About Geography Optional
Geography is the scientific study of Earth’s lands, features, inhabitants, and natural phenomena. It is a comprehensive discipline aimed at gaining insight into the complexities of our planet and its human and natural aspects. This study delves not only into the locations of objects but also into their evolution and origins. While geography primarily pertains to Earth and its lands, many concepts can be extended to the broader realm of planetary science.
An example of such a concept is the “first law of geography” as formulated by Waldo Tobler, which states, “Everything is related to everything else, but proximity enhances these relationships.”
Geography is often referred to as “the universal discipline” and is seen as a bridge connecting the realms of the human and physical sciences. Therefore, geography is a valuable subject for those preparing for the UPSC examination, especially as an optional subject.
For UPSC aspirants selecting Geography as their optional subject, this article provides valuable insights into the best Geography optional IAS coaching in Delhi. Over the years, an increasing number of students have chosen Geography as their optional subject, and in Delhi, Edukemy by Shabbir Sir is the best-known coaching institute that has helped numerous students get ranks in the final list with Geography Optional.
Why choose Geography Optional?
Before choosing an optional, an aspirant has many doubts.
Is it a high-scoring optional?
How many toppers has it produced?
Does it help students with the GS Preparation?
How much time does it take to complete the optional?
What is the best coaching to go for the Optional?
While all the above questions are valid to a certain extent, the majority of the toppers will recommend you to go with something that adds more VALUE to your preparation. Value, in this case, is definitely the amount of marks it can help you score!
If you look at the overall of Geography as an optional with GS, you will realize that the scope of the subject is not limited to only the 500 marks in Optional Papers, rather it also helps in huge regards when it comes to GS.
Usefulness in Prelims!
Look at the Analysis of Geography in GS Paper 1 of Prelims over the last few years:
| Subject | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Polity | 16 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 22 |
| Economy | 15 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 16 |
| Geography | 17 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 9 |
| Environment | 11 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 15 |
| Science & Tech | 8 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 9 |
| History | 20 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 22 | 14 |
| Current Affairs | 4 | 11 | 27 | 18 | 22 | 14 | 15 |
- In 2023, there were around 28 questions that could be solved if you were a Geography Optional Student!
- In 2022, there were 29 questions that could be solved if you were a Geography Optional Student!
- The rest of the years also follow more or less the same pattern!
The point we are trying to make here is, if you had GEOGRAPHY as an Optional, then if studied well, you can surely crack the Prelims exam by a margin!
Usefulness for Mains!
Look at the Papers of GS Mains:
1. GS 1 – Includes Geography and Indian Society
2. GS 2 – Includes International Relations
3. GS 3 – Includes Environment, Disaster Management
See the syllabus of Geography Optional:
International Relations
Society:
Environment:
Disaster Management:
- Geography generally covers 110 marks of GS Papers
- International Relations – Another 40 marks
- Environment – 40 Marks questions in UPSC Mains each year!
- Disaster Management – At least 30 Marks questions in UPSC Mains each year
So, of a total of 1000 marks between GS 1-4, it helps with ~220 marks – i.e around 25% of the total marks!
So, while there might be seniors who keep talking about how Geography Optional has “tough competition” or “it is not a scoring optional”, the fact is the numbers speak for themselves.
While you might just be getting 280-300 marks in Geography Optional, you can at least cover 25% of the Prelims and Mains Syllabus – giving you a high chance of clearing the exam and being a part of the final coveted list!
Geography Optional Best Coaching
Now the major question comes is if Geography Optional is such a helpful subject – where is it exactly that we should start preparing for the same?
Here is where Shabbir Sir comes in!
We have identified a few problems that students make while preparing for their optional!
- Lack of Synopsis Skills
- Lack of Memorization Skills
- Lack of Answer Writing Skills
To address this problem, we designed a curriculum that will let the students know exactly WHAT they have to work on.
So – let us explain to you the curriculum of our Geography Optional Integrated Course!
Beginning with:
- We orient you about the curriculum and the optional itself. This gives you an idea about what is to follow.
