Overview
Geography in GS1 spans a wide canvas: from plate tectonics and oceanography to water scarcity, industrial location, and geopolitics of resources. Over 2013–2025, 93 questions have been asked across 10 thematic clusters. Resources (especially water) and Geophysical Phenomena together account for nearly 40% of all Geography questions, making them the most critical preparation areas.
The 2025 paper introduced notable new directions: AI and drone use in locational planning (Q15), tectonic movement affecting continental shapes (Q16), and population density in the Ganga basin (Q17) — signalling growing overlap between geography, technology, and human-environment interaction. Solar energy benefits (Q6) and tsunamis (Q7) also featured, reinforcing the consistent importance of energy resources and disaster-prone geophysical phenomena.
Questions are evenly split between 10-mark (150-word) and 15-mark (250-word) formats. The directive verbs most frequently used are Discuss, Explain, and Examine, with a growing trend toward multi-part analytical questions. Coverage gaps remain in cartography, remote sensing theory, and formal regional geography.
Syllabus Map
Click each theme to expand sub-topics.
Theme 1 — Physical Geography 9
Distribution of Oceans & Continents (continental drift, archipelagos, Circum-Pacific)3
Geomorphology (fold mountains, earthquake/volcano distribution)2
Landforms (fjords, primary rocks, desertification)3
Natural Vegetation (mangroves)1
Theme 2 — Indian Geography 10
Climate & Weather Phenomena (South-West Monsoon, Purvaiya)1
Drainage System (river interlinking)1
Geophysical Phenomena — IMD warnings1
Himalayas (glaciers, landslides, delta formation)3
Issues & Concerns (ecological capacity, monsoon behaviour)2
Resources (Deccan Trap)1
Urbanisation (megacities, air pollution)1
Theme 3 — Resources 25
Water Resources (groundwater, water stress, harvesting, irrigation, inland transport, fisheries)11
Energy Resources (solar, wind, atomic, shale, mineral oil)5
Location-based (coastline, natural vegetation & wildlife, rubber, Gondwanaland mining)4
Mineral Resources (coal mining)1
Vegetation / Forest Resources1
Urbanisation (urban mass transport)1
Offshore Oil Reserves (2025)1
Solar Energy Benefits (2025)1
Theme 4 — Climatology 8
Climate Change (food security in tropics)1
Climate Types (monsoon Asia, hot deserts)2
Layers of Atmosphere (troposphere)1
Phenomena (El Niño, air mass, aurora, heat islands, temperature inversion)4
Theme 5 — Agriculture 4
Food Export & Green Revolution (India’s transformation)2
Crop Geography (pulses, tea plantation geography)2
Theme 6 — Oceanography 7
Ocean Currents (fishing, climate, navigation)3
Ocean Resources1
Ocean Salinity1
Phenomena (Dead Zones, sea surface temperature & cyclones)2
Theme 7 — Industries 7
Agro-based Industry (food processing, North-West India)1
Industrial Corridors1
Iron & Steel (spatial shift)2
Miscellaneous (resource-based manufacturing)1
Petroleum (refinery location)1
Sugar Industry & Cotton Textiles1
Theme 8 — Geophysical Phenomena 12
Tsunamis (2025 — new)1
Cloud Bursts1
Cyclones / Twisters2
Cryosphere & Polar Ice2
Urban Floods2
Global Warming on Corals1
Mantle Plume1
Volcanoes1
Landslides1
Theme 9 — Geopolitics 6
Straits & Isthmuses (international trade)1
Arctic (resources, environment)2
South China Sea1
Indus Water Treaty1
Africa (natural resources & India)1
Theme 10 — Miscellaneous (Geography) 5
India as Sub-continent1
Mountain Ecosystem & Tourism1
IRNSS Navigation1
New States & Economy1
Juno Mission / Space1
Heatmap — Theme × Year
Darker = more questions that year. Data covers 2013–2025 (2025 paper: 7 Geography questions identified).
| Theme | ’13 | ’14 | ’15 | ’16 | ’17 | ’18 | ’19 | ’20 | ’21 | ’22 | ’23 | ’24 | ’25 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 Physical Geog. | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13* |
| T2 Indian Geog. | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15* |
| T3 Resources | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 26 |
| T4 Climatology | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10* |
| T5 Agriculture | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| T6 Oceanography | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8* |
| T7 Industries | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11* |
| T8 Geophysical | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 16* |
| T9 Geopolitics | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7* |
| T10 Misc. Geog. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Year Total | 8 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | ~111 |
* Totals include questions spanning related sub-themes. Annual counts reflect direct Geography paper mapping; some questions have dual subject mappings.
