1. Why should SIR choose Geography as an optional?

Ans: The importance of optional although is in a decline, has still been one of
the major deciding factor for being recommended by UPSC at the end of years of p
atience. I choose the optional not by any rational decision but because some of
my friends opted for it and because I had heard that it fetched good marks. I sw
ear, I knew nothing more than that earth has 3 layers and that tsunami was a gia
nt wave and had seen India and world map. But I would suggest it as an optional
because :-
It is scientific in nature unlike other Arts optional. Hence, logical and ration
al. Good for engineers like me.
It is heavily covered directly in GS Paper-1 and also indirectly in many areas o
f GS Paper-3
Sufficient material is available in the form of books by Indian Authors as well
as coaching institute materials.
Ample scope for diagrammatic representation.
Helps a great deal in interview.
2. Now that SIR has chosen Geography, you would ask which/is any coaching instit
ute is better before even looking at the syllabus??
Ans: I took classroom coaching for a few months with DIRECTION IAS (Neetu Singh
mam) and thereafter opted for test series with DIRECTION IAS and also with VAJIR
AM for a while. My experiences with Coaching institute:-
If you havent read even the basic NCERT books and opted for GEO coaching, then pr
obably u have invested your money well.
If SIR has already gone through the NCERT books and some of the standard ones li
ke Majid Hussain, Lal etc, I would rather say, please use the money to stay heal
thy for the exam instead. Most of them teach from Savindra singh & Majid hussain
& they would suggest you not to open those unworthy books. ?
FOCUS on the way the institute makes u understand a particular topic (that the i
nstitute is well known for); how the inter linkages are made; which diagrams wer
e relevant.
Its better to opt for test series with them, even though u dont appear them. But
make sure you at least attend the answer sessions. The test series just helps yo
u manage the syllabus on schedule.
DIRECTION IAS is good with paper-2, VAJIRAM good with Geographical Thought and som
e theories of paper 1 (Models in Geography).
DONT FOLLOW ANY COACHING INSTITUTE BLINDLY AS ALL OF THOSE WITH GEOGRAPHY OPTIONA
LS WILL END UP SCRIBBLING SAME ANSWERS IN THE EXAM. THIS WOULD BE DISASTROUS. MO
REOVER COACHING INSTITUTES JUST COACH, YOU ALONE ARE GOING TO PLAY. SO PLAY YOUR O
WN GAME USING YOUR WISDOM.
3. Where from can SIR possibly refer the topics mentioned in the syllabus?
Ans: These are possibly the sources that I referred to during my preparation. I
missed a number of topics for the exam. UPSC is not about learning all that you
can, its about leaving all that you should. I am not suggesting to try your luck
, must asking you to have confidence to write at least 5 sentences on the topic
even if you have not gone through any material anywhere. (viz. the noise polluti
on question that appeared this year)
PAPER-1:
Geomorphology: I went through the notes both of Alok ranjan, and Neetu Singh-PHYS
ICAL GEOGRAPHY by Savindra singh-NCERT text books along with the diagrams there. A
PPLIED GEOMORPHOLOGY is a very important part, so trying searching the internet
for the various applications like in dam construction, oil exploration & surveyi
ng. etcImp: Read the various other names of the same theories as in the name of the
authors or any other peculiar names.
Climatology- I read the coaching notesSAVINDRA SINGHNCERT Book-Prepare well on applied
climatology & urban climatology from internet. World climatic maps on the Atlases.
Oceanography: NCERT coaching notes-SAVINDRA SINGH (see the diagrams especially) espe
cially the local variations in salinity along with the theories of tide & coral
formation.for marine resources & pollution refer to internet, any coaching notes &
GS knowledge.
Biogeography: NCERT-RUPA made simple for soil geographySAVINDRA Singh for factors d
eciding plant & animal distributioninternet for some topics like gene pool centres,
deforestation-KURUKSHETRA magazine for social & agro forestry as they come up wit
h interesting examples & classification.
Environmental geography: SAVINDRA SINGH for basic concepts on ecology & cycles-rest
please refer topic wise on internet rather than buying truckload of materials fr
om market. Use your GS knowledge extensively in your answers.
Perspectives in Human Geography: I referred to Vajiram Notes, DIRECTION IAS note
s but cross checked & improvised & cross checked them from internet along with a
lot of relevant examples. Please remember a timeline of the various development
s in this topic. This is the most important topic in the entire optional.
Laws, Models & Theories in Geography- Coaching notes- Majid Hussain book on mode
ls in geographydiagrams very important along with the shortcomings in each models.
Regional Planning- Little bit of coaching institute notes but more of internet.
(This was a topic which I never prepared extensively).
Population & settlement Geography: NCERT-coaching notes-A few topic from Majid Huss
ain on Human Geographyunderstand the subtle difference along with diagrams between
satellite towns, Rural urban fringe, sub-urban towns, metropolitan city, leap f
rog & ribbon settlementsUN departments websites on population & use internet.spatial
map on population distribution, composition very important.
Economic geography- Read Whittakers classification & the industrial location mod
elstry to figure out their current application or the reasons for non application-UN w
ebsites for famine, hunger (like refer to the Rio+20 document or FAO website)-inter
net for mineral resources & forest resources-human resources from UNDP HDI website
.
PAPER II:
For topics on Physical setting, agriculture, industries, trade & transportation,
resources, cultural setting, settlement & some contemporary issues:- KHULLAR -coa
ching institute notesYojana magazineNCERT text bookssome latest developments from IND
EAR BOOK. Emphasis be given more on maps & diagrams in these topics.
