VTS - GEOGRAPHY OPTIONAL DAILY ANSWER WRITING WITH MAINS TEST SERIES PROGRAM 2025 – DELHI & CHENNAI

Test No

Date

Syllabus/ Topic

Discussion date

01

June 14

Paper - I

Geomorphology: Factors controlling landform development; endogenetic and exogenetic forces; Origin and evolution of the earth’s crust; Fundamentals of geomagnetism; Physical conditions of the earth’s interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics; Recent views on mountain building; Vulcanicity; Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Landscape development ; Denudation chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope development ; Applied Geomorphology : Geohydrology, economic geology and environment

Biogeography: Genesis of soils; Classification and distribution of soils; Soil profile; Soil erosion, Degradation and conservation;

Perspectives in Human Geography: Areal differentiation; regional synthesis; Dichotomy and dualism; Environmentalism; Quantitative revolution and locational analysis; radical, behavioural, human and welfare approaches; Languages, religions and secularisation; Cultural regions of the world; Human development index

Paper – II

Physical Setting: Space relationship of India with neighboring countries; Structure and relief; Drainage system and watersheds; Physiographic regions; Natural vegetation; Soil types and their distributions.

Contemporary Issues: Environmental hazards: landslides, earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods and droughts, epidemics;

Recorded video

02

June 25

Paper - I

Climatology: Temperature and pressure belts of the world; Heat budget of the earth; Atmospheric circulation; atmospheric stability and instability. Planetary and local winds; Monsoons and jet streams; Air masses and fronto genesis, Temperate and tropical cyclones; Types and distribution of precipitation; Weather and Climate; Koppen’s, Thornthwaite’s and Trewartha’s classification of world climates; Hydrological cycle, Global climatic change and role and response of man in climatic changes, Applied climatology and Urban climate.

Oceanography: Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans; Temperature and salinity of the oceans; Heat and salt budgets, Ocean deposits; Waves, currents and tides; Coral reefs, coral bleaching; sea-level changes and marine pollution, Marine resources: biotic, mineral and energy resources; law of the sea

Biogeography: Factors influencing world distribution of plants and animals; Problems of deforestation and conservation measures; Social forestry; agroforestry; Wild life; Major gene pool centres.

Environmental Geography: Principle of ecology; Human ecological adaptations; Influence of man on ecology and environment; Global and regional ecological changes and imbalances; Ecosystem their management and conservation; Environmental degradation, management and conservation; Biodiversity and sustainable development; Environmental policy; Environmental hazards and remedial measures; Environmental education and legislation

Paper – II

Physical Setting: Mechanism of Indian monsoons and rainfall patterns, Tropical cyclones and western disturbances; Floods and droughts; Climatic regions;

Resources: biotic and marine resources; Forest and wild life resources and their conservation;

Contemporary Issues: Ecological issues; Issues relating to environmental pollution; Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management; Environmental degradation; Deforestation, desertification and soil erosion; Environmental awareness;

Recorded video

03

July 05

Paper - I

Economic Geography: World agriculture: typology of agricultural regions; agricultural inputs and productivity; Food and nutrition problems; Food security; famine: causes, effects and remedies; World economic development: measurement and problems; World resources and their distribution; Energy crisis; the limits to growth; World industries: locational patterns and problems; patterns of world trade.

Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography: Systems analysis in Human geography, Von Thunen’s model of agricultural location; Weber’s model of industrial location; Rostov’s model of stages of growth. Heartland and Rimland theories; Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.

Paper – II

Resources: Land, surface and ground water, energy, minerals, biotic and marine resources; Energy crisis.

Agriculture: Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power; Institutional factors: land holdings, land tenure and land reforms; Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability; Agro and social-forestry; Green revolution and its socio- economic and ecological implications; Significance of dry farming; Livestock resources and white revolution; aqua - culture; sericulture, apiculture and poultry; agricultural regionalisation; agro-climatic zones; agro- ecological regions

Industry: Evolution of industries; Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilizer, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage and agro - based industries; Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings; Industrial regionalisation; New industrial policies; Multinationals and liberalization; Special Economic Zones; Tourism including eco -tourism.

Transport, Communication and Trade: Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline networks and their complementary roles in regional development; Growing importance of ports on national and foreign trade; Trade balance; Trade Policy; Export processing zones; Developments in communication and information technology and their impacts on economy and society; Indian space programme.

Political Aspects: Geographical basis of Indian federalism; State reorganisation; Emergence of new states; Regional consciousness and inter state issues; international boundary of India and related issues; Cross border terrorism; India’s role in world affairs; Geopolitics of South Asia and Indian Ocean realm.

