GEOGRAPHY

GENERAL STUDIES -I
MAINS – SYLLABUS AND PREVIOUS YEARS’ QUESTIONS
SYLLABUS
1. Salient features of world’s physical geography.
2. Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asian
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)
3. Important Geophysical phenomena such as Earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic
activity, Cyclone 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.

PREVIOUS YEARS’ QUESTIONS

2017

1. How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution
of the Earth? (150 words) 10
2. Account for variations in oceanic salinity and discuss its multi-dimensional
effects. (250 words) 15
3. What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding
more than 50 percent of the world population residing in Monsoon Asia? (250 words)
15
4. “Inspite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for
development”. Discuss (150 words) 10
5. Petroleum refineries are not necessarily located nearer to crude oil producing
areas, particularly in many of the developing countries. Explain its implications. (250
words) 15
6. “The growth of cities as I.T. hubs has opened up new avenues of employment, but
has also created new problems”. Substantiate this statement with examples (250
words) 15
7. How does the cryosphere affect global climate? (150 words) 10
8. In what way can floods be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-
weather inland navigation in India? (250 words) 15
2016

1. Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes.
12.5
2. The effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce the
human miseries. Explain. 12.5
3. In what way micro -watershed development projects help in water conservation
in drought-prone and semi-arid regions of India? 12.5
4. Enumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India.
12.5

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5. “The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.” Discuss the causes and suggest
suitable measures of mitigation. 12.5
6. Major cities of India are becoming more vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.
12.5
2015

1. Explain the factors responsible for the origin of ocean currents. How do they
influence regional climates, fishing and navigation? 12.5
2. How far do you agree that the behaviour of the Indian monsoon has been
changing due to humanizing landscapes? Discuss. 12.5
3. Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three mega cities of the country but the air
pollution is much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two.
Why is this so? 12.5
4. India is well endowed with fresh water resources. Critically examine why it still
suffers from water scarcity. 12.5
5. What are the economic significances of discovery of oil in Arctic Sea and its
possible environmental consequences? 12.5
6. Smart cities in India cannot sustain without smart villages. Discuss this statement
in the backdrop of rural urban integration. 12.5
7. The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are
reaching the limits of their ecological carrying capacity due to tourism. Critically
evaluate. 12.5

2014

1. Most of the unusual climatic happenings are explained as an outcome of the El-
Nino effect. Do you agree? 10
2. Why are the world’s fold mountain systems located along the margins of
continents? Bring out the association between the global distribution of Fold
Mountains and the earthquakes and volcanoes. 10
3. Explain the formation of thousands of islands in Indonesian and Philippines
archipelagos. 10
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4. Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and
Gulf of Mexico. Why? 10
5. Why did the Green Revolution in India virtually by-pass the eastern region despite
fertile soil and good availability of water? 10
6. Whereas the British planters had developed tea gardens all along the Shivaliks
and Lesser Himalayas from Assam to Himachal Pradesh, in effect they did not
succeed beyond the Darjeeling area. Explain. 10
7. Account for the change in the spatial pattern of the Iron and Steel industry in the
world. 10
8. Critically evaluate the various resources of the oceans which can be harnessed
to meet the resource crisis in the world. 10
9. How does India see its place in the economic space of rising natural resource rich
Africa? 10
10. Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the
symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub-continent. 10

2013

1. (a) What do you understand by the theory of ‘continental drift’? Discuss the
prominent evidence in its support. (100 words) 5
(b) The recent cyclone on east coast of India was called ‘Phailin’. How are the
tropical cyclones named across the world? Elaborate. (100 words) 5
2. (a) Bring out the causes for the formation of heat islands in the urban habitat of
the world. (100 words) 5
(b) What do you understand by the phenomenon of ‘temperature inversion’ in
meteorology? How does it affect weather and the habitants of the place?
(100 words) 5
0
3. Major hot deserts in northern hemisphere are located between 20-30 N latitudes
and on the western side of the continent. Why? (200 words) 10
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4. (a) Bring out the causes for more frequent occurrence of landslides in the
Himalayas than in the Western Ghats. (100 words) 5
(b) There is no formation of deltas by rivers of the Western Ghats. Why? 5
5. (a) Do you agree that there is a growing trend of opening new sugar mills in
southern States of India? Discuss with justification. (100 Words) 5
(b) Analyze the factors for the highly decentralized cotton textile industry in India.
(100 words) 5
6. With growing scarcity of fossil fuels, the atomic energy is gaining more and more
significance in India. Discuss the availability of raw material required for the
generation of atomic energy in India and in the world. (200 words) 10
7. It is said that India has substantial reserve of shale oil and gas, which can feed
the needs of the country for quarter century. However, tapping of the resource does
not appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues
involved. (200 words) 10

