Sleepy Classes IAS Logo

FREE Geography Mega Question Bank for UPSC Prelims 2024

Solving Geography PYQ and MCQs for Prelims is a must to ensure success. To maximise score in UPSC Prelims and clearing cut off, Toppers recommend daily solving of MCQs focused on the Geography Syllabus for UPSC

Routine solving of Practice & Mock Tests for UPSC Prelims helps students:

  • Understand the pattern and types of Prelims questions
  • Understand their subject and topic wise weaknesses in Prelims GS exam
  • Sharpen their skills and accuracy of answers in Prelims
  • Time themselves and assess readiness for the exam
  • Value add and revise in an effective and time efficient manner
To score well in Geography, UPSC aspirants should not only cover basic Geography Books for UPSC and the standard Geography Books for UPSC by authors like Majid Husain, Goh Cheng Leong and D. R. Khuller, but also must practice mock tests and Geography PYQ for UPSC Prelims. Now use this High Quality, Updated, UPSC Pattern Oriented FREE Geography Question Bank of 160 Questions to Level Up your Prelims Preparation!
Get the FREE Mega Question Bank
For UPSC Prelims GS Paper, Geography is an Important Subject for the UPSC Prelims, as it covers the Physical, Social, Economic and Political Aspects of the Earth and its Inhabitants. Geography as a module in General Studies has at least 30-40 marks weightage is given in UPSC Prelims and an almost 30% weightage in GS Paper 1 in the UPSC Mains Examination. These Marks can be Easily Secured using Sources like Geography Class 6-12 NCERT Books for UPSC [Bonus: FREE Overlooked Topics of NCERTs for UPSC Series ➡️ Click Here], Solving PYQs and Practicing Mock Tests for Prelims.

Topics covered in this FREE Geography Question Bank include the entire Geography Syllabus for UPSC with all Geography PYQ:

UPSC Prelims Geography Syllabus (Important Topics & Sub-Topics)

Indian Geography

  1. Natural Vegetation & Wildlife- Characteristics, importance, comparison & Significance
    • Classification of natural vegetation in India
    • Mangroves vegetation in India
    • Distribution of Forest Area
    • Factors of forest development
    • Extent of forest cover
    • Classification of forests in India
    • Forest Problems in India
    • Rainfall distribution
    • Biosphere reserves, national parks, etc.
    • Red-listed species
  2. Mineral & Industries
    • Mineral distribution, Industrial policies, mining regions and Location
    • Mineral Resource
    • Types of minerals: Metallic minerals & Non-metallic mineral
    • Distribution, production and international trade of Metallic minerals: Ferrous metals: Iron ore
    • Non-metallic Minerals – Sulphur, Phosphates, Cement
  3. – Characteristics, comparison & Significance
    • River basins
    • Regional development and planning
    • Hydropower projects and major dams
    • Interlinking of rivers
    • Classification of Drainage
    • Himalayan Drainage
    • Indus river system
    • Indus drainage system
    • Ganga River System
    • Brahmaputra river system
    • Peninsular River System
    • East flowing Rivers
    • West flowing Rivers
    • Mains Rivers and their tributaries
    • Famous cities and river banks
  4. The basic idea about India
    • Location, Latitude, Longitude, Time zone, Local and Standard Time and the International Date Line, Calendar etc.
    • Neighbours of India
    • Important straits in India
    • Indian States and their position
    • States of India with their international boundaries
  5. Physical features of India
    • Physiographic Sub-Units – Himalayans, Classification of The Himalayan System, Regional Division of the Himalayas.
    • Great Plains of India And Their Physiographic Division – Geological formation, physiographic divisions, climate, vegetation, soil, biodiversity, significance
    • Peninsular Plateau – Geological formation, Central Highlands, Deccan Plateau, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats
    • Thar Desert – Indian Desert
    • Coastal Plain
    • The Islands
    • Mountain System
  6. Climate in India
    • Factors influencing the climate of India
    • Monsoon
    • Mechanism of the Monsoon
    • Classical Theory
    • Jet stream theory
    • Modern theory
    • Air mass theory
    • Seasonal rhythm
    • Koppen’s Climatic classification
    • EL Nino and La Nina
    • Indian Droughts
    • Floods and their distribution in India
  7. Agriculture & Allied-characteristics & Problems
    • Land utilisation
    • Agricultural Revolution in India
    • Subsistence Agriculture
    • Primitive Subsistence Agriculture
    • Intensive Subsistence Agriculture
    • Planation Agriculture
    • Mediterranean Agriculture
    • Viticulture in India
    • Market Gardening and Horticulture – Truck Farming
    • Cooperative Farming
    • Collective Farming
    • Green revolution
    • Classification of Soil in India
    • Irrigation
    • Land reforms
    • Animal husbandry
    • Major Crops in India
    • Government schemes
  8. Economic infrastructure
    • Power and energy sector
    • Distribution of potential hydro-power
    • Hydro-electric power generation in India
    • Conventional and non-conventional sources of energy
    • Energy conservation
    • Natural Energy Resources
    • General trends of energy production and consumption
    • Reserves and sources of energy
    • Classification of energy
    • Production of conventional energy
    • Transportation – Relative importance of means of transport: Railways, Roads, Pipeline, Oceans, Air transport