- Starting with the Foundational Learning – the fact that foundations are important cannot be ignored. With Geography Optional, we start with Mapping LIVE Sessions, which will bring you into the process of learning.
- Similarly, as a part of the initiation, we will teach you certain key concepts before we start with the Main Course.
- Post the Completion of the Mapping Sessions, we start with the MAIN SUBJECT!
Lack of Synopsis Skills
What is Synopsis Important?
A synopsis is a crux of the CLASS NOTES or a TOPIC!
A SYNOPSIS is our unique emphasis of the Pedagogy, which the student has to create on a daily basis, to ensure that whatever topics have been covered in the class, ger summarized into a 1 page flow chart!
Imagine having 10 pages of notes for each class, and after 150 classes, you are left with a 1500-page Bible!
Not something that you can revise in the last days before the Optional paper, can you?
Imagine you have a summary of 150 pages, which you can revise MULTIPLE TIMES before your Main Exams!
Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?
This is where the synopsis-making part helps!
Making a Synopsis of all the Foundation Course Content makes you a pro with not only additional confidence as compared to other aspirants who don’t even know the concept of synopsis – it also helps you with revising the most critical concepts within a day!
Who wouldn’t want that?
This is the most initial class that we had – and one of our students made this synopsis.
Lack of Memorization Skills
Creation and Memorization of the Synopsis is the initial step.
What about writing answers then? After all, being able to write answers is how you will be able to get the rank, right?
With Answer Writing, the foundational principle cannot be restricted to Notes or Synopsis!
You have to ensure that you know, or at least remember, questions and answers to topics that are very direct in nature. We call it the L1 Level Questions.
Look at this question –
The Indian Pharma Industry has to move from volume’ to ‘value leadership to capture the global market. Discuss.
This is the question that came in the UPSC CSE Geography Optional Mains PAPER 2 2023.
To answer this question, you need to know:
- About the Indian Pharma Industry
- What is the potential of the Indian Pharma Industry
- What does it mean by “volume leadership?”
- What does it mean by “value leadership?”
- How do we move from Volume to Value Leadership? What are the pointers that need to be written?
To be able to answer such questions (which we call L3 level questions), we should be able to know the first part – About the Indian Pharma Industry – the Ins and Outs of it.
Now see this question:
Discuss about Indian Pharma Industry.
If we have done our Foundation, we should also be able to write the above question, which is an L1 Level Question.
As a part of the Foundation Course Curriculum, we offer L1 level questions which have to be memorized so that, you have enough content to write answers on before you move to the Answer Writing Part.
Lack of Answer Writing Skills
To be able to handle the Geography Optional Answer Writing part, you need to:
- Have some enriched content as an add-on to what you have read in the Foundation Classes
- Work on Practicing Tests and Complete the Syllabus – Module by Module.
- Write the test – first sectional, and eventually move to the Full-Length Tests.
As a part of the Geography Enrichment, we offer:
- 20 Live Sessions taken by Shabbir Sir
- Each session will have discussions in Question-Answer format
- For each module, we have Practice Tests – for which we give the L2 & L3 level questions before the test so that you can MEMORIZE and WRITE THESE TESTS.
- Finally, we write the Sectional Tests based on our knowledge of:
- Synopsis created during Foundation Classes
- L1 Questions given in Foundation
- Daily Question and Answers discussed in the Enrichment Class
- Practice Tests which given in the Enrichment Classes
Imagine putting such an effort for a curriculum, which if followed diligently, can guarantee your preparation at the level of the cream who go on to ACTUALLY CLEAR THE EXAM with flying colors!
How to join the Geography Optional Best Coaching by Edukemy?
Go to the Course: https://edukemy.com/upsc/upsc-cse-geography-optional-integrated-course-test-series-2024-october-batch-online
Download the Brochure for all the Details:
Fill in your Details:
Go through the Course Schedule
And we will give you a call!
In case of any queries, contact the following number – 8792740517
Come and join the group of Toppers who nailed with Geography Optional completing the Coaching with Edukemy & Shabbir Sir!
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