State PSC (e.g. BPSC / UPPSC / MPSC) Geography of India and the World Syllabus

Geography of India and the World syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Geography of India and the World in State PSC (e.g. BPSC / UPPSC / MPSC), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Physical Geography

   4 topics

   • Geomorphology
     • Interior of the earth and plate tectonics
     • Volcanoes, earthquakes and landforms
   • Climatology
     • Atmospheric circulation and pressure belts
     • Cyclones, monsoons and climatic classification
   • Oceanography
     • Ocean currents, tides and salinity
     • Coral reefs and ocean relief
   • Biogeography and Soils
2. 2

   Geography of India

   6 topics

   • Physiographic Divisions
     • Himalayas, Northern Plains, Peninsular Plateau, Coasts and Islands
   • Drainage System
     • Himalayan and Peninsular rivers
     • River interlinking and watersheds
   • Indian Monsoon and Climate
   • Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
   • Agriculture and Cropping Patterns
     • Major crops and cropping seasons
     • Green Revolution and irrigation
   • Mineral and Energy Resources
3. 3

   Economic and Human Geography

   4 topics

   • Population Distribution and Density
   • Migration, Urbanization and Settlements
   • Industrial Location and Major Industrial Regions
   • Transport and Communication Networks
4. 4

   State-Specific Geography

   4 topics

   • Physical Features and Relief of the State
   • Rivers, Climate and Soils of the State
   • Agriculture, Minerals and Industries of the State
   • Forests, Wildlife and Major Crops of the State
5. 5

   Map and Geographical Phenomena

   3 topics

   • World and Indian Map: Locations and Features
   • Important Geophysical Phenomena
     • Tsunamis, floods, droughts and landslides
   • Time Zones, Latitudes and Longitudes

Geography of India and the World flashcards for State PSC (e.g. BPSC / UPPSC / MPSC)

18 of 51 cards from the Geography of India and the World deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is geomorphology?

   The branch of physical geography that studies landforms, their origin, evolution, and the processes (endogenic and exogenic) that shape the Earth's surface.

2. Distinguish between endogenic and exogenic forces in geomorphology.

   Endogenic forces originate within the Earth (tectonism, volcanism) and build relief; exogenic forces operate on the surface (weathering, erosion, deposition) and tend to wear down and level relief.

3. State Davis's concept of the geographical cycle of erosion and its three stages.

   W.M. Davis proposed landscapes evolve through a cycle driven by uplift then erosion, passing through youth (deep V-valleys, rapid streams), maturity (widest valleys, balanced relief), and old age (peneplain, low gentle relief).

4. What are the main types of plate boundaries?

   Divergent (constructive, plates move apart forming new crust), convergent (destructive, plates collide causing subduction or mountain building), and transform (conservative, plates slide past each other).

5. How were the Himalayas formed?

   By the convergent collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate, folding the sediments of the former Tethys Sea into fold mountains; the process continues today.

6. What is isostasy?

   The state of gravitational equilibrium of the Earth's crust 'floating' on the denser mantle, so that lighter, thicker continental crust stands higher (like a floating iceberg).

7. What is climatology?

   The scientific study of climate, i.e., the long-term average and patterns of weather (temperature, precipitation, winds) over a region across decades, as opposed to short-term weather.

8. Name the layers of the atmosphere from the surface upward.

   Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere (ionosphere), and exosphere.

9. Which atmospheric layer contains the ozone layer and why is it important?

   The stratosphere; its ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun, protecting life on Earth.

10. Differentiate between insolation and terrestrial radiation.

    Insolation is incoming short-wave solar radiation received by the Earth; terrestrial radiation is the long-wave (infrared) radiation emitted back by the heated Earth's surface.

11. What are the three main types of rainfall by mechanism?

    Convectional (rising of heated moist air), orographic/relief (air forced up over mountains), and cyclonic/frontal (warm and cold air masses meeting along a front).

12. What is the normal lapse rate of temperature in the troposphere?

    Temperature decreases by about 6.5 degrees Celsius per 1,000 metres (1 degree per 165 m) of altitude on average.

13. What is the Coriolis force and its effect on winds?

    An apparent force due to Earth's rotation that deflects moving objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere; it is zero at the equator and maximum at the poles.

14. What is oceanography?

    The scientific study of the oceans, including their physical and chemical properties, currents, tides, waves, marine life, and the ocean floor (submarine relief).

15. Name the major divisions of the ocean floor (submarine relief).

    Continental shelf, continental slope, deep-sea plain (abyssal plain), and oceanic deeps/trenches; with features like ridges, seamounts, and guyots.

16. What causes ocean currents?

    Primarily prevailing winds, plus differences in water density (temperature and salinity, i.e., thermohaline circulation), Earth's rotation (Coriolis force), and the configuration of coastlines.

17. Distinguish warm and cold ocean currents with an example each.

    Warm currents flow from equator toward poles carrying warm water (e.g., Gulf Stream); cold currents flow from poles toward equator carrying cold water (e.g., Labrador Current).

18. What causes ocean tides?

    The gravitational pull of the Moon (and to a lesser extent the Sun) on Earth's waters, combined with the centrifugal force from the Earth-Moon system.

See more Geography of India and the World flashcards →

Planning Geography of India and the World for State PSC (e.g. BPSC / UPPSC / MPSC)

Geography of India and the World (State PSC (e.g. BPSC / UPPSC / MPSC)) FAQ