UPSC CSE 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
earths crust; Fundamentals of geomagnetism; Physical conditions of the earths 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.

2. 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 fronto genesis, Temperate and
tropical cyclones; Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; Koppens, Thornthwaites and Trewarthas
classification of world climates; Hydrological cycle; Global climatic change and role and response of man in climatic changes,
Applied climatology and Urban climate.

3. 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; sealevel changes; law of the sea and marine pollution.

4. 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; Wild life; Major gene pool centres.

5. 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;
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, behavioural, human and welfare approaches; Languages, religions 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 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 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 Thunens model of
agricultural location; Webers model of industrial location; Ostovs 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 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; Indias 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.