NCERT Textbook: Locating Places on the Earth | Geography for UPSC CSE PDF Download

 Page 1


1
Introduction – Why Social Science?
Introduction
Why Social Science?
Family 
and 
Community
Governance
Local Government 
in Rural Areas
Social 
Science
The Value 
of Work
Local Government 
in Urban Areas
Locating 
Places on the 
Earth
Oceans and 
Continents
THEME E
Economic  
Life Around  
Us
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
THEME B
Tapestry 
of the Past
Economic 
Activities 
Around Us
Unity in 
Diversity, 
or ‘Many in 
the One’
THEME C
Our Cultural 
Heritage and 
Knowledge 
Traditions
Landforms 
and Life
Timeline 
and Sources 
of History
India, That 
Is Bharat
India’s 
Cultural 
Roots
THEME A
India and the 
World – Land  
and the  
People
Theme D
Governance
and 
Democracy
chapter0_310125.indd   1 chapter0_310125.indd   1 03-02-2025   04:56:20 03-02-2025   04:56:20
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Page 2


1
Introduction – Why Social Science?
Introduction
Why Social Science?
Family 
and 
Community
Governance
Local Government 
in Rural Areas
Social 
Science
The Value 
of Work
Local Government 
in Urban Areas
Locating 
Places on the 
Earth
Oceans and 
Continents
THEME E
Economic  
Life Around  
Us
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
THEME B
Tapestry 
of the Past
Economic 
Activities 
Around Us
Unity in 
Diversity, 
or ‘Many in 
the One’
THEME C
Our Cultural 
Heritage and 
Knowledge 
Traditions
Landforms 
and Life
Timeline 
and Sources 
of History
India, That 
Is Bharat
India’s 
Cultural 
Roots
THEME A
India and the 
World – Land  
and the  
People
Theme D
Governance
and 
Democracy
chapter0_310125.indd   1 chapter0_310125.indd   1 03-02-2025   04:56:20 03-02-2025   04:56:20
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2
Exploring Society: India and Beyond
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ Observe the picture above. What do you notice?
 ? Where does the water in the lake come from?
 ? Who made the road and why?
 ? What could be the activities of people living in  
the small house? What could be their history?  
Their future?
 Æ Write down your answers and discuss them with your 
classmates.
 Æ Now, looking at the picture on the facing page, what 
questions come to your mind? Write them down. 
 Æ How do you propose to find answers to the questions 
related to these two images?
How are our questions above relevant to Social Science?
We live in the 21
st
 century (if you do not know what this figure 
really means, you will soon learn about it). Everyone agrees 
that it is a particularly challenging time for humanity. On 
chapter0_310125.indd   2 chapter0_310125.indd   2 03-02-2025   04:56:21 03-02-2025   04:56:21
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Page 3


1
Introduction – Why Social Science?
Introduction
Why Social Science?
Family 
and 
Community
Governance
Local Government 
in Rural Areas
Social 
Science
The Value 
of Work
Local Government 
in Urban Areas
Locating 
Places on the 
Earth
Oceans and 
Continents
THEME E
Economic  
Life Around  
Us
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
THEME B
Tapestry 
of the Past
Economic 
Activities 
Around Us
Unity in 
Diversity, 
or ‘Many in 
the One’
THEME C
Our Cultural 
Heritage and 
Knowledge 
Traditions
Landforms 
and Life
Timeline 
and Sources 
of History
India, That 
Is Bharat
India’s 
Cultural 
Roots
THEME A
India and the 
World – Land  
and the  
People
Theme D
Governance
and 
Democracy
chapter0_310125.indd   1 chapter0_310125.indd   1 03-02-2025   04:56:20 03-02-2025   04:56:20
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2
Exploring Society: India and Beyond
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ Observe the picture above. What do you notice?
 ? Where does the water in the lake come from?
 ? Who made the road and why?
 ? What could be the activities of people living in  
the small house? What could be their history?  
Their future?
