A Must Read for Civil Services Geography Optional of UPSC

For the civil services mains examination, UPSC provides 41 optional subjects. Each aspirant should select one optional paper of their choice and appear in two papers (Paper-I and Paper-II). Among these options, for a long time, Geography has been one of the most popular optional subjects among civil services aspirants. Though the syllabus is vast, it is equally preferred by engineering, science, art, and humanities graduates.

The first step to prepare for the Geography Optional is thoroughly reading and understanding the NCERT Geography Books. Even before that understanding the contents of each of the 10 NCERT Geography Books. With that in mind, the key topics covered in each of these books are given below for a high-level understanding before you dive deep into the option.

GEOGRAPHY

CIVIL SERVICES (I) EXAME 2014

Time Allowed: Three Hours Maximum Marks: 250

QUESTION PAPER SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

Please read each of the following instructions carefully before attempting questions.
There are EIGHT questions divided in TWO SECTIONS and printed both in HINDI and in ENGLISH. The candidate has to attempt FIVE questions in all.

Question Nos. 1 and 5 are compulsory and out of the remaining, THREE are to be attempted Choosing at least ONE question from each Section.

The number of marks carried by a question/part is indicated against it. Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this Question-cum-Answer (QCA) Booklet in the space provided. No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one.

Word limit in questions, wherever specified, should be adhered to.

Illustrate your answers with suitable sketches/maps and diagrams, wherever considered necessary. These shall be drawn in the space provided for answering the question itself. Attempts of questions shall. be counted in sequential order. Unless struck off, the attempt of a question shall be counted even if attempted partly. Any page or portion of the page left blank in the Question-cum-Answer Booklet must be clearly struck off.

SECTION A

1. Answer the following in about 150 words each: 10 × 5 = 50

(a) Define the term 'meander' and describe the basic characteristics of entrenched meander and ingrown meander.

(b) Discuss the salient features of 'sirocco' and 'mistrai'.

(c) Give an account of the nature of biosphere as an ecosystem.

(d) State the uniqueness of the Eurasian Steppe Biome.

(e) Illustrate the origin and nature of Sargasso Sea and Lagoon.

2. (a) State the concept of plate tectonics. How does it help in explaining the formation of the Himalayas and Appalachian Mountains? [20]

(b) Describe the origin and development of thunderstorms with examples.[15]

(c) Enumerate the major causes of increasing degradation of environment in hills and hillslopes, and state its down-valley impact. [15]

3. (a) Discuss the nature and origin of Indian monsoon and recent techniques of its prediction.[20]

(b) State the concept of erosion surfaces and highlight the factors responsible for their development. [15]

(c) Give a critical account of reasons and consequences of marine pollution. [15]

4. (a) Explain weathering and mass wasting, and describe their geomorphic significance. [20]

(b) Define zoogeographic region. Also describe the basic faunal makeup of the Neo-Arctic zoogeographic region. [15]

(c) Give an account of recent observations on coral bleaching with reference to Clive Wilkinson's Report. [15]

SECTION B

5. Answer the following in about 150 words each: 10 × 5 = 50.

(a) Elaborate the concept. of mental map.

(b) Give an account of food security issues in developing countries.

(c) Discuss the factors responsible for counter-urbanisation.

(d) Explain the relevance of bottom-up and top-down approaches in the development of agrarian economy.

(e) Critically analyse application of models in Geography.

6. (a) Explain the necessary conditions of take-off and subsequent stages of development of a nation as propounded by Rostow.[20]

(b) Discuss environmental and economic problems associated with coal production.[15]

(c) Discuss the contribution of geographers in the development of radical geography.[15]

7. (a) Giving suitable examples, describe the importance of system analysis in geographical studies. [15]

(b) "Rural sustainability is necessary for urban sustainability." Discuss the statement in the backdrop of integrated development approach.[20]

(c) "Indo-Gangetic hearth is considered to be one of the world's richest cultural realms." Examine.[15]

8. (a) Explain the qualitative and quantitative methods of delineation of the sphere of urban influence.[20]

(b) "World is passing through a global resource dilemma." Comment.[15]

(c) "Food productivity with purity of ecosystem is the need of the hour." Elaborate.[15]