UGC NET Geography

Accelerate your academic goals with the complete UGC NET / JRF Geography syllabus, designed to test your knowledge of physical, human, economic, and environmental geography.

This NTA-approved syllabus includes key topics like Geomorphology, Climatology, GIS & Remote Sensing, Population Studies, and Regional Planning.

At Professor Academy, we provide 100% online expert coaching to help you decode every unit with clarity and accuracy.

Understanding the full syllabus is your first step to a well-planned, high-scoring preparation strategy.

Click below to explore the complete UGC NET Geography syllabus and gear up for success.

UGC NET Geography Syllabus

Unit I – Geomorphology
Unit II – Climatology
Unit III- Oceanography
Unit IV- Geography of Environment
Unit V – Population and Settlement Geography
Unit VI- Geography of Economic Activities and Regional Development
Unit VII – Cultural, Social and Political Geography
Unit VIII – Geographic Thought
Unit IX – Geographical Techniques
Unit X- Geography of India

UNIT-I Geomorphology

Continental Drift, Plate Tectonics, Endogenetic and Exogenetic forces.
Denudation and Weathering, Geomorphic Cycle (Davis and Penck)
Theories and Process of Slope Development, Earth Movements (seismicity, folding, faulting and vulcanicity)
Landform Occurrence and Causes of Geomorphic Hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and avalanches)

UNIT –II Climatology

Composition and Structure of Atmosphere; Insolation, Heat Budget of Earth
Temperature, Pressure and Winds, Atmospheric Circulation (air-masses, fronts and upper air circulation, cyclones and anticyclones (tropical and temperate)
Climatic Classification of Koppen & Thornthwaite, ENSO Events (El Nino, La Nina and Southern Oscillations)
Meteorological Hazards and Disasters (Cyclones, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Hailstorms, Heat and Cold waves Drought and Cloudburst , Glacial Lake Outburst (GLOF)
Climate Change: Evidences and Causes of Climatic Change in the past, Human impact on Global Climate.

UNIT-III – Oceanography

UNIT –IV – Geography of Environment

Components: Ecosystem (Geographic Classification) and Human Ecology
Functions: Trophic Levels, Energy Flows, Cycles (geo-chemical, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen), Food Chain, Food Web and Ecological Pyramid, Human Interaction and Impacts, Environmental Ethics and Deep Ecology, Environmental Hazards and Disasters (Global Warming, Urban Heat Island, Atmospheric Pollution, Water Pollution, Land Degradation)
National Programmes and Policies: Legal Framework, Environmental Policy, International Treaties, International Programmes and Policies (Brundtland Commission, Kyoto Protocol, Agenda 21, Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement)

UNIT –V – Population and Settlement Geography

Population Geography

Sources of population data (census, sample surveys and vital statistics, data reliability and errors).
World Population Distribution (measures, patterns and determinants), World Population Growth (prehistoric to modern period).
Demographic Transition, Theories of Population Growth (Malthus, Sadler, and Ricardo).
Fertility and Mortality Analysis (indices, determinants and world patterns).
Migration (types, causes and consequences and models), Population Composition and Characteristics (age, sex, rural-urban, occupational structure and educational levels), Population Policies in Developed and Developing Countries.

Settlement Geography

Rural Settlements (types, patterns and distribution), Contemporary Problems of Rural Settlements ( rural-urban migration; land use changes; land acquisition and transactions), Theories of Origin of Towns (Gordon Childe, Henri Pirenne, Lewis Mumford), Characteristics and Processes of Urbanization in Developed and Developing Countries (factors of urban growth, trends of urbanisation, size, structure and functions of urban areas).
Urban Systems ( the law of the primate city and rank size rule) Central Place Theories (Christaller and Losch), Internal Structure of the City, Models of Urban Land Use (Burgess, Harris and Ullman , and Hoyt), Concepts of Megacities, Global Cities and Edge Cities, Changing Urban Forms (peri-urban areas, rural-urban fringe, suburban , ring and satellite towns), Social Segregation in the City, Urban Social Area Analysis, Manifestation of Poverty in the City (slums, informal sector growth, crime and social exclusion).

