How to Prepare Geography For UPSC CSE | UPSC Geography Syllabus | Previous Year UPSC Geography Questions & More

Geography is included in the General Studies paper in Prelims as well as GS Paper 1 in UPSC CS(Main) examination. In the UPSC scheme of the syllabus, Geography establishes the relevance of the existence of humans, the elements that are conducive for life, and the elements that are not conducive to human life. Hence, studying these elements would make you better positioned to safeguard the elements that are necessary for life. 


The geography syllabus for UPSC is divided into various micro topics that are discussed in the detailed syllabus below. You should also keep yourself updated on the recent developments in topics such as transportation, disasters, etc.  

Download Topic-wise Syllabus For UPSC Main

Geography Syllabus For UPSC Civil Services Prelims & Mains

Salient Features of World's Physical Geography

Geomorphology

Origin & Evolution of Earth

Interior of the Earth

Distribution of Continents & Oceans

Plate Tectonic Theory

Distribution of Earthquakes & Volcanoes

Rocks & Rock Cycle

Geomorphic Processes – Endogenic & Exogenic

Landforms & their Evolution

Oceanography

Hydrological Cycle

Seafloor Spreading

Ocean Floor Configuration

Temperature & Salinity of Oceans

Movement of Oceans – Waves, Tides, Currents

Climatology

Earth’s Atmosphere – Composition & Structure

Solar Radiation, Heat Budget & Temperature

Atmospheric Circulation & Weather Systems

World Climate (examples)

Soil Geography

Soil & Soil Contents

Process of Soil Formation

Soil Forming Factors

Types of Soils (examples)

Soil Erosion & Conservation

Distribution of Key Natural Resources Across the World

Types of Resources

On the Basis of Origin, Ownership, Exhaustability etc.

Land Resources

Land Utilisation

Land Use Pattern

Land Degradation & Conservation

Forest Resources

Types & Distribution – Grasslands, Forests etc.

Causes of Depletion

Conservation of Forests

Water Resources

Marine & Freshwater

Water Scarcity & Need For Conservation

Integrated Water Resources Management

Agricultural Resources

Types of Farming

Cropping Patterns

Contribution to Economy, Employment & Output

Food Security

Mineral & Energy Resources

Classification of Minerals – Ferrous & Non-Ferrous

Occurrence of Minerals

Conservation of Minerals

Classification of Energy Resources – Conventional & Non-Conventional

Occurrence of Energy Resources

Conservation of Energy Resources

Factors Responsible for the Location of Industries

Classification of Industries

Location & Distribution of the Industries on the Basis of

Raw Material

Labour

Market

Capital

Land

Grants & Financial Incentives

Power

Transport

Water

Communication

Distribution of Major Industries – Iron & Steel, IT, Cotton Textile

Agglomeration & Footloose Industries

Important Geophysical Phenomena

Earthquakes

Why Does Earth Shake?

Earthquake Waves

Shadow Zone

Types of Earthquake

Measuring Earthquake

Effects of Earthquake

Tsunami

What Causes Tsunami

Effect of Tsunami

Mitigating the Impact of Tsunami

Volcanoes

Types of Volcanoes

What Causes Volcanoes?

Volcanic Landforms

Cyclone

Tropical Cyclones

Anti-Cyclone

Extra Tropical Cyclones

Geographical Features and their Location

Factors Causing Changes in Critical Geographical Features

Examples of Changing Geographicl Features - Mealting of Ice Sheets, Desertification etc.

Impact of Changing Geographical Features
Download Topic-wise Syllabus For UPSC Main

How to prepare geography syllabus for UPSC

Geography is one of the basic and most important subjects in UPSC CSE. Questionson Geography are asked in all the three stages of the examination;and hence, it is essential to study it in detail. Since a lot of topics overlap in Prelims and Main, it is important to study it holistically. Here’s a time-tested strategy to kickstart your geography preparation for UPSC:

