UPSC MAINS TOPIC WISE PAPER :  Geography  

Physical Geography :

1. Examine the status of forest resources of India and its resultant impact on climate change. (UPSC 2020)
2. How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far- reaching impact on the water resources of India? (UPSC 2020)
3. The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. (UPSC 2020)
4. The process of desertification does not have climate boundaries. Justify with examples. (UPSC 2020)
5. Assess the impact of global warming on coral life system with examples. (UPSC 2019)
6. How do ocean currents and water masses differ in their impacts on marine life and the coastal environment? Give suitable examples? (UPSC 2019)
7. Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining coastal ecology. (UPSC 2019)
8. How can the mountain ecosystem be restored from the negative impact of development initiatives and tourism? (UPSC 2019)
9. What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India? (UPSC 2019)
10. What are the consequences of spreading of ‘Dead Zones’ on marine ecosystem? (UPSC 2018)
11. In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development.” Discuss (UPSC 2017)
12. 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)
13. How does the cryosphere affect global climate? (UPSC 2017)
14. Account for variations in oceanic salinity and discuss its multi-dimensional effects. (UPSC 2017)
15. In what way can flood be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-weather inland navigation in India? (UPSC 2017)
16. 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)
17. Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes. (UPSC 2016)
18. Explain the factors responsible for the origin of ocean currents. How do they influence regional climates, fishing and navigation? (UPSC 2015)
19. How far do you agree that the behavior of the Indian monsoon has been changing due to humanizing landscapes? Discuss.(UPSC 2015)
20. Most of the unusual climatic happenings are explained as an outcome of the EI-Nino effect. Do you agree? (UPSC 2014)
21. 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)
22. Explain the formation of thousands of islands in Indonesian and Philippines archipelagos. (UPSC 2014)
23. Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mexico. Why?(UPSC 2014)
24. Critically evaluate the various resources of the oceans which can be harnessed to meet the resource crisis in the world.(UPSC 2014)
25. What do you understand by the theory of 'continental drift'? Discuss the prominent evidences in its support.(UPSC 2013)
26. The recent cyclone on east coast of India was called 'Phailin'. How are the tropical cyclones named across the world? Elaborate.(UPSC 2013)
27. Bring out the causes for the formation of heat islands in the urban habitat of the world.(UPSC 2013)
28. What do you understand by the phenomenon of 'temperature inversion' in meteorology? How does it affect weather and the habitants of the place?(UPSC 2013)
29. Major hot deserts in northern hemisphere are located between 20-30 deg N latitudes and on the western side of the continents. Why?(UPSC 2013)
30. Bring out the causes for more frequent occurrence of landslides in the Himalayas than in the Western Ghats.(UPSC 2013)
31. There is no formation of deltas by rivers of the Western Ghats. Why? Indian Geography(UPSC 2013)

Indian Geography :

1. Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures. (UPSC 2020)
2. How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development of India? (UPSC 2019)
3. “The ideal solution of depleting ground water resources in India is water harvesting system.” How can it be made effective in urban areas? (UPSC 2018)
4. The growth of cities as I.T. hubs has opened up new avenues employment but has also created new problems. Substantiate this statement with examples. Urbanization (UPSC 2017)
5. With a brief background of quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the ‘Smart City Programme’. (UPSC 2016)
6. Major cities of India are becoming more vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss. (UPSC 2016)
7. Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three mega cities of the country but the air pollution is much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so?(UPSC 2015)
8. India is well endowed with fresh water resources. Critically examine why it still suffers from water scarcity. (UPSC 2015)
9. The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are reaching the limits of their ecological carrying capacity due to tourism. Critically evaluate.(UPSC 2015)
10. Smart cities in India cannot sustain without smart villages. Discuss this statement in the backdrop of rural urban integration.(UPSC 2015)
11. Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub-continent. (UPSC 2014)

Resource Geography :

1. India has immense potential of solar energy though there are regional variations in its developments. Elaborate. (UPSC 2020)
2. Can the strategy of regional-resource based manufacturing help in promoting employment in India? (UPSC 2019)
3. Why is India taking keen interest in resources of Arctic Region? (UPSC 2018)
4. The effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce the human miseries. Explain (UPSC 2016)
5. South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment.(UPSC 2016)
6. 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)
7. Enumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India. (UPSC 2016)
8. In what way micro-watershed Development projects help in water conservation in drought prone and semi-arid regions of India. (UPSC 2016)
9. What are the economic significances of discovery of oil in Arctic Sea and its possible environmental consequences?'(UPSC 2015)
10. 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)
11. Why did the Green Revolution in India virtually by-pass the eastern region despite fertile soil and good availability of water? (UPSC 2014)
12. Account for the change in the spatial pattern of the Iron and Steel industry in the world.(UPSC 2014)
13. How does India see its place in the economic space of rising natural resource rich Africa? (UPSC 2014)
14. (a) Do you agree that there is a growing trend of opening new sugar mills in southern States of India? Discuss with justification.(UPSC 2013), (b) Analyze the factors for the highly decentralized cotton textile industry in India.(UPSC 2013)
15. 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)
16. It is said that India has substantial reserves of shale oil and gas, which can feed the needs of the country for quarter century. However, tapping of the resource does not appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues involved.(UPSC 2013)

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