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Prelims Geography Syllabus for UPSC Exam 2024

PWOnlyIAS April 13, 2024 06:30 2845 0

Master the UPSC Prelims Geography Syllabus with comprehensive details on topics, exam pattern, booklist, and question weightage.

Prelims Geography Syllabus for UPSC Exam 2024

Prelims Geography Syllabus for UPSC is essential for achieving high marks in the exam. Learn the basics of the Prelims Geography Syllabus and pass the exam with ease. Let’s read the article for more details!

UPSC Prelims Syllabus: An Overview

The Union Public Service Commission Preliminary Examination, or UPSC Prelims, is the first stage of the Civil Services Examination conducted by the UPSC.  The Prelims exam consists of two papers: General Studies Paper-I and General Studies Paper-II (CSAT), both of which are objective-type multiple-choice exams.  

The detailed UPSC Prelims Syllabus is provided in the table below:

Paper 1: General Studies Paper 2: CSAT
  • Current events of national and international importance. 
  • History of India and Indian National Movement.
  • Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World. 
  • Indian Geography and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
  • Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. 
  • General issues on Environmental ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. 
  • General Science.
  • Comprehension; 
  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills; 
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability; 
  • Decision making and problem solving; 
  • General mental ability; 
  • Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level).

 

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UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern

Type General Studies Paper 1  GS Paper II- (CSAT)
Questions 100 Objective Type 80 Objective Type
Marks 200 Marks 200 Marks
Negative Marking +2 Marks/Question and -0.66 Negative Marks/Question +2.5 Marks/Question /Question and -0.83 Negative Marks/Question
Duration of Exam 2 Hours 2 Hours
Qualifying Marks Cut-off List Minimum 33%
Languages English and Hindi English and Hindi.


Important Note:
It is mandatory for the candidate to appear in both papers for the purpose of evaluation. The candidate will be disqualified if he/she does not appear in both papers of the preliminary examination. 

UPSC Prelims Geography Syllabus: Complete Details

The UPSC Prelims Geography syllabus expects a candidate to know basic concepts of geography. In addition, they must have a brief idea about geographical features of India and the world. Candidates must also study industrial growth and mineral distribution as part of their syllabus. The complete details of the UPSC Prelims Geography Syllabus is as follows:

World Geogrpahy

1. Physical Geography

  • Geomorphology: 
    • Origin of The Earth
    • Interior of The Earth
    • Types and Characteristics of Rocks
    • Folding and Faulting
    • Volcanoes, Earthquakes
    • Interior of The Earth
    • Weathering
    • Landforms Formed By Fluvial, Aeolian and Glacial Actions
  • Climatology: 
    • Atmosphere – Structure and Composition
    • Temperature
    • Pressure Belts of The Earth
    • Wind Systems
    • Clouds and Types of Rainfall
    • Cyclones and Anti-Cyclones
    • Major Climatic Types
    • Climate Change and Its Impact.
  • Oceanography
    • Ocean Bottom Relief
    • Distribution of the Ocean.
    • Temperature, Salinity, and Other Characteristics.
    • Ocean Deposits
    • Ocean Currents
    • El Nino and La Nina, 
    • Waves and Tides
  • Biogeography
    • Soil: Origin, Types, and Other Characteristics.
    • Major Biomes of The World
    • Ecosystem, Food Chain
    • Environmental Degradation and Conservation

2. Human Geography

  • Man & Environment; Relationship, Growth and Development of Human Geography; Determinism and Possibilism
  • Population Dynamics, Tribes, Migration, Regionalism and Secularism
  • Economic Activities:  Agriculture, Manufacturing, Industries, Tertiary Activities
  • Settlements, Urbanisation, Functional Classification of Towns, Million-Cities and Megacities
  • Agriculture and Its Types, Industry and Infrastructure, Services Sector

3. Regional Geography

  • Physical Features, Climate and Vegetation, Human Geography and Economic Development of Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australia and Oceania.

4. Geographical Thought

  • Contribution of Geographers
  • Geographical Thought In India
  • Sustainable Development
  • Globalization
  • Regional Planning and Development

5. Environmental Geography: Ecology and Wildlife Conservation, Pollution and Its Types, Impact of Pollution On Human Health and Ecosystems, Natural Hazards and Disasters Management.

