In terms of the UPSC civil services examination, geography is an essential topic. The UPSC prelims and mains examinations include it. Geography is another optional topic given by the commission, and it is a hugely popular choice in terms of numbers.
It is extremely popular among applicants with both scientific and artistic backgrounds due to its logical character and scoring abilities. Even if you don’t choose it as an optional subject, you can’t avoid studying it if you want to pass the IAS test.
In this article, we have answered your query is the NCERT Geography book sufficient for UPSC preparation? along with other necessary details,
UPSC Prelims Geography Syllabus
The first step is to check out the syllabus of Geography. Go through the sections below to understand the syllabus.
Indian Geography
Basics of India
Location, latitude, longitude, time zone, etc.
Neighbours
Important straits
States and their position
States with international boundaries
Physical Features
The Himalayas – geological formation, climate, vegetation, soil, biodiversity, physiographic divisions, major passes, significance
The Great North Indian Plains – geological formation, physiographic divisions, climate, vegetation, soil, biodiversity, significance
Peninsular Plateau – geological formation, Central Highlands, Deccan Plateau, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats
Indian Desert
Coastal plains and islands
River systems
Himalayan rivers
Peninsular rivers
River basins
Regional development and planning
Hydropower projects, major dams
West-flowing and east-flowing rivers
Interlinking of rivers
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Climate
Monsoons – driving mechanism, El Nino, La Nina
Seasons
Cyclones
Minerals and Industries
Mineral distribution, industrial policies, location
Agriculture
Land utilisation
Types of agricultural practices
Green revolution
Soils and crops
Irrigation
Land reforms
Animal husbandry
Government schemes
Natural Vegetation and Fauna
Classification of natural vegetation
Rainfall distribution
Biosphere reserves, national parks, etc.
Red-listed species
Economic Infrastructure
Transportation (highways, inland waterways, etc.)
Power and energy sector
Conventional and non-conventional sources of energy
Energy conservation
Human Geography
Demographics
Recent census
World Geography
Major natural regions
Regional geography of developed countries
Regional geography of developing countries
Regional geography of South Asia
Physical Geography
Geomorphology
Origin of the earth
Interior of the earth
Types and characteristics of rocks
Folding and Faulting
Volcanoes, earthquakes
Interior of the earth
Weathering
Landforms formed by fluvial, aeolian and glacial actions
Climatology
Atmosphere – structure and composition
Pressure belts
Wind systems
Clouds and types of rainfall
Cyclones and anticyclones
Major climatic types
Oceanography
Ocean relief
Temperature, salinity
Ocean deposits
Ocean currents
El Nino and La Nina
Waves and tides
Biogeography
Soil – origin and types
Major biomes of the world
Ecosystem, food chain
Environmental degradation and conservation
Human Geography
Man & environment; relationship, growth and development of human geography; determinism and possibilism
Population, tribes, migration
Economic activities – agriculture, manufacturing, industries, tertiary activities
Settlements, urbanisation, functional classification of towns, million-cities and megacities
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UPSC Mains Geography Syllabus
Distribution of key natural resources across the world including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent; factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world including India
Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclones etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes
Salient features of the world’s physical geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography and environmental geography)
Geomorphology
The interior of the earth, tectonics, physical phenomenon, mountain building, volcanoes, earthquakes, weathering & erosion, rocks, landforms
Climatology
Atmosphere, temperature distribution, jet streams, pressure & wind systems, air masses, fronts, cyclones, humidity, precipitation, geographical phenomenon, climatic regions of the world
Oceanography
Ocean relief, temperature distribution, ocean currents, salinity, coral bleaching, marine pollution, sea level change, UN laws, etc.
Biography
Soil profile, degradation, conservation), biotic regions, deforestation and conservation of forests, changes in critical geographical features, environmental pollution
Is the NCERT Geography Book Sufficient or UPSC Preparation?
Is Geography NCERT enough for UPSC mains? The answer is NO! NCERT Geography books are sufficient for IAS preparation since they cover the fundamental ideas and terminology of geography. However, because these study resources include a lot of information, aspirants must be selective when studying for the IAS Prelims Exam.
Geography NCERT Books for UPSC
Do you have this query which Geography NCERT for UPSC? Well, here is a list of NCERT books that you can study for the UPSC exam:
| Class | Book |
| Class 6 | The Earth Our Habitat |
| Class 8 | Resource And Development |
| Class 9 | Contemporary India |
| Class 10 | Contemporary India |
| Class 11 | Fundamental of Physical Geography |
| Class 11 | Practical Work In Geography |
| Class 11 | India Physical Environment |
| Class 12 | Fundamentals Of Human Geography |
| Class 12 | Practical Work In Geography II |
| Class 12 | India-People and Economy |
Also Read : Prelims Question Paper of UPSC: Checkout These Previous Years Papers & Boost-up Your Preparation
How to Read Geography NCERT for UPSC?
You may select whatever option best matches your capabilities and strategy. However, the best way to complete NCERTs is to:
# In the first reading, underline the key topics.
# In the second reading, read and improve the underlined material.
# Make clear notes of NCERTs in the last reading and, from now on, forget about the books and depend only on your notes.
# Review them regularly, and after 4 to 5 iterations, you should be able to revise the whole NCERT books in about 4-5 hours.
# Always remember that it is not about studying and completing books, but about remembering such concepts and information so that you can recollect them in the prelims and recreate them in the mains test.
Is Geography a Good Optional Subject?
According to data available on the UPSC portal, Geography is the most popular optional subject among applicants. According to past year patterns, around 3500 students choose it as their optional subject in UPSC CSE each year.
The choice of optional subjects for the UPSC civil service mains test is a personal one. Every person has distinct talents and limitations, as well as diverse academic and employment backgrounds.
An applicant must balance the benefits and drawbacks of each optional subject, and if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, he or she can choose that subject.
Pros
# This subject is a field of science. As a result, many applicants from scientific, medical, and engineering fields choose it.
# There isn’t much faking necessary. Only concepts must be grasped.
# There is no shortage of resources.
# It has a lot of overlap with GS in both preliminaries and mains.
# Aspirants can also use what they have learned in this subject to write their essay papers on a variety of themes.
# The map-based questions have a score as well.
Cons
# The most significant disadvantage is its extensive syllabus.
# When contrasted to other topics, competition in this optional course is fierce.
Conclusion
If one has selected Geography as an optional subject for the UPSC Mains, one should fully prepare for it by studying prior years’ exams as well as reading appropriate books.
Mapping topics should always be included in preparation because they are a continual element of the question paper format. IAS candidates may ensure success by combining their preparation with practice for General Studies in preliminaries and mains exams.
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Also Read: UPSC Exam Syllabus 2021: Know all the Insights about Prelims, Mains and Interview Round
Thank you for providing the booklist it was very helpful. What all study materails are needed to ace Georgaphy? Can you give us some tips? What do youy guys think?
NCERT is the best book to prepare for the UPSC exam. I was looking for the books to prepare for the Geography. This article has helped me to get the information. Which book do you prefer?