OPSC OAS Geography Syllabus – Paper-II (Optional Subject)

Exam: Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) – OAS / OCS
Paper: Optional Subject – Geography (Paper-II)
Focus: Geography of India with special reference to Odisha

Digital Syllabus Tracker – Geography Paper-II

How to use: Click any line you've covered. It turns green. Progress is saved automatically in this browser.

The "Download My Progress PDF" button creates a PDF showing which lines you've marked as covered.

Section-A: Physical, Resources, Agriculture, Industry & Transport

1. Physical Aspects

• Structure and relief
• Drainage system and watersheds
• Physiographic regions

2. Climate, Vegetation & Soil

• Mechanism of Indian monsoons
• Tropical cyclones and western disturbances
• Floods and droughts
• Climatic regions
• Natural vegetation, soil types and their distributions

3. Resources

• Concept and types of resources
• Land, water, energy, minerals, and biotic resources – distribution, utilisation and conservation
• Energy crisis

4. Agriculture

• Infrastructure – irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power
• Types of crops, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability

5. Forestry & Green Revolution

• Agro and social forestry
• Green Revolution – socio-economic and ecological implications
• Significance of dry farming

6. Livestock & Agricultural Regionalisation

• Livestock resources and White Revolution
• Blue Revolution
• Agricultural regionalisation
• Agro-climatic zones

7. Industry – Development & Location

• History of industrial development
• Locational factors of cotton, jute, iron and steel, fertilizer and paper industries

8. Industrial Complexes & Policy

• Industrial complexes and industrial regionalisation
• New industrial policy
• Role of multinationals, liberalization and globalisation

9. Transport & Communication Networks

• Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline networks
• Complementary roles in regional development

10. Ports & Trade

• Growing importance of ports on national and foreign trade, trade balance
• Free trade and export promotion zones

11. Communication Technology

• Developments in communication technology and its impact on economy and society

Section-B: Cultural Setting, Settlements, Regional Development, Political & Contemporary Issues

12. Cultural Setting

• Racial and ethnic diversities
• Major tribes, tribal areas and their problems

13. Cultural Regions

• Role of language, religion and tradition in the formation of cultural regions

14. Population

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

15. Migration

• Migration (interregional, intra-regional and international) and associated problems
• Population problems and policies

16. Settlements

• Types, patterns and morphology of rural settlements
• Urban development; Census definition of urban areas

17. Urban Structure & Problems

• Morphology of Indian cities; functional classification of Indian cities
• Conurbations and metropolitan regions
• Urban sprawl; slums and associated problems

18. Town Planning

• Town planning; problems of urbanisation

19. Regional Development and Planning

• Experience of regional planning in India
• Five Year Plans
• Integrated rural development programmes

20. Decentralised Planning

• Panchayati Raj and decentralised planning
• Command area development
• Watershed management

21. Special Area Planning

• Planning for backward area, desert, drought-prone, hill and tribal area development
• Multi-level planning
• Geography and regional planning

22. Political Aspects

• Geographical basis of Indian federalism
• State reorganisation
• Regional consciousness and national integration

23. Boundaries & Geopolitics

• International boundary of India and related issues
• Disputes on sharing of water resources
• India and geopolitics of the Indian Ocean

24. Environmental Hazards

• Environmental hazards – landslides, earthquakes, Tsunami, cyclones, floods and droughts, epidemics

25. Pollution & Environmental Management

• Issues related to environmental pollution
• Changes in patterns of land use
• Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management

26. Population Explosion & Disasters

• Population explosion and food security
• Environmental degradation
• Disasters in India and their management

27. Economic Issues & Sustainability

• Problems of agrarian and industrial unrest
• Regional disparities in economic development
• Concept of sustainable growth and development

Compulsory Map Question

• Map question pertinent to subjects covered by this paper (Compulsory)