S.R.T.

Marathwada University, Nanded

Syllabus for Ph.D.Entrance Test
SUBJECT : GEOGRAPHY
Section-B

Unit-I Geomorphology
I) Definition, Nature and scope of physical geography
II) Interior of the earth
III) Wegner’s theory of continental Drift
IV) Rocks : Types, origin and composition
V) Geomorphic Processes
VI) Weathering
VII) Endogenetic processes
a) Slow processes – Epeirogenic and Organic
b) Sudden processes-Earthquake and Volcano
VIII) Agents of geomorphic processes and resulting landforms :
i) River ii) Glaciet iii) Wind iv) Underground water and v) Sea waves
IX) Geomorphic hazards and their management :
a) Earthquake b) Volcano c) Tsunami and d) Land slide
Unit-II Climatology :
I) Definition, nature and scope of Climatology
II) Composition and structure of the atmosphere
III) Atmospheric temperature-Insolation, vertical and horizontal
distribution of temperature.
IV) Atmospheric pressure-Vertical and horizontal distribution of
pressure.
V) Types of winds – Planetary, periodic and local winds.
VI) Humidity, evaporation and condensation.
VII) Forms of condensation and types of precipitation.
VIII) Air masses classification and properties.
IX) Major climates of the world
1) Tropical 2) Temperate and 3) desert

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Unit-III Oceanography
i) Oceanography and its field
ii) Oceanography as a branch of physical Geography
iii) Definition, nature and scope of Oceanography
iv) Nature of Ocean floor-Continental Shelf, Continental Slope, Abyassal
Plain, Trenches, Expansion of Ocean Floor.
v) Bottom topography of Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean.
vi) Physical and Chemical properties of sea water, Head Budget of
Ocean.
vii) Distribution of temperature and salinity of oceans and Seas.
viii) Circulation of oceanic waters-waves, tides and currents.
ix) Currents of Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
x) Marine Deposits and resources :
a) Classification of Marine deposits, coral reefs, Coral bleaching.
b) Marine resources-Biological, mineral and energy resources.
xi) Marine Environment – Estuaries, deltas, continental shelf and
continental slope and impact of human on marine environment.

Unit-IV Biogeography
i) Definition, nature, scope and significance of Biogeography.
ii) The nature of biosphere, elements of biosphere and cycles of
biosphere-energy, water and chemical cycles.
iii) Concept, function and types of Ecosystem.
iv) Influence of Physical environment on plants and Animals.
v) Classification and distribution of plants and animals.
vi) Animal dispersal and migration theories.
vii) Biodiversity – Concept, importance, depletion, conservation

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Unit-V Human Geography :
I) Definition, nature and scope of Human Geography. Branches of
Human Geography.
II) Concepts of man and environment relationship
a) Environmentalism / Determinism
b) Possibilism
c) Stop and go determinism
III) Economic Activities :
a) Primary activities
b) Secondary activities
c) Tertiary activities
d) Quaternary activities
IV) Human adaptation to environment
a) Cold region-Eskimo
b) Hot region – Bushman
c) Plateau region – Gonds
d) Hilly and Mountainous region-Naga, Toda and Bhill
V) Population - a) Physical, economic and social factors influencing
spatial distribution of population.
b) Distribution of population in the world and India.
VI) Human settlements :
a) Definitions of rural and urban settlements
b) Functions of rural and urban settlements
c) Types and patterns of rural settlements

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Unit-VI Geography of India :
I) India in the context of southeast & South Asia. India a land of
diversities; unity with diversity. Physical regions of India.
II) Drainage systems of India.
III) Climate of India – The monsoon, western disturbance, norwesters.
Climatic regions of India.
IV) Soil types of India-Their distribution and characteristics.
V) Forests types and distribution.
VI) Minerals and power resources – The status of their use and need of
conservation.
VII) Population – a) Factors affecting on the distribution of population b)
Distribution of population c) socio-economic implication of
population explosion.
VIII) Agricultural growth during the plan period and green revolution in
India.
IX) Industrial development and industrial regions of India.
X) Contemporary issues : regional disparity in social and economic
development, poverty, population explosion, globalization, social &
ethinic tension, gender discrimination and empowerment of women.
Unit VII Resource and Environment :
I) Resources :-
a) Meaning, nature and components
b) Classifications of resources
i) Renewable and non renewable
ii) Biotic and a biotic
II) Environment :
a) Meaning, nature and components
b) Ecosystem-meaning, types and functions.
c) Cycle of environment compound-Carbon, Nitrogen and Oxygen.
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 III) Distribution and utilization of following resources with their
economic and environmental significance and conservation.
a) Water resources
b) Mineral resources-Iron ore and Bauxite.
c) Energy resources- Coal Mineral oil and Atomic
d) Forest resources
e) Soil resources
IV) Man-environment interrelations with respect to population size,
types of economy and technology.
V) Environmental hazards : a) Natural hazards-Earthquake, Volcanco,
Landslide, Flood, Drought & Famine b) Manmade hazards
VI) Population – a) Air, water & sound pollution-their causes, effects and
remedies.
VII) Emerging environmental issues- food security, deforestation, global
warming, conservation of bio-diversity, sustainable development

Unit-VIII Development of Geographical Thought :

I) Brief history of geographical thought – Greek, Roman, Arab, Indian.
II) Contribution of modern Geographers.
a) British – Halford John Mackinder, Sir Dudley Stamp
b) German – Alexander von Humbolt, Carl Ritter
c) French – Vidal-de-la-Blache, Jean Brunches
d) American-W.M. Davis, Richard Hartshorne
III) Major concepts in Geography :
a) Concept of region.
b) Concept of spatial organization
IV) Approaches in Geography :
a) Systematic approach
b) Regional approach
c) System approach
d) Quantitative approach
e) Behavioural approach
f) Radical approach
V) Models in Geography : Significance, need, features and general
classification of models.

