UPSC Syllabus: Geography Optional | Geography for UPSC CSE PDF Download

The UPSC optional subject list contains 48 subjects in total, one of which is Geography. The optional syllabus for this subject has a huge overlap with General Studies. It is one of the most popular optional subjects in the Mains exam. The topics included in this subject are related to physical and human geography, economic geography, and geography of India. Candidates who choose Geography as an optional subject in UPSC often find the syllabus to be vast. Notwithstanding the large number of topics included in the syllabus, the subject is relatively easy to prepare due to the wide availability of study material and its popularity in the Mains exam. Apart from this, a large portion of the geography syllabus can be covered while preparing for General Studies.

In this article, we provide you with the detailed UPSC syllabus for Geography optional and also the UPSC Geography Optional Syllabus.

Geography Optional has 2 papers (Paper I and Paper II) in UPSC Mains. Each paper is of 250 marks with a total of 500 marks.

UPSC Syllabus Geography Optional Paper - I

1. Geomorphology: Factors controlling landform development; endogenetic and exogenetic forces; Origin and evolution of the earth’s crusts; Fundamentals of geomagnetism; Physical conditions of the earth’s interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift;  Isostasy; Plate tectonics; Recent views on mountain building; Volcanicity; Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Landscape development; Denudation chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope development; Applied Geomorphology; Geomorphology, 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 fronts; Temperate and tropical cyclones; Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; Koppen’s Thornthwaite’s and Trewar Tha’s classification of world climate; 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; Wildlife; Major gene pool centres.
5. Environmental Geography: Principle 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: a typology of agricultural regions; Agricultural inputs and productivity; Food and nutrition problems; Food security; famine: causes, effects and remedies; World industries: location 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 the 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; Concept 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: System 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.

Geography for UPSC

UPSC Syllabus Geography Optional Paper-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 groundwater, energy, minerals, biotic and marine resources, Forest and wildlife resources and their conservation; Energy crisis. 
3. Agriculture: Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power; Institutional factors; landholdings, 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 farming; Livestock resources and white revolution; Aqua-culture; Sericulture, Agriculture 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, fertiliser, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage and ago-based industries; Industrial houses and complexes including public sector underkings; Industrial regionalisation; New industrial policy; Multinationals and liberalisation; Special Economic Zones; Tourism including ecotourism.  
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, interregional 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 urbanisation 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 the 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; the 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 related 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.

How to Prepare Geography Syllabus for UPSC?

Geography is an essential subject for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE). It appears in all three stages of the exam: Prelims, Mains, and the Interview. It is important to study the Geography syllabus for UPSC in a comprehensive way since many topics overlap between Prelims and Mains.  Before starting your preparation, ensure you understand the syllabus clearly. Review the UPSC geography syllabus and analyze questions from previous years to see how they are asked. 

• Reading: Begin with NCERT textbooks for geography, as they are straightforward and help clarify concepts, forming a strong base. After NCERTs, refer to standard books like Savindra Singh and Majid Hussain. Focus on the basics of geography, covering both physical and human geography. 
• Previous Year’s Papers: Review questions from past years. This practice helps identify key topics that need deeper revision. 
• Answer Writing: Start writing answers after completing a couple of units. Understand the main concepts and analyze previous year’s questions with related topics. Refer to answers from top performers for guidance on structure and presentation.  Try to include multiple perspectives in your answers, such as physical and human aspects.  Ensure your written answers align with the syllabus. Linking content from Paper 1 and Paper 2 enriches your responses.  Regular practice in answer writing is crucial for achieving higher marks. Incorporate case studies and relevant data whenever possible. 
• Mapping and Diagrams: No preparation for the geography syllabus is complete without mapping. Including maps and relevant diagrams can enhance your answers significantly.  Aim to add at least one map or diagram to your answers. This skill requires practice; without it, adding maps and diagrams can be challenging. Prepare maps based on regions and themes. 
• Current Affairs: Staying updated on current affairs related to geography is vital while studying the static parts of the syllabus. There’s a growing trend to connect static topics with current events.  For example, a question about the Kalapani dispute was featured in the UPSC Mains 2022 because it was in the news.   It’s recommended to read geography-related news from reputable sources like The Hindu, Indian Express, Down to Earth, and monthly publications like Yojana and Kurukshetra.