The syllabus for geography in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) covers a wide range of topics related to physical, human, economic, and regional geography. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the geography syllabus for the CSE:
Paper I: Geography
- Physical Geography:
- Earth and its composition
- Geomorphology: Landforms, processes, and associated phenomena
- Climatology: Weather, climate, climate change, and related phenomena
- Oceanography: Ocean currents, tides, waves, marine resources, and ecosystems
- Environmental geography: Ecology, biodiversity, conservation, and environmental degradation
- Human Geography:
- Population and demographic trends
- Settlement geography: Types of settlements, urbanization, and rural-urban migration
- Economic geography: Primary, secondary, tertiary sectors, industrialization, and globalization
- Agriculture: Types of farming, agricultural productivity, cropping patterns, and agricultural regions
- Human development: Human development indices, social and economic indicators
- Regional Geography:
- India: Physiographic divisions, climate regions, natural resources, and major geographical features
- World geography: Continents, countries, physical and cultural features, regional groupings, and major world regions
- Regional development and planning: Regional disparities, regional development initiatives, and planning strategies
- Geographical Thought:
- Evolution of geographical thought: Contributions of geographers, schools of geography, and geographical theories
- Geographical concepts and approaches: Space, place, scale, region, and systems approach
- Geographical Techniques:
- Cartography: Map projections, scales, and types of maps
- Remote sensing and GIS: Principles, applications, and uses in geography
- Statistical methods: Data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation techniques
Candidates are expected to have a clear understanding of the above topics and their interrelations. The geography syllabus for the CSE is dynamic and may include contemporary issues and developments relevant to the field of geography.
It’s important for candidates to refer to the latest syllabus provided by the UPSC and consult standard textbooks, reference materials, and current affairs sources for comprehensive preparation. Additionally, solving previous years’ question papers and practicing map-based questions can enhance one’s preparation for the geography paper in the Civil Services Examination.