கற்பது ஐஏஎஸ்: Geography Optional Book List and Strategy

GEOGRAPHY

Paper-I

Paper-II

Geography optional strategy by Raju Mishra ( AIR 65, CSE 2014)

Disclaimer

My strategies are simple and useful for me but don’t know about others
Try to read reference books thoroughly that what I didn’t do
Make adjustments according to your strengths, weakness and evaluation

Why geography?

Though it is conceptual, scientifically oriented, easy availability of materials and coaching, I choose it because of its use in GS paper and essay writing
Found topics like Human Development, Agri issues, resource distribution very interesting and hence didn’t mind going extra mile in these topics specially part B
Your optional must be mastered by you so that you can solve any questions
It is very lenghy, needs quite effort
In spite of that one can score good marks

My Strategy:

Coverage of entire syllabus from basic books like NCERT, Suvindra Singh and G.C Leong and then go for advance
Regular update notes with current issues and try to relate is with geographical point of view. Useful specially in part 2
Test series, answer writing , daily diagram/ map practice

Coaching:

I had done my coaching from Neetu Singh IAS academy
Covers 70% of syllabus in her notes
It formed core of preparation
After basic books, I went for her notes repeatedly
Stuck to one source and kept adding information from internet, reference books, test series etc
Many people get coaching material from different sources. All are repetition of each other and confuse candidate

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantage:

Lots example on topics. Helps in answer writing and make it more comprehensive
Good coverage of maps pointing in class
Good coverage of part B in both papers
Thorough coverage of Indian Geography which is enough for Mains bt not so much for prelims
Provide sufficient data on different reports, census, forest coverage etc

Disadvantage:

Poor coverage of part A. for that I used shabbir sir’s notes
No answer writing practice
Many important topics fall in 30% of syllabus. She does not cover in class
In part B some time she misses out or just mention the concept in passing instead of explaining them in detail

Overall guidance from coaching helped in exam and to understand the fundamentals of geography. Hardly read any reference book, just read NCERTs. However it doesn’t mean that coaching is compulsory.

How to tackle the current events?

Maintained separate notebook for Geography Current events
Newspaper: The Hindu, Indian Express
Online: topics like IPCC, food security, sustainable development and other contemporary issues
Magazines: Kurukshetra ( Agri issues), Geography and You, The Hindu Environmental survey, Terra Green

How to read Current affairs from Geography perspective?

Newspaper are rich source of data and maps
Try to cut down any article on environment
Note down recommendation of different committees of environment, disaster management etc
Focus of issues on manufacturing industries like aluminium, iron steel etc. note down their percentage of reservoir and locate their location on maps
Note down different schemes regarding environment, agriculture etc

What about maps and Answer writing?

Maintained separate note book for maps. NCERT and GC Leong has excellent diagrams
If saw any good diagram, cut it down and paste in your notes
Bad strategy to draw diagram at the end. Draw it first at proper place. Try and make one diagram for each question
Write comprehensive answer with proper data and diagram/map
Practice to write more question so that improve your writing ability
Practice more number of previous year’s question papers

Thoughts and experience with test series?

Helps to improve your writing speed and capability
Group discussion helps in increase in knowledge and develop skills
Clarity of concept
Coverage of maximum number of questions so that improve ability of writing to the point
Learn how to crop unnecessary things

Final tips!