Best Geography Optional Booklist for UPSC IAS Exam

By Aspire IAS

Posted on : 03 September, 2021 18:35

When you think about Geography Optional it is highly important that you understand the Nature of the UPSC IAS Exam and the UPSC Previous Year Geography Question papers. After that, we must understand the booklist for UPSC Geography Optional.

This article covers the Best Geography Optional booklist for UPSC IAS Exam which shall be your Friend, Philosopher, and Guide during your UPSC Journey. There are actually 8 books that cover almost 80-85% of the Geography Optional Syllabus for UPSC.

Ankit Sir and Aspire IAS teach its Geography Optional students from and beyond the Standard books for UPSC Preparation. Apart from the books, Aspire IAS shall provide you booklets from standard sources and a compilation of only relevant material from Advanced books so that you do not waste your time reading them line by line. AspireIAS Geography Optional booklets optimize the preparation of UPSC Civil Services Aspirant and increase her/his chances of scoring 300+ in UPSC Geography Optional 2021-22.

Following are the NCERT booklist of Geography Optional

NCERTs are just to make you familiar with the Geographical terms of UPSC answer writing and to make your base strong. There are mostly indirect questions that come on NCERT. Following are the list of NCERTs important for Geography Optional and Geography for General Studies in UPSC Mains 2021-22.

• Principles of Geography (Old NCERT): Part 1
• Principles of Geography (Old NCERT): Part 2
• Land and People (6^th, 7^th and 8^th) Old NCERT
• Geography: NCERT Class VI – The Earth Our Habitat 
• Geography: NCERT Class VII – Our Environment 
• Geography: NCERT Class VIII – Resource and Development 
• Geography: NCERT Class IX – Contemporary India – I 
• Geography: NCERT Class X – Contemporary India – II 
• Geography: NCERT Class XI – Fundamentals of Physical Geography 
• Geography: NCERT Class XI – India – Physical Environment
• Geography: NCERT Class XII – Fundamentals of Human Geography 
• Geography: NCERT Class XII – India – People and Economy 

Standard Books for Geography Optional

Geography Optional Books Suggested by UPSC Toppers

Geography Optional Booklist is as per the UPSC Geography Optional Syllabus. So kindly go through the syllabus and UPSC Previous Years Geography Optional Papers and then refer to these books.

Physical Geography Geomorphology Books

1. A certificate course in geography by Goh Cheng Leong
2. Physical Geography by Strahler & Strahler
3. Principles of Geomorphology by W.D. Thornbury
4. Physical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publisher
5. Physical Geography in Diagrams by Bunnett
6. Physical Geography by Savindra Singh
7. Geomorphology by Savindra Singh

Climatology Books

1. Climatology by D.S.Lal

2. General Climatology by Critchfield
3. Physical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publisher
4. Physical Geography by Strahler & Strahler

Oceanography Books

1. Oceanography by Sharma &Vatal, NCERT

2. Physical Geography by Savindra Singh

Biogeography Books

1. Physical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publisher

2. Physical Geography by Strahler & Strahler
3. Section -B: Human Geography
4. Perspectives in Human Geography: Evolution of Geographic Thought by Majid Husain

Economic Geography Books

1. Economic Geography by Hertshorn& Alexander

2. Economic and Social Geography - Made Simple by Rupa Publisher
3. Agricultural Geography by Masjid Husain

Population Settlement Geography Books

1. Human Geography by Majid Husain

2. Urbanization & Urban Systems in India by Ramachandran
3. Economic and Social Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publishers
4. A Geography by Population by R.C. Chandna
5. Regional Planning: Regional Planning - by Chand &Puri
6. Settlement Geography by K Siddhartha

Environmental Geography Books

1. Environmental Geography by Savindra Singh

2. Environmental Awareness by R.C.Chandna
3. Environmental Geography by Saxena
4. Economic and Social Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publisher
5. Political Geography by R.D.Dixit

Atlas to be followed

1. Any School level atlas and the maps given in the above-mentioned books.

Geography Paper-II Books: Geography of India

Physical Setting

1. Economic and Commercial Geography of India by Sharma & Coutinho

2. Indian Geography by D R Khullar
3. Geography of India - Majid Husain
4. Oxford School Atlas - Oxford
5. Certificate Physical and Human Geography - Goh Cheng Leong
6. Economic and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. Mamoria
7. A Geography of India by Gopal Singh
8. Resources: Economical Geography - A Study of Resources by Guha and Chattoraj (NCERT books)

Agriculture

1. Agriculture Geography by Majid Husain

2. Indian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram
3. India Year Book, published by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
4. Hindu's Survey on Agriculture.

Industry

1. Economical and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. Mamoria

2. Economical and Commercial Geography by Sharma & Coutinho
3. Indian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram
4. The Hindu's Survey on Industry
5. Transport, Communication and Trade
6. Economical and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. Mamoria
7. Economical and Commercial Geography of India by Sharma & Coutinho
8. India Year Book published by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Section B: Cultural Setting

1. Human Geography by Majid Husain

2. Geography of Population by R.C.Chandna
3. NCERT Books

Settlements

1. Human Geography by Majid Husain
2. Urbanization and Urban Systems in India by Ramachandran
3. Regional Development and Planning
4. Regional Planning and Development by Chand and Puri
5. India Year Book
6. Indian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram
7. Political Aspects: Modern Political Geography of India by B.L. Sukhwal.

Contemporary Issues

1. Environmental Geography by Savinder Singh

2. India disasters - Report
3. Environmental Awareness by R.C.Chandna

Paper-II

• Orient Longman Blackswan Atlas – A must
• Oxford Student Atlas – A must
• R C Tiwari

Contemporary Sources

• Down to Earth Magazine

• Yojana

• Daily News Analysis by Aspire IAS
• NITI Aayog reports (particularly, those on Agriculture, Infra, Regional development, Rural development etc)