ENVIRONMENT & DISASTER MANAGEMENT

GENERAL STUDIES - III
SYLLABUS & PREVIOUS YEARS’ QUESTIONS
MAINS - SYLLABUS
1. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact
assessment
2. Disasters and disaster management
2017

1. ‘Climate Change’ is a global problem. How India will be affected by climate

change? How Himalayan and coastal states of India will be affected by climate
change? (15)
2. On December 2004, Tsunami brought havoc on 14 countries including India.
Discuss the factors responsible for occurrence of Tsunami and its effects on life
and economy. In the light of guidelines of NDMA (2010) describe the mechanisms
for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events. (15)
3. Not many years ago, river linking was a concept but it is becoming reality in the
country. Discuss the advantages of river linking and its possible impact on the
environment. (10)
2016

1. Discuss the Rehabilitation of human settlements is one of the important

environmental impacts which always attracts controversy while planning major
projects. Discuss the measures suggested for mitigation of this impact while
proposing major developmental projects. (12½)
2. The frequency of urban floods due to high intensity rainfall is increasing over the
years. Discussing the reasons for urban floods, highlight the mechanisms for
preparedness to reduce the risk during such events. (12½)

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3. With reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines,
discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of the recent incidents
of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand. (12½)

2015

1. Discuss the Namami Gange and National Mission for Clean Ganga
(NMCG) programmes and causes of mixed results from the previous schemes.
What quantum leaps can help preserve the river Ganga better than
incremental inputs? (12½)
2. The frequency of earthquakes appears to have increased in the Indian
subcontinent. However, India’s preparedness for mitigating their impact has
significant gaps. Discuss various aspects.

2014

1. Drought has been recognized as a disaster in view of its spatial expanse, temporal
duration, slow onset and lasting effects on vulnerable sections. With a focus on the
September 2010 guidelines from the National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA), discuss the mechanisms for preparedness to deal with likely El Nino and
La Nina fallouts in India. (12½)
2. Should the pursuit of carbon credits and clean development mechanisms set up
under UNFCCC be maintained even though there has been a massive slide in the
value of a carbon credit? Discuss with respect to India’s energy needs for economic
growth. (12½)
3. Environmental Impact Assessment Studies are increasingly undertaken before
a project is cleared by the Government. Discuss the environmental impacts of coal-
fired thermal plants located at coal pitheads. (12½)

2013

1. What are the consequences of illegal mining? Discuss the Ministry of

Environment and Forest concept of GO AND NO GO zones for coal mining sector.
(200 words) (10)
2. Enumerate the National Water Policy of India. Taking river Ganges as an
example, discuss the strategies which may be adopted for river water pollution
control and management. What are the legal provisions of management and
handling of hazardous wastes in India? (200 words) (10)
3. How important are vulnerability and risk assessment for pre-disaster
management? As an administrator, what are key areas that you would focus on in
a Disaster Management System? (200 words) (10)

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 MAINS TOPIC-WISE ANALYSIS

NO. TOPICS 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013

I Physical Geography 3 1 2 4 4
II Resources 1 2 3 2 2
III Industries 2 1 1 3 1
IV Geophysical phenomena 1 2 - - -
V Geographical features 1 - 1 1 -
VI Disaster Management 1 2 1 1 1
VII Environment 2 1 1 2 2

TOTAL MARKS 145 112.5 112.5 137.5 100

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