CBSE Class 12 · Geography · 2025-26

CBSE Class 12 Geography Syllabus 2025-26

Official chapter-wise syllabus for CBSE Class 12 Geography — unit-wise marks distribution, list of deleted/reduced topics, and the 2025-26 exam paper pattern. Use this page alongside the Class 12 Geography preparation guide for full exam readiness.

2025-26

Academic Year

Theory Marks

Practical Marks

Total Chapters

Unit-Wise Marks Distribution

62 marks (theory)

Part A — Unit 1: Human Geography: Nature and Scope

Human Geography: Nature and Scope

5% of theory marks

Part A — Unit 2: People

The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth

13% of theory marks

Part A — Unit 3: Human Development

Human Development

6% of theory marks

Part A — Unit 4: Human Activities

Primary Activities · Secondary Activities · Tertiary and Quaternary Activities

13% of theory marks

Part A — Unit 5: Transport, Communication and Trade

Transport and Communication · International Trade

11% of theory marks

Part B — Unit 1: People of India

Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition

8% of theory marks

Part B — Unit 2: Human Settlements of India

Human Settlements (India)

5% of theory marks

Part B — Unit 3: Resources and Development

Land Resources and Agriculture · Water Resources · Mineral and Energy Resources · Planning and Sustainable Development in Indian Context

12M

19% of theory marks

Part B — Unit 4: Transport, Communication and International Trade (India)

Transport and Communication (India) · International Trade (India)

11% of theory marks

Part B — Unit 5: Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues

Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues and Problems

8% of theory marks

Chapter-Wise Syllabus

17 chapters

#	Chapter	Marks	Key Topics
1	Human Geography: Nature and Scope	3	Nature of Human Geography · Scope & Approaches · Naturalism vs Possibilism · Neo-Determinism
2	The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth	8	Population Distribution Patterns · Density Measurement · Demographic Transition Model · Population Growth Factors
3	Human Development	4	Concept of Human Development · HDI & HPI · Four Pillars — Equity, Sustainability, Productivity, Empowerment · International Comparisons
4	Primary Activities	4	Gathering, Pastoralism, Mining · Subsistence & Commercial Agriculture · Plantation Farming · Agricultural Regions of World
5	Secondary Activities	4	Manufacturing Types · High-Tech Industries · Industrial Location Factors · Classification of Industries
6	Tertiary and Quaternary Activities	4	Trade, Transport, Tourism · Quaternary Sector — Knowledge Economy · Outsourcing & BPO · Digital Divide
7	Transport and Communication	4	Roadways, Railways, Waterways, Airways · Trans-continental Railways · Oil Pipelines · Satellite Communication & Cyberspace
8	International Trade	4	Basis of International Trade · Balance of Trade · WTO & Regional Trade Blocs · Ports as Trade Gateways
9	People of India — Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition	5	Population Distribution Map · Density Patterns by State · Growth Rate & Phases · Rural-Urban, Linguistic, Religious Composition
10	Human Settlements of India	3	Rural Settlement Patterns & Types · Smart Cities Mission · Evolution of Towns in India · Urban Classification
11	Land Resources and Agriculture	4	Land Use Categories · Cropping Seasons · Food Crops vs Cash Crops (distribution) · Agricultural Development & Problems
12	Water Resources	3	Surface & Ground Water · Water Demand & Utilisation · Water Conservation — Rainwater Harvesting · Water Pollution Issues
13	Mineral and Energy Resources	3	Ferrous & Non-ferrous Minerals · Conventional Energy — Coal, Petroleum · Non-conventional Energy — Solar, Wind, Nuclear · Conservation
14	Planning and Sustainable Development	4	Target Area Planning · Hill Area & Drought Prone Development · Sustainable Development Concept · Case Studies — Bharmaur, Indira Gandhi Canal
15	Transport and Communication (India)	4	Road Transport & National Highways · Railway Network · Inland Waterways & Oceanic Routes · Air Transport & Communication Networks
16	International Trade (India)	3	India's Export-Import Composition · Direction of Trade · Major Seaports & Hinterlands · Role of Airports
17	Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues	5	Environmental Pollution Types · Urban Waste Disposal · Rural-Urban Migration · Problems of Slums · Land Degradation — Case Study

Deleted / Reduced Topics 2025-26

Note: The following topics have been deleted or reduced from the CBSE Class 12 Geography syllabus. Do not spend time studying these for the 2025-26 board exam. Always verify with the official CBSE syllabus document before your exam.

✗

Population Composition

Entire chapter removed from CBSE 2025-26 Class 12 syllabus (was Book 1, Ch 3)

✗

Human Settlements (World)

Entire chapter removed from CBSE 2025-26 Class 12 Book 1 syllabus — only Human Settlements India (Book 2) retained

✗

Migration: Types, Causes and Consequences

Entire chapter removed from CBSE 2025-26 Class 12 Book 2 syllabus

✗

Human Development (India)

Removed from Book 2 (India) syllabus; Human Development chapter now in Book 1 (World) only

✗

Manufacturing Industries

Entire chapter removed from CBSE 2025-26 Class 12 Book 2 syllabus

✗

Geographical Information System (GIS)

GIS and Remote Sensing detailed theory removed from theory paper — covered only in practical

Exam Paper Pattern 2025-26

70 marks total

Section	Question Type	Marks/Q	Count	Total
Section A	MCQ / Assertion-Reason	1	17	17
Section B	Very Short Answer (2 marks)	2	7	14
Section C	Short Answer (3 marks)	3	5	15
Section D	Long Answer (5 marks)	5	4	20
Section E	Map Work (India + World)	2	2	4
Total Theory Marks				70

Practical / Internal Assessment Marks — assessed throughout the year by your school (projects, lab work, notebooks).

How to Use This Syllabus

Prioritise by marks

Use the unit-wise distribution above. Focus first on units with 20+ marks — they give the best return on study time.

Skip deleted topics

CBSE will not ask deleted topics in the board exam. Don't waste time on them — use that time for NCERT exercises instead.

Know the paper pattern

Section E (Case Study) has new-format questions many students ignore. Practise these separately — they're easy marks.

From syllabus to practice

You know the syllabus. Now practise it.

ClearSteps gives you chapter-wise mock tests aligned to the exact CBSE Class 12 Geography syllabus, with AI evaluation against the official marking scheme.

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