Contemporary Issues: Changes in patterns of land use; Population explosion and food security; Problems of agrarian unrest; Linkage of rivers; Problems of industrial unrest; Globalisation and Indian economy Population explosion and food security;

Recorded video

04

July 16

Paper - I

Population and Settlement Geography: Growth and distribution of world population; demographic attributes; Causes and consequences of migration; concepts of over-under and optimum population; Population theories, world population problems and policies, Social well-being and quality of life; Population as social capital. Types and patterns of rural settlements: Environmental issues in rural settlements; Hierarchy of urban settlements; Urban morphology: Concepts of primate city and rank size rule; Functional classification of towns; Sphere of urban influence; Rural - urban fringe; Satellite towns; Problems and remedies of urbanization; Sustainable development of cities

Regional Planning: Concept of a region; Types of regions and methods of regionalisation; Growth centres and growth poles; Regional imbalances; regional development strategies; environmental issues in regional planning; Planning for sustainable development.

Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography: Malthusian, Marxian and demographic transition models; Central Place theories of Christaller and Losch. Theories of Perroux and Boudeville;

Paper – II

Cultural Setting: Historical Perspective of Indian Society: Racial, linguistic and ethnic diversities; religious minorities; major tribes, tribal areas and their problems; cultural regions; Growth, distribution and density of population; Demographic attributes: sexratio, age structure, literacy rate, work-force, dependency ratio, longevity; migration (inter- regional, intra- regional and international) and associated problems; Population problems and policies; Health indicators.

Settlements: Types, patterns and morphology of rural settlements; Urban developments; Morphology of Indian cities; Functional classification of Indian cities; Conurbations and metropolitan regions; urban sprawl; Slums and associated problems; town planning; Problems of urbanization and remedies.

Regional Development and Planning: Experience of regional planning in India; Five Year Plans; Integrated rural development programmes; Panchayati Raj and decentralised planning; Command area development; Watershed management; Planning for backward area, desert, drought prone, hill, tribal area development; multi-level planning; Regional planning and development of island territories

Contemporary Issues: Regional disparities in economic development; Concept of sustainable growth and development;

Recorded video

05

July 26

Forenoon

Paper – I Full length test

Recorded video

06

July 26

Afternoon

Paper – II Full length test

Recorded video

07

August 09

Forenoon

Paper – I Full length test

(Answer papers are not evaluated)

Recorded video

08

August 09

Afternoon

Paper – II Full length test

(Answer papers are not evaluated)

Recorded video

August 22

UPSC CSE EXAM

S No

Date

Syllabus Topic for Daily Answer Writing

1.

04-06-25

Origin and evolution of the earth’s crust; Fundamentals of geomagnetism; Physical conditions of the earth’s interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate

2.

05-06-25

tectonics; Recent views on mountain building; Vulcanicity; Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Environmental hazards: landslides, earthquakes, Tsunamis,

3.

06-06-25

Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Landscape development

4.

07-06-25

Denudation chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope development ;

5.

08-06-25

Applied Geomorphology : Geohydrology, economic geology and environment, Factors controlling landform development; endogenetic and exogenetic forces;

6.

09-06-25

Biogeography: Genesis of soils; Classification and distribution of soils; Soil profile; Soil erosion, Degradation and conservation;

7.

10-06-25

Space relationship of India with neighboring countries; Structure and relief; Drainage system and watersheds; Physiographic regions; Natural vegetation; Soil types and their distributions. Floods and droughts; epidemics;

8.

11-06-25

Areal differentiation; regional synthesis; Quantitative revolution and locational analysis; Systems analysis in Human geography, 

9.

12-06-25

Radical, behavioural, human and welfare approaches; Dichotomy and dualism; Environmentalism;

10.

13-06-25

 Languages, religions and secularisation; Cultural regions of the world; Human development index, (and other non syllabus but related topics)

11.

14-06-25

Mains Test 1

12.

15-06-25

Temperature and pressure belts of the world; Heat budget of the earth; Atmospheric circulation; Air masses and fronto genesis,

13.

16-06-25

Monsoons and jet streams; Types and distribution of precipitation; Mechanism of Indian monsoons and rainfall patterns,

14.

17-06-25

Temperate and tropical cyclones; Planetary and local winds; atmospheric stability and instability.

Tropical cyclones and western disturbances;

15.

18-06-25

Weather and Climate; Koppen’s, Thornthwaite’s and Trewartha’s classification of world climates; Hydrological cycle,

Climatic regions;

16.

19-06-25

Global climatic change and role and response of man in climatic changes, Applied climatology and Urban climate.

17.

20-06-25

Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans; Temperature and salinity of the oceans; Heat and salt budgets, Waves, currents and tides;

18.

21-06-25

Ocean deposits; Coral reefs, coral bleaching; sea-level changes and marine pollution, Marine resources: biotic, mineral and energy resources; law of the sea.

biotic and marine resources;

19.

