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 (II) EXAME 2002

Time Allowed: Three Hours Maximum Marks: 300

SECTION A

1. Mark on the outline map of India supplied any TEN of the following entries. Write
brief notes (not exceeding 30 words) on the significant aspect of each entry [6 × 10 =
60]
i. Blue Mountain
ii. Tawa river
iii. Dallirajhara mines
iv. Marmugao
v. Coimbatore
vi. Kodaikanal
vii. Wular lake
viii. Rourkela
ix. Konkan railway
x. Laterie soils
xi. Gulf of Mannar
xii. Rana Pratap Sagar

2. Explain the origin, mechanism and characteristics of Summer Monsoon in India. [60]

3. Critically evaluate the dual impacts of green revolution in India. [60]

4. Discuss the oil and natural gas pipeline networks in India. Highlight their complementary role in regional development. [60]

SECTION B

1. Answer arty THREE of the following in about 200 words each: [20 × 3 = 60]
a. Account for the present distributional pattern of population density in India.
b. Analyze the role of policy of liberalization on industrial landscape of India.
c. Discuss the salient features of Cauvery Water Award.
d. Elucidate the role of Tribal Development Blocks in development of Tribal areas.

2. Explain the causes, impacts and remedial measures of earthquake disaster. [60]

3. In what way the language, religion and tradition can form the basis of cultural
regionalization of India? Elaborate. [60]

4. Give a reasoned account of regional disparities in economic development in India and bring out the contribution of decentralized planning in solving this problem. [60]