6. Geopolitics and Contemporary Global Issues.

Indian Geography

  • Basic Geography
    • Location, Latitude, Longitude, Time Zone, Etc.
    • Neighbouring Countries
    • Importance of Position
    • States and Their Position
    • Distribution of Boundaries
  • Climate
    • Monsoons: Formation Mechanism, El Nino, La Nina, Indian Ocean Dipole
    • Air Mass and Jetstreams
    • Monsoon Types and Features
    • Seasons In India
    • Cyclones 
    • Climatic Classification of India
    • Droughts and Floods
  • Physical Features
    • The Himalayas:  Geological Formation, Climate, Vegetation, Soil, Biodiversity, Physiographic Divisions, Major Passes, Significance
    • The North Indian Plains:  Geological Formation, Physiographic Divisions, Climate, Vegetation, Soil, Biodiversity, Significance
    • Peninsular Plateau:  Geological Origin, Central Highlands, Deccan Plateau, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats
    • Indian Desert
    • Coastal Plains and Islands
  • River Systems of India
    • Himalayan Rivers
    • Peninsular Rivers
    • Major River Basins
    • Hydropower Projects, Major Dams In India
    • West-Flowing and East-Flowing Rivers
    • River Interlinking
  • Minerals and Industrial Distribution
    • Mineral Distribution In India
    • Major Industrial Policies
    • Factors Affecting Location of Industries
  • Natural Vegetation In India
    • Classification of Natural Vegetation
    • Rainfall Distribution In India
    • Biosphere Reserves, National Parks, Etc.
    • Important Species
    • Types Forest, Forest Conservation and Development.
  • Infrastructure
    • Transportation (Highways, Inland Waterways, Etc.)
    • Power and Energy Sector
    • Energy Production and Consumption In India
    • Renewable and Non-Renewable Sources of Energy
    • Emerging Energy Sources
    • Hydro-Electric Power Generation In India
  • Agriculture
    • Land Distribution
    • Cropping Pattern and Types of Crops.
    • Types of Agricultural Practices
    • Types of Farming
    • Classification of Soils.
    • Agriculture Input
    • Irrigation Methods
    • Land Reforms
    • New Agricultural Practices
    • Animal Husbandry
    • Government Schemes
  • Human Geography
    • Population and Its Issues, 
    • Population Growth Trends
    • Census

UPSC Prelims Geography Syllabus Booklist

Candidates preparing for prelims have to choose books that completely cover the UPSC prelims Geography syllabus so that they are able to understand the concept in detail. In some cases, they may be required to read the same topic from multiple sources to understand better. The complete booklist of Geography syllabus is given below:

Book Type Book Name
NCERT  NCERT Class VI – The Earth Our Habitat

NCERT Class VII – Our Environment

NCERT Class VIII – Resource and Development

NCERT Class IX – Contemporary India – I

NCERT Class X – Contemporary India – II

NCERT Class XI – Fundamentals of Physical Geography

NCERT Class XI – India – Physical Environment

NCERT Class XII – Fundamentals of Human Geography

NCERT Class XII – India – People and Economy

Reference Books Certificate Physical & Human Geography by GC Leong

Geography of India by Majid Husain

World Geography by Majid Husain

Other Sources Oxford School Atlas

Newspapers such as The Hindu and The Indian Express

Down to Earth, UPSC Geography PYQ

 

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UPSC Prelims Geography Syllabus Marks Weightage

As part of the UPSC Prelims geography syllabus, candidates will have to cover geography from all aspects. The number of questions asked in prelims is a testament to the fact that geography remains an important subject of UPSC prelims. The following table contains the number of questions from geography asked each year in the examination:

Year of Preliminary Examination Number of Geography Questions
2023 16
2022 12
2021 12
2020 17
2019 14
2018 14
2017 8
2016 7
2015 14
2014 18


Geography as a subject needs equal attention as other subjects as it carries a substantial weight as part of
the UPSC Prelims syllabus. Candidates will have to read both the basic and advanced texts to generate an understanding of geography. This will help them solve the maximum number of questions correctly in the exam.

Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs UPSC Daily Editorials
Daily Current Affairs Quiz Daily Main Answer Writing
UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Having a basic understanding of location is important for further reading of the subject. Atlas helps candidates familiarize themselves with the location of important geographical features.

Geography carries a weightage of about 20-25 marks in UPSC prelims. These questions are moderate in nature and can be answered accurately with a little bit of knowledge.

No. Diagrams are necessary to understand geographical phenomena. However, actual drawings may be useful only in UPSC Mains.

The toughness of geography questions asked in UPSC prelims ranges from easy to moderate. Sometimes, difficult questions may also be asked.

Yes. Any candidate beginning his/her preparation can familiarize themselves with geography by reading NCERT books. These books will help form the foundation for future learning.

Any geographical event taking place across the world has high chances of being asked in the exam. In this regard, having an idea of events taking place in this world through newspapers is important.
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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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