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ICSE · Class 10 · Code 502

ICSE Class 10 Geography — Important Questions

Question types and patterns from official CISCE board papers 2023, 2024, and 2025. Every topic below has appeared in at least one recent board examination.

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Part I — Map Work (Compulsory)

Topographical map interpretation and map of India — always compulsory.

Topographical Map — Contours, Grid References, Scale

Every year
  • ·Four-figure and six-figure grid references
  • ·Identify landforms from contour patterns: hill, valley, escarpment, ridge
  • ·Calculate distance using scale; measure area; identify conventional symbols

Map of India — Locate and Name Features

Every year
  • ·Rivers: Ganga, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, Cauveri, Indus tributaries
  • ·Mountains: Himalayas, Aravalli, Vindhyas, Western/Eastern Ghats, K2, Kanchenjunga
  • ·Cities, soils, minerals, passes, water bodies, direction of monsoon winds

Part II — Geography of India (5 questions)

Usually 5–6 questions worth 10–14 marks each. Each covers 2–3 topics from the syllabus.

Monsoon Mechanism and Seasons

Part II every year
  • ·SW Monsoon branches: Arabian Sea (west coast) and Bay of Bengal (NE India, then turns west)
  • ·Retreating Monsoon (Oct–Nov): NE monsoon; rain on Coromandel coast
  • ·Western Disturbances: winter rainfall in Punjab, Haryana; important for wheat crop

Soil Types — Characteristics and Crops

Part II every year
  • ·Alluvial: most fertile, Gangetic plain, paddy/wheat; Black/Regur: water-retaining, cotton; Red: less fertile, millets; Laterite: leached, plantation crops (tea, coffee)

Natural Vegetation — Types and Distribution

Part II every year
  • ·Tropical evergreen: > 200 cm rain; Andaman, NE India, Western Ghats; hardwood: teak, rosewood
  • ·Tropical deciduous: 100–200 cm; most common type in India; loses leaves in summer

Industries — Cotton Textile, Iron & Steel, Sugar

Part II every year
  • ·Cotton textile concentrated in Maharashtra and Gujarat: black soil, humid climate, port access, power
  • ·Iron & Steel: TISCO Jamshedpur (raw materials nearby); Bhilai (Chhattisgarh); Rourkela (Odisha)
  • ·Sugar industry: UP (north, alluvial, Ganga plains) and Maharashtra (Deccan black soil)

Agriculture — Types of Crops and Irrigation

Part II every year
  • ·Kharif (summer/monsoon): paddy, cotton, maize; Rabi (winter): wheat, mustard, pulses
  • ·Importance of irrigation: India depends on monsoon (unpredictable); irrigation ensures year-round cultivation

Transport — Railways, Roadways, Waterways

Part II every year
  • ·Railways: suitable for heavy/bulky goods over long distances; government-owned
  • ·National Highways: connect major cities; maintained by NHAI
  • ·Inland waterways: NW-1 (Ganga), NW-2 (Brahmaputra); cheapest mode but limited

Mineral Resources — Iron, Coal, Petroleum

Part II every year
  • ·Iron ore: Singhbhum (Jharkhand/Odisha belt); major export
  • ·Coal: Jharia (best coking coal, Jharkhand); Raniganj
  • ·Petroleum: Mumbai High (offshore, largest), Digboi (oldest, Assam)

Waste Management

Part II every year
  • ·Biodegradable: paper, food scraps, vegetable peels — can be composted
  • ·Non-biodegradable: plastic, glass, styrofoam, DDT — require special disposal
  • ·Methods: segregation at source, sanitary landfill (non-biodegradable), composting (biodegradable)

Source: All patterns derived from official CISCE ICSE Class 10 board examination papers (2023, 2024, 2025) downloaded from cisce.org. For the actual question papers, view the Geography Previous Year Papers.