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 2016

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. (a) On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all of the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations, whether
physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry: 2 × 10 = 20
(i) Pir Panjal Range
(ii) River Indravati
(iii) Nathu La Pass
(iv) Jog Falls
(v) Pulicat Lake
(vi) Kudankulam
(vii) Nalanda
(viii) Kudremukh
(ix) Headquarters of N-E Railways
(x) Farakka Barrage

(b) Explain the shifting of river courses and river capturing in the Himalayas. [10]

(c) Mention the space relationship of India with neighbouring countries. [10]

(d) Define agricultural intensity and bring out its regional distribution in India. [10]

2. (a) Discuss the role of spatial pattern of rainfall and temperature in the delimitation of climatic regions of India especially with reference to Stamp's climatic regionalization. [20]

(b) Describe the flood-prone areas and their management problems in the Ganga Plains. [15]

(c) Explain the New Industrial Policies in India. [15]

3. (a) Identify the important biotic resource regions of India and highlight their problems. [20]

(b) Point out the ethnic disparities in the N-E India. [15]

(c) Give an account of the development of renewable resources of India. [15]

4. (a) Bring out the development of river water transport in India and its role in regional development. [20]

(b) Explain the impact of economic development on environmental degradation in India. [15]

(c) Describe the distribution of black soils in India and their specific use for agriculture. [15]

SECTION B

5. For Question Nos. 5 (a) to 5 (e), write on each in about 150 words:

(a) Discuss the factors influencing the distribution of sex ratio in India. [10]

(b) "The Bokaro Iron and Steel Plant is an example of Industrial Complex." Explain. [10]

(c) How do slums develop? Give concrete suggestions for their improvement. [10]

(d) Explain the role of India in the geo-politics of South Asia. [10]

(e) Analyse the pattern of India's trade with the S-E Asian countries. [10]

6. (a) Present a comparative analysis of geographical factors responsible for distribution of human settlements in Rajasthan desert and North-Eastern regions of India. [20]

(b) Explain with suitable examples the role of road transport in agricultural development in India. [15]

(c) Evaluate the impact of technology on resource utilization in India. [15]

7. (a) Analyze the location, distributional pattern and problems of cotton textile industries in India. [20]

(b) Describe the major tribal regions of India and their problems. [15]

(c) Examine the causes of regional disparities in economic development in India. [15]

8. (a) Describe the causes and effects of urbanization in India and explain its impact on rural landscape and urban ecology. [20]

(b) "India has paid heavily for achievement of Green Revolution in the form of economic, social and ecological cost." Discuss. [15]

(c) Explain the origin, dimension and implications of Sino-Indian border dispute. [15]

5. For Question Nos. 5 (a) to 5 (e), write on each in about 150 words:

(a) Discuss the factors influencing the distribution of sex ratio in India. [10]

(b) "The Bokaro Iron and Steel Plant is an example of Industrial Complex." Explain. [10]

(c) How do slums develop? Give concrete suggestions for their improvement. [10]

(d) Explain the role of India in the geo-politics of South Asia. [10]

(e) Analyse the pattern of India's trade with the S-E Asian countries. [10]

6. (a) Present a comparative analysis of geographical factors responsible for distribution of human settlements in Rajasthan desert and North-Eastern regions of India. [20]

(b) Explain with suitable examples the role of road transport in agricultural development in India. [15]

(c) Evaluate the impact of technology on resource utilization in India. [15]

7. (a) Analyze the location, distributional pattern and problems of cotton textile industries in India. [20]

(b) Describe the major tribal regions of India and their problems. [15]

(c) Examine the causes of regional disparities in economic development in India. [15]

8. (a) Describe the causes and effects of urbanization in India and explain its impact on rural landscape and urban ecology. [20]

(b) "India has paid heavily for achievement of Green Revolution in the form of economic, social and ecological cost." Discuss. [15]

(c) Explain the origin, dimension and implications of Sino-Indian border dispute. [15]