GEOGRAPHY OPTIONAL
All PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS
ALONG WITH THEIR
TOPIC-WISE BIFURCATION
, SYLLABUS - GEOGRAPHY OPTIONAL (MAINS)
PART I
Physical Geography
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 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 frontogenesis, Temperate and tropical
cyclones; Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; 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, 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; sea-level 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;
agroforestry; 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
1|Page
, 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 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.
PART II
Geography of India
1. Physical Setting: Space relationship of India with neighbouring 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 social forestry; Green
revolution and its socio- economic and ecological implications; Significance of dry
2|Page
, farming; Livestock resources and white revolution; aqua - culture; sericulture, apiculture
and poultry; agricultural regionalisation; agro-climatic zones; agroecological 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; 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 interstate 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
3|Page
All PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS
ALONG WITH THEIR
TOPIC-WISE BIFURCATION
, SYLLABUS - GEOGRAPHY OPTIONAL (MAINS)
PART I
Physical Geography
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 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 frontogenesis, Temperate and tropical
cyclones; Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; 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, 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; sea-level 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;
agroforestry; 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
1|Page
, 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 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.
PART II
Geography of India
1. Physical Setting: Space relationship of India with neighbouring 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 social forestry; Green
revolution and its socio- economic and ecological implications; Significance of dry
2|Page
, farming; Livestock resources and white revolution; aqua - culture; sericulture, apiculture
and poultry; agricultural regionalisation; agro-climatic zones; agroecological 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; 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 interstate 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
3|Page
