UPSC CSE Geography Optional Syllabus 2026

Geography as an optional subject in UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) is considered a widely opted discipline and is famous among numerous aspirants as one of the highest scoring optional subjects preparing for the exam. Many toppers such as Pratham Kaushik (327/500) in Geography optional in 2017 have scored highest marks by choosing geography as an optional subject.

The subject also contributes and helps the students in general studies for both prelims and mains stage of the examination process. Geography optional paper has a weightage of 500 marks for both Paper-I and Paper-II. Opting Geography as an optional subject can actually make a difference in the All India Rank (AIR) of the candidate in the UPSC final result list.

UPSC CSE Geography Optional Syllabus for Paper-I

Paper-I PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHY (Physical Geography)

S.No.	Paper-I PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHY (Physical Geography)	Syllabus
1.	Geomorphology	Factors controlling landform development Endogenetic and exogenetic forces Origin and evolution of the earth’s crust 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 landscape development Denudation chronology Channel morphology Erosion surfaces Slope development Applied Geomorphology Geomorphology, economic geology and environment
2.	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 fronts Temperate and tropical cyclones Types and distribution of precipitation Weather and Climate Koppen’s, Thornthwaite’s and Trewartha’s classification of world climate Hydrological cycle Global climatic change Role and response of man in climatic changes Applied climatology and Urban climate
3.	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
4.	Biogeography	Genesis of soils Classification and distribution of soils Soil profile Soil erosion, degradation 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 centres
5.	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

1.	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 secularisation Cultural regions of the world Human development index
2.	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.
3.	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
4.	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
5.	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

UPSC CSE Geography Optional Syllabus for Paper-II

Paper-II GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA

S.No.	Paper-II Geography of India	Syllabus
1.	Physical Setting	Space relationship of India with neighbouring countries Structure and relief Drainage system and watersheds Physiographic regions Mechanism of Indian monsoons and rainfall patterns Tropical cyclones and western disturbances Floods and droughts Climatic regions Natural vegetation, Soil types and their distributions
2.	Resources	Land, surface and ground water, energy, minerals, biotic and marine resources, forest and wildlife resources and their conservation Energy crisis
3.	Agriculture	Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power Institutional factors Land holdings, land tenure and land reforms Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability Agro and social-forestry Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications Significance of dry farming Livestock resources and white revolution Aqua-culture Sericulture, agriculture and poultry Agricultural regionalisation Agro-climatic zones Agro-ecological regions
4.	Industry	Evolution of industries Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel, aluminium, fertiliser, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage and agro-based industries Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings Industrial regionalisation New industrial policy Multinationals and liberalisation Special Economic Zones Tourism including ecotourism
5.	Transport, Communication and Trade	Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline networks and their complementary roles in regional development Growing importance of ports on national and foreign trade Trade balance Trade Policy Export processing zones Developments in communication and information technology and their impacts on economy and society Indian space programme
6.	Cultural Setting	Historical perspective of Indian society Racial, linguistic and ethnic diversities Religious minorities Major tribes, tribal areas and their problems Cultural regions Growth, distribution and density of population Demographic attributes: sex-ratio, age structure, literacy rate, work-force, dependency ratio, longevity Migration (inter-regional, intra-regional and international) and associated problems Population problems and policies Health indicators
7.	Settlements	Types, patterns and morphology of rural settlements Urban developments Morphology of Indian cities Functional classification of Indian cities Conurbations and metropolitan regions Urban sprawl Slums and associated problems Town planning Problems of urbanisation and remedies
8.	Regional Development and Planning	Experience of regional planning in India Five Year Plans Integrated rural development programmes Panchayati Raj and decentralised planning Command area development Watershed management Planning for backward area, desert, drought-prone, hill tribal area development Multi-level planning Regional planning and development of island territories
9.	Political Aspects	Geographical basis of Indian federalism State reorganisation Emergence of new states Regional consciousness and inter-state issues International boundary of India and related issues Cross-border terrorism India’s role in world affairs Geopolitics of South Asia and Indian Ocean Realm
10.	Contemporary Issues	Ecological issues: Environmental hazards—landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and droughts, epidemics Issues related to environmental pollution Changes in patterns of land use Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management Population explosion and food security Environmental degradation Deforestation, desertification and soil erosion Problems of agrarian and industrial unrest Regional disparities in economic development Concept of sustainable growth and development Environmental awareness Linkage of rivers Globalisation and Indian economy

NOTE : Candidates will be required to answer one compulsory map question pertinent to subjects covered by this paper.

