Geography Optional Strategy for UPSC 2021

If there is one interesting thing about the Geography optional, it is its popularity that draws a large number of Civil Services aspirants towards it as this optional has contributed to the success of many UPSC toppers.  

Aspirants who choose Geography as their optional subject have the below-mentioned things in abundance:

• Availability of a variety of Study material (Both offline and online.)
• Several Coaching options to choose from.
• Topper’s strategies to learn from.

Hence, you won’t regret choosing Geography as your Optional if you have a Science background. To effectively cover the Geography Optional syllabus, it is imperative to study with a well-structured study plan during the UPSC exam preparation. 

Geography Optional Syllabus

Before you begin your optional preparation, it is crucial to have a basic understanding of its syllabus. You can check and download the Geography optional syllabus from here

Toppers with Geography Optional

We have compiled a list of IAS toppers who took Geography as their Optional subject. It is evident from the long list of toppers that this optional is indeed a magical subject.

Overlap with the General Studies Papers Syllabus

A significant portion of the General Studies syllabus overlaps with the Geography Optional syllabus. The GS topics that are covered in this optional are listed in the table below. Please note that some of these topics are either directly or partially covered in the Geography Optional syllabus. 

How to Prepare for the Geography Optional for UPSC Mains?

Start with NCERTs

Build a strong foundation and clear your fundamentals with the NCERTs as concepts are explained in simple, easy-to-understand language. Once you are clear with the fundamentals, you can proceed to the advanced version of books such as Physical Geography by Savindra Singh for Geography preparation.

Refer to Atlas

Geography preparation is incomplete without referring to the atlas. It is essential to keep an atlas by your side for adequate preparation. Not only will it help you to understand the concepts better, but it will also help you to retain them for a longer period. There are two prominent Atlas available in the market, Oxford Atlas and Orient Blackswan Atlas. You can use any one of them. 

Also, watch a detailed lecture on Orientation of Geography by Himanshu Sharma Sir, one of our educators of our DREAM TEAM for UPSC:

Interlink Static and Dynamic Portion

Do focus on Current affairs related to Geography while preparing for the static part. Gone are the times when the UPSC used to ask questions from the Static part only. The times have changed, and it is normal to find questions related to current events.

Hence, it is advisable to focus on current affairs while preparing for the Static part. For the same, you can refer to Yojana, Kurukshetra, and Down to Earth magazine. 

Focus on Maps & Statistics

Maps are big magnets that can attract good marks if prepared and practiced correctly during your preparation. You should consider preparing region-wise maps from textbooks that should include topics like physical features, soil, terrain, agriculture, rivers, monsoon, drainage, etc. 

Make sure to include maps, diagrams and all the relevant data in your answers to make them more optional oriented, rather than writing GS type answers. 

Follow the Integrated Preparation Approach

Focus on integrated preparation to make your preparation more productive. While writing answers for Paper-II, you can use the relevant concepts/models studied in Paper-I to make your answers more appealing. Integrated preparation will give you an edge to your exam preparation. 

Make Notes and Refer to Previous Year Questions

Note-making and referring to previous year questions are an inevitable part of the UPSC exam preparation. While self-prepared notes will serve as an ultimate guide and save you crucial time during revision, previous year’s questions will help you understand the type of questions asked in the exam.

Best Books for Geography Optional

For Paper I

• Certificate Physical and Human Geography by GC Leong
• Human Geography by Majid Hussain
• Physical Geography by Savindra Singh
• Physical Geography by Rupa Publications
• Models in Geography by Majid Hussain
• Geographical Thought by RD Dikshit

For Paper-II

• Geography of India by Majid Hussain
• India A Comprehensive Geography by Khullar
• Current Affairs Magazines, Newspapers (The Hindu/The Indian Express) 
• Class XI and XII NCERTs

Preparation for the UPSC Civil Services examination requires the assistance and guidance of expert minds, and at PrepLadder, we have India’s best faculty for UPSC, the DREAM TEAM.

Moreover, on PrepLadder, you will find everything required to crack the Civil Services exam. This includes concise, effective, and well-planned video lectures by our Dream Team for UPSC, a well-structured and high yield QBank, highly competitive PrepTests based on real exam patterns, and Previous Year Papers in the form of tests. 

Keep following our articles and our Telegram channel to apprise yourself with the latest information about the exam. 

All the best for your exam.

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