ICSE Class 10 Syllabus 2027 Geography

ICSE YEAR 2027

INDIAN CERTIFICATE OF
SECONDARY EDUCATION
EXAMINATION

H.C.G (50)
GEOGRAPHY

February 2025
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Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations is committed to serving the nation's
children, through high quality educational
endeavours, empowering them to contribute towards
a humane, just and pluralistic society, promoting
introspective living, by creating exciting learning
opportunities, with a commitment to excellence.

ETHOS OF CISCE

Trust and fair play.
Minimum monitoring.
Allowing schools to evolve their own niche.
Catering to the needs of the children.
Giving freedom to experiment with new ideas
and practices.
Diversity and plurality - the basic strength for
evolution of ideas.
Schools to motivate pupils towards the
cultivation of:
Excellence - The Indian and Global
experience.
Values - Spiritual and cultural - to be the bedrock
of the educational experience.
Schools to have an 'Indian Ethos', strong roots in
the national psyche and be sensitive to national
aspirations.

CLASS X
There will be one paper of two hours duration 2. Map of India
carrying 80 marks and Internal Assessment of
On an outline map of India, candidates will be
20 marks.
required to locate, mark and name the
Candidates will be expected to make the fullest use of following:
sketches, diagrams, graphs and charts in their
answers. (6 map features for marking and 4 features for
Questions set may require answers involving the identification)
interpretation of photographs of geographical Mountains, Peaks and Plateaus (To be
interest. marked): Himalayas, Karakoram, Aravali,
PART – I Vindhyas, Satpura, Western and Eastern
Ghats, Nilgiris, Khasi, Mount Godwin Austin
MAP WORK
(K2), Mount Kanchenjunga. Deccan Plateau,
1. Interpretation of Topographical Maps Chota Nagpur Plateau.
(a) Locating features with the help of a four figure Plains (To be marked): Gangetic Plains and
or a six-figure grid reference. Coastal plains – (Konkan, Malabar,
(b) Definition of contour and contour interval. Coromandel, Northern Circars).
Identification of landforms marked by
Desert (To be marked): Thar (The Great
contours (steep slope, gentle slope, hill, ridge,
escarpment), triangulated height, spot height, Indian Desert)
relative height/ depth. Rivers (To be identified): Indus, Ravi, Beas,
(c) Interpretation of colour tints and conventional Chenab, Jhelum, Satluj, Ganga, Yamuna,
symbols used on a topographical survey of Ghaghra, Gomti, Gandak, Kosi, Chambal,
India map. Betwa, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Tapti,
(d) Identification and definition of types of scale Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauveri.
given on the map (Statement scale, Water Bodies (To be marked): Gulf of Kutch,
Representative Fraction and Linear Scale).
Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Mannar, Palk
Measuring distances (direct distance only) Strait, Andaman Sea, Wular Lake.
and calculating area (full grid square) using
the scale given therein. Passes (To be marked): Karakoram.
(e) Marking directions between different Latitude and Longitudes (To be identified):
locations, using eight cardinal points. Tropic of Cancer, Standard Meridian (82°
(f) Identify: Site of prominent villages 30’E).
/towns/settlements, services available types of Direction of Winds (To be marked):
land use / land cover and means of transport
Southwest Monsoons (Arabian Sea and Bay of
(metalled, unmetalled, cart track, pack track,
footpath) and communication with the help of Bengal Branches), North East Monsoons and
the index given at the bottom of the sheet. Western Disturbances.
(g) Identification of drainage (direction of flow Distribution of Minerals (To be identified):
and pattern - dendritic, trellised and radial) Oil - Mumbai High (Offshore Oil Field)
and settlement patterns (clustered and and Digboi. Iron – Singhbhum, Coal – Jharia.
dispersed).
Soil Distribution (To be marked): Alluvial,
(h) Identification of natural and man-made Black and Red Soil.
features.

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Cities (To be identified): Delhi, Mumbai, 7. Mineral and Energy Resources
Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, • Iron ore, Manganese, Copper, Bauxite – uses
Kochi, Allahabad. and their distribution. (two leading states and
Population (To be marked): Distribution of their prominent mining areas)
Population (Dense and sparse). • Conventional Sources: Coal, Petroleum,
Natural gas (distribution, advantages and
PART - II disadvantages).
GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA • Hydel power - Bhakra Nangal Dam and
Hirakud Projects and their benefits.
3. Climate • Non-conventional Sources: Solar, wind, tidal,
geo-thermal, nuclear and bio-gas (important
Distribution of Temperature, Rainfall, winds in
areas and advantages and disadvantages).
Summer and Winter and factors affecting the
climate of India (latitudes, altitude, distance from 8. Agriculture
sea, winds, Himalayas, jet streams, and El Nino).
Monsoon and its mechanism. Seasons: Summer; • Indian Agriculture – importance, problems
Monsoon, Retreating Monsoon and Winter. and benefits; Green Revolution-meaning and
impact of first green revolution.
Temperature and pressure conditions, wind
movements, local winds, precipitation and • Types of farming in India: subsistence and
interpretation of climate data. commercial: intensive, extensive, plantation
and mixed.
4. Soil Resources • Agricultural seasons (rabi, kharif, zayad).
• Climatic conditions, soil requirements,
• Types of soil (alluvial, black, red and laterite), methods of cultivation, and distribution
mode of formation, distribution, composition (major producing states) of the following
and characteristics such as colour, texture, crops:
minerals and crops associated. - rice, wheat, millets and pulses.
• Soil Erosion – meaning, agents and causes. - sugarcane, oilseeds (groundnut, mustard
• Soil Conservation – importance and methods and soya bean).
- cotton, jute and tea
5. Natural Vegetation
9. Manufacturing Industries
• Importance of forests.
Importance and classification (large scale, small
• Types of vegetation; distribution and scale, mineral-based, agro-based, public and
correlation with their environment (tropical private sector)
evergreen, tropical deciduous, tropical
desert, littoral and mountain). • Agro based Industry - Sugar, Textile (Cotton
and Silk).
• Forest conservation – afforestation,
reforestation, social forestry, agroforestry • Mineral based Industry – integrated Iron &
Steel plants (Tata Steel, Rourkela,
and Van Mahotsav
Vishakhapatnam) Petro Chemical and
Electronics (some key centres) relevance in
6. Water Resources the modern world.
• Sources (Surface water and ground water).
10. Transport
• Need for conservation
Importance and Modes
• Rain water harvesting and its importance.
• Roadways - Factors affecting its development,
• Irrigation: Importance and methods – wells, advantages and disadvantages. Expressways,
tube well, tanks, canal, drip and sprinkler national highways, NSEW Corridor and
irrigation.