Regional Development & planning: Refer to internet on these specific topicsPlanning
Commission Website-Indian Year Book-Planning history in India from any source.(Speci
al focus on Geographical aspect)
Political Aspects- GS knowledgeinternational affairs websites & newspapers or magaz
ines. (Pl. Note: All these topics must have a strong linkage to geography as in
physical or human geography. Eg: discussion on india Bangladesh issues should me
ntion land, rivers disputes, migration, ethnicity, their climate thus industries
thus import export, trade & transportation links etc rather than much of politi
cal or diplomatic angles)
Contemporary Issues- Only internet or any GS material. keep yourselves updated on t
he documents released on important forums such as RIO+20, Cancun, BRICS on human
itarian & disaster issues, Planning commission reports on website (not necessari
ly only the 12th FYP)Yojana magazine.
4.What should be SIRs answer like?
Every SIR writing the Mains are almost or even more sound than the one who toppe
d in geography, but the rank depends on how you market your knowledge. [JO DIKHT
A HAI, WAHI BIKTA HAI]
Remember its a geography Paper and not any GS paper. So all that you presume to b
e of current affairs must be viewed & attempted from a GEOGRAPHY angle.
Its better to put diversity of points than to keep on explaining a single point.
Give introduction in every answer even if its just a single line; the introducti
on should make the evaluator acknowledge that you have figured out which topic i
n being mentioned in the question. Eg: for the question that asked about impact
of monsoons on climate of Gujarat Realm, you could possibly mention that Gujarat
realm is one of the divisions of Planning commission classification and covers
so and so areas, and then begin your main content.
Once can try using both point and paragraph format of representation. Whenever t
here is a classification & explanation to that, go for point wise. Detailed para
graph format could be used for short notes & like.
Try to put at least one pictorial representation in every answerbe it a map, a sm
all chart, a summary diagram, a timeline or a graph etc.
Try underlining important words. This need not be done using colours as many do.
And underlining should not be a pastime in exam.
Show some arbitrary figures where possible such as in population, migration figu
res, climate change etc. UPSC is surely not going to google them.
Try to use the concepts of PERSPECTIVES OF GEOGRAPHY chapter wherever one finds a
opportunity. This makes a matured answer. Remember, PERSPECTIVES OF GEOGRAPHY doma
in shows that you love the subject. Even if fake, pretend to do so in exam.
Please try writing to the point & dont write the same sentence once in active voi
ce, next time in passive voice just to show that you have filled the page. Its v
ery necessary to underline the important words in the question itself first.
Map: Practice the map whenever you are done with a particular chapter. Make the
most use of it while studying resource geography. Refer Orient Blackswan & Oxfor
d publications. Also dont forget to pray to god in the break between Paper 1 & 2,
so that the surprise names fall in your state or your GS memory. Pointing corre
ctly matters more than explanations.
Try interconnecting various topics & papers of Geography. Detailed explanation i
n the next answer.
Also TRY NOT to leave any question. Every mark counts. And anyways, you wont be r
eprimanded for writing wrong answers.
5. How should SIR tackle the unconventional questions that have made the subject
dreadful?
Ans: I acknowledge to be a victim of so many surprising, bouncing questions in t
his optional that had made me time & again think to doing away with the optional
. But what needs to be remembered that UPSC is running out of fuel itself, as in
new set of questions. So, it has started pouring old wine in new bottle.
Barring some exceptions, there are no unconventional questions, there is an unco
nventional way of putting them. Eg: Secondary cities asked in CSE 2012 probably
was very much linked to the concepts of Satellite & Suburban towns.
Try to immediately figure out which chapter can the question be related to. In m
ost of the cases, they cover multiple topics. Eg: Earthquake zones in India & the
ir management is linked to contemporary issues as well as physical setting of geo
graphy.
Try to mention the theories & concepts of Paper 1 while answering paper 2. This
composes a beautiful, comprehensive answer. Eg: in the earthquake question above
, one could use concepts of Geomorphology & plate tectonics.
Use Perspectives of Geography chapter content to address many human geography rela
ted issues in Paper 2. Eg: Behaviouralism, Humanism, & welfare geography concept
s in addressing tribal issues in India.
As said earlier, try to go through the authors of various theories and the diffe
rent names used in the theory. Eg: Bosche & Haldenhalg was a part of Pencks theo
ry.
Lastly, there will be some weird questions everytime, else the rigour & toughnes
s of the exam will be diluted. To confront this, as I told earlier, JUST PRAY ?
6. Geography and Personality Test?
Revise the Paper 2 (at least a overview) and some models of Paper 1 before PT.
Try to link the news with your optional for at least a month prior to PT such as
earthquakes, Hunger, Drought situation in India, Agriculture policy, etc.
REMEMBER GEOGRAPHY IS NOT ONLY A GOOD BUT A SCORING OPTIONAL AS WELL. NEITHER GO
BY THE SUGGESTIONS OF YOUR NEIGHBOUR WHO HAS JUST OPTED OUT OF THE SUBJECT, OR
A QUALIFIER AS ME. I MYSELF TOOK 3 ATTEMPTS WITH THE SUBJECT PRIOR TO THIS RANK.
YOU ALL WILL GET THROUGH WHEN YOUR TIME COMES. YOUR EFFORT CAN JUST BRING THE M
OMENT NEARER.
WISH YOU ALL THE VERY BEST. WAITING FOR YOU ALL MY DEAR TO BE COLLEAGUES .
REGARDS,
AN ASPIRANT JUST RECOMMENDED.