 Æ Write down your answers and discuss them with your 
classmates.
 Æ Now, looking at the picture on the facing page, what 
questions come to your mind? Write them down. 
 Æ How do you propose to find answers to the questions 
related to these two images?
How are our questions above relevant to Social Science?
We live in the 21
st
 century (if you do not know what this figure 
really means, you will soon learn about it). Everyone agrees 
that it is a particularly challenging time for humanity. On 
chapter0_310125.indd   2 chapter0_310125.indd   2 03-02-2025   04:56:21 03-02-2025   04:56:21
Reprint 2025-26
3
Introduction – Why Social Science?
the one hand, there is rapid progress in technology, which 
is changing our lives in many ways. On the other hand, the 
world is witnessing multiple wars, armed conflicts and 
rising social tensions, and our planet’s natural environment 
is under great stress. We live in an age of great possibilities 
but also great challenges.
The world over , more and more people wonder , “How do we 
solve the problems facing humanity? How can our societies 
learn to live in peace and harmony? How can we protect 
this beautiful Earth which we all share — and protect it not 
only for ourselves but also for all the species that live on it?”
These fundamental questions are simple, but the answers 
are not. They cannot be simple, because human societies 
are very diverse and complex. If we wish to find answers to 
such questions and help build a better future, we first need 
to understand our world, and human societies in particular . 
That is what Social Science is all about.
You may wonder whether this is a ‘science’ like, say, physics 
or chemistry. It is not. The discipline does use scientific 
chapter0_310125.indd   3 chapter0_310125.indd   3 03-02-2025   04:56:21 03-02-2025   04:56:21
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Page 4


1
Introduction – Why Social Science?
Introduction
Why Social Science?
Family 
and 
Community
Governance
Local Government 
in Rural Areas
Social 
Science
The Value 
of Work
Local Government 
in Urban Areas
Locating 
Places on the 
Earth
Oceans and 
Continents
THEME E
Economic  
Life Around  
Us
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
THEME B
Tapestry 
of the Past
Economic 
Activities 
Around Us
Unity in 
Diversity, 
or ‘Many in 
the One’
THEME C
Our Cultural 
Heritage and 
Knowledge 
Traditions
Landforms 
and Life
Timeline 
and Sources 
of History
India, That 
Is Bharat
India’s 
Cultural 
Roots
THEME A
India and the 
World – Land  
and the  
People
Theme D
Governance
and 
Democracy
chapter0_310125.indd   1 chapter0_310125.indd   1 03-02-2025   04:56:20 03-02-2025   04:56:20
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2
Exploring Society: India and Beyond
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ Observe the picture above. What do you notice?
 ? Where does the water in the lake come from?
 ? Who made the road and why?
 ? What could be the activities of people living in  
the small house? What could be their history?  
Their future?
 Æ Write down your answers and discuss them with your 
classmates.
 Æ Now, looking at the picture on the facing page, what 
questions come to your mind? Write them down. 
 Æ How do you propose to find answers to the questions 
related to these two images?
How are our questions above relevant to Social Science?
We live in the 21
st
 century (if you do not know what this figure 
really means, you will soon learn about it). Everyone agrees 
that it is a particularly challenging time for humanity. On 
chapter0_310125.indd   2 chapter0_310125.indd   2 03-02-2025   04:56:21 03-02-2025   04:56:21
Reprint 2025-26
3
Introduction – Why Social Science?
the one hand, there is rapid progress in technology, which 
is changing our lives in many ways. On the other hand, the 
world is witnessing multiple wars, armed conflicts and 
rising social tensions, and our planet’s natural environment 
is under great stress. We live in an age of great possibilities 
but also great challenges.
The world over , more and more people wonder , “How do we 
solve the problems facing humanity? How can our societies 
learn to live in peace and harmony? How can we protect 
this beautiful Earth which we all share — and protect it not 
only for ourselves but also for all the species that live on it?”
