General Studies I · Subtopic
Primary-sector location factors
Official syllabus
Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub- continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
UPSC CSE 2026 notification
What this covers
Primary activities obtain products directly from land, water or living systems. Their location is closely tied to resource endowment but is not determined by nature alone. Study climate, soil, relief, water, geology, biological productivity and seasonality together with tenure, labour, capital, technology, transport, storage, market access, policy and risk. Compare agriculture, pastoralism, forestry, fishing, mining and quarrying through a common location-factor framework.
Key ideas
- Resource-bound and mobile activities
- Climate soil relief and water
- Geology deposit quality and scale
- Biological productivity and seasonality
- Land tenure labour capital and technology
- Transport storage and market access
- Policy rights and infrastructure
- Risk sustainability and value chains