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UPSC Geography Syllabus 2024 - Topic Wise UPSC Geography Optional Syllabus

UPSC Geography Syllabus 2024 - Topic Wise UPSC Geography Optional Syllabus

Edited By Vishnukumar V | Updated on Feb 14, 2024 06:09 PM IST | #UPSC CSE
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UPSC provided the UPSC Geography 2024 syllabus for the main exam in the UPSC CSE notification on the official website. Candidates can download the geography optional syllabus for IAS PDF at upsc.gov.in. UPSC IAS 2024 Geography syllabus of Paper 1 & Paper 2 comprises 500 marks. Candidates preparing for the UPSC IAS exam must go through the detailed UPSC IAS Geography syllabus 2024 in order to qualify the exam.

This Story also Contains
  1. UPSC Geography Syllabus 2024 - Subject Wise
  2. UPSC Geography Syllabus - Preparation Tips
  3. Best Books to Cover UPSC Geography Syllabus
UPSC Geography Syllabus 2024 - Topic Wise UPSC Geography Optional Syllabus
UPSC Geography Syllabus 2024 - Topic Wise UPSC Geography Optional Syllabus

Geography is an optional subject and aspirants can check the detailed Paper 1 and 2 geography optional syllabus for IAS pdf here. The UPSC IAS Geography Syllabus 2024 consists of all the important sections on where the question paper will be based like - Geomorphology, Climatology, Oceanography, etc. Aspirants can also know about the types of questions and difficulty level by going through UPSC CSE Geography question papers here. Geography is part of the UPSC IAS mains syllabus. Check all details related to the UPSC Geography syllabus 2024 here.

UPSC Geography Syllabus 2024 - Subject Wise

UPSC Geography Syllabus 2024 for Paper 1 - Physical Geography

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, Degradation 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.

Also read: Information about category-wise career exams

UPSC Geography Syllabus 2024 for Paper 1 - Human Geography

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. Heartland 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 nutrition 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

IAS Subject-wise Questions for various Subjects

UPSC CSE Preparation Strategy and Best Books
UPSC CSE preparation strategy along with best books for prelims as well as mains exam for sure success.
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UPSC Geography Syllabus for Paper 2 - Geography of India

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

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UPSC Geography Syllabus - Preparation Tips

Candidates preparing for UPSC IAS, must prepare in such a way that they have an upper edge over the competition. Here we are sharing some UPSC IAS preparation tips that will help candidates to score well and qualify for UPSC exam. Check the tips here.

  • Refer to NCERT books to prepare for Geography only.

  • Make a perfect IAS study plan to study for Geography and stick with it.

  • UPSC CSE Geography requires a high-level preparation level as the difficulty level of the exam is of graduation level, hence candidates must start the preparations early.

  • Solve previous year questions papers of the Geography mains exam to know about the type of questions, difficulty level and question pattern. Also, look for UPSC IAS question papers for Geography and solve mock tests.

  • Do previous year UPSC IAS exam analysis, to know the cut off trends, sample questions etc and also to work on your weaker subjects.

Also read: UPSC Mock Tests Series for UPSC

Best Books to Cover UPSC Geography Syllabus

Aspirants planning to take Geography as their optional subject must also go through the best books of Geography. Check the UPSC Geography syllabus from the following table below-

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

Also read



Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is Geography a good subject to be taken as optional for UPSC CSE?

Yes, only if you have interest in Geography as a subject, or else it can be difficult.

2. How to prepare for Geography?

The difficulty level of Geography is of graduation level. The preparation takes a lot of time, candidates must refer to only the best books of UPSC IAS for preparation.

3. Which is the easiest optional subject for UPSC CSE?

The difficulty and ease level of the subject depends on your interest and likeability. Many candidates pick Sociology, Geography and Public Administration as their optional subjects.

4. What is the minimum academic qualification required to apply for UPSC?

To apply for UPSC, aspirants must be a graduate.

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Questions related to UPSC CSE

Have a question related to UPSC CSE ?

Hello

This is the typical schedule of the IAS Exam (UPSC CSE):

Notification Release: February
Online Application Window: February to early March
Prelims Exam: May or June
Mains Exam: September/October

As for 2025, the registration date is already gone, so you have to see for 2026 now. The registration will open most probably in February 2026 so stay tuned.

To know more about the IAS Exam: UPSC CSE

Hope this answer helps! Thank You!!!

A candidate who has undergone heart surgery can be eligible for the IAS post if they are medically fit and can perform the required duties without any serious health problems The UPSC allows candidates to appear for the exam if they meet the general physical and mental fitness criteria After clearing the main examination and interview all selected candidates must undergo a detailed medical examination by a government medical board If the candidate has recovered well from heart surgery and there are no complications they can be declared fit for service However if the surgery has caused any permanent disability and if it is certified under the benchmark disability rules then the candidate may be eligible for reservation under the persons with disabilities category Final eligibility depends on the report given by the medical board during the selection process

If a person has undergone heart surgery for ASD which means Atrial Septal Defect and is now medically fit then they can apply for the IAS exam There is no restriction for such candidates if their physical and mental condition is stable and they can perform the duties required in civil services However selection to IAS also depends on passing the medical test conducted after clearing the main exam and interview If the person has any lasting disability due to the heart condition and it is certified by a government medical board then they may be considered under the benchmark disability category as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act In such cases the candidate may come under reservation for persons with disabilities in the specific category mentioned by the medical authority It is always advised to check the official UPSC notification and consult with a government hospital for proper disability certification before applying

Hello ,

If you want to give IAS exam then you should complete your graduation first or also if you are in your last year of graduation then you can fill the application form.

To know more, refer this:

https://competition.careers360.com/articles/upsc-ias-application-form

I hope this helps you!

If you want to become an IAS or IPS officer after completing your 12th in PCMC ,  focus on graduation because the UPSC Civil Services exam requires you to have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. You can choose any graduation stream, but many students prefer degrees like Political Science, Public Administration, History, or Sociology because these subjects help build a strong foundation for the UPSC syllabus. it’s not mandatory to pick these; you can also pursue Science, Commerce, or Arts as long as you complete your graduation. Along with your degree,  start preparing for the UPSC exam early by reading newspapers, improving your general knowledge, and practicing answer writing. So, after 12th, pick a degree you are comfortable with, and plan your UPSC preparation alongside

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