These fundamental questions are simple, but the answers 
are not. They cannot be simple, because human societies 
are very diverse and complex. If we wish to find answers to 
such questions and help build a better future, we first need 
to understand our world, and human societies in particular . 
That is what Social Science is all about.
You may wonder whether this is a ‘science’ like, say, physics 
or chemistry. It is not. The discipline does use scientific 
chapter0_310125.indd   3 chapter0_310125.indd   3 03-02-2025   04:56:21 03-02-2025   04:56:21
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4
Exploring Society: India and Beyond
methods wherever possible (you will see a few examples 
in this textbook), but its focus — human society — is, again, 
too diverse to allow the kind of set procedures and fixed 
results the sciences come up with.  
Social Science has many subdisciplines: geography, history, 
political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, 
archaeology, psychology and a few more. You need not feel 
intimidated by all these terms! While you will study some of 
these subdisciplines in the Secondary Stage, in the Middle 
Stage we have avoided this classification. Instead, we have 
opted for five broad themes. Let us briefly look at them. 
Theme A – India and the World:  
Land and the People
This first theme includes the basics of the geographical 
world around us — some of the main features of our planet 
and the way to represent them on a map. Why is this 
theme important, when today we can get excellent maps 
on a mobile phone? Because it deals with much more than 
maps. It also asks how geographical features — oceans, 
mountains, rivers, etc. — have shaped entire civilisations 
throughout their histories. It is also, in India’s case, about 
how its natural setting has contributed to giving this ancient 
civilisation a unique identity.
Theme B – Tapestry of the Past
A tapestry is a large piece of canvas-like cloth usually 
kept as a wall hanging, with pictures and designs on it — 
sometimes a historical narrative. Our tapestry is where 
we will be painting scenes from the past, beginning with 
India’s past. But why should we be at all concerned with the 
past? Because it is the key to understanding the present, and 
the chapters in this theme will often make this connection 
clear. The past is a major source for our identities — it 
helps us understand who we are and where we come from. 
chapter0_310125.indd   4 chapter0_310125.indd   4 03-02-2025   04:56:21 03-02-2025   04:56:21
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Page 5


1
Introduction – Why Social Science?
Introduction
Why Social Science?
Family 
and 
Community
Governance
Local Government 
in Rural Areas
Social 
Science
The Value 
of Work
Local Government 
in Urban Areas
Locating 
Places on the 
Earth
Oceans and 
Continents
THEME E
Economic  
Life Around  
Us
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
THEME B
Tapestry 
of the Past
Economic 
Activities 
Around Us
Unity in 
Diversity, 
or ‘Many in 
the One’
THEME C
Our Cultural 
Heritage and 
Knowledge 
Traditions
Landforms 
and Life
Timeline 
and Sources 
of History
India, That 
Is Bharat
India’s 
Cultural 
Roots
THEME A
India and the 
World – Land  
and the  
People
Theme D
Governance
and 
Democracy
chapter0_310125.indd   1 chapter0_310125.indd   1 03-02-2025   04:56:20 03-02-2025   04:56:20
Reprint 2025-26
2
Exploring Society: India and Beyond
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ Observe the picture above. What do you notice?
 ? Where does the water in the lake come from?
 ? Who made the road and why?
 ? What could be the activities of people living in  
the small house? What could be their history?  
Their future?
 Æ Write down your answers and discuss them with your 
classmates.
 Æ Now, looking at the picture on the facing page, what 
questions come to your mind? Write them down. 
 Æ How do you propose to find answers to the questions 
related to these two images?
How are our questions above relevant to Social Science?
We live in the 21
st
 century (if you do not know what this figure 
really means, you will soon learn about it). Everyone agrees 
that it is a particularly challenging time for humanity. On 
chapter0_310125.indd   2 chapter0_310125.indd   2 03-02-2025   04:56:21 03-02-2025   04:56:21
Reprint 2025-26
3
Introduction – Why Social Science?
the one hand, there is rapid progress in technology, which 
is changing our lives in many ways. On the other hand, the 
world is witnessing multiple wars, armed conflicts and 
rising social tensions, and our planet’s natural environment 
is under great stress. We live in an age of great possibilities 
but also great challenges.
