


GEOGRAPHY
PAPER - I
PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHY
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 fronto genesis, 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; sealevel
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; agro-forestry;
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 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.
PAPER – II
GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA
1. Physical Setting.—Space relationship of India with neighboring 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 farming;
Livestock resources and white revolution; aqua - culture; sericulture, apiculture 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, fertilizer, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage and agrobased
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.
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 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; 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 sustainable
growth and development; Environmental awareness; Linkage of rivers; Globalisation and
Indian economy.
Note.—Candidates will be required to answer one compulsory map question
pertinent to subjects covered by this paper.
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