Download CSE Geography Optional Previous Year Papers

Follow the steps to download the papers:

Open the NEXT IAS website
Go to the ‘Free resources’ tab and click on the ‘Previous Year Papers’ in the menu.
You will be redirected to the page where you can find all the previous year exam papers of the UPSC CSE.
You can also navigate using the dropdown box of the side. For example, navigating to prelims, mains or optional papers.
Search through the list of available papers to locate the Geography Optional Paper.
You can both view and download the papers.
Download the Geography optional subject pdf by clicking the download icon or using the ‘Save As’ option from the browser.
Once finished with the download, save the document in a folder for future reference.

Download Geography Optional Previous Year Papers

Geography Optional Past Year Toppers

Over recent years, Geography has remained a popular and high-scoring UPSC optional.
Notable toppers include Junaid Ahmed (AIR 3, 2018), Pratham Kaushik (AIR 5, 2017), Ayush Sinha (AIR 7, 2017), Soumya Pandey (AIR 4, 2016) and Shweta Chauhan (AIR 8, 2016), all showcasing how strong conceptual clarity, diagram-rich answers and consistent smart practice can convert geography into a rank-boosting optional for serious aspirants.
Geography optional has consistently featured among the top-performing subjects in the UPSC Civil Services Examination over the last few years.
Several high-rankers have either had an academic background in geography or developed strong command through focused optional preparation.
These toppers typically highlight three common factors behind their success: conceptual clarity in both physical and human geography, disciplined answer-writing practice with maps and diagrams, and simultaneous integration of current affairs (for example, climate summits, migration, regional conflicts, or infrastructure projects) with static concepts.
Across recent batches, many candidates with Geography optional have secured ranks within the top-50 and went on to join premier services such as the IAS and IPS.
Their strategies usually emphasise mastering standard reference books, making concise topic-wise notes, repeatedly revising previous year questions, and practising value-addition through case studies and Indian examples.
For General Studies and Essay papers, these toppers also leverage their optional by using spatial thinking—linking issues like development, federalism, disaster management and urbanisation to geographic perspectives.
As a result, Geography optional continues to attract aspirants who prefer a mix of science and social science, visual learning through maps, and significant overlap with the GS syllabus, thereby offering strong scoring potential when prepared systematically.

FAQs on Geography Optional Syllabus

What is the structure of the UPSC Geography optional syllabus?

The Geography optional syllabus has two descriptive papers of 250 marks each: Paper I (Principles of Physical and Human Geography) and Paper II (Geography of India).

What does Paper I of Geography optional cover?

Paper I includes Geomorphology, Climatology, Oceanography, Biogeography, Environmental Geography, Economic Geography, Population and Settlement Geography, Regional Planning, and Models and Theories in Human Geography.

What does Paper II of Geography optional cover?

Paper II focuses on the Geography of India: physical setting, climate, soils, natural vegetation, resources, agriculture, industry, transport and communication, population, settlements, regional development, and contemporary geographical issues.

How much overlap is there with General Studies?

There is significant overlap with GS-I (Indian and World Geography, society), GS-III (environment, disaster management, resources), and even Essay, making Geography optional highly synergistic with the GS syllabus.

How should I use the Geography optional syllabus for preparation?

Break the syllabus into micro-topics, map each to specific chapters and previous year questions, integrate atlases and diagrams for every theme, and revise repeatedly with timed answer-writing practice.