Civil Service Main Examination Syllabus Geography - Optional
Civil Service Main Examination Syllabus Geography - Optional
Civil Service Main Examination Syllabus Geography - Optional
PAPER - I
PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHY
Physical Geography:
2. Climatology: Temperature and pressure belts of the world; Heat budget of the earth;
Atmospheric circulation; atmospheric stability and instability. Planetary and local winds;
Monsoons and jet streams; Air masses and fronto genesis, Temperate and tropical cyclones;
Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; Koppen’s, Thornthwaite’s and
Trewartha’s classification of world climates; Hydrological cycle; Global climatic change and role
and response of man in climatic changes, Applied climatology and Urban climate.
3. Oceanography: Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans; Temperature and
salinity of the oceans; Heat and salt budgets, Ocean deposits; Waves, currents and tides; Marine
resources: biotic, mineral and energy resources; Coral reefs, coral bleaching; sea-level changes;
law of the sea and marine pollution.
Human Geography:
Types and patterns of rural settlements; Environmental issues in rural settlements; Hierarchy of
urban settlements; Urban morphology: Concepts of primate city and rank-size rule; Functional
classification of towns; Sphere of urban influence; Rural - urban fringe; Satellite towns;
Problems and remedies of urbanization; Sustainable development of cities.
PAPER – II
GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA
1. Physical Setting: Space relationship of India with neighboring countries; Structure and relief;
Drainage system and watersheds; Physiographic regions; Mechanism of Indian monsoons and
rainfall patterns, Tropical cyclones and western disturbances; Floods and droughts; Climatic
regions; Natural vegetation; Soil types and their distributions.
2. Resources: Land, surface and ground water, energy, minerals, biotic and marine resources;
Forest and wild life resources and their conservation; Energy crisis.
4. Industry: Evolution of industries; Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel,
aluminium, fertilizer, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage and agro - based
industries; Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings; Industrial
regionalisation; New industrial policies; Multinationals and liberalization; Special Economic
Zones; Tourism including eco -tourism.
5. Transport, Communication and Trade: Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline networks
and their complementary roles in regional development; Growing importance of ports on
national and foreign trade; Trade balance; Trade Policy; Export processing zones;
Developments in communication and information technology and their impacts on economy and
society; Indian space programme.
8. Regional Development and Planning: Experience of regional planning in India; Five Year Plans;
Integrated rural development programmes; Panchayati Raj and decentralised planning;
Command area development; Watershed management; Planning for backward area, desert,
drought prone, hill, tribal area development; multi-level planning; Regional planning and
development of island territories.