Friday, February 25, 2011

Civil Service Exam Syllabus for IAS Preliminary Exam – Geography

Indian Civil Service Exam (Preliminary) Syllabus – Geography

Section-A

Physical Georgraphy :
i) Geomorphology :

Factors controllingl andform development; endogenetic and exogenetic forces; Origin and evolution of the earth’s crust; Fundamentals of geomagnetism;Physical conditions of the
earth’s interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics; Recent views
on mountain building; Vulcanicity; Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Concepts of geomorphic
cycles and Landscape development ; Denudation chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope development ; Applied Geomorphology Geohydrology, economic geology and environment.

ii) 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.

iii) 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; sealevel changes; law of the sea and marine pollution.

iv) Biogeography :

Genesis of soils; Classification and distribution of soils; Soil profile;Soil erosion, Degradation and conservation;Factors influencing world distribution of plants and animals; Problems of deforestation and conservation measures; Social forestry; agro-forestry; Wild life; Major gene pool centres.

5. Environmental Geography :

Principle of ecology; Human ecological adaptations;Influence of man on ecology and environment;Global and regional ecological changes and imbalances; Ecosystem their
management and conservation; Environmental degradation, management and conservation; Biodiversity and sustainable development; Environmental policy; Environmental hazards and remedial measures;Environmental education and legislation.

Section-B

Human Geography :

1. Perspectives in Human Geography :

Areal differentiation; regional synthesis; Dichotomy and dualism; Environmentalism;
Quantitative revolution and locational analysis; radical, behavioural, human and
welfare approaches; Languages, religions and secularisation; Cultural regions of the world; Human development index.

2. Economic Geography :

World economic development: measurement and problems;World resources and their distribution; Energy crisis; the limits to growth; World agriculture:typology of agricultural regions; agricultural inputs and productivity; Food and nutrition problems; Food security; famine:causes, effects and remedies; World industries : locational patterns and problems; patterns of world trade.

3. Population and Settlement Geography :

Growth and distribution of world population;demographic attributes; Causes and consequences of migration; concepts of over-under-and optimum population;Population theories, world population problems and policies, Social well-being and quality of life; Population as social capital. 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.

4. Regional Planning: Concept of a region;

Types of regions and methods of regionalisation; Growth centres and growth poles; Regional imbalances; regional development strategies; environmental issues in regional planning; Planning for sustainable development.

5. Models, Theories and Laws in Human

Geography : Systems analysis in Human geography; Malthusian, Marxian and demographic
transition models; Central Place theories of Christaller and Losch;Perroux and Boudeville; Von Thunen’s model of agricultural location;Weber’s model of industrial location; Ostov’s model of stages of growth. Heartland and Rimland theories; Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.

Section-C

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.

3. Agriculture :

Infrastructure: irrigation,seeds, fertilizers, power; Institutional factors:land holdings, land tenure and land reforms; Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity,agricultural intensity, crop combination,land capability; Agro and socialforestry; Green revolution and its socioeconomic and ecological implications; Significance of dry farming; Livestock resources and white revolution; aqua – culture;sericulture, apiculture and poultry; agricultural regionalisation; agro-climatic zones; agro- ecological regions.

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.

6.Cultural Setting :

Historical Perspective of Indian Society; Racial, linguistic and ethnic diversities; religious minorities; major tribes, tribal areas and their problems;cultural regions; Growth, distribution and density of population; Demographic attributes:sex-ratio, age structure, literacy rate, work-force, dependency ratio, longevity;migration (inter-regional, intra- regional and international) and associated problems;Population problems and policies;
Health indicators.

7. Settlements :

Types, patterns and morphology of rural settlements; Urban developments; Morphology of Indian cities; Functional classification of Indian cities;Conurbations and metropolitan regions; urban sprawl; Slums and associated problems;town planning; Problems of urbanization and remedies.

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.

9.Political Aspects :

Geographical basis of Indian federalism; State reorganisation;Emergence of new states; Regional consciousness and inter state issues; international boundary of India and related issues; Cross border terrorism; India’s role in world affairs; Geopolitics of South Asia and Indian Ocean realm.

10.Contemporary Issues :

Ecological issues : Environmental hazards : landslides,earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods and droughts, epidemics; Issues relating to environmental pollution; Changes in patterns of land use; Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management; Population explosion and food security; Environmental degradation; Deforestation, desertification and soil erosion;Problems of agrarian and industrial unrest; Regional disparities in economic development; Concept of sustainable growth and development; Environmental awareness; Linkage of rivers; Globalisation and Indian economy.

Note :

Candidates will be required to answer one compulsory map question pertinent to subjects covered by this paper.

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