Geography is considered one of the most important parts of the UPSC Civil Services Syllabus. It is included in GS Paper 1 in Mains Exam and General Studies paper in Prelims exam. The UPSC Prelims syllabus of Geography is divided into two parts i.e World Geography and Indian Geography. These two are further divided into three parts each i.e Physical, Social, and Economic Geography. Physical Geography is a crucial portion of Geography because the good knowledge of this subject will allow candidates to understand the concepts under World and Indian Geography in a better manner. Candidates should understand the syllabus thoroughly and keep themselves updated on the latest developments in topics like recent views on mountain building, erosion surfaces, environmental hazards, Landform and its types, etc covered in Physical Geography Syllabus. Also, they should build an effective strategy to obtain maximum marks in the questions asked from the Physical Geography. Here in this article, we have shared the best tips and tricks for the preparation of UPSC Physical Geography subject for better results,
Familiarity with the Syllabus
Candidates should be familiar with the Physical Geography syllabus so that they understand the topics that are important for the exam. The major highlights of the Physical Geography Syllabus are given below:
- Geomorphology: Landform Development Factors, Physical Conditions of Earth Interior, Fundamentals of Geomagnetism, Economic Ecology & Environment, etc.
- Climatology: Heat Budget of Earth, Planetary and local winds, Temperature and tropical cyclones, Hydrological cycle, Global Climate Change, etc.
- Oceanography: Bottom Topography of the Atlantic, Ocean Deposits, Sea-Level Changes, Marine Resources, Heat and salt budgets, etc.
- Biogeography: Genesis of soils, Soil Profile, Soil Erosion, Social Forestry, Wildlife, Degradation & conservation, etc.
- Environmental Geography: Principle Ecology, Environmental Policy, Environmental Education & Legislation, Biodiversity & sustainable development, etc.
Build Strong Basics
Candidates should start the preparation of the Physical Geography topic with the NCERTs from class IX to class XII. By doing this, they will be able to build a strong grip on the basic concepts of each topic and its subpart. Once they have a thorough knowledge of all the concepts, then they can refer to the standard books of Physical Geography like Certificate Physical and Human Geography by GC Leong and then revise it a few times until they are able to answer any question from this topic.
Know the Question Paper Pattern
Go through the last ten-year UPSC question papers and recognize the pattern for better preparation. Understand the types of questions along with the marking weightage asked previously in the exam to be ready for any questions asked from the Physical Geography topic by solving the past year’s question papers. This way, they will be able to keep track of the progress of their preparation level at every stage and get a rough idea of the questions that can be asked in the exam.
Maintain Notes
Prepare the personalized notes to gain conceptual clarity in a better manner and it will also benefit in quick revision. Since the syllabus is quite vast, the candidates should recognize the topic important from the exam point of view to avoid any wastage of time at the last moment. It is recommended to prepare notes online so that modification can be done later as per their requirements.
Revise Regularly
Revision of the topics covered in the UPSC Physical Geography syllabus is one of the most important parts of Civil Service preparation. Make sure to adopt the best revision techniques that match your learning style. Candidates should revise all the covered topics at frequent intervals so that they do not forget any important information at the last moment.