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Trends
Geography Questions per Year (2013–2025)
| Year | ’13 | ’14 | ’15 | ’16 | ’17 | ’18 | ’19 | ’20 | ’21 | ’22 | ’23 | ’24 | ’25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qs | 8 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
Year-wise Trend — Top 4 Themes (Resources · Geophysical · Indian Geog. · Physical Geog.)
| Theme | ’13 | ’14 | ’15 | ’16 | ’17 | ’18 | ’19 | ’20 | ’21 | ’22 | ’23 | ’24 | ’25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T3 Resources | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| T8 Geophysical | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| T2 Indian Geog. | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| T1 Physical Geog. | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Theme Share — Total Questions (2013–2025)
Questions by Theme
Theme 1 — Physical Geography
9 questions
GS1 → Geography → U01 Physical Geography
Discuss how the changes in shape and sizes of continents and ocean basins of the planet take place due to tectonic movements of the crustal masses.
Mapping rationale: Directly addresses plate tectonics, crustal movement, and changing landmass configurations — core Physical Geography syllabus.
How are the fjords formed? Why do they constitute some of the most picturesque areas of the world?
Mapping rationale: Glacial landform formation — applies geomorphological processes to specific landform type.
Describe the characteristics and types of primary rocks.
Mapping rationale: Rock formation and classification — foundational Physical Geography / geomorphology topic.
Briefly mention the alignment of major mountain ranges of the world and explain their impact on local weather conditions, with examples.
Mapping rationale: Geomorphology linked to climatology — mountain ranges as physical barriers affecting weather patterns.
Discuss the geophysical characteristics of Circum-Pacific Zone.
Mapping rationale: Ring of Fire tectonics, volcanic and seismic activity — distribution of oceans and continents sub-theme.
The process of desertification does not have climatic boundaries. Justify with examples.
Mapping rationale: Landform-climate interaction in dryland environments — desertification as physical geography process.
Discuss the causes of depletion of mangroves and explain their importance in maintaining coastal ecology.
Mapping rationale: Natural vegetation and coastal ecosystems — physical geography with environmental angle.
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 earthquakes and volcanoes.
Mapping rationale: Plate tectonics and geomorphology — fold mountains, seismic and volcanic distribution.
Explain the formation of thousands of islands in the Indonesian and Philippines archipelagos.
Mapping rationale: Island formation through volcanic and tectonic activity — distribution of oceans and continents.
What do you understand by the theory of ‘continental drift’? Discuss the prominent evidences in its support.
Mapping rationale: Foundational geophysics — continental drift theory and evidence is a perennial GS1 Geography topic.
Theme 2 — Indian Geography
10 questions
GS1 → Geography → U02 Indian Geography
Discuss the distribution and density of population in the Ganga River Basin with special reference to land, soil and water resources.
Mapping rationale: Human geography of India’s major river basin — population distribution linked to natural resource endowment.
Why is the South-West Monsoon called ‘Purvaiya’ (easterly) in Bhojpur Region? How has this directional seasonal wind system influenced the cultural ethos of the region?
Mapping rationale: Regional monsoon behaviour in India — cultural geography angle on climate-society interaction.
Discuss the meaning of colour-coded weather warnings for cyclone prone areas given by India Meteorological Department.
Mapping rationale: India-specific disaster preparedness and geophysical phenomena — IMD warning systems and cyclone-prone coastlines.
How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India?
Mapping rationale: Himalayan geography and cryosphere — glacial melt’s downstream impact on India’s water systems.
The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods and interrupted navigation. Critically examine.
Mapping rationale: Indian drainage system management — interlinking rivers as a policy response to water distribution challenges.
The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are reaching the limits of their ecological carrying capacity due to tourism. Critically evaluate.
