Geography Topicwise PYQs
Syllabus Topics: Salient features of world’s physical geography.
- Why is India considered as a sub-continent? Elaborate your answer. [ UPSC- 2021]
- Briefly mention the alignment of major mountain ranges of the world and explain their impact on local weather conditions, with examples. [ UPSC- 2021]
- Discuss the geophysical characteristics of Circum-Pacific Zone. (परी-प्रशांत क्षेत्र के भू-भौतिकीय अभिलक्षणों का विवेचन कीजिए l) [UPSC- 2020]
- The process of desertification does not have climatic boundaries. Justify with examples. (मरुशलीकरण के प्रक्रम की जलवायविक सीमाएँ नहीं होती है l उदाहरणों सहित औचित्य सिद्ध कीजिए l) [UPSC- 2020]
- Why is Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) needed? How does it help in navigation?[UPSC- 2018]
- Define mantle plume and explain its role in plate tectonics. [UPSC- 2018]
- How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth? [UPSC- 2017]
- “The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.” Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation. [UPSC- 2016]
- Bring out the causes for more frequent landslides in the Himalayas than in Western Ghats. [UPSC- 2013]
- Differentiate the causes of landslides in the Himalayan region and Western Ghats. [UPSC- 2021]
- Explain the formation of thousands of islands in Indonesian and Philippines archipelagos.[UPSC- 2014]
- Why are the world’s fold mountain systems located along the margins of continents? Bring out the association between the global distribution of Fold Mountains and the earthquakes and volcanoes. [UPSC- 2014]
- What do you understand by the theory of continental drift? Discuss the prominent evidences in its support. [UPSC- 2013]
- There is no formation of deltas by rivers of the Western Ghat. Why? [UPSC- 2013]
- Major hot deserts in northern hemisphere are located between 20-30 degree north and on the western side of the continents. Why? [UPSC- 2013]
Syllabus Topics: Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent)
- Despite India being one of the countries of the Gondwanaland, its mining industry contributes much less to its Gross Domestic Product(GDP) in percentage. Discuss. [UPSC-2021]
- Discuss the multi-dimensional implications of uneven distribution of mineral oil in the world. [UPSC-2021]
- The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. (नदियों को आपस में जोड़ना सूखा, बाढ़ और बाधित जल-परिवहन जैसी बहु-आयामी अन्तर्सम्बन्धित समस्याओं का व्यवहार्य समाधान दे सकता है l आलोचनात्मक परिक्षण कीजिए l) [UPSC-2020]
- India has immense potential of solar energy though there are regional variations in its development. Elaborate. (भारत में सौर ऊर्जा की प्रचुर संभावनाएँ हैं हालाँकि इसके विकास में क्षेतिया भिन्नताएँ हैं l विस्तृत वर्णन कीजिए l) [UPSC-2020]
- Examine the status of forest resources of India and its resultant impact on climate change. (भारत संसाधनों की स्तिथि एवं जलवायु परिवर्तन पर उसके परिणामी प्रभावों का परिक्षण कीजिए l) [UPSC-2020]
- Can the strategy of regional-resource based manufacturing help in promoting employment in India? (क्या प्रादेशिक संसाधन-आधारित विनिर्माण की रणनीति भारत में रोज़गार की प्रोन्नति करने में सहायक हो सकती है ?) [UPSC-2019]
- Why is India taking keen interest in resources of Arctic Region? [UPSC-2018]
- The effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce the human miseries. Explain. [UPSC-2016]
- South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment. [UPSC-2016]
- Present an account of the Indus Water Treaty and examine its ecological, economic and political implications in the context of changing bilateral relations. [UPSC-2016]
- Enumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India. [UPSC-2016]
- In what way micro-watershed Development projects help in water conservation in drought prone and semi-arid regions of India. [UPSC-2016]
- What are the economic significances of discovery of oil in Arctic Sea and its possible environmental consequences?[UPSC-2015]
- India is well endowed with fresh water resources. Critically examine why it still suffers from water scarcity. [UPSC-2015]
- The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand reaching the limits of their ecological carrying capacity due to tourism. Critically evaluate. [UPSC-2015]
- Critically evaluate the various resources of the oceans which can be harnessed to meet the resource crisis in the world. [UPSC-2014]
- How does India see its place in the economic space of rising natural resource rich Africa? [UPSC-2014]
- With growing scarcity of fossil fuels, the atomic energy is gaining more and more significance in India. Discuss the availability of raw material required for the generation of atomic energy in India and in the world. [UPSC-2013]
- It is said the India has substantial reserves of shale oil and gas, which can feed the needs of country for quarter century. However, tapping of the resources doesn’t appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues involved. [UPSC-2013]
Syllabus Topics: Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India)