The world over , more and more people wonder , “How do we 
solve the problems facing humanity? How can our societies 
learn to live in peace and harmony? How can we protect 
this beautiful Earth which we all share — and protect it not 
only for ourselves but also for all the species that live on it?”
These fundamental questions are simple, but the answers 
are not. They cannot be simple, because human societies 
are very diverse and complex. If we wish to find answers to 
such questions and help build a better future, we first need 
to understand our world, and human societies in particular . 
That is what Social Science is all about.
You may wonder whether this is a ‘science’ like, say, physics 
or chemistry. It is not. The discipline does use scientific 
chapter0_310125.indd   3 chapter0_310125.indd   3 03-02-2025   04:56:21 03-02-2025   04:56:21
Reprint 2025-26
4
Exploring Society: India and Beyond
methods wherever possible (you will see a few examples 
in this textbook), but its focus — human society — is, again, 
too diverse to allow the kind of set procedures and fixed 
results the sciences come up with.  
Social Science has many subdisciplines: geography, history, 
political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, 
archaeology, psychology and a few more. You need not feel 
intimidated by all these terms! While you will study some of 
these subdisciplines in the Secondary Stage, in the Middle 
Stage we have avoided this classification. Instead, we have 
opted for five broad themes. Let us briefly look at them. 
Theme A – India and the World:  
Land and the People
This first theme includes the basics of the geographical 
world around us — some of the main features of our planet 
and the way to represent them on a map. Why is this 
theme important, when today we can get excellent maps 
on a mobile phone? Because it deals with much more than 
maps. It also asks how geographical features — oceans, 
mountains, rivers, etc. — have shaped entire civilisations 
throughout their histories. It is also, in India’s case, about 
how its natural setting has contributed to giving this ancient 
civilisation a unique identity.
Theme B – Tapestry of the Past
A tapestry is a large piece of canvas-like cloth usually 
kept as a wall hanging, with pictures and designs on it — 
sometimes a historical narrative. Our tapestry is where 
we will be painting scenes from the past, beginning with 
India’s past. But why should we be at all concerned with the 
past? Because it is the key to understanding the present, and 
the chapters in this theme will often make this connection 
clear. The past is a major source for our identities — it 
helps us understand who we are and where we come from. 
chapter0_310125.indd   4 chapter0_310125.indd   4 03-02-2025   04:56:21 03-02-2025   04:56:21
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5
Introduction – Why Social Science?
The past is still with us, in other words. And since history is 
unfortunately not all about happy developments, it is useful 
to understand where people, governments or rulers went 
wrong, and why. Only then can we hope to avoid repeating 
those errors. 
Theme C – Our Cultural Heritage and 
Knowledge Traditions
It has often been said that India has a rich and ancient 
culture. True, but what are its main characteristics? Its 
guiding principles? How has it manifested itself in India’s 
history? And how can it help us to deal with issues of our 
times? These are some of the questions that this theme is 
exploring, with the objective that every student should 
understand some of the cultural foundations of our 
civilisation and learn to appreciate their value.
Theme D – Governance and Democracy
Citizens of any country should know how their political 
system functions. India, as the world’s largest democracy, 
has an elaborate system working at different levels. What 
are its chief characteristics and components? How do the 
citizens participate in the overall governance? What are 
their rights and also their duties or dharma? Are there 
different systems in other countries, and, if so, of what 
type? How are different countries supposed to interact? 
By studying this theme, we can become more responsible 
citizens, understand how the organs of the government 
function, and learn to have a say in the policies that affect 
us all, whether locally or nationally.
Theme E – Economic Life Around Us
No family can be happy without the essentials of daily 
living — at least food, clothing, shelter, access to water in a 
first stage; in a second, livelihood for adults and access to 
education for the younger ones. Similarly, no country can 
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