Geography Optional Syllabus - Geography is a little less abstractive than the other Arts Optionals like Sociology and Psychology and has an overlap with the General studies syllabus. This makes Geography a popular subject.
Table of Contents hide
Part I
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
1. Geomorphology
- Factors controlling landform 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
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 frontogenesis, 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
4. Biogeography
- The 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;
- Wildlife;
- Major gene pool centers
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
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
1. Perspectives in Human Geography
- Areal differentiation;
- Regional synthesis;
- Dichotomy and dualism;
- Environmentalism;
- Quantitative revolution and locational analysis;
- Radical, Behavioral, Human, and Welfare approaches;
- Languages, religions, and secularization;
- 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: a 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
Population 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.
Settlement 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.
4. Regional Planning
- Concept of a region;
- Types of regions and methods of regionalization;
- Growth centers 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;
- Rostov's model of stages of growth
- Heartland and Rimland Theory
- Laws of international boundaries and frontiers
Part II
1. Physical Setting
- Space relationship of India with neighboring countries;
- Structure and relief;
- The 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 groundwater, Energy, Minerals, biotic and marine resources;
- Forest and wildlife resources and their conservation;
- Energy crisis.
3. Agriculture
- Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power;
- Institutional factors: landholdings, land tenure, and land reforms;
- Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability;
- Agro and social-forestry;
- Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications;
- Significance of dry farming;
- Livestock resources and white revolution;
- Aquaculture;
- Sericulture, apiculture, and poultry;
- Agricultural regionalization;
- 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,
- 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;
- The 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 the economy and society;
- Indian space program.
6. Cultural Setting
- Historical Perspective of Indian Society:
- Racial diversity
- Linguistic diversity
- Ethnic diversity
- 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, intraregional 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 programs;
- Panchayati Raj and decentralized planning;
- Command area development;
- Watershed management;
- Planning for
- Multi-level planning;
- Regional planning
- Development of island territories.
9. Political Aspects
- Geographical basis of Indian federalism;
- State reorganization;
- The emergence of new states;
- Regional consciousness and inter state issues;
- The international boundary of India and related issues;
- Cross border terrorism;
- India's role in world affairs;
- Geopolitics of South Asia
- 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;
- Globalization and the Indian economy