APSSCCE – Geography Optional Syllabus

Paper I – Principles of Geography

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A. Physical Geography

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, and role and response of humans in climatic changes
• Applied climatology and urban climatology

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 and coral bleaching
• Sea-level changes
• Law of the sea
• 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 and agro-forestry
• Wildlife
• Major gene pool centres

5. Environmental Geography

• Principles of ecology
• Human ecological adaptations
• Influence of humans on ecology and environment
• Global and regional ecological changes and imbalances
• Ecosystems: management and conservation
• Environmental degradation, management and conservation
• Biodiversity and sustainable development
• Environmental policy
• Environmental hazards and remedial measures
• Environmental education and legislation

B. 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 nutrition 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 urbanisation
• 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 Lösch
• Growth pole concepts of Perroux and Boudeville
• Von Thünen’s model of agricultural location
• Weber’s model of industrial location
• Rostow’s model of stages of growth
• Heartland and Rimland theories
• Laws of international boundaries and frontiers

Paper II – Geography of India

1. Physical Setting

• Space relationship of India with neighbouring countries
• Structure and relief
• Drainage systems 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 distribution

2. Resources

• Land resources
• Surface and ground water
• Energy resources
• Mineral resources
• Biotic and marine resources
• Forest and wildlife resources and their conservation
• Energy crisis

3. Agriculture

• Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilisers, power
• Institutional factors: land holdings, land tenure and land reforms
• Cropping pattern
• Agricultural productivity and agricultural intensity
• Crop combination
• Land capability
• Agro-forestry and social forestry
• Green Revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications
• Significance of dry farming
• Livestock resources and White Revolution
• Aquaculture, sericulture, apiculture and poultry
• Agricultural regionalisation
• Agro-climatic zones
• Agro-ecological regions

4. Industry

• Evolution of industries
• Locational factors of:
  • Cotton and jute textiles
  • Iron and steel
  • Aluminium
  • Fertilisers
  • Paper
  • Chemical and pharmaceutical industries
  • Automobile industry
  • Cottage and agro-based industries
• Industrial houses and complexes, including public sector undertakings
• Industrial regionalisation
• New Industrial Policy
• Multinationals and liberalisation
• Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
• Tourism, including eco-tourism

5. Transport, Communication and Trade

• Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline networks
• Complementary roles of different transport modes in regional development
• Growing importance of ports in 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 development
• 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 areas, desert, drought-prone and hill/tribal areas
• Multi-level planning
• Regional planning and development of island territories

9. Political Aspects

• Geographical basis of Indian federalism
• State reorganisation and emergence of new states
• Regional consciousness and inter-state issues
• International boundaries 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 and environmental hazards:
  • Landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, 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
• River-linking projects
• Globalisation and the Indian economy

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

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