One app for all your study abroad needs
Almost every competitive exam includes a big portion of the subject of geography. In UPSC too, geography plays a very important role for both the preliminary and main exams It is a comprehensive subject that includes all domains and deals with the spatial relationships that exist between people, places, and the earth. This is the most scoring optional that also assists with general studies papers, provided the topic is approached correctly. Selecting geography as an optional subject has helped many applicants pass the UPSC Mains exam. Candidates for the IAS who have chosen geography as an optional subject should go through this list of the best book for geography optional to ease their preparation.
Table of Contents
Best Book for Geography Optional: Link to Buy
Best Book for Geography Optional are readily available for candidates’ reference, both online and offline, and translated versions of the same are also available. The UPSC Best Book for Geography Optional Paper 1 are mentioned in the table below:
Best Book for Geography Optional Paper 1
UPSC geography optional paper 1 includes physical geography and human geography. These topics are like the foundation pillar of understanding geography. Students must be very cautious in picking up the right resources for this particular topic. To help you with the same, we have mentioned below the list of UPSC Best Books for Geography Optional Paper-1:
| Book Title | Author | Link |
| A Geography of India | Gopal Singh | Buy Now |
| Agriculture Geography | Majid Husain | Buy Now |
| Certificate in Physical and Human Geography | Goh Cheng Leong | Buy Now |
| Economic and Commercial Geography of India | C.B. Mamoria | Buy Now |
| Economic and Commercial Geography of India | Sharma & Coutinho | Buy Now |
| Environmental Awareness | R.C.Chandna | Buy Now |
| Environmental Geography | Savinder Singh | Buy Now |
Best Book for Geography Optional Paper 2
The Geography optional paper 2 consists of the following topics climate, vegetation, natural resources, population, and settlements. It is best to select your resources while you are making your study plan. To help you with the same below we have provided a list of recommended books for Geography Optional Paper-II preparation:
| Book Title | Author(s) | Link |
| Environmental Geography | Saxena | Buy Now |
| Geography of India | Majid Husain | Buy Now |
| Geography of Population | R.C.Chandna | Buy Now |
| Oxford School Atlas | Oxford | Buy Now |
| Modern Political Geography of India | B.L. Sukhwal | Buy Now |
| Regional Planning in India | Chand and Puri | Buy Now |
| Urbanization and Urban Systems in India | R. Ramachandran | Buy Now |
Step-by-Step Strategy to Prepare for Geography Optional
Based on past year trends, approximately 4,000 UPSC candidates choose to take geography as an optional subject for the UPSC Mains examination. Approximately 30% of the over 10,000 applicants who are chosen to take the UPSC Civil Services Exam each year choose geography as their optional subject for the UPSC Mains. Thus it is a very scoring optional if your strategy is right. Below we have mentioned the step-by-step approach to preparing geography optional holistically.
| Steps | How to Prepare for Geography UPSC? |
| Understand the Syllabus | Memorize the syllabus and divide it into Paper I and Paper II sections. |
| Study from 2-3 Sources | Use standard reference books and coaching material for each topic. |
| Take Topic-specific Tests | After studying a topic, take tests focusing specifically on that topic. |
| Refine Class Notes | Add additional information to your class notes rather than creating new ones for each topic. |
| Practice Drawing Maps | Practice drawing regional and thematic maps for both Paper I and Paper II topics. |
| Integrate Examples in Answers | Use examples from one paper in the other while writing answers to enrich your responses. |
| Focus on a Section for Paper I | Choose either Physical Geography or Human Geography and focus on it for Paper I. |
| Prepare Bullet Point Notes for Paper II | Make concise notes for frequently repeated topics in Paper II and prepare region-wise maps of India. |
| Revise Multiple Times | Revise the topics multiple times to strengthen your understanding. |
| Solve Mock Tests | Practice solving mock tests and previous year papers under timed conditions. |
Related Posts
FAQs
“Certificate Physical and Human Geography” by Goh Cheng Leong is highly recommended for Indian Geography. It covers topics comprehensively.
Geography is considered a good optional subject for UPSC due to its logical and static nature. It has a defined syllabus and is scoring if well-prepared.
NCERT textbooks from classes 6 to 12 provide a solid foundation. Additionally, reference books like “Geography of India” by Majid Husain and “Oxford School Atlas” are helpful
Magazines like “Geography and You” provide insightful articles, case studies, and maps relevant to UPSC Geography optional preparation.
This was all about the “Best Book for Geography Optional”. For more such informative blogs, check out our UPSC Exams Section, or you can learn more about us by visiting our Indian exams page.