Geography Current Affairs Updates For UPSC IAS Mains 2025 Examination

Geography Current Affairs Updates For UPSC IAS Mains 2024 Examination

On this page you will find articles that falls under subject Geography for UPSC IAS Mains 2024 examination

How to Read Geography for UPSC IAS 

UPSC IAS Prelims, Mains and Optional Papers mentions about many subjects. Geography is one of them. It is very important and conceptual subject. There are lots of facts as well. This subject we all have studied in our secondary schooling. So, more or less, we all are aware of this subject. Geography for UPSC consists of basic and advanced version of what we have studied earlier.

Geography is very interesting subject and it has overlapping topics for example, Economics (Human Geography), Environment and current events. So, it is important to read Geography for UPSC with right approach as it will be helpful for other subjects also. Every year UPSC ask around 10-12% questions from Geography in Prelims. We will see the trend analysis for Geography in UPSC Prelims exam:

Prelims 2021 – 13

2022 – 6

2023 – 14

In this article, we will discuss about how to read Geography for UPSC. First of all, we will see the overview of Geography syllabus for both UPSC Prelims and Mains:

 Study approach for Geography for UPSC: 

• Read the syllabus: The first and foremost thing before you start studying Geography for UPSC is to read the UPSC Syllabus for Geography multiple times so that you will get what exactly you have to study.
• Start with NCERT textbooks: You must start with Class VI NCERT books for Geography. Preferably you can follow old NCERT textbooks. But if unable to get, can read new one as well. You must cover all NCERT books starting from Class VI to Class XII. Lists of some important NCERT books are:

• Class XI: India: Physical Environment
• Class XI: Fundamentals of Physical Geography
• Class XII: Fundamentals of Human Geography

• Basic books: After completing the NCERT books, you should read some basic books for Geography like Certificate Physical and Human Geography by GC Leong and Geography of India by Majid Husain. It will clear your concepts in detail. Referring a basic book is very important as questions are asked from these books (factual and conceptual).
• Refer Previous Years’ Question Papers: At this stage, you must UPSC Prelims and Mains Past Years’ Question Paper. This will give idea about what kinds of questions are asked in Prelims and Mains. It will also help to identify the important topics from the exam perspective and help you to revise the topic again and again.
• Solve mock tests: You need to solve mock tests as many as possible. It will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses regarding topics. Based on these, you can assess your performance and will focus more on your weak areas and topics.

• Current affairs magazine: You should refer one current affair monthly magazine. This will help you to link and update your preparation with day-to-day events. For example, reasons for early arrival of monsoon, cyclone in particular state or country etc.
• Newspaper reading: You must read one newspaper on a daily basis. Sometimes, articles of newspaper explain some topics which are linked to both static and dynamic portion of Geography for UPSC. For example, El Nino and La Nina.
• Map reading and practice: Reading Geography for UPSC is incomplete without Map. Almost everything is Geography is related to Map, whether it is soils, mining, mineral, ocean, rivers everything. Map makes it easy to understand and related everything with location. With the help of Map, we make a 3D picture in our mind, which helps us to easily represent anything (mainly resources, rivers, places) with exact location. For that you need to practice map. Based on current events, you can identify areas which are in news and you can locate that on your map. From the perspective of UPSC Prelims, it is very important as UPSC asks at least 1-2 questions in Geography map based.
• Miscellaneous sources: You should refer some monthly magazines like Yojana and Kurukshetra. It will help in current affairs and will increase the quality of your answer.
• Revise: You should keep revising the subject as many topics are factual and concepts based. Revision will help you to grasp the things easily and will save your time while solving MCQs and writing answers.

Geography is very interesting subject. With correct strategy and study plan, one can score well in the exam.