Geography Optional Syllabus

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.

Part I

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

1. Geomorphology

1. Factors controlling landform development;
2. Endogenetic and exogenetic forces;
3. Origin and evolution of the earth's crust;
4. Fundamentals of geomagnetism;
5. Physical conditions of the earth's interior;
6. Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics;
7. Recent views on mountain building;
8. Vulcanicity;
9. Earthquakes and Tsunamis;
10. Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Landscape development ;
11. Denudation chronology;
12. Channel morphology;
13. Erosion surfaces;
14. Slope development ;
15. Applied Geomorphology: Geohydrology, economic geology, and environment

2. Climatology

1. Temperature and pressure belts of the world;
2. Heat budget of the earth;
3. Atmospheric circulation;
4. Atmospheric stability and instability.
5. Planetary and local winds;
6. Monsoons and jet streams;
7. Air masses and frontogenesis, Temperate and tropical cyclones;
8. Types and distribution of precipitation;
9. Weather and Climate;
10. Koppen's, Thornthwaite's and Trewartha's classification of world climates;
11. Hydrological cycle;
12. Global climatic change and role and response of man in climatic changes, Applied climatology and Urban climate.

3. Oceanography

1. Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans;
2. Temperature and salinity of the oceans;
3. Heat and salt budgets, Ocean deposits;
4. Waves, currents and tides;
5. Marine resources: biotic, mineral and energy resources;
6. Coral reefs, coral bleaching;
7. Sea level changes;
8. Law of the sea and marine pollution

4. Biogeography

1. The Genesis of soils;
2. Classification and distribution of soils;
3. Soil profile;
4. Soil erosion, Degradation, and conservation;
5. Factors influencing world distribution of plants and animals;
6. Problems of deforestation and conservation measures;
7. Social forestry;
8. Agro-forestry;
9. Wildlife;
10. Major gene pool centers

5. Environmental Geography

1. Principle of ecology;
2. Human ecological adaptations;
3. Influence of man on ecology and environment;
4. Global and regional ecological changes and imbalances;
5. Ecosystem their management and conservation;
6. Environmental degradation, management and conservation; Biodiversity and sustainable development;
7. Environmental policy;
8. Environmental hazards and remedial measures;
9. Environmental education and legislation

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

1. Perspectives in Human Geography

1. Areal differentiation;
2. Regional synthesis;
3. Dichotomy and dualism;
4. Environmentalism;
5. Quantitative revolution and locational analysis;
6. Radical, Behavioral, Human, and Welfare approaches;
7. Languages, religions, and secularization;
8. Cultural regions of the world;
9. Human development index.

2. Economic Geography

1. World economic development: measurement and problems;
2. World resources and their distribution;
3. Energy crisis;
4. The limits to growth;
5. World agriculture: a typology of agricultural regions;
6. Agricultural inputs and productivity;
7. Food and nutrition problems;
8. Food security;
9. famine: causes, effects, and remedies;
10. World industries: locational patterns and problems;
11. patterns of world trade.

3. Population and Settlement Geography

Population Geography

1. Growth and distribution of world population;
2. Demographic attributes;
3. Causes and consequences of migration;
4. Concepts of over, under, and optimum population;
5. Population theories, world population problems, and policies, Social well-being, and quality of life;
6. Population as social capital.

Settlement Geography

1. Types and patterns of rural settlements;
2. Environmental issues in rural settlements;
3. Hierarchy of urban settlements;
4. Urban morphology: Concepts of primate city and rank-size rule;
5. Functional classification of towns;
6. Sphere of urban influence;
7. Rural-urban fringe;
8. Satellite towns;
9. Problems and remedies of urbanization;
10. Sustainable development of cities.

4. Regional Planning

1. Concept of a region;
2. Types of regions and methods of regionalization;
3. Growth centers and growth poles;
4. Regional imbalances;
5. Regional development strategies;
6. Environmental issues in regional planning;
7. Planning for sustainable development.

5. Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography

1. Systems analysis in Human geography;
2. Malthusian, Marxian and demographic transition models;
3. Central Place theories of Christaller and Losch;
4. Perroux and Boudeville;
5. Von Thunen's model of agricultural location;
6. Weber's model of industrial location;
7. Rostov's model of stages of growth
8. Heartland and Rimland Theory
9. Laws of international boundaries and frontiers

Part II

1. Physical Setting

1. Space relationship of India with neighboring countries;
2. Structure and relief;
3. The drainage system and watersheds;
4. Physiographic regions;
5. Mechanism of Indian monsoons and rainfall patterns, Tropical cyclones and western disturbances;
6. Floods and droughts;
7. Climatic regions;
8. Natural vegetation;
9. Soil types and their distributions.

2. Resources

1. Land, surface and groundwater, Energy, Minerals, biotic and marine resources;
2. Forest and wildlife resources and their conservation;
3. Energy crisis.

3. Agriculture

1. Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power;
2. Institutional factors: landholdings, land tenure, and land reforms;
3. Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability;
4. Agro and social-forestry;
5. Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications;
6. Significance of dry farming;
7. Livestock resources and white revolution;
8. Aquaculture;
9. Sericulture, apiculture, and poultry;
10. Agricultural regionalization;
11. Agro-climatic zones;
12. Agro-ecological regions.

4. Industry

1. Evolution of industries
2. Locational factors of
   1. Cotton,
   2. Jute,
   3. Textile,
   4. Iron and steel,
   5. Aluminium,
   6. Fertilizer,
   7. Paper,
   8. Chemical and pharmaceutical,
   9. Automobile,
   10. Cottage,
   11. Agro-based industries;
3. Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings;
4. Industrial regionalisation;
5. New industrial policies;
6. Multinationals and liberalization;
7. Special Economic Zones;
8. Tourism including eco-tourism.

5. Transport, Communication and Trade

1. Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline networks and their complementary roles in regional development;
2. The growing importance of ports on national and foreign trade;
3. Trade balance;
4. Trade Policy;
5. Export processing zones;
6. Developments in communication and information technology and their impacts on the economy and society;
7. Indian space program.

6. Cultural Setting

1. Historical Perspective of Indian Society:
   1. Racial diversity
   2. Linguistic diversity
   3. Ethnic diversity
2. Religious minorities;
3. Major tribes, tribal areas, and their problems;
4. Cultural regions;
5. Growth, distribution, and density of population;
6. Demographic attributes:
   1. Sex-ratio,
   2. Age structure,
   3. Literacy rate,
   4. Work-force,
   5. Dependency ratio,
   6. Longevity;
7. Migration (inter-regional, intraregional and international) and associated problems;
8. Population problems and policies;
9. Health indicators.

7. Settlements

1. Types, patterns, and morphology of rural settlements;
2. Urban developments;
3. Morphology of Indian cities;
4. Functional classification of Indian cities;
5. Conurbations and metropolitan regions;
6. Urban sprawl;
7. Slums and associated problems;
8. Town planning;
9. Problems of urbanization and remedies.

8. Regional Development and Planning

1. Experience of regional planning in India;
2. Five Year Plans;
3. Integrated rural development programs;
4. Panchayati Raj and decentralized planning;
5. Command area development;
6. Watershed management;
7. Planning for
   1. Backward area,
   2. Desert,
   3. Drought-prone,
   4. Hill,
   5. Tribal area development;
8. Multi-level planning;
9. Regional planning
10. Development of island territories.

9. Political Aspects

1. Geographical basis of Indian federalism;
2. State reorganization;
3. The emergence of new states;
4. Regional consciousness and inter state issues;
5. The international boundary of India and related issues;
6. Cross border terrorism;
7. India's role in world affairs;
8. Geopolitics of South Asia
9. Indian Ocean realm.

10. Contemporary Issues

1. Ecological issues
2. Environmental hazards:
   1. Landslides,
   2. Earthquakes,
   3. Tsunamis,
   4. Floods and Droughts,
   5. Epidemics;
3. Issues relating to environmental pollution;
4. Changes in patterns of land use;
5. Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management;
6. Population explosion and food security;
7. Environmental degradation;
8. Deforestation, desertification, and soil erosion;
9. Problems of agrarian and industrial unrest;
10. Regional disparities in economic development;
11. Concept of sustainable growth and development;
12. Environmental awareness;
13. Linkage of rivers;
14. Globalization and the Indian economy