(a) Explain how ethics contributes to social and human well-being. (b) Why should impartiality and non-partisanship be considered as foundational values in public services, especially in the present day socio-political context? Illustrate your answer with examples.

(a) What do you understand by the terms 'governance', 'good governance' and 'ethical governance'? (b) Discuss Mahatma Gandhi's concept of seven sins.

(a) Analyse John Rawls's concept of social justice in the Indian context. (b) Discuss the Public Services Code as recommended by the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission.

(a) "Corruption causes misuse of government treasury, administrative inefficiency and obstruction in the path of national development." Discuss Kautilya's views. (b) How could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?

(a) Law and ethics are considered to be the two tools for controlling human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence. Discuss how they achieve this objective. (b) Giving examples, show how the two differ in their approaches.

Examine the relevance of the following in the context of civil service:

Young people with ethical conduct are not willing to come forward to join active politics. Suggest steps to motivate them to come forward.

(a) One of the tests of integrity is complete refusal to be compromised. Explain with reference to a real life example. (b) Corporate social responsibility makes companies more profitable and sustainable. Analyse.

You are aspiring to become an IAS officer and you have cleared various stages and now you have been selected for the personal interview. On the day of the interview, on the way to the venue you saw an accident where a mother and child who happen to be your relatives were badly injured. They needed immediate help. What would you have done in such a situation? Justify your action.

You are the head of the Human Resources department of an organisation. One day one of the workers died on duty. His family was demanding compensation. However, the company denied compensation because it was revealed in investigation that he was drunk at the time of the accident. The workers of the company went on to strike demanding compensation for the family of the deceased. The Chairman of the management board has asked for your recommendation. What recommendation would you provide to the management? Discuss the merits and demerits of each of the recommendations.

You are the manager of a spare parts company A and you have to negotiate a deal with the manager of a large manufacturing company B. The deal is highly competitive and sealing the deal is critical for your company. The deal is being worked out over a dinner. After dinner the manager of manufacturing company B offered to drop you to the hotel in his car. On the way to the hotel he happens to hit a motorcycle injuring the motorcyclist badly. You know the manager was driving fast and thus lost control. The law enforcement officer comes to investigate the issue and you are the sole eyewitness to it. Knowing the strict laws pertaining to road accidents you are aware that your honest account of the incident would lead to the prosecution of the manager and as a consequence the deal is likely to be jeopardized, which is of immense importance to your company. What are the dilemmas you face? What will be your response to the situation?

A building permitted for three floors, while being extended illegally to 6 floors by a builder, collapses. As a consequence, a number of innocent labourers including women and children died. These labourers are migrants of different places. The government immediately announced cash relief to the aggrieved families and arrested the builder. Give reasons for such incidents taking place across the country. Suggest measures to prevent their occurrence.

You are a Public Information Officer (PIO) in a government department. You are aware that the RTI Act, 2005 envisages transparency and accountability in administration. The act has functioned as a check on the supposedly arbitrarily administrative behaviour and actions. However, as a PIO you have observed that there are citizens who filed RTI applications not for themselves but on behalf of such stakeholders who purportedly want to have access to information to further their own interests. At the same time there are those RTI activists who routinely file RTI applications and attempt to extort money from the decision makers. This type of RTI activism has affected the functioning of the administration adversely and also possibly jeopardizes the genuineness of the applications which are essentially aimed at getting justice. What measures would you suggest to separate genuine and non-genuine applications? Give merits and demerits of your suggestions.

(a) Impact of digital technology as reliable source of input for rational decision making is a debatable issue. Critically evaluate with suitable example. (b) Besides domain knowledge, a public official needs innovativeness and creativity of a high order as well, while resolving ethical dilemmas. Discuss with suitable example.

(a) "The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." - Mahatma Gandhi. What does this quotation convey to you in the present context? (b) "To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves." - Jawaharlal Nehru. What does this quotation convey to you in the present context? (c) "Do not hate anybody, because that hatred that comes out from you must, in the long run, come back to you. If you love, that love will come back to you, completing the circle." - Swami Vivekananda. What does this quotation convey to you in the present context?

(a) What were the major teachings of Guru Nanak? Explain their relevance in the contemporary world. (b) Explain the term social capital. How does it enhance good governance?

(a) What are the ethical issues involved in this case? (b) Evaluate the options available to you, being District Magistrate of the area.

(a) Discuss the ethical issues involved in this case. (b) Briefly describe at least four laws that have been enacted by the Government with respect to providing a healthy, safe and equitable working environment for women. (c) Imagine you are in a similar situation. What suggestions would you make to mitigate such working conditions?

(a) As a conscientious civil servant, evaluate the options available to Vinod. (b) In the light of the above case, comment upon the ethical issues that may arise due to the politicization of bureaucracy.

(a) What are the ethical issues involved in the above case? (b) What are the options available to you in order to complete the project as well as to retain Seema in the organization? (c) What would be your response to Seema's predicament? What measures would you institute to prevent such occurrences from happening in your organization?

(a) Based on the above case study, discuss the ethical issues involved in the use of social media. (b) Discuss the pros and cons of using social media by you to put across the facts to counter the fake propaganda against your family.

(a) In the present digital age, social media has revolutionised our way of communication and interaction. However, it has raised several ethical issues and challenges. Describe the key ethical dilemmas in this regard. (b) Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment but a product of civil education and adherance of the rule of law. Examine the significance of constitutional morality for public servant highlighting the role in promoting good governance and ensuring accountability in public administration.

(a) An endangered tribe has developed a severe skeletal deformity. A university research has identified a mineral supplement as a possible remedy, though clinical trials are yet to be conducted. Should the District Magistrate (DM) use this research on the tribe? Discuss from the perspective of medical and administrative ethics. (b) Discuss how national security can be balanced with concerns of human rights.

(a) What are the ethical issues including biases involved in the use of AI in data-driven policing? (b) Place yourself in Ravi's role and discuss the alternatives available. Justify the action that optimises compliance with ethics.

(a) What are the ethical issues involved in this case? (b) Discuss the options open to Seema. Identify the recommended option and justify it.

(a) What are the options open to Vikas? How should he balance fiscