UPSC CSE Geography Optional Syllabus 2025

Physical Geography 

• Geomorphology : Factors controlling landform development; endogenetic and exogenetic
  forces; Origin and evolution of the earth’s crusts; Fundamentals of geomagnetism; Physical
  conditions of the earth’s interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics;
  Recent views on mountain building; Volcanicity; Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Concepts of
  geomorphic cycles and Land scape development; Denudation chronology; Channel
  morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope development; Applied Geomorphology;
  Geomorphology, economic geology and environment.
• 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; Temperate and tropical cyclones; Types
  and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; Koppen’s Thornthwaite’s and
  Trewar Tha’s classification of world climate; Hydrological cycle; Global climatic change,
  and role and response of man in climatic changes Applied climatology and Urban climate.
• 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.
• Biogeography : Genesis of soils; Classification and distribution of soils; Soil profile; Soil
  erosion, Degrada-tion 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 centers.
• Environmental Geography : Principle 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 

• 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
  secularization; Cultural regions of the world; Human development index.
• 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 nutritions
  problems; Food security; famine: causes, effects and remedies; World industries: location
  patterns and problems; Patterns of world trade.
• 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; Concept 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.
• 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.
• Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography : System 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. Heart-land and
  Rimland theories; Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.