UPSC CSE Indian and World Geography Syllabus

Indian and World Geography syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Indian and World Geography in UPSC CSE, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Physical Geography

   4 topics

   • Geomorphic Processes
   • Climatology
   • Oceanography
   • Biogeography
2. 2

   Indian Geography

   4 topics

   • Physiographic Divisions
   • Climate of India
   • Natural Vegetation
   • Soils of India
3. 3

   World Geography

   3 topics

   • Major Natural Regions
   • Human Geography
   • Resource Distribution

Indian and World Geography flashcards for UPSC CSE

18 of 50 cards from the Indian and World Geography deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is weathering, and how does it differ from erosion?

   Weathering is the in-situ disintegration and decomposition of rocks by physical, chemical, and biological agents (no transport). Erosion is the wearing away AND removal/transport of weathered material by agents like water, wind, and ice.

2. Name the three broad types of weathering with one example agent each.

   Physical/mechanical (frost action, exfoliation), chemical (carbonation, oxidation, hydration, hydrolysis), and biological (root wedging, burrowing organisms).

3. Distinguish endogenic from exogenic geomorphic processes.

   Endogenic processes are driven by internal Earth energy (diastrophism, volcanism, earthquakes) and build relief. Exogenic processes are driven by solar energy/gravity (weathering, erosion, deposition) and wear relief down (gradation).

4. What is mass wasting (mass movement)? Give two examples.

   The downslope movement of rock and soil under gravity without a transporting medium. Examples: landslides, slumps, soil creep, mudflows, rockfall.

5. In fluvial geomorphology, what landform is typically created at a river's mouth versus at the foot of a mountain?

   A delta forms at the river mouth (deposition into a sea/lake); an alluvial fan forms where a river leaves a mountain front onto a plain.

6. What is the difference between a V-shaped and a U-shaped valley?

   A V-shaped valley is carved by river (fluvial) erosion in the upper course; a U-shaped valley is carved by glacial erosion.

7. List karst landforms produced by limestone dissolution.

   Surface: sinkholes (dolines), karst windows, limestone pavements. Underground: caves, stalactites, stalagmites, and underground drainage.

8. What is the lapse rate, and what is the normal (environmental) lapse rate value?

   The lapse rate is the rate at which air temperature decreases with altitude. The normal environmental lapse rate is about 6.5 degrees C per 1000 m (1 degree C per 165 m).

9. Differentiate the dry adiabatic lapse rate from the wet (saturated) adiabatic lapse rate.

   Dry adiabatic lapse rate is about 9.8 degrees C per 1000 m for unsaturated rising air. The wet/saturated rate is about 5-6 degrees C per 1000 m, lower because condensation releases latent heat.

10. Name the three main types of rainfall by mechanism.

    Convectional rainfall (heating-driven), orographic/relief rainfall (forced ascent over mountains), and cyclonic/frontal rainfall (warm and cold air masses meeting).

11. What is the difference between a temperate (mid-latitude) cyclone and a tropical cyclone in terms of front and origin?

    Temperate cyclones form along fronts where contrasting air masses meet (60 degrees latitude belt) and have fronts. Tropical cyclones form over warm oceans (above ~26.5 degrees C), are frontless, and are powered by latent heat release.

12. What is the Coriolis force and how does it deflect winds in each hemisphere?

    An apparent force from Earth's rotation that deflects moving air to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere; zero at the equator, maximum at the poles.

13. Name the three cells of atmospheric circulation from equator to pole.

    The Hadley cell (0-30 degrees), the Ferrel cell (30-60 degrees), and the Polar cell (60-90 degrees).

14. What are the three permanent (planetary) wind belts?

    Trade winds (blow from subtropical highs toward equatorial low), Westerlies (blow from subtropical highs toward subpolar lows), and Polar easterlies (from polar highs toward subpolar lows).

15. Define salinity of ocean water and give the average value.

    Salinity is the total dissolved salt content in seawater, expressed in parts per thousand (ppt or g/kg). The average ocean salinity is about 35 ppt.

16. Which ocean zone has the highest and lowest salinity, and why is the open Red Sea so saline?

    Highest salinity occurs in enclosed tropical seas with high evaporation and low inflow; the Red Sea reaches ~40+ ppt due to intense evaporation and almost no freshwater inflow. Lowest is near the equator (heavy rain) and at poles (ice melt).

17. What is the thermocline?

    The transition layer in the ocean where temperature decreases rapidly with depth, separating the warm surface mixed layer from the cold deep water.

18. What causes ocean tides, and what is the difference between spring and neap tides?

    Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun plus Earth's rotation. Spring tides (highest) occur at new/full moon when Sun, Moon, Earth align; neap tides (lowest range) occur at quadrature (first/third quarter moon).

See more Indian and World Geography flashcards →

Planning Indian and World Geography for UPSC CSE

Indian and World Geography (UPSC CSE) FAQ