22-06-25

Factors influencing world distribution of plants and animals; Problems of deforestation and conservation measures; Social forestry; agroforestry; Wild life; Major gene pool centres.

Deforestation, desertification and soil erosion Forest and wild life resources and their conservation;

20.

23-06-25

Principle of ecology; Human ecological adaptations; Influence of man on ecology and environment;

Global and regional ecological changes and imbalances; Biodiversity and sustainable development; Environmental hazards and remedial measures; 

21.

24-06-25

Ecosystem their management and conservation; Environmental degradation, management and conservation; Environmental policy; Environmental education and legislation,

Ecological issues; Issues relating to environmental pollution; Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management; Environmental degradation; Environmental awareness;

22.

25-06-25

Mains Test 2

23.

26-06-25

World agriculture: typology of agricultural regions; Von Thunen’s model of agricultural location; agricultural inputs and productivity; Food and nutrition problems; Food security; famine: causes, effects and remedies;

Population explosion and food security; Problems of agrarian unrest;

24.

27-06-25

Land, surface and ground water,

Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power; Institutional factors: land holdings, land tenure and land reforms; Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability;

Changes in patterns of land use; Linkage of rivers;

25.

04-06-25

Agro and social-forestry; Green revolution and its socio- economic and ecological implications; Significance of dry farming; Livestock resources and white revolution; aqua - culture; sericulture, apiculture and poultry; agricultural regionalisation; agro-climatic zones; agro- ecological regions

26.

28-06-25

World economic development: measurement and problems; World resources and their distribution; Energy crisis; the limits to growth; World industries: locational patterns and problems; patterns of world trade.

Energy, minerals, biotic and marine resources; Energy crisis.

27.

29-06-25

Weber’s model of industrial location; Rostov’s model of stages of growth.

Evolution of industries; Locational factors of cotton, jute, textile, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilizer, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage and agro - based industries;

28.

30-06-25

Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings; Industrial regionalisation; New industrial policies; Multinationals and liberalization; Special Economic Zones; Tourism including eco -tourism.

Problems of industrial unrest; Globalisation and Indian economy

29.

01-07-25

Transport, Communication and Trade: Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline networks and their complementary roles in regional development; Growing importance of ports on national and foreign trade; Trade balance; Trade Policy; Export processing zones; Developments in communication and information technology and their impacts on economy and society; Indian space programme.

30.

02-07-25

Heartland and Rimland theories; Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.

31.

03-07-25

Geographical basis of Indian federalism; State reorganisation; Emergence of new states; Regional consciousness and inter state issues;

32.

04-07-25

International boundary of India and related issues; Cross border terrorism; India’s role in world affairs; Geopolitics of South Asia and Indian Ocean realm.

33.

05-07-25

Mains test – 03

34.

06-07-25

Population theories, Malthusian, Marxian and demographic transition models; world population problems and policies, concepts of over-under and optimum population;

Population problems and policies; Health indicators.

35.

07-07-25

Growth and distribution of world population; demographic attributes;

Growth, distribution and density of population; Demographic attributes: sex ratio, age structure, literacy rate, work-force, dependency ratio, longevity;

36.

08-07-25

Social well-being and quality of life; Population as social capital.

Racial, linguistic and ethnic diversities; religious minorities; major tribes, tribal areas and their problems; cultural regions; Causes and consequences of migration;

migration (inter- regional, intra- regional and international) and associated problems;

37.

09-07-25

Types and patterns of rural settlements: Environmental issues in rural settlements;

Types, patterns and morphology of rural settlements;

38.

10-07-25

Hierarchy of urban settlements; Functional classification of towns; Sphere of urban influence; Rural - urban fringe; Satellite towns;

Urban developments; Morphology of Indian cities; Functional classification of Indian cities; Conurbations and metropolitan regions;

39.

11-07-25

Problems and remedies of urbanization; Sustainable development of cities

urban sprawl; Slums and associated problems; town planning; Problems of urbanization and remedies.

40.

12-07-25

Central Place theories of Christaller and Losch. Urban morphology: Concepts of primate city and rank size rule;

41.

13-07-25

Concept of a region; Types of regions and methods of regionalisation;

Growth centres and growth poles; Theories of Perroux and Boudeville;

42.

14-07-25

Regional imbalances; regional development strategies; environmental issues in regional planning; Planning for sustainable development.

Experience of regional planning in India; Five Year Plans; Integrated rural development programmes; Panchayati Raj and decentralised planning; Regional disparities in economic development; Concept of sustainable growth and development;

43.

15-07-25

Command area development; Watershed management; Planning for backward area, desert, drought prone, hill, tribal area development; multi-level planning; Regional planning and development of island territories

44.

16-07-25

Mains test – 04 & End of Daily answer writing practice