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Geography
No. Questions Year Marks Words
1 Examine the distribution of oil refineries in India. 2004 2*10 125
Why the Aravallis are called a divide between Mewar &
2 2004 2*10 125
Marwar?
What is Golden Quadrilateral? How will it help in the
3 2004 2*10 125
economic development of the country?
4 El Nino, La Nina & monsoon rains 2004 5*2 20
5 The Sambhar lake 2004 5*2 20
6 The Sundarbans 2004 5*2 20
7 Bombay High 2004 5*2 20
8 Sabarkantha & Banaskantha 2004 5*2 20
Describe the major characteristics of the rivers of
9 2003 2*10 125
Peninsular India.
Account for the very high concentration of salt
10 extraction industries in the Saurashtra & South 2003 2*10 125
Tamilnadu Coast.
State the four distinctive stages of Indian Demographic
11 2003 2*10 125
history.
12 Define Terai Region. 2003 5*2 20
13 Mention the area of Shola forests in India. 2003 5*2 20
14 Who are Todas & where do they live? 2003 5*2 20
Name any four principal languages of Andaman &
15 2003 5*2 20
Nicobar Islands.
16 What is MRTS? Where it is in operation? 2003 5*2 20
Give an account of the tea plantations of Assam & West
17 Bengal and state the economic significance of these 2002 2*10 125
plantations.
Discuss the distribution of winds & rainfall over India
18 2002 2*10 125
in the summer monsoon season.
Define the concept of 'growth centres' & evaluate its
19 2002 2*10 125
relevance in regional planning in India.
Name the main petroleum producing areas in the
20 2002 5*2 20
country.
21 Jhum cultivation - process & consequences 2002 5*2 20
22 Census definition of urban places 2002 5*2 20
23 Kaziranga National Park 2002 5*2 20
24 Khetri Copper Project 2002 5*2 20
What are mangroves & in what way are they useful to
25 2001 2*10 125
us?
26 Explain the causes of the Indian Monsoon. 2001 2*10 125
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Had there been no Himalayas, what would have been

27 2001 2*10 125
the winter climate in north India?
28 El Nino, La Nina & monsoon rains 2001 5*2 20
29 Hirakud Project 2001 5*2 20
30 Glacier 2001 5*2 20
31 Two prominent left bank tributaries of river Ganges 2001 5*2 20
32 Equinox 2001 5*2 20
Mention the agro-climatic regions of India stating the
33 2000 2*10 125
basis of classification.
34 Explain the major racial groups of India. 2000 2*10 125
What is waste land? Write a note in prospects of waste-
35 2000 2*10 125
land development in India.
36 Linguistic regions of India 2000 5*2 20
37 Nagarjunsagar Project 2000 5*2 20
38 Mango Showers 2000 5*2 20
39 Multi-level planning in India 2000 5*2 20
40 India's Laterite soils 2000 5*2 20
How is deforestation of Himalayas disturbing the
41 1999 2*15 150
ecological balance of north India?
What is dry farming? Discuss its relevance in
42 1999 2*15 150
augmenting the food supply in India.
Name the mega cities of India & mention their specific
43 1999 2*15 150
problems.
44 What is the importance of Indian Ocean for India? 1999 2*15 150
What are the geo-economic causes of
45 1998 2*15 150
underdevelopment of various regions in India?
Which parts of India have been identified as draught
46 1998 2*15 150
prone? Mention the norms for such identification.
Describe the changes that have taken place in the
47 direction of international trade of India since 1998 2*15 150
independence.
How do the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the
48 Lakshadweep differ in the geological evolution & 1998 2*15 150
topographical conditions?
49 Discuss the origin of Monsoon in India. 1997 2*15 150
What measures has the Government of India taken for
50 1997 2*15 150
the development of Tribal areas in India?
Why is there a demand for making Uttaranchal a
51 1997 2*15 150
Separate Hill State in India?
Why has the Narmada River Valley Project attracted the
52 1997 2*15 150
attention of the common people?
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Mention the advantages which India enjoys being at the

53 1996 2*15 150
head of Indian Ocean.
What is shifting cultivation? Describe its salient
54 1996 2*15 150
characteristics with reference to India.
Where do mangroves forests occur in India? Describe
55 1996 2*15 150
their main characteristics.
What is ozone hole? How is it formed & what effect
56 1996 2*15 150
does it have on earth?
What do you understand by Deccan trap? Describe its
57 1995 2*15 150
characteristics.
Why have the rivers of peninsular India well-defined
58 rigid channels in sharp contrast to the Himalayan 1995 2*15 150
rivers?
What is intensity of rainfall? Discuss its importance to
59 1995 2*15 150
Indian farmers.
What is drip irrigation? Why is it considered the most
60 1995 2*15 150
efficient method of irrigation?
Why the soils of Malwa in Madhya Pradesh are black
61 while those in Karnataka red? Discuss the relative 1994 2*15 150
fertility of these soils.
Which part of India receives more rainfall from the
62 north-east monsoon than from the south-west monsoon? 1994 2*15 150
Explain why it is so.
What is 'exclusive economic zone' of a country?
63 1994 2*15 150
Discuss its relevance to India.
What is dryland agriculture? Discuss its importance to
64 1994 2*15 150
India.
Give your assessment of the soundness of large river
65 valley projects with high dams vis-à-vis smaller river 1993 2*15 150
valley projects.
Which parts of India are described as 'arid zones'?
66 Comment on the characteristics & economic activities 1993 2*15 150
prevalent in these regions.
What is remote-sensing? Describe the status of remote-
67 1993 2*15 150
sensing in India.
What is social forestry? Describe how social forestry
68 1993 2*15 150
can help in the uplift of the rural poor.
Examine the recent developments that have taken place
69 1991 2*15 150
identifying & mapping land resources in India.
Explain the factors affecting the distribution of
70 population in India, bringing out the variation in density 1991 2*15 150
over space.
Explain the concept of National Water Grid & its
71 1990 2*15 150
objectives.
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What is the need for soil conservation? What are the