World Geography

  1. Regional Grouping of Countries of the World
    • Continents Countries and Cities
    • Continents and Important Cities of the World
    • Important Cities Situated on the Banks of Rivers
    • Economic Classification of Countries of the World
  2. Regional geography of developed countries
    • Population problems of developed countries.
  3. Regional geography of developing countries
    • Population problems of developing countries
  4. Regional geography of South Asia
  5. Events related to current affairs
    • Places on News

Human Geography

  1. Demographics
    • Concept of human resources
    • Landforms
    • Climate
    • Soils
    • Economic Factors
    • Minerals
    • Urbanisation
    • Factors affecting the distribution of Population
    • Geographical Factors
    • Availability of water
    • Industrialisation
    • Socio-cultural factors
  2. Census- 2011 of India
    • Highest & Lowest population
    • Literacy
    • sex-ratio
  3. Human Development
    • Growth vs Development
  4. Economic Activities
    • Tertiary
    • Quaternary
    • Quinary
  5. Settlements
    • Urban Settlements
    • Rural Settlements
    • Issues of Urbanization in India
  6. Current Events

Physical Geography

  1. Climatic Zones of the World
    • Koppen’s Classification Climatic Zones
    • The Hot, Wet Equatorial Climate
    • The Tropical Monsoon and Tropical Marine Climates
    • The Savanna or Sudan Climate
    • The Hot Desert and Mid-Latitude Desert Climates
    • The Warm Temperate Western Margin Climate
    • The Temperate Continental
    • The Warm Temperate Eastern Margin
    • The Cool Temperate Western Margin
    • The Cool Temperate Continental Climate
    • The Cool Temperate Eastern Margin Climate
    • The Arctic or Polar Climate
  2. Interior Structure of the Earth
    • Crust
    • Mantle
    • Core
    • Sources of Information – Direct and Indirect
    • Earth Quake Waves
    • Volcanoes
    • Theories – Suess Theory
  3. The basic idea about Earth
    • Universe – Theories of development of Universe
    • Galaxy – Star and planet formation
    • Solar system
    • Moon
    • Asteroid
    • Meteor
    • Kupier belt
    • Comets
    • Dwarf planets
    • Earth Evolution
    • Geological History of Earth
    • Evolution of the Earth Layered Structure – Lithosphere, Atmosphere and Hydrosphere
  4. Geomorphology
    • Geology and Rock system
    • Major Elements of the Earth’s Crust
    • Earth’s Surface – Exogenic Forces and Endogenic Forces
  5. Mass Movements of landforms, erosion & deposits
    • Erosional landforms – Pediments, Pediplains, Playas, Deflation Hollows and Caves
    • Depositional Landforms – Barchans, Seif, Parabolic, Transverse
    • Ground Water (Karst Topography)
    • Permeable Rocks
    • Percolation
    • Bedding Plains
  6. Climatology
    • Atmosphere
    • Inversion of Temperature
    • Winds and Pressure belts
    • Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Systems
    • Insolation
    • Heat Budget of the Earth
    • Heat Balance
    • Heating and cooling of atmosphere – Conduction, Convection and Advection
    • Air Mass, Fronts, Cyclones and Jet Stream
    • Thunderstorms
  7. Oceanography
    • Hydrosphere
    • Water on the Surface of the Earth
    • Hydrological Cycle
    • Component
    • Processes
    • Ocean Currents
    • Ocean Waves
    • Types of Ocean Currents of the world – Warm and cold currents
  8. Mapping
    • Important places in news, biosphere reserves, climatic zones, soils, grasslands etc.
Apart from the Geography Syllabus for UPSC mentioned above, Students Must Refer to the Standard Booklist for Geography for UPSC which has been recommended by UPSC Toppers year after year (click to view/purchase)

– Books for Geography of India & the World:

Certificate Physical and Human Geography | Goh Cheng Leong

Geography of India | Majid Hussain

World Geography | Majid Hussain

India Yearbook

Class 6-12 NCERTs for UPSC Geography

– Maps:

Oxford Student Atlas for India

Geography through Maps | K Siddhartha

Download this FREE PDF and ensure regular practice before Prelims!

Get the FREE Mega Question Bank

BONUS Freebie! Get 12 Year UPSC Geography PYQ Compilation (2011-2023) for Prelims 2024 for FREE:

Get The FREE UPSC Prelims PYQ Compilation

Get Your Free PDF











    Here's Your FREE Question Bank! Click to Download the PDF:

    Geography MEGA Question Bank PDF

    Also, Download the UPSC Prelims Geography PYQ Compilation Below:

    Geography Prelims PYQ PDF

    Ready for Your Final Revision before Prelims 2024? We've Got Something for You:

    Rapid Revision for Prelims 2024

    Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel & Stay Tuned for More Such Content:

    svg+xml;charset=utf geography pyq upsc prelims, geography syllabus for upsc, geography upsc prelims questions, geography book for upsc