Unit–VI: Geography of Economic Activities and Regional Development

Economic Geography

Agricultural Geography

Industrial Geography

Geography of Transport and Trade

Regional Development

Unit – VII: Cultural, Social and Political Geography

Cultural and Social Geography

Concept of Culture, Cultural Complexes, Areas and Region, Cultural Heritage, Cultural Ecology. Cultural Convergence, Social Structure and Processes, Social Well-being and Quality of Life, Social Exclusion, Spatial distribution of social groups in India (Tribe, Caste, Religion and Language), Environment and Human Health, Diseases Ecology, Nutritional Status (etiological conditions, classification and spatial and seasonal distributional patterns with special reference to India) Health Care Planning and Policies in India, Medical Tourism in India.

Political Geography

Boundaries and Frontiers (with special reference to India), Heartland and Rimland Theories. Trends and Developments in Political Geography, Geography of Federalism, Electoral Reforms in India, Determinants of Electoral Behaviour, Geopolitics of Climate Change, Geopolitics of World Resources, Geo-politics of India Ocean, Regional Organisations of Cooperation (SAARC, ASEAN, OPEC, EU). Neopolitics of World Natural Resources.

Unit VIII: Geographic Thought

Contributions of Greek, Roman, Arab, Chinese and Indian Scholars, Contributions of Geographers (Bernhardus Varenius, Immanuel Kant, Alexander von Humboldt, Carl Ritter, Schaefer & Hartshorne), Impact of Darwinian Theory on Geographical Thought.
Contemporary trends in Indian Geography: Cartography, Thematic and Methodological contributions.
Major Geographic Traditions (Earth Science, manenvironment relationship, area studies and spatial analysis), Dualisms in
Geographic Studies (physical vs. human, regional vs. systematic, qualitative vs. quantitative, ideographic vs. nomothetic), Paradigm Shift, Perspectives in Geography (Positivism, Behaviouralism, Humanism, Structuralism, Feminism and Postmodernism).

Unit IX: Geographical Techniques

Sources of Geographic Information and Data (spatial and non-spatial), Types of Maps, Techniques of Map Making (Choropleth, Isarithmic, Dasymetric, Chorochromatic, Flow Maps) Data Representation on Maps (Pie diagrams, Bar diagrams and Line Graph, GIS Database (raster and vector data formats and attribute data formats).
Functions of GIS (conversion, editing and analysis), Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Georeferencing (coordinate system and map projections and Datum), GIS Applications ( thematic cartography, spatial decision support system), Basics of Remote Sensing (Electromagnetic Spectrum, Sensors and Platforms, Resolution and Types, Elements of Air Photo and Satellite Image Interpretation and Photogrammetry), Types of Aerial Photographs, Digital Image
Processing: Developments in Remote Sensing Technology and Big Data Sharing and its applications in Natural Resources Management in India, GPS Components (space, ground control and receiver segments) and Applications, Applications of Measures of Central Tendency, Dispersion and Inequalities, Sampling, Sampling Procedure and Hypothesis Testing (chi square test, t test, ANOVA), Time Series Analysis, Correlation and Regression Analysis, Measurement of Indices, Making Indicators Scale Free, Computation of Composite Index, Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis
Morphometric Analysis: Ordering of Streams, Bifurcation Ratio, Drainage Density and Drainage Frequency, Basin Circularity Ratio and Form Factor, Profiles, Slope Analysis, Clinographic Curve, Hypsographic Curve and Altimetric Frequency Graph.

Unit – X: Geography of India

Major Physiographic Regions and their Characteristics; Drainage System (Himalayan and Peninsular)
Climate: Seasonal Weather Characteristics, Climatic Divisions, Indian Monsoon (mechanism and characteristics), Jet Streams and Himalayan Cryosphere
Types and Distribution of Natural Resources: Soil, Vegetation, Water, Mineral and Marine Resources
Population Characteristics (spatial patterns of distribution), Growth and Composition (rural-urban, age, sex, occupational, educational, ethnic and religious), Determinants of Population, Population Policies in India, Agriculture ( Production, Productivity and Yield of Major Food Crops), Major Crop Regions, Regional Variations in Agricultural Development, Environmental, Technological and Institutional Factors affecting Indian Agriculture; Agro-Climatic Zones, Green Revolution, Food Security and Right to Food. Industrial Development since Independence, Industrial Regions and their characteristics, Industrial Policies in India.
Development and Patterns of Transport Networks (railways, roadways, waterways, airways and pipelines), Internal and External Trade (trend, composition and directions), Regional Development Planning in India, Globalisation and its impact on Indian Economy, Natural Disasters in India (Earthquake, Drought, Flood, Cyclone, Tsunami, Himalayan Highland Hazards and Disasters.)

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