Mapping rationale: Himalayan ecology and carrying capacity — human pressure on sensitive mountain ecosystems in India.
How far do you agree that the behaviour of the Indian monsoon has been changing due to humanizing landscapes? Discuss.
Mapping rationale: Monsoon variability in India — human-induced landscape changes affecting monsoon behaviour.
Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata are the three megacities of the country but air pollution is a much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so?
Mapping rationale: Urban geography of India — physical and geographical factors behind differential air quality in megacities.
(a) Bring out the causes for the more frequent occurrence of landslides in the Himalayas than in the Western Ghats. (b) There is no formation of deltas by rivers of the Western Ghats. Why?
Mapping rationale: Geomorphology of Indian mountain systems — landslide causation and river-delta formation in contrasting terrain.
Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub-continent.
Mapping rationale: Himalayan cryosphere as indicator of climate change — links Indian geography to global warming.
Theme 3 — Resources
26 questions
GS1 → Geography → U03 Resources
Give a geographical explanation of the distribution of off-shore oil reserves of the world. How are they different from the on-shore occurrences of oil reserves?
Mapping rationale: Global distribution of energy resources — offshore vs onshore petroleum geography.
Explain briefly the ecological and economic benefits of solar energy generation in India with suitable examples.
Mapping rationale: Renewable energy geography — solar energy distribution and benefits in the Indian context.
The groundwater potential of the Gangetic valley is on a serious decline. How may it affect the food security of India?
Mapping rationale: Groundwater depletion in India’s most critical agricultural zone — water-food security nexus.
Why is the world today confronted with a crisis of availability of and access to freshwater resources?
Mapping rationale: Global freshwater scarcity — geographical factors of uneven distribution and demand pressure.
Comment on the resource potentials of the long coastline of India and highlight the status of natural hazard preparedness in these areas.
Mapping rationale: Location-based resource geography — India’s coastal resources and hazard vulnerability.
Identify and discuss the factors responsible for diversity of natural vegetation in India. Assess the significance of wildlife sanctuaries in rain forest regions of India.
Mapping rationale: Natural vegetation geography of India — biodiversity and conservation geography.
Examine the potential of wind energy in India and explain the reasons for their limited spatial spread.
Mapping rationale: Renewable energy geography — spatial distribution of wind energy in India linked to physiographic features.
Describing the distribution of rubber-producing countries, indicate the major environmental issues faced by them.
Mapping rationale: Plantation crop geography — global distribution and environmental impact of rubber cultivation.
What are the environmental implications of the reclamation of the water bodies into urban land use? Explain with examples.
Mapping rationale: Water resource conservation — urban encroachment on wetlands and its environmental consequences.
Discuss the multi-dimensional implications of uneven distribution of mineral oil in the world.
Mapping rationale: Geopolitics of energy resources — unequal global distribution of petroleum and its implications.
Despite India being one of the countries of the Gondwanaland, its mining industry contributes much less to its GDP in percentage. Discuss.
Mapping rationale: Mineral resource geography of India — Gondwana geology and underperformance of India’s mining sector.
India has immense potential of solar energy though there are regional variations in its development. Elaborate.
Mapping rationale: Spatial analysis of solar energy potential — regional geography of renewable energy in India.
Examine the status of forest resources of India and its resultant impact on climate change.
Mapping rationale: Forest resource depletion — links vegetation geography to climate feedback loops.
What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India?
Mapping rationale: Water resource geography — regional disparity in water availability and demand in India.
How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development in India?
Mapping rationale: Urban infrastructure geography — transport as a spatial planning and development resource.
“The ideal solution of depleting ground water resources in India is water harvesting system.” How can it be made effective in urban areas?
Mapping rationale: Groundwater management — water harvesting as a spatial solution to urban groundwater depletion.
Defining blue revolution, explain the problems and strategies for pisciculture development in India.
Mapping rationale: Aquatic resource geography — fisheries and pisciculture in India’s water bodies and coastal zones.
In what way can flood be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-weather inland navigation in India?
Mapping rationale: Water resource management — harnessing floodwaters for irrigation and inland navigation.
“In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development.” Discuss.
Mapping rationale: Mineral resource geography — coal as a development resource versus environmental cost.
The effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce the human miseries. Explain.