  1. Read NCERTs: Start out by covering GeographyNCERTs from class VIII to XII. It will make your foundation strong. Moreover, questions straight from NCERTs are asked in the exam, which is why it is important to start your preparation from here. 
  2. Basic books: Next, thoroughly study the basic books of geography, which includes Certificate Physical and Human Geography by GC Leong and Geography of India by Majid Husain.
  3. Previous years’ papers: Next, go for solving previous years’ question papers. Solving thesequestions will help you in identifying important topics that need to be revised and, if needed, re-revised.
  4. Mock tests: Mock tests will allow you to assess your preparation and identify the area(s) of weakness that you need to worked on.
  5. Current affairs: Read newspapers such as ‘The Hindu’, and monthly magazines, namely ‘Yojana’ and ‘Kurukshetra’for the current affairs portion.
Download Topic-wise Syllabus For UPSC Main

Previous Year UPSC Geography Questions

A glimpse at the previous year UPSC Geography Questions will allow you to gauge your preparation and will also help you in understanding the depth of the subject that needs to be covered. Let’s look at UPSC Geography Questions for both Prelims and Mains exam.

UPSC Geography Questions For Prelims

  1. Steel slag can be the material for which of the following?
    1. Construction of base road
    2. Improvement of agricultural soil
    3. Production of cement

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
  2. Consider the following statements:
    1. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead and mercury.
    2. Coal-fired power plants release sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen into the environment.
    3. High ash content is observed in Indian coal.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
  3. What is the use of biochar in farming?
    1. Biochar can be used as a part of the growing medium in vertical farming.
    2. When biochar is a part of the growing medium, it promotes the growth of nitrogen fixing microorganisms.
    3. When biochar is a part of the growing- medium, it enables the growing medium to retain water for a longer time.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
  4. What is/are the advantages/advantages of zero tillage in agriculture?
    1. Sowing of wheat is possible without burning the residue of the previous crop.
    2. Without the need for nursery of rice saplings, direct planting of paddy seeds in the wet soil is possible.
    3. Carbon sequestration in the soil is possible.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
  5. According to India's National Policy on Biofuels, which of the following can be used as raw materials for the production of biofuels?
    1. Cassava
    2. Damaged wheat grains
    3. Groundnut seeds
    4. Horse gram
    5. Rotten potatoes
    6. Sugar beet

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    1. 1, 2, 5 and 6 only
    2. 1, 3, 4 and 6 only
    3. 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
    4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

UPSC Geography Questions For Mains

As you know, UPSC Mains is a descriptive round, hence theoretical understanding of concepts are extremely crucial for answering questions. Some of the UPSC Geography questions that you must practice for UPSC Mains are:

  • Food fortification is the new panacea for nutritional deficiency in the Indian population. Critically discuss. (250 Words)
  • What do you understand by Black Carbon? Discuss its impacts on the melting of glacier. (150 Words)
  • As the severity of the water crisis in India increases every year, all stakeholders must use a variety of measures to tackle the water crisis. Comment. (250 Words)
  • Elucidate the challenges faced by a newly independent India.
  • What are seismic waves? Give a detailed account of different types of seismic waves.
  • Explain the geological and palaeontological evidence of continental drift theory.
  • Discuss the internal structure of the Earth and comment on S and P-waves shadow zones with suitable diagrams.
  • Namami Gange project is a step in the right direction to clean the river Ganga and should be emulated to deal with pollution in other rivers of India. Comment.
  • Indian Monsoon remains one of the most complex geophysical phenomena. In light of the statement explain the mechanism of the onset of the Indian monsoon.
  • Explain the term western disturbances and their impact on the Indian weather systems.
  • Discuss the major factors that are responsible for the origin of ocean currents across the globe.
  • Explain the various types of landforms formed under Karst topography.
  • Discuss the term heat budget and how it impacts the temperature in the earth's atmosphere.

Recommended booklist for Geography Syllabus For UPSC

  1. Physical Geography by Savindra Singh
  2. India: A Comprehensive Geography by D R Khullar
  3. Human Geography by Majid Husain
  4. Models in Geography by Majid Husain
  5. Geographical Thought by R D Dixit
  6. Fundamentals of Geographical Thought by Sudeepta Adhikari
  7. Cities, Urbanisation & Urban Systems (Settlement Geography) by K Siddhartha

Career Launcher brings to you comprehensive online courses for UPSC CSE Preparation. You can check out the entire course range here. Do get in touch with our course counselors for more details on our course deliverables.


Current Affairs analysis

Read more...