UPSC Geography Syllabus 2024 – IAS Mains Optional Subjects

Geography Syllabus 2024: Check out the latest UPSC Mains Geography Syllabus 2024. Geography subject is one of the optional papers in UPSC IAS Mains Exam. Earlier we’ve provided UPSC Mains Syllabus, Now we are providing UPSC Mains Optional Subject Syllabus of Geography Paper. There is only “ONE” optional subject to choose from the list of optional subjects which are given below. It comprises of two papers each of 250 marks. So, the optional paper has a total 500 marks. In UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam, Geography is one of the Optional Subjects and consists of 2 papers. Each paper is of 250 marks with a total of 500 marks. Find below the UPSC Syllabus for Geography Optional Subject.

Also Check: UPSC Mains Optional Subjects List

UPSC Geography Syllabus

UPSC Mains Part B  – Optional Subjects
Subject: Geography Main Examination Syllabus

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UPSC Mains Geography Syllabus Paper 1

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UPSC Mains Geography Syllabus Paper 2

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UPSC Syllabus - IAS Prelims Mains Exam Pattern

UPSC Mains Geography Syllabus PAPER – I

PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHY Physical Geography:

  1. Geomorphology: Factors controlling landform development; endogenetic and exogenetic forces; Origin and evolution 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: Geohydrology, economic geology, and environment.

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  1. 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 frontogenesis, 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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; The 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, spirituality, 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: typology of agricultural regions; agricultural inputs and productivity; Food and nutrition problems; Food security; famine: causes, effects, and remedies; World industries: locational 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: 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.
  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: 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; Ostrov’s model of stages of growth. Heartland and Rimland theories; Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.

UPSC Mains Geography Syllabus 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 groundwater, energy, minerals, biotic and marine resources; Forest and wildlife resources and their conservation; Energy crisis.
  3. Agriculture: Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power; Institutional factors: landholdings, 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, apiculture, and poultry; agricultural regionalization; agro-climatic zones; agro-ecological regions.
  4. Industry: Evolution of industries; Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel, aluminum, fertilizer, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage, and agro-based industries; Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings; Industrial regionalization; New industrial policies; Multinationals and liberalization; Special Economic Zones; Tourism including eco-tourism.  
  1. 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 program.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Regional Development and Planning: Experience of regional planning in India; Five Year Plans; Integrated rural development programs; Panchayati Raj and decentralized planning; Command area development; Watershed management; Planning for the backward area, desert, drought-prone, hill, tribal area development; multi-level planning; Regional planning and development of island territories.
  5. Political Aspects: the Geographical basis of Indian federalism; State reorganization; Emergence of new states; Regional consciousness and interstate 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.
  6. Contemporary Issues: Ecological issues: Environmental hazards: 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.

NOTE: Candidates will be required to answer one compulsory map question pertinent to subjects covered by this paper.

Also, Check Other Optional Subject’s Syllabus

UPSC Main Examination Part B – Optional Subjects

Agriculture Main Syllabus

Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Main Syllabus

Botany Main Syllabus

Boda Main Syllabus

Chemistry Main Syllabus

Civil Engineering Main Syllabus

Commerce Main Syllabus

Economics Main Syllabus

Electrical Engineering Main Syllabus

Geography Main Syllabus

Geology Main Syllabus

Indian History Main Syllabus

Law Main Syllabus

Mathematics Main Syllabus

Mechanical Engineering Main Syllabus

Medical Science Main Syllabus

Philosophy Main Syllabus

Physics Main Syllabus

Political Science Main Syllabus

Psychology Main Syllabus

Public Administration Main Syllabus

Sociology Main Syllabus

Statistics Main Syllabus

Zoology Main Syllabus

Anthropology Main Syllabus

Arabic Main Syllabus

Assamese Main Syllabus

Bengali Main Syllabus

Dogri Main Syllabus

English Main Syllabus

Gujarati Main Syllabus

Hindi Main Syllabus

Kannada Main Syllabus

Kashmiri Main Syllabus

Konkani Main Syllabus

Maithili Main Syllabus

Malayalam Main Syllabus

Manipuri Main Syllabus

Marathi Main Syllabus

Nepali Main Syllabus

Oriya Main Syllabus

Persian Main Syllabus

Punjabi Main Syllabus

Sanskrit Main Syllabus

Santali Main Syllabus

Sindi Main Syllabus

Tamil Main Syllabus

Telugu Main Syllabus

Urdu Main Syllabus

Management Main Syllabus

In this website, We’ve provided UPSC Geography Syllabus in pdf, UPSC Mains Geography Previous Question Papers (Last 5 years), and how to prepare UPSC / IAS / Civil Services, Mains Geography Paper. Still, have any issues and queries regarding UPSC Geography Subject, you can drop a comment below.

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