Mapping rationale: Integrated natural resource management — land and water as interconnected geographical resources.
Enumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India.
Mapping rationale: Transport geography — waterways as an underutilised resource in India’s drainage network.
In what way micro-watershed development projects help in water conservation in drought-prone and semi-arid regions of India?
Mapping rationale: Watershed management — micro-level geographic interventions in water-scarce regions of India.
India is well endowed with freshwater resources. Critically examine why it still suffers from water scarcity.
Mapping rationale: Freshwater paradox of India — abundant resources yet widespread scarcity due to spatial and management factors.
With the growing scarcity of fossil fuels, atomic energy is gaining more and more significance in India. Discuss the availability of raw materials required for the generation of atomic energy in India and in the world.
Mapping rationale: Nuclear resource geography — distribution of fissile materials globally and in India.
It is said that India has substantial reserves of shale oil and gas, which can feed the needs of the country for a quarter-century. However, tapping of the resource does not appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues involved.
Mapping rationale: Unconventional hydrocarbon geography — shale resource distribution and extraction challenges in India.
Theme 4 — Climatology
10 questions (including sub-questions)
GS1 → Geography → U04 Climatology
What are aurora australis and aurora borealis? How are these triggered?
Mapping rationale: Atmospheric phenomena — auroras as a geophysical-climatic phenomenon in upper atmosphere.
Discuss the consequences of climate change on the food security in tropical countries.
Mapping rationale: Climate change impacts — tropical food production vulnerability under changing climate regimes.
Troposphere is a very significant atmospheric layer that determines weather processes. How?
Mapping rationale: Layers of atmosphere — troposphere’s role in weather determination is core climatology syllabus.
What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50 percent of the world population residing in Monsoon Asia?
Mapping rationale: Monsoon climate type — agricultural significance and population support of monsoon regime.
Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes.
Mapping rationale: Climatological phenomena — air masses as drivers of macro-scale climate patterns.
Why did the industrial revolution first occur in England? Discuss the quality of life of the people there during the industrialization. How does it compare with that in India at present?
Mapping rationale: Primarily World History but intersects Geography through resource endowment enabling industrialisation.
Most of the unusual climatic happenings are explained as an outcome of the El-Nino effect. Do you agree?
Mapping rationale: ENSO phenomena — El Niño as a major climatic driver of global weather anomalies.
(a) Bring out the causes for the formation of heat islands in the urban habitat of the world. (b) What do you understand by the phenomenon of ‘temperature inversion’ in meteorology? How does it affect the weather and the inhabitants of the place?
Mapping rationale: Urban climatology — heat islands and temperature inversion as micro- and meso-scale climate phenomena.
Major hot deserts in the northern hemisphere are located between 20–30° N latitudes and on the western side of the continents. Why?
Mapping rationale: Climatic zones and desert formation — subtropical high pressure and cold current influence on desert location.
Theme 5 — Agriculture
4 questions
GS1 → Geography → U05 Agriculture
From being a net food importer in 1960s, India has emerged as a net food exporter to the world. Provide reasons.
Mapping rationale: Agricultural transformation of India — Green Revolution, crop diversification and export geography.
Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulses because of which the year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the United Nations.
Mapping rationale: Crop geography — agronomic and nutritional advantages of legume cultivation in the Indian context.
Why did the Green Revolution in India virtually bypass the eastern region despite fertile soil and good availability of water?
Mapping rationale: Regional geography of agricultural transformation — spatial disparities in Green Revolution diffusion.
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.
Mapping rationale: Plantation crop geography — environmental factors (altitude, temperature, rainfall) determining tea cultivation.
Theme 6 — Oceanography
7 questions
GS1 → Geography → U06 Oceanography
What is sea surface temperature rise? How does it affect the formation of tropical cyclones?
Mapping rationale: Ocean-atmosphere interaction — SST as energy source for tropical cyclone intensification.
What are the forces that influence ocean currents? Describe their role in the fishing industry of the world.
Mapping rationale: Oceanography — physical forces driving ocean currents and their economic role in fisheries.
How do ocean currents and water masses differ in their impacts on marine life and coastal environment?
Mapping rationale: Ocean current geography — differential impacts of currents vs water masses on marine ecosystems and coasts.
