UPSC Geology Syllabus and exam pattern will help the candidates know about what all they will have to include in their preparation so as to cover the syllabus.  The Union Public Service Commission permits the candidates to choose their optional subject.

The UPSC Geology is from those 48 subjects out of which the candidates get to choose their optional subject as per the background they belong from. Every optional subject has two papers viz. Paper I & Paper II and comprises 250 marks individually, which sum it up to 500 Marks. Every optional subject in UPSC weighs 500 marks.

In this article, set forth, you’ll find detailed information about the UPSC Geology Syllabus 2023, Paper Pattern, Reference Books, and a few exam preparation tips.

Download the Latest UPSC Geology Syllabus PDF Here!

Download UPSC Geology Optional Syllabus PDF in Hindi here!

UPSC Geology Syllabus for IAS Exam – Paper I & II

To initiate the preparation of any examination, it’s requisite to have a detailed UPSC Geology Syllabus and exam pattern of the examination. This assists in timely preparation, time management, a clear and wider picture of the examination and for preparing a strategy.

Focus Topics Areas in Geology Optional Syllabus – Paper I

Answers must be written in the medium authorized in Admission Certificate

Focus Topics Areas in Geology Optional Syllabus – Paper II

Answers must be written in the medium authorized in Admission Certificate

Check the detailed UPSC IAS Mains Syllabus here.

• Geology is basically sustainable development, disaster management & its applications.
• Geology mainly includes India’s Geomorphology, Economic Geology, Remote Sensing, Mining, etc.
• The UPSC exam focuses on applications rather than theories. So, the candidates need to have their basic concepts clear.
• This subject is related to the development challenges faced by India.
• The aspirant should have adequate knowledge in Geology before choosing it as their optional subject in UPSC civil services exam.

UPSC Geology Exam Pattern 2023

UPSC Exam is based on three stages i.e., Prelim Exam, Mains Exam and an Interview.

• There will be two papers for the Geology Optional Subject.
• Each paper would comprise 250 marks, which makes it 500 marks in total.
• There is no negative marking.
• There are 9 papers total in the UPSC Mains Exam.
• Each Paper would have objective answer type questions.

How to Prepare for UPSC Geology Syllabus for IAS Exam?

Paper 1 Strategy

• Pen down the syllabus and the paper pattern. Create a timetable and come up with a strategy. Try to execute the preparation strategy as per the timetable.
• Before starting with the preparation, candidates must go through the UPSC Geology Syllabus in detail to know which all topics they have to cover. There are several topics included in the syllabus, candidates must know how to prepare for them wisely and plan out their study. The UPSC Geology Syllabus will be available in the official UPSC notification, candidates can also download the UPSC Geology Syllabus and Exam Pattern from the PDF in this article.
• General geology is concerned with fundamental concepts such as the origins of the universe, the age of the earth, and the structure of the earth, among others. Volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, and other topics are also discussed. All of this is covered in GS Mains Paper I and, to a lesser extent, in the prelims exam. For this section, see Parbin Singh’s Engineering And General Geology or KM Bangar’s Principles Of Engineering Geology.
  Geomorphology and Remote Sensing – Geomorphology is a topic that explains how the various features seen on the earth came to be. India’s geomorphology is also discussed.
• Indian satellites and other related technological topics are covered in the remote sensing section. Drones are being developed right now, if we’re talking about recent issues. You should concentrate on how remote sensing improves people’s lives, such as its use in disaster management and prevention, pollution control, and so on. This topic is relevant to current events, and it is important to pay attention to recent developments in this field. For this section, see Parbin Singh’s Engineering And General Geology or KM Bangar’s Principles Of Engineering Geology. You can also go to the National Remote Sensing Authority’s official website for more information on remote sensing.
• Hydrogeology and engineering geology are both concerned with groundwater, while engineering geology is concerned with how development projects such as dams, roads, and other infrastructure affect the geology of an area, as well as what obstacles exist in the geology of an area for dam projects. It also discusses the types of building materials that can be used in a given area. This section is taken from David Todd’s Groundwater Hydrology. This book delves deeply into the subject.

Paper 2 Strategy

• Refer UPSC civil services test series and solve previous years’ question papers as much as possible. Practice often chalks out a route for success. Analyse your errors and work on them, converting your weaker points into your assets. Refer to highly recommended and result-driven books only.
• Mineralogy is the study of minerals found in rocks and their properties, such as chemical bonds. Optical properties are a significant subsection in this section. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of applied questions being asked. This section can be found in Rutley’s Elements of Mineralogy.
• Petrology is the branch of science concerned with the origin, structure, and composition of rocks. Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology – Petrology is the branch of science concerned with the origin, structure, and composition of rocks. The igneous and metamorphic rocks are discussed in this section. This section can be found in JD Winter’s Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology.
  Sedimentary Petrology is the study of sedimentary rocks, including examples and details. You can use Bangar’s book for this section. This book does not cover all of the subtopics; you will have to rely on online resources for those.
• Economic geology is the study of India’s mineral deposits. A list of minerals is included in the syllabus, and you must study all of them. Coal and petroleum distribution are also important. The majority of the questions revolve around industries and the types of minerals they use. Even for GS paper III, topics like national mineral policy, marine mineral resources, and the law of the sea are important. U Prasad’s Economic Geology: Economic Mineral Deposits is a good book to read for this section.

Prepare for the exam using the UPSC IAS mains strategy here.

UPSC Geology Previous Years’ Question Papers

So that candidates are fully prepared for the UPSC Geology Syllabus, here are some previous years papers which will help the candidates get an actual interpretation of the examination and know about the type of questions which they can expect under the IAS Mains Geology section. Candidates must keep on solving the question papers regularly. Solving question papers helps to analyze the time management and the level of the questions.

Check some more UPSC IAS Previous Year’s Question Papers for other subjects here!

Books to Refer for UPSC Geology Syllabus

Some of the best books to study the complete UPSC Geology optional subject are mentioned below:

• Mineral Exploration: Recent Strategies- S. Rajendran
• Delta Sedimentation: East Coast of India- Singh, I.B. & Swamy, A.S.R.
• Geology and Evolution of the Indian Plate by SM Naqvi
• Berkeley University Notes on palaeontology
• General geology by GB Mahapatra
• The Elements of Palaeontology by Rhona M. Black
• Palaeontology by Jain and Anantharaman
• Structural Geology by Marland P. Billings
• Trends in Objective Geology – Aussif Sayeed
• Concise Geology – P.K. Mukherjee

This article had in-depth information about the UPSC Geology Optional Subject, its paper pattern, reference books, and preparation tips. To get your mitts on some more helpful articles, mock-tests, lectures, etc do checkout Testbook App.