- Account for the present location of iron and steel industries away from the source of raw material, by giving examples. (वर्तमान में लोह एवं इस्पात उद्योगों की कच्चे माल के स्त्रोत से दूर स्तिथि का उदाहरणों सहित कारन बताइए l) [UPSC-2020]
- Account for the change in the spatial pattern of the Iron and Steel industry in the world. [UPSC-2014]
- Discuss the factors for localization of agro-based food processing industries of North-West India. (उत्तर-पश्चिमी भारत के कृषि-आधारित खाद्य प्रक्रमण उद्योगों के स्थाणुयकरण के कारकों पर चर्चा कीजिए | ) [UPSC-2019]
- Define blue revolution, explain the problems and strategies for pisciculture development in India. [UPSC-2018]
- What is the significance of Industrial Corridors in India? Identify industrial corridors, explain their main characteristics. [UPSC-2018]
- Petroleum refineries are not necessarily located nearer to crude oil producing areas, particularly in many of the developing countries. Explain its implications. [UPSC-2017]
- Whereas the British planters had developed tea gardens all along the Shivaliks and Lesser Himalayas from Assam to Himachal Pradesh, in effect they did not succeed beyond the Darjeeling area. Explain. [UPSC-2014]
- Why did the Green Revolution in India virtually by-pass the eastern region despite fertile soil and good availability of water? [UPSC-2014]
- Do you agree that there is a growing trend of opening new sugar mills in the Southern states of India? Discuss with justification. [UPSC-2013]
- Analyze the factors for highly decentralized cotton textile industry in India. [UPSC-2013]
Syllabus Topics: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,
- Mention the global occurrence of volcanic eruptions in 2021 and their impact on regional environment. [UPSC-2021]
- Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mexico. Why? [UPSC-2014]
- Most of the unusual climatic happenings are explained as an outcome of the El-Nino effect. Do you agree? [UPSC-2014]
- The recent cyclone on the east coast of India was called “Phailin”. How are the tropical cyclones named across the world?[UPSC-2013]
Syllabus Topics: Geographical features and their location– changes in critical geographical features (including water bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
- How do the melting of the Arctic ice and glaciers of the Antarctic differently affect the weather patterns and human activities on the Earth? Explain.
- How will the meeting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India? (हिमालय के हिमनदों के पिघलने का भारत के जल-संसाधनों पर किस प्रकार दूरगामी प्रभाव होगा ?) [UPSC-20200]
- Assess the impact of global warming on coral life system with examples. (वैश्विक तापन का प्रवाल जीवन तंत्र पर प्रभाव का, उदाहरणों के साथ, आकलन कीजिए | ) [UPSC-2019]
- How do ocean currents and water masses differ in their impacts on marine life and the coastal environment? Give suitable examples? (महासागर धाराएँ और जल राशियाँ समुद्री जीवन और तटीय पर्यावरण पर अपने प्रभावों में किस-किस प्रकार परस्पर भिन्न हैं ? उपयुक्त उदहारण दीजिए | )[UPSC-2019]
- Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining coastal ecology. (मैंग्रोवों के रिक्तीकरण के कारणों पर चर्चा कीजिए और तटीय पारिस्थितिकी का अनुरक्षण करने में इनके महत्व को स्पष्ट कीजिए | ) [UPSC-2019]
- How can the mountain ecosystem be restored from the negative impact of development initiatives and tourism? (पर्वत पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र को विकास पहलों और पर्यटन के ऋणात्मक प्रभाव से किस प्रकार पूण:स्थापित किया जा सकता है ? ) [UPSC-2019]
- What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India? (जल प्रतिबल (वाटर स्ट्रैस) का क्या मतलब है ? भारत में यह किस प्रकार और किस कारन प्रादेशिकत: भिन्न-भिन्न है ?) [UPSC-2019]
- What are the consequences of spreading of ‘Dead Zones’ on marine ecosystem? [UPSC-2018]
- In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development.” Discuss. [UPSC-2017]
- Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulse because of which the year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the United Nations [UPSC-2017]
- How does the cryosphere affect global climate? [UPSC-2017]
- Account for variations in oceanic salinity and discuss its multi-dimensional effects. [UPSC-2017]
- What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50 percent of the won population residing in Monsoon Asia? [UPSC-2017]
- In what way can flood be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-weather inland navigation in India? [UPSC-2017]
- Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes. [UPSC-2016]
- Explain the factors responsible for the origin of ocean currents. How do they influence regional climates, fishing and navigation? [UPSC-2015]
- How far do you agree that the behavior of the Indian monsoon has been changing due to humanizing landscapes? Discuss. [UPSC-2015]
- Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub-continent.[UPSC-2014]
- What do you understand by the phenomenon of temperature inversion in meteorology? How does it affect the weather and the habitants of the place? [UPSC-2013]