What are the consequences of spreading of ‘Dead Zones’ on marine ecosystems?
Mapping rationale: Oceanographic phenomena — hypoxic dead zones as a product of nutrient pollution and their marine impact.
Account for variations in oceanic salinity and discuss its multidimensional effects.
Mapping rationale: Ocean salinity geography — factors causing salinity variation and ecological, navigational, climatic effects.
Explain the factors responsible for the origin of ocean currents? How do they influence regional climates, fishing, and navigation?
Mapping rationale: Ocean current formation and multi-sector impact — key Oceanography syllabus topic.
Critically evaluate the various resources of the oceans which can be harnessed to meet the resource crisis in the world.
Mapping rationale: Ocean resource geography — living and non-living marine resources and their potential.
Theme 7 — Industries
7 questions
GS1 → Geography → U07 Industries
Account for the present location of iron and steel industries away from the source of raw material, by giving examples.
Mapping rationale: Industrial location theory — shift from resource-based to market-oriented iron & steel location.
Discuss the factors for the localisation of agro-based food processing industries of North-West India.
Mapping rationale: Agricultural-industrial geography — raw material supply, market and infrastructure factors in industry localisation.
Can the strategy of regional-resource based manufacturing help in promoting employment in India?
Mapping rationale: Industrial geography of India — resource endowment and its potential for regional employment generation.
What is the significance of Industrial Corridors in India? Identifying industrial corridors, explain their main characteristics.
Mapping rationale: Industrial planning geography — corridor-based industrial development and its spatial organisation in India.
Petroleum refineries are not necessarily located nearer to crude oil producing areas, particularly in many of the developing countries. Explain its implications.
Mapping rationale: Energy industrial location — refinery geography decoupled from crude oil sources.
Account for the change in the spatial pattern of the Iron and Steel industry in the world.
Mapping rationale: Global industrial location shift — evolution of iron & steel geography from colonial to post-industrial era.
(a) Do you agree that there is a growing trend of opening new sugar mills in the southern States of India? Discuss with justification. (b) Analyze the factors for the highly decentralized cotton textile industry in India.
Mapping rationale: Agro-industrial geography — shifting sugar industry geography and factors of cotton textile decentralisation in India.
Theme 8 — Geophysical Phenomena
12 questions
GS1 → Geography → U08 Geophysical Phenomena
What are Tsunamis? How and where are they formed? What are their consequences? Explain with examples.
Mapping rationale: Geophysical hazard — tsunami formation, triggering mechanisms, and consequence geography.
What is the phenomenon of ‘cloudbursts’? Explain.
Mapping rationale: Extreme weather event — cloudburst formation and its orographic triggers, especially in India.
What is a twister? Why are the majority of twisters observed in areas around the Gulf of Mexico?
Mapping rationale: Extreme atmospheric phenomenon — tornado geography and the atmospheric conditions of the Gulf region.
Differentiate the causes of landslides in the Himalayan region and the Western Ghats.
Mapping rationale: Geomorphological hazards — contrasting landslide causation in different geological and climatic settings.
Mention the global occurrence of volcanic eruptions in 2021 and their impact on regional environment.
Mapping rationale: Geophysical phenomena — volcanic activity distribution and environmental consequences.
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.
Mapping rationale: Cryosphere geography — differential impacts of Arctic sea ice vs Antarctic ice sheet loss on global climate and human activities.
Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures.
Mapping rationale: Urban flood geography — geomorphological and urban planning factors causing city flooding in India.
Assess the impact of global warming on the coral life system with examples.
Mapping rationale: Ocean-climate interaction — thermal bleaching of coral reefs as a consequence of global warming.
Define mantle plume and explain its role in plate tectonics.
Mapping rationale: Internal earth dynamics — mantle plume as a geological process driving intraplate volcanism and plate movement.
How does the cryosphere affect global climate?
Mapping rationale: Cryosphere-climate interaction — ice-albedo feedback and cryosphere’s role in global climate regulation.
Major cities of India are becoming vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss.
Mapping rationale: Urban geomorphology and disaster geography — increasing flood risk in Indian cities due to urban expansion.
Tropical cyclones are largely confined to the south China Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Gulf of Mexico. Why?