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Unit-I GEOMORPHOLOGY
I) Definition, nature and scope geomorphology.
II) Fundamental concepts in geomorphology.
III) Interior of the earth
IV) Indogenic processes
V) Wegner’s continental drift theory
VI) Plate tectonics
VII) Exogenic process.
VIII) Application of geomorphology in human activities

Unit-II CLIMATOLOGY
I) Nature and scope of climatology.
II) Composition and structure of the atmosphere.
III) Insulation
IV) Temperature – vertical and horizontal distribution
V) Atmospheric pressure-Vertical and horizontal distribution and
pressure belts.
VI) Winds – Planetary, periodic and local winds
VII) Atmospheric moisture : Humidity, evaporation, condensation and
precipitation.
VIII) Air mass, classification, fronts and front genesis
IX) Cyclones – Temperature and tropical
X) Application of climatology in human activities

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Unit-III ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
I) Definition, nature and scope of economic geography.
II) Sectors of economy-primary. Secondary and tertiary.
III) Location of economic activities : Physical, social, economic and
cultural factors affecting on location of economic activities.
IV) Von Thunen’s model and its modification
V) Rostove’s stages of economic development.
VI) Classification of industries : Resource based and footloose industries.
VII) Theories of industrial location- Weber, Losch case studies of selected
industries in India i) Iron and steel ii) Cotton and iii) Chemical
VIII) Transportation – Modes of transportation
IX) Globalization and Indian economy and its impact on environment.

Unit-IV URBAN GEOGRAPHY

I) Definition, nature and scope of Urban Geography
II) Process of urbanization – form early periods to modern and 20th
century trends of urbanization.
III) Concepts of urbanization city region, rural-urban fringe, urban
sprawl, ribbon corridor, megalopolis, conurbation, prismatic city and
CBD.
IV) Rank size rule
V) Concept of Hinterland and Umland
VI) Theories in Urban Geography
i) Central place theory of Christaller
ii) Theory of peroux
iii) Concentric zone model by E.W. Burgess
iv) Sector model by Homer Hoyte
v) Multiple nuclei model by Harris and Ullman.
VII) Morphological characteristics of Indian cities.
VIII) Contemporary urban issues of Indian urban centers-slums, urban
renewal, urban crime, urban infrastructure, urban poverty, housing
and environmental pollution.

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Unit-V Political Geography
i) Definition, nature and scope of political Geography
ii) Recent development of Political Geography.
iii) Geographic Elements and the state.
iv) Frontiers and boundaries, core area
v) Capital – classification and functions.
vi) Geopolitical significance of the Indian Ocean.
vii) Global strategic views – Mackinder, Spykman, de seversky, A.T.
Mahan
viii) Centripetal and centrifugal forces.
Unit-VI Geography of Regional Planning
i) Concept of region and regionalism, types of region in the context of
planning.
ii) Meaning, aim and objectives of regional planning.
iii) Types of planning
iv) Concept of growth and development.
v) Regional Imbalances in India.
vi) Rastow’s model and myrdul’s concept of economic growth.
vii) Theoritical framework for regional planning – central place theory,
growth pole, growth foci approach.
viii) Regional planning in India – Metropolitan, Ruhal development, Tribal
and development planning.
Unit-VII Agricultural Geography
i) Definition, nature and scope of Agricultural Geography.
ii) Origin and evolution of Agricultural Geography.
iii) Determinants of agricultural landuse – Physical, Economic, social and
technological.
iv) Meaning, need, objectives and approaches of landuse study, land
capability and suitability.
v) Concept and methods of agricultural regionalization.
vi) Von-Thunen’s Theory and Whittlesey’s classification of agricultural
region.

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 vii) Major issues in Indian Agriculture- Green revolution, white
revolution, drought and food security.

Unit-VIII Research Methodology in Geography

i) Nature and types of Geographical Research.
ii) Approaches of Geographical research and research problem.
iii) Types of data and data collection.
iv) Processing and analysis of data.
v) Role of computers in Geographical research.

Unit-IX History of Geographical Thought

i) Geography as a social science and natural science.
ii) Concept in the philosophy of Geography- distributions relationships.
iii) Dualism in Geography.
iv) Types of explanation – Inductive / Deductive
v) Characterizing of theory, model and Law.
vi) Geography in the 20th Century.

Unit-X Practical
i) Importance of statistics in Geography
ii) Geographical Information system.
iii) Indian Toposheet – History, type, importance.
iv) Meaning and application of Remote sensing.
v) Importance of cartography
vi) Methods of survey and their types.
vii) Importance of weather instruments with structure and features.

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