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Paper - I
Principles of Geography Physical Geography: Remember Me
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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 Forgot your
drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics; Recent views on mountain building; Vulcanicity; password?
Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Landscape Forgot your
development ; Denudation chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope username?
development ; Applied Geomorphology : Geohydrology, economic geology and
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environment.

2. Climatology: Temperature and pressure belts of the world; Heat budget of the
earth; Atmospheric circulation; atmospheric stability and instability. Planetary and local UPSC EXAMS
winds; Monsoons and jet streams; Air masses and fronto genesis, Temperate and
tropical cyclones; Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; CSAT
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, SCRA
Applied climatology and Urban climate.
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 Applied climatology and Urban climate.
CDS
3. Oceanography: Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans;
Temperature and salinity of the oceans; Heat and salt budgets, Ocean deposits; Waves, IPS LCE
currents and tides; Marine resources: biotic, mineral and energy resources; Coral reefs,
NDA / NA
coral bleaching; sealevel changes; law of the sea and marine pollution.
IES / ESE
4. Biogeography: Genesis of soils; Classification and distribution of soils; Soil profile;
Soil erosion, Degradation and conservation; Factors influencing world distribution of CMS
plants and animals; Problems of deforestation and conservation measures; Social
forestry; agro-forestry; Wild life; Major gene pool centres. IFS

5. Environmental Geography: Principle of ecology; Human ecological adaptations; GSE / GE

Influence of man on ecology and environment; Global and regional ecological changes
CAPF (AC)
and imbalances; Ecosystem their management and conservation; Environmental
degradation, management and conservation; Biodiversity and IES
sustainable development; Environmental policy; Environmental hazards and remedial
measures; Environmental education and legislation. ISS

Human Geography: SO

1. Perspectives in Human Geography: Areal differentiation; regional synthesis;

Dichotomy and dualism; Environmentalism; Quantitative revolution and
UPDATES
locational analysis; radical, behavioural, human and welfare approaches; Languages,
religions and secularisation; Cultural regions of the world; Human development index.
Indian Economic
2. Economic Geography: World economic development: measurement and problems;
Service 2015 Cutoff
World resources and their distribution; Energy crisis; the limits to growth; World
agriculture: typology of agricultural regions; agricultural inputs and productivity; Food IES - Indian
and nutrition problems; Food security; famine: causes, effects and remedies; World Economic Service
industries: locational patterns and problems; patterns of world trade. CDS - Combined
Defence Services
3. Population and Settlement Geography: Growth and distribution of world
Exam
population; demographic attributes; Causes and consequences of migration; concepts
of over-under-and optimum population; Population theories, world population problems SO - Section Officer
and policies, Social well-being and quality of life; Population as social capital. Types / Stenographers
and patterns of rural settlements; Environmental issues in rural settlements; Hierarchy Exam
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.
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 4. Regional Planning: Concept of a region; Types of regions and methods of
regionalisation; Growth centres 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; Ostov’s model of stages of
growth. Heartland and Rimland theories; Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.

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 ground water, energy, minerals, biotic and marine
resources; Forest and wild life resources and their conservation; Energy crisis.

3. Agriculture: Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power; Institutional factors:

land holdings, land tenure and land reforms; Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity,
agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability; Agro and socialforestry; Green
revolution and its socioeconomic 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.

4. 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.

5. Transport, Communication and Trade: Road, railway, waterway, airway and

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 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.

6. 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, intra- regional and international) and associated
problems; Population problems and policies; Health indicators.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

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 COMMENTS

1 2 3 4

#34 ashok lohagave 2015-12-06 04:32

i am biotech student i have good knowledge in geography can i opt geography as
optional sub....plz help me sir
Quote

#33 mounika nanu 2015-09-22 22:08

hello sir..
iam pursuing my degree of mechanical engg..,will this sudject goes well as my
optinal subject in mains......is this is a good scoring subject????????
Quote

#32 piyush Fultariya 2015-06-09 13:01

Please suggest book for geography which consider maximum syllabus of
geography subject ...
Quote

#31 ARVIND YADUVANSHI 2015-06-05 12:21

I am student of civil engg.but i want choose geography,plz give me geography
book name and good writter
Quote

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 #30 Mani 1729 2015-05-19 15:34
I m a geophysical technalogy student, can i opt geography as optional subject in
ias
Quote

#29 Nupur Priya 2015-05-19 12:35

I'm COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENT I have good knoledge in geography can I opt
geography as optional subject
Quote

#28 harsha d 2015-04-26 14:04

Quoting Sankar Yadav:

I'm COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENT I have good knoledge in geography can I opt
geography as optional subject

ur's totally diff idea engg sub may be better

Quote

#27 Sankar Yadav 2015-04-26 14:01

Quoting aloktiwari:

savindra singh would b d best one..

Quoting sandeep chahal:

Plz tell me best book of geography for ias & map book in hindi with their
Quoting aloktiwari:

savindra singh would b d best one..

yes absolutely b'cos we can imagine geography well while compared to others
writer

Quote

#26 Sankar Yadav 2015-04-26 13:59

I'm COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENT I have good knoledge in geography can I opt
geography as optional subject

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 geography as optional subject
Quote

#25 sandeep chahal 2015-03-07 00:56

Plz tell me best book of geography for ias & map book in hindi with their writer
Quote

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