( UPSC Syllabus )

Part B - Main Examination - Optional Subjects

Paper-I (Principles of Geography)

Section-A (Physical Geography)

i. Geomorphology

Factors controlling landform development; endogenetic and exogenetic forces; origin and

evolution of the earth’s crust; physical conditions of the earth’s interior;

geosynclines; continental drift; isostasy; sea-floor spreading; plate tectonics; mountain

building; volcanicity; earthquakes; concepts of geomorphic cycles; landforms associated

with fluvial, arid, glacial, coastal and karst cycle; groundwater; Applied Geomorphology.

ii. Climatology

Temperature and pressure belts of the world; heat budget of the earth; atmospheric

circulation; planetary and local winds; monsoons and jet streams; air masses and fronts;

temperate and tropical cyclones; types and distribution of precipitation; KoppenÃ

¢â‚¬â„¢s and Thornthwaite’s classification of world climate; hydrological cycle;

climatic change.

iii. Oceanography

Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans; temperature and salinity of

the oceans; ocean deposits; ocean currents and tides; marine resources–biotic,

mineral and energy resources; coral reefs; sea-level changes.

iv. Biogeography

Genesis of soils; classification and distribution of soils; soil profile; soil erosion and

conservation; factors influencing world distribution of plants and animals; problems of

deforestation and conservation measures; social forestry, agro-forestry.

v. Environmental Geography

Human ecological adaptations; transformation of nature by man; environmental

degradation and conservawtin; ecosystems and their management; global ecological

imbalances–problems of pollution, global warming, reduction in bio-diversity

and depletion of forests.

Section-B (Human Geography)

i. Perspectives in Human Geography

A real differentiation; regional synthesis; dichotomy and dualism; environmentalism;

quantitative revolution and locational analysis; radical, behavioural, human and welfare

approaches; cultural regions of the world human and welfare approaches; cultural

regions of the world; human development indicators.

ii. Economic Geography

World economic develpment–measurement and problems; world resources and

their distribution; energy crisis; the limits to growth; world agriculture–typology

of agricultural regions; agricultural inputs and productivity; food and nutrition problems;

famine–causes, effects and remedies; world industries–location

patterns and problems; patterns of world trade.

iii. Population and Settlement Geography

Growth and distribution of world population; demographic atrributes; causes and

consequencies of migration; concepts of over–, under– and optimum

population; world population problems.

Types and patterns of rural settlements; hierarchy of urban settlements; concept of

primate city and rank-size rule; functional classificatipn of towns; sphere of urban

influence; rural-urban fringe; satellite town; problems of urbanisation.

iv. Regional Planning

Concept of a region; types of regions and methods of regionalisation; growth centres and

growth poles; regional imbalances; environmental issues in regional planning; planning

for sustainable development.

v. 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; Von Thunen’s model of

agricultural location; Weber’s model of industrial location; Rostov’s

model of stages of growth. Heart-land and Rimland theories; laws of international

boundaries and frontiers.

Note : Candidates will be required to answer one compulsory map question pertinent to subjects

covered by this paper.

Paper-II (Geography of India)

Section-A.

 
 i. Physical Setting

Space relationship of India with neighbouring countries; structure and relief; drainage

system and watersheds; physiographic regions; mechanism of Indian monsoons; tropical

cyclones and western distrubances; floods and droughts; climatic regions; natural

vegetation, soil types and their distributions.

ii. Resources

Land, surface and groundwater, energy, minerals, and biotic resources, their distribution,

utilisation and conservation; energy crisis.

iii. Agriculture

Infrastructure–irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power; institutional factorsÃ

¢â‚¬â€œland holdings, land tenure and land reforms; 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; blue revolution; agricultural regionalisation;

agro-climatic zones.

iv. Industry

Evolution of industries; locational factors of cotton, jute, iron and steel, fertiliser, paper,

drugs and pharmaceutical, automobile and cottage indusries; industrial complexes and

industrial regionalisaiton; new industrial policy; multinationals and liberalisation.

v. 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; free trade and export promotion zones; developments in communication

technology and its impact on economy and society.

Section-B

i. Cultural Setting

Racial and ethnic diversities; major tribes, tribal areas and their problems; role of

langague, religion and tradition in the formation of cultural regions; growth, distribution

and density of population; demographic attributes–sex-ratio, age structure,

literacy rate, work-force, dependency ratio and longevity; migration (inter-regional,

intra-regional and international) and associated problems, population problems and

policies.

 
ii. Settlements

Types, patterns and morphology of rural settlements; urban development; census

definition of urban areas; morphology of Indian cities; functional classification of Indian

cities; conurbations and metropolitan regions; urban sprawl; slums and associated

problems; town planning; problems of urbanisaiton.

iii. 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 and

tribal area development; multi-level planning; geography and regional planning.

iv. Political Aspects

Geographical basis of Indian federalism; state reorganisation; regional consciousness and

national integration; international boundary of India and related issues; disputes on

sharing of water resources; India and geopolitics of the Indian Ocean.

v. Contemporary Issues

Environmental hazards–landslides, earthquakes, 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; problems of agrarian

and industrial unrest; regional disparities in economic development; concept of

sustainable growth and development.