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Golden Quadrilateral [meaning and 4. Transport in India:
importance)
Development of Road, Rail, Water and Air
• Railways - Factors affecting its development, routes.
advantages and disadvantages.
• Airways - Advantages and disadvantages. 5. List different type of industries in the States and
• Waterways - Inland and coastal, advantages collect information about the types of raw
and disadvantages. materials used, modes of their procurement and
disposal of wastes generated. Classify these
11. Waste Management
industries as polluting or environment friendly
• Impact of waste accumulation - spoilage of and suggest possible ways of reducing pollution
landscape, pollution, health hazards. caused by these units.
• Need for waste management. 6. Need for industrialization in India, the latest trends
• Understanding key terms – global warming, and its impact on economy of India.
acid rain, eutrophication, biomagnification and
7. Visit a water treatment plant, sewage treatment
thermal pollution (in brief).
plant or garbage dumping or vermicomposting
• Methods of safe disposal - segregation, dumping sites in the locality and study their working.
and composting.
• Need and methods for reducing, reusing and EVALUATION
recycling waste. The assignments/project work is to be evaluated by the
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT subject teacher and by an External Examiner. (The
External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the
PRACTICAL / PROJECT WORK Head of the school, who could be from the faculty, but
Candidates will be required to prepare a project report not teaching the subject in the section/class. For
on any one topic. The topics for assignments may be example, a teacher of Geography of Class VIII may be
selected from the list of suggested assignments given deputed to be an External Examiner for Class X,
below. Candidates can also take up an assignment of Geography projects.)
their choice under any of the broad areas given below.
The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will
Suggested list of assignments: assess the assignments independently.
1. Local Geography: Award of Marks (20 Marks)
(a) Land use pattern in different regions of India– Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) 10 marks
a comparative analysis.
External Examiner 10 marks
(b) The survey of a local market on the types of
The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to
shops and services offered.
CISCE by the Head of the school.
2. Environment:
The Head of the school will be responsible for the
Wildlife conservation efforts in India. online entry of marks on CISCE’s CAREERS portal
3. Current Geographical Issues: by the due date.

Development of tourism in India.

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INTERNAL ASSESSMENT IN GEOGRAPHY - GUIDELINES FOR MARKING WITH GRADES
Criteria Preparation Procedure/ Observation Inference/Results Presentation
Testing
Grade I Gives complete States the Studies text and States theoretical information in a coherent Neatly and correctly
(4 marks) theoretical objectives and source material and and concise manner using geographical stated statement of
information defines the makes a list. terminology. Uses a variety of techniques. intent and conclusion
using relevant aspects to be Shows resourcefulness. Supports matches with
geographical studied. investigation with relevant evidence. objectives.
terms
Grade II Provides States objectives Makes a limited list Uses sound methodology-using methods Limited use of
(3 marks) adequate but not the of source material suggested. Makes a valid statement about the reference material
information limitations of the only from secondary data collected. Attempts to develop and a presentation,
using appropriate study. sources. explanations using available information. which is routine.
terms.
Grade III States objectives Only lists the References are Uses methodology in which selective Simple and neat with
(2 marks) using some aspects to be minimal. techniques are applied correctly. Makes correct placement of
geographical studied. descriptive statement. Analysis is limited. references,
terms but mostly Relates and describes systematically the data acknowledgements,
in descriptive collected. Tries to relate conclusion to contents, maps and
terms. original aim. diagrams.
Grade IV States intent Shows evidence Uses methodology Makes few relevant statements. Does analyse Neat but lacking in
(1 mark) without using of what to look with some techniques data that is not presented or tends to copy correct placement of
relevant for and how to but is unable to analysis available from other sources. Makes table of contents,
geographical record the same. systematically record superficial conclusions. Link between the maps, diagrams and
terms but data and collect original aim and conclusion is not clear. pictures.
explaining them information.
correctly.
Grade V Does not make Has not collected Does not use any Does not analyse data. Does not use the Presents the report
(0 marks) any use of any relevant data logical technique and suggested methods. without reference.
geographical and has not does not follow the Makes conclusions but does not relate them to
terms. presented sources methodology the original aim.
correctly. suggested.

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