Mapping rationale: Cyclone formation geography — ocean temperature, Coriolis effect and warm water basins as prerequisites.
Theme 9 — Geopolitics
6 questions
GS1 → Geography → U09 Geopolitics
Mention the significance of straits and isthmus in international trade.
Mapping rationale: Geopolitical geography — strategic importance of maritime chokepoints for global trade routes.
Why is India taking keen interest in resources of Arctic region?
Mapping rationale: Arctic geopolitics — India’s strategic and economic interest in polar resource geography.
Present an account of the Indus Water Treaty and examine its ecological, economic and political implications in the context of changing bilateral relations.
Mapping rationale: Transboundary water geopolitics — Indus river basin management and India-Pakistan water diplomacy.
South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment.
Mapping rationale: Maritime geopolitics — resource and strategic importance of contested South China Sea territory.
What are the economic significances of the discovery of oil in the Arctic Sea and its possible environmental consequences?
Mapping rationale: Arctic resource geopolitics — economic value of polar oil versus environmental risks of extraction.
How does India see its place in the economic space of rising natural resource rich Africa?
Mapping rationale: Resource geopolitics — India’s engagement with African natural resources and economic geography.
Theme 10 — Miscellaneous (Geography)
5 questions
GS1 → Geography → U10 Miscellaneous
How can Artificial Intelligence (AI) and drones be effectively used along with GIS and RS techniques in locational and areal planning?
Mapping rationale: Emerging spatial technologies — AI and remote sensing in geographical planning is a new 2025 direction for GS1.
Why is India considered as a sub-continent? Elaborate your answer.
Mapping rationale: Physical geography of the Indian sub-continent — distinctive physiographic and geographic characteristics.
How can the mountain ecosystem be restored from the negative impact of development initiatives and tourism?
Mapping rationale: Mountain ecosystem management — balancing development pressures with ecological restoration.
Why is Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) needed? How does it help in navigation?
Mapping rationale: Space-based geography technology — IRNSS as India’s indigenous navigation system with strategic applications.
How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth?
Mapping rationale: Planetary geography and space science — comparative planetology informing Earth’s geological history.
Insights
How to use this file: Focus first on water resources (11 Qs) and geophysical phenomena (12 Qs) — they form the backbone of Geography PYQs. Every year has had at least one question from Resources. Use heatmap to identify gaps and trends; use question blocks to practice directive-specific framing.
High-Yield Topics
Water Resources is the single most tested sub-theme with 11 questions across all aspects — groundwater, water stress, harvesting, freshwater scarcity, irrigation and inland navigation. A candidate who can answer any water resource question with command over government schemes, regional geography, and environmental dimensions is well-prepared. Geophysical phenomena (12 Qs overall) come second — cyclones, floods, glaciers, cryosphere and coral bleaching recur almost every year. Energy resources (solar, wind, coal, oil) form the third pillar with 7 questions across 2013–2025, increasingly focused on renewables from 2016 onward.
Trend Shifts (2013–2025)
Industries geography peaked in 2017–2019 (industrial corridors, refinery location, iron-steel) and has since declined sharply — zero questions in 2022–2025. Conversely, geophysical phenomena became more prominent from 2018 onward, reflecting climate anxiety in the exam. Oceanography questions were consistent at roughly one per year through 2019 but appeared only sporadically after 2020. The 2025 paper introduced a clearly technology-oriented question (AI + GIS + drones in spatial planning) — a first in GS1 Geography, signalling future direction. Physical geography of tectonic change also returned in 2025 after a five-year gap.
Recurring Directive Verbs
Discuss (most common — 38%); Explain (22%); Examine/Critically Examine (15%); Comment (8%); Elaborate/Elucidate (8%); Justify/Account for (9%). The growing use of multi-part questions (two sub-questions under one number) requires candidates to manage word limits across two distinct points rather than one extended argument.
Coverage Gaps (Low / Zero PYQ Frequency)
Topics with minimal or zero PYQ coverage include: cartography and map projections, formal regional geography of world regions (Europe, South America), trade winds and jet stream detailed mechanics, demographic geography of population pyramids, and urban morphology theory. These are syllabus-listed but rarely examined — treat them as supplementary rather than primary preparation targets.
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