres.

Environmental Geography

• Principle of ecology; Human ecological adaptations; Influence of man onecology 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 

Perspectives in Human Geography

• Areal differentiation; regional synthesis; Dichotomy and dualism;
• Environmentalism; Quantitative revolution and locational analysis;
• Radical, behavioural, human and welfare approaches; Languages, religions and secularisation;
• Cultural regions of the world; Human development index

Economic Geography

• World economic development [arr] measurement and problems;
• World resources andtheir distribution; Energy crisis; the limits to growth;
• World agriculture [arr] typology of agricultural regions; agricultural inputs and productivity;
• Food and nutrition problems; Food security; famine [arr] causes, effects and remedies;
• World industries [arr] locational patterns and problems; patterns of world trade.

Population and Settlement Geography

• Growth and distribution of world population; demographicattributes;
• Causes and consequences of migration; concepts of 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 [arr] Concepts 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

Regional Planning

• Concept of a region; Types of regions and methods of regionalisation;
• Growth centresand growth poles; Regional imbalances; regional development strategies;
• Environmental issues in regional planning; Planning for sustainable development.

Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography

• Systems 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.

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Geography Syllabus Paper – II [arr] Geography of India

Physical Setting

• Space relationship of India with neighboring countries; Structure and relief;
• Drainagesystem 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

Resources

• Land, surface and ground water, energy, minerals, biotic and marine resources;
• Forest and wildlife resources and their conservation;
• Energy crisis

Agriculture

• Infrastructure [arr] irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power;
• Institutional factors [arr] 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;
• Aqua – culture; sericulture, apiculture and poultry; agricultural regionalisation; agro-climatic zones; agro- ecological regions.

Industry

• Evolution of industries; Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel, aluminium,fertilizer, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile,
• Cottage and agro-based industries; Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings;
• Industrial regionalisation; New industrial policies; Multinationals and liberalization;
• Special Economic Zones; Tourism including eco-tourism.

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

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 [arr] sex-ratio, age structure, literacy rate, work-force, dependency ratio, longevity; migration (inter-regional, intra- regional and international) and associated problems; Population problems and policies; Health indicators.

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 urbanization and remedies.

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.

Political Aspects

• Geographical basis of Indian federalism; State reorganisation; 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

Contemporary Issues [arr] Ecological issues

• Environmental hazards [arr] landslides, earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods and droughts, epidemics;
• Issues relating 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

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NOTE [arr] Candidates will be required to answer one compulsory map question pertinent to subjects covered by this paper