UPSC Geography Syllabus 2021 - Detailed UPSC Geography Optional Syllabus

Chapters

Topics

Geomorphology

Endogenetic and exogenetic forces, factors controlling landform development, Physical conditions of the earth’s interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift; Origin and evolution of the crust of earth’s crusts; Fundamentals of geomagnetism; Isostasy; Volcanicity, Earthquakes & Tsunamis; Plate tectonics; Recent views on mountain building, Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Landscape development; Denudation chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope development, Geomorphology; Geomorphology, economic geology and environment

Oceanography

Indian and Pacific Oceans; Temperature and salinity of the oceans; Heat and salt budgets, Marine resources; biotic, mineral and energy resources; Ocean deposits; Waves, currents and tides; Coral reefs coral bleaching; Sea-level changes; Law of the sea and marine pollution.

Biogeography

Genesis of various soil, Degrada-tion and conservation; Factors which influence world distribution of plants and animals; Classification and distribution of soils; Soil profile; Soil erosion, Problems of deforestation and conservation measures; agroforestry; Social forestry, Wild life; Major gene pool centres.

Environmental Geography

Influence of man on ecology and environment; Principle ecology; Human ecological adaptations; Ecosystem their management and conservation; Global and regional ecological changes & imbalances; Environmental degradation, management and conservation; Environmental policy; Environmental hazards and remedial measures; Biodiversity and sustainable development; Environmental education and legislation.

Climatology

Heat budget of the earth; Atmospheric circulation; Temperature and pressure belts of the world; Atmospheric stability & instability. Air masses and fronto; Planetary and local winds; Monsoons and jet streams; Temperate and tropical cyclones; Types and distribution of precipitation; Koppen’s Thornthwaite’s and Trewar Tha’s classification of world climate; Weather and Climate; Hydrological cycle; Global climatic change, and role and response of man in climatic changes Applied climatology and Urban climate.

Chapters

Topics

Models, Theories & Laws in Human Geography

Marxian and demographic transition models; Malthusian,System analysis in Human geography; Central Place theories of Christaller and Losch; Perroux and Boudeville; Weber’s model of industrial location; Von Thunen’s model of agricultural location; Ostov’s model of stages of growth. Heart-land and Rimland theories; Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.

Population and Settlement Geography

Demographic attributes; Causes and consequences of migration; Growth and distribution of world population; Concepts of over-under-and optimum population; Social well-being and quality of life; Population theories, world population problems and policies, Population as social capital. Environmental issues in rural settlements; Types and patterns of rural settlements; Hierarchy of urban settlements; Urban morphology; Concept of primate city & rule of rank size, Sphere of urban influence; Functional classification of towns; Problems and remedies of urbanization; Rural-urban fringe; Satellite towns; Sustainable development of cities.

Economic Geography

World agriculture: typology of agricultural regions; Agricultural inputs and productivity; Food and nutritions problems; World economic development: measurement and problems; World resources and their distribution; Energy crisis; the limits to growth; Food security; famine: causes, effects and remedies; World industries: location patterns and problems; Patterns of world trade

Perspectives in Human Geography

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

Regional Planning

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

Chapters

Topics

Agriculture

Institutional factors; land holdings, land tenure and land reforms; Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power; Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability; Significance of dry farming; Livestock resources and white revolution; Agro and social-forestry; Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications; Aqua-culture; Sericulture, Agriculture & poultry; Agro-climatic zones, Agro-ecological regions; Agricultural regionalisation;

Resources

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

Industries

Industrial regionalisation; Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings; New industrial policy; Multinationals and liberalisation; Special Economic Zones; Tourism including ecotourism. Evolution of industries; Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel, aluminium, fertiliser, paper, automobile, chemical and pharmaceutical, cottage and agro-based industries;

Political Aspects

State reorganisation; Emergence of new states; Geographical basis of Indian federalism; International boundary of India and related issues; Regional consciousness and inter-state issues; Cross-border terrorism; India’s role in world affairs; Geopolitics of South Asia and Indian Ocean realm

Physical Setting

Structure and relief; Space relationship of India with its neighbouring countries; Physiographic regions; Drainage system and watersheds; Mechanism of Indian monsoons and rainfall patterns; Tropical cyclones and western disturbances; Floods & droughts; Natural vegetation, Climatic regions, Soil types and their distributions.

Cultural Setting

Racial linguistic & ethnic diversities; Historical Perspective of Indian Society; religious minorities; Major tribes, tribal areas & their problems; Growth, distribution and density of population; Cultural regions; Demographic attributes: sex-ratio, age structure, literacy rate, dependency ratio, work-force, longevity; migration (inter-regional, interaregional and international) and associated problems; Population problems and policies; Health indicators.

Contemporary Issues

Issues related to environmental pollution; Ecological issues: Environmental hazards: landslides, earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods and droughts, epidemics; Changes in patterns of land use; Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management; Environmental degradation; Deforestation, desertification and soil erosion; Population explosion and food security; 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.

Regional Development and Planning

Five Year Plans; Integrated rural development programmes; Experience of regional planning in India; Watershed management; Command area development; Panchayati Raj and decentralised planning; Planning for backward area, desert, drought-prone, hill tribal area development; Multi-level planning; Regional planning and development of island territories

Transport, Communication and Trade

Growing importance of ports on national and foreign trade; Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline networks and their complementary roles in regional development; Export processing zones; Trade balance; Trade Policy; Developments in communication and information technology and their impacts on economy and society; Indian space programme.

Settlements

Urban developments; Types, patterns and morphology of rural settlements; Morphology of Indian cities; Functional classification of Indian cities; Slums and associated problems; Conurbations and metropolitan regions; Urban sprawl; Town planning; Problems of urbanisation and remedies

UPSC Geography Books for Paper 1

UPSC Geography Books for Paper 2

Agricultural Geography – Majid Husain

A Geography of India -Gopal Singh

Environmental Geography – Savindra Singh

Certificate Physical and Human Geography – Goh Cheng Leong

Human Geography -Majid Husain

Oxford School Atlas – Oxford

Physical Geography in Diagrams -Bunnett

Geography of Population- R.C.Chandna

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