72 major measures taken by the Government towards 1990 2*15 150
conserving soil in India?
73 Comment on detrimental effects of canal irrigation. 1990 2*15 150
As part of the process of 'urban sprawl', distinguish
between urban peripheral growth, suburbs & satellite
74 1990 2*15 150
towns, giving at least, one example of each type from
any metropolitan centre of India.
What are the salient features of the hill economy of
75 Northern India, & how do these account for its relative 1989 2*15 150
backwardness?
How has modern technology contributed to a better
76 forecasting of weather? Mention the particular efforts 1989 2*15 150
made in India in this regard.
What geopolitical & economic advantages are enjoyed
77 by India due to its location in the southern part of the 1989 2*15 150
Continent of Asia?
Examine the production & supply of edible oil in India.
78 What are its main source crops & where are they 1989 2*15 150
grown? Do we have to import edible oil?
State the types of environmental pollution & some of
79 the places where it has occurred due to the progress of 1988 2*15 150
industrialisation in India.
Which parts of India were mainly affected by the severe
80 1988 2*15 150
draught of 1987-88? What were its main consequences?
What are black soils? Give their distribution in India
81 1988 2*15 150
and explain their uses & problems.
Mention any three tribal areas in India. What are the
82 main components of the Government's tribal 1988 2*15 150
development programme?
Despite the fact that half of India is outside the tropic of
83 1987 2*15 150
cancer, India is called a tropical country. Why is it so?
What is the exclusive economic zone of India? Why has
84 1987 2*15 150
it been constituted?
What is the need for Coal Conservation? What are the
85 1987 2*15 150
major components of India's Coal Conservation Policy?
Why do you understand by Ecological Balance? Why is
86 this balance necessary? What is being done in India 1987 2*15 150
today to maintain this balance?
List major areas of wasteland in India. Write a note on
the prospects of the wasteland development in the
87 1986 2*15 150
country explaining its impact on the food, fodder &
duel supply.
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What is 'White Revolution'? Discuss the different

88 factors which have helped to bring about this revolution 1986 2*15 150
in India.
What are laterite soils? Where do we find these in
89 1986 2*15 150
India? Explain their problem & the most suitable use.
How far is it justifiable to state that the financial budget
of the country is a gamble, against the Indian monsoon?
90 1986 2*15 150
To what extent have developmental measures solved the
problem?
Where do we find large desert areas in India? What
91 steps have been taken by the government for their 1985 2*15 150
development?
What measures have been taken by the Government of
India to develop its own source for the supply of
92 1985 2*15 150
petroleum cruse? Discuss the measures of success
achieved in this regard.
Why are floods such recurrent feature in India? Discuss
93 the measures taken by the Government for flood 1985 2*15 150
control.
What are the important wheat growing regions in India,
94 and why? Are we now growing enough wheat in India 1985 2*15 150
to meet our own demand for it?

Share of Geography in Mains is only 30 marks. While geography in prelims is much

more comprehensive in scope (that includes Indian as well as World geography), in
mains, it is confined to Indian Geography only (though questions might be asked on
global factors affecting India like el nino).
• Classification –
o Physical Geography
o Economic Geography
o Social Geography
• Pattern of questions –
o Any two of three for 10 marks each
o ALL five out of five for 2 marks each.
o So broadest question on geography is supposed to be written in 125 words.
So no real long answers.
• Physical geography is of highest significance. In this important chapters are
landforms, rivers, climate & soils. Landforms that include questions on
advantages of location, mountain ranges, forests, and deserts are given highest
weightage. Questions on important places, forests, islands are frequently asked in
short questions category.
• Economic geography is very important as well that includes industry, resources,
agriculture.
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• Social geography has lesser share of questions. Questions may be asked on

demography, tribal people, racial groups etc.
• Questions on wasteland development, significance of Himalayas, the river system
in India, Indian monsoon are repeatedly asked.
• Questions are also asked regarding use of new technology in mapping natural
resources, agriculture, land development etc.
• Almost No questions are asked on foreign trade, settlement & migration, land &
water resources.