ICSE Class 10 Geography Syllabus 2026-27: Download Syllabus PDF Here

Topic

Syllabus details

1. Interpretation of Topographical Maps

Locating features using four-figure and six-figure grid references.

Contours and heights

Definition of contour and contour interval; identifying steep and gentle slopes, hills, ridges and escarpments; triangulated height, spot height, relative height and depth.

Colours and symbols

Interpretation of colour tints and conventional symbols used on topographical survey maps of India.

Scales and measurement

Statement scale, Representative Fraction (RF) and Linear Scale; measuring direct distances and calculating areas using full grid squares.

Directions

Marking directions between locations using eight cardinal points.

Settlements and transport

Identifying villages, towns, settlements, services, land use, land cover, transport and communication using the map index.

Drainage and settlement patterns

Identifying the direction of river flow, dendritic, trellised and radial drainage patterns, and clustered and dispersed settlements.

Natural and man-made features

Identification of natural and man-made features on topographical maps.

2. Map of India

Locating, marking and naming prescribed geographical features on an outline map of India. The syllabus specifies six features for marking and four for identification.

Mountains, peaks and plateaus

Himalayas, Karakoram, Aravali, Vindhyas, Satpura, Western and Eastern Ghats, Nilgiris, Khasi, Mount Godwin Austin (K2), Mount Kanchenjunga, Deccan Plateau and Chota Nagpur Plateau.

Plains and desert

Gangetic Plains; Konkan, Malabar, Coromandel and Northern Circars coastal plains; Thar Desert.

Rivers

Indus, Ravi, Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, Satluj, Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gomti, Gandak, Kosi, Chambal, Betwa, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Tapti, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauveri.

Water bodies

Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Mannar, Palk Strait, Andaman Sea and Wular Lake.

Passes

Karakoram Pass.

Latitude and longitude

Tropic of Cancer and Standard Meridian (82°30′ E).

Direction of winds

Southwest Monsoons (Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal branches), Northeast Monsoons and Western Disturbances.

Distribution of minerals

Mumbai High (offshore oil field), Digboi, Singhbhum and Jharia.

Soil distribution

Alluvial, black and red soil.

Cities

Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi and Allahabad.

Population

Distribution of population: dense and sparse.

Chapter

Topics covered

3. Climate

Distribution of temperature, rainfall and winds in summer and winter; factors affecting India's climate, including latitude, altitude, distance from the sea, winds, Himalayas, jet streams and El Niño; monsoon mechanism; seasons—summer, monsoon, retreating monsoon and winter; temperature and pressure conditions, local winds, precipitation and interpretation of climate data.

4. Soil Resources

Types of soil— alluvial, black, red and laterite; formation, distribution, composition and characteristics, including colour, texture, minerals and associated crops; soil erosion, its agents and causes; soil conservation and its methods.

5. Natural Vegetation

Importance of forests; types and distribution of vegetation and their environmental relationship—tropical evergreen, tropical deciduous, tropical desert, littoral and mountain; forest conservation through afforestation, reforestation, social forestry, agroforestry and Van Mahotsav.

6. Water Resources

Surface water and groundwater; need for water conservation; rainwater harvesting and its importance; irrigation methods, including wells, tube wells, tanks, canals, drip and sprinkler irrigation.

7. Mineral and Energy Resources

Uses and distribution of iron ore, manganese, copper and bauxite, including two leading states and prominent mining areas; conventional energy sources—coal, petroleum and natural gas, their distribution, advantages and disadvantages; hydel power, including Bhakra Nangal Dam and Hirakud projects; non-conventional sources—solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, nuclear and biogas, including important areas, advantages and disadvantages.

8. Agriculture

Importance, problems and benefits of Indian agriculture; Green Revolution and the impact of the first Green Revolution; subsistence and commercial farming, including intensive, extensive, plantation and mixed farming; agricultural seasons—rabi, kharif and zayad; climatic and soil requirements, cultivation methods and distribution of rice, wheat, millets, pulses, sugarcane, oilseeds (groundnut, mustard and soybean), cotton, jute and tea.

9. Manufacturing Industries

Importance and classification of industries—large-scale, small-scale, mineral-based, agro-based, public and private sector; sugar, cotton textile and silk industries; integrated iron and steel plants—Tata Steel, Rourkela and Visakhapatnam; petrochemical and electronics industries, including key centres and their relevance in the modern world.

10. Transport

Importance and modes of transport; roadways, factors affecting their development, advantages and disadvantages; expressways, national highways, North-South and East-West Corridor and Golden Quadrilateral; railways, factors affecting development, advantages and disadvantages; airways and waterways, including inland and coastal waterways, with their advantages and disadvantages.

11. Waste Management

Effects of waste accumulation, including landscape damage, pollution and health hazards; need for waste management; key terms—global warming, acid rain, eutrophication, biomagnification and thermal pollution; safe disposal through segregation, dumping and composting; reducing, reusing and recycling waste.

Project area

Suggested assignments

1. Local Geography

(a) Land-use patterns in different regions of India through comparative analysis. (b) Survey of a local market covering the types of shops and services offered.

2. Environment

Wildlife conservation efforts in India.

3. Current Geographical Issues

Development of tourism in India.

4. Transport in India

Development of road, rail, water and air routes.

5. Industries

List different types of industries in states; collect information on raw materials, their procurement and waste disposal; classify industries as polluting or environment-friendly and suggest ways to reduce pollution.

6. Industrialisation

Need for industrialisation in India, latest trends and its impact on the Indian economy.

7. Field Visit

Visit a water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, garbage-dumping site or vermicomposting site in the locality and study its working.

Evaluation component

Marks

Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner)

10

External Examiner

10

Total

20