Geography – Strategy and Notes.

Geography remained a tricky subject for me during the course of my preparation. I personally enjoyed Indian Geography and Economic Geography.

In contrast, Physical Geography for me remained way too technical and factual. So to overcome this mental block, I started making my own notes to simplify and make the subject more interesting and easy to memorize.

Another suggestion is to simultaneously solve a lot of MCQ -Test series after reading the content, as one tends to forget it and make silly mistakes- quite detrimental to scoring well in prelims.

Over the last few years, questions may not be coming from this section- the way it used to, but make no mistake, as it remains one of the most important topics when we begin preparing for the exam in general.

Syllabus:

Prelims: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

This comprises:

Indian Geography

1. India
   1. Location, latitude, longitude, time zone,
   2. Neighbouring countries
   3. States and its position and the states on International boundaries
   4. Important straits
2. Physical features of India
   1. The Himalayas
      1. Geological Formation
      2. Physiographic divisions
      3. Climate, Vegetation, Soil and Biodiversity
      4. Major passes.
   2. The Great North Indian plains
      1. Geological Formation
      2. Physiographic divisions
      3. Climate, Vegetation, Soil and Biodiversity
   3. Peninsular Plateau
      1. Geological formation
      2. Deccan plateau
      3. Central Highlands
      4. Western and Eastern Ghats
      5. Socio-economic issues related
   4. Indian Desert
   5. Coastal plains and Islands
3. River systems – Characteristics, comparison and significance
   1. Himalayan rivers
   2. Peninsular rivers
   3. River basins
   4. Hydro-Power projects, Power plants and Major Dams
   5. Regional development and planning
   6. West flowing and east-flowing rivers
4. Climate in India
   1. Monsoon
      1. Driving mechanism
      2. Effects of La-Nino and El-Nino
   2. Season of India
   3. Cyclones
5. Mineral and industries
   1. Distribution of minerals
   2. Industrial policies
   3. Location factors
   4. Issues and challenges of the industries
   5. Industrial clusters
6. Agriculture and Allied-characteristics and Problems : Land utilization, Types of agriculture practices, Soils and Crops, Irrigation- Major irrigation projects.
7. Natural vegetation and fauna- Characteristics, importance, comparison and significance
   1. Classification of natural vegetation
   2. Rainfall distribution
   3. National Forest Policy
8. Economic infrastructure
   1. Transportation,
   2. Road(National Highways)- Rail- Air- Water(Major inland waterways) and its Significance
   3. Power and energy sector
   4. Sources of conventional and non-conventional energy
   5. Energy conservation and crisis
9. Human Geography
   1. Demographics
   2. Census- 2011 (and upcoming 2021)

World Geography & Physical Geography

1. Theories related to Solar System;
2. Earth: Rotation and Revolution; Latitudes and Longitudes; Inclination of the Earth’s Axis – effect on seasons; Solar Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse and Tides and their significance.
3. Geomorphology: Earth’s movement (exo-genetic and endo-genetic); Earthquakes, volcanic activity; The basic idea about Continental Drift Theory, Plate Tectonics Theory, Sea Floor Spreading.
4. Interior of the Earth
5. Mass Movements of landforms, Erosion and Deposits : Rock system and its classification.
6. Climatology – Structure and composition of the Atmosphere, Factors controlling the Temperature Distribution, Insolation and Terrestrial Radiation, Heat budget, Global Warming and Ozone Layer; Humidity and Condensation; Clouds and its classification; Precipitation – Mechanism and its different types and forms; Pressure belts; Atmospheric circulation; Winds – Planetary Winds & Seasonal and Local Winds; Cyclones Tropical and Temperate Cyclone – Formation, Characteristics and Impact; Jet streams.
7. Hydrosphere – Ocean, Salinity and temperature variation, Ocean Currents, Ocean Deposits and Resources.
8. Biosphere – Major Biomes, Flora and fauna, International organization for Biodiversity, Conservation of Biodiversity
9. Economic Geography

Note – Part of Geography portion and Environmental Ecology overlap in the syllabus of UPSC Prelims

Mains:

Geography

• Distribution of key natural resources across the world including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent; factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world including India.
• Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.
• Geographical features and their location, changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and polar ice caps) and, in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
• Salient features of world’s physical geography.

Notes:

Physical Geography Notes (NCERT and G.C Leong):

Summary of G C Leong’s portion on World Climate:

World Geography- Old NCERT Notes:

Summary of NCERT:

 

India Physical Environment

Fundamentals of Physical Geography

Fundamentals of Human Geography

Short Notes on Biomes

Also see,

Previous Year CSE- GS Mains

Previous Year Questions:

2019:

• How do ocean currents and water masses differ in their impacts on marine life and coastal environment? Give suitable examples.
• What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India?
• How can the mountain ecosystem be restored from the negative impact of development initiatives and tourism?
• How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development in India?
• Assess the impact of global warming on the coral life system with examples.
• Can the strategy of regional resource-based manufacturing help in promoting employment in India?
• Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining coastal ecology. 
• Discuss the factors for localisation of agro-based food processing industries of North-West India.

GS-1 Mains (2018-13)

Salient Features of World Physical Geography; Important Geophysical phenomena (earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes, cyclones); Geographical features and location.

Why is Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) needed? How does it help in navigation?	2018
Define mantle plume and explain its role in plate tectonics.	2018
How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth?	2017
“The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.” Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation.	2016
Explain the formation of thousands of islands in Indonesian and Philippines archipelagos.	2014
Why are the world’s fold mountain systems located along the margins of continents? Bring out the association between the global distribution of Fold Mountains and the earthquakes and volcanoes.	2014
What do you understand by the theory of continental drift? Discuss the prominent evidences in its support.	2013
There is no formation of deltas by rivers of the Western Ghat. Why?	2013
Major hot deserts in northern hemisphere are located between 20-30 degree north and on the western side of the continents. Why?	2013
Bring out the causes for more frequent landslides in the Himalayas than in Western Ghats	2013

Critical geographical features, flora, fauna (changes and effects thereof)

What are the consequences of spreading of ‘Dead Zones’ on marine ecosystem?	2018
In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development.” Discuss.	2017
Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulse because of which the year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the United Nations.	2017
How does the cryosphere affect global climate?	2017
Account for variations in oceanic salinity and discuss its multi-dimensional effects.	2017
In what way can flood be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-weather inland navigation in India?	2017
What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50 percent of the won population residing in Monsoon Asia?	2017
Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes.	2016
Explain the factors responsible for the origin of ocean currents. How do they influence regional climates, fishing and navigation?	2015
How far do you agree that the behaviour of the Indian monsoon has been changing due to humanizing landscapes? Discuss.	2015
Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mexico. Why?	2014
Most of the unusual climatic happenings are explained as an outcome of the El-Nino effect. Do you agree?	2014
Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub-continent.	2014
The recent cyclone on the east coast of India was called “Phailin”. How are the tropical cyclones named across the world?	2013
Bring out the causes for the formation of heat islands in the urban habitat of the world.	2013
What do you understand by the phenomenon of temperature inversion in meteorology? How does it affect the weather and the habitants of the place?

Distribution of key Natural Resources: 

Why is India taking keen interest in resources of Arctic Region?	2018
The effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce the human miseries. Explain	2016
South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment.	2016
Present an account of the Indus Water Treaty and examine its ecological, economic and political implications in the context of changing bilateral relations.	2016
Enumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India.	2016
In what way micro-watershed Development projects help in water conservation in drought prone and semi-arid regions of India.	2016
What are the economic significances of discovery of oil in Arctic Sea and its possible environmental consequences?	2015
India is well endowed with fresh water resources. Critically examine why it still suffers from water scarcity.	2015
The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand reaching the limits of their ecological carrying capacity due to tourism. Critically evaluate.	2015
Critically evaluate the various resources of the oceans which can be harnessed to meet the resource crisis in the world.	2014
How does India see its place in the economic space of rising natural resource rich Africa?	2014
With growing scarcity of fossil fuels, the atomic energy is gaining more and more significance in India. Discuss the availability of raw material required for the generation of atomic energy in India and in the world.	2013
It is said the India has substantial reserves of shale oil and gas, which can feed the needs of country for quarter century. However, tapping of the resources doesn’t appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues involved.	2013

Factors responsible for location of Industries: 

Define blue revolution, explain the problems and strategies for pisciculture development in India.	2018
What is the significance of Industrial Corridors in India? Identify industrial corridors, explain their main characteristics.	2018
Petroleum refineries are not necessarily located nearer to crude oil producing areas, particularly in many of the developing countries. Explain its implications.	2017
Whereas the British planters had developed tea gardens all along the Shivaliks and Lesser Himalayas from Assam to Himachal Pradesh, in effect they did not succeed beyond the Darjeeling area. Explain.	2014
Account for the change in the spatial pattern of the Iron and Steel industry in the world.	2014
Why did the Green Revolution in India virtually by-pass the eastern region despite fertile soil and good availability of water?	2014
Do you agree that there is a growing trend of opening new sugar mills in the Southern states of India? Discuss with justification	2013
Analyse the factors for highly decentralized cotton textile industry in India	2013

Urbanization: problems and remedies

“The ideal solution of depleting ground water resources in India is water harvesting system.” How can it be made effective in urban areas?	2018
The growth of cities as I.T. hubs has opened up new avenues employment but has also created new problems. Substantiate this statement with examples. Urbanization	2017
With a brief background of quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the ‘Smart City Programme’.	2016
Major cities of India are becoming more vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.	2016
Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three mega cities of the country but the air pollution is much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so?	2015
Smart cities in India cannot sustain without smart villages. Discuss this statement in the backdrop of rural urban integration.	2015
Discussion the various social problems which originated out of the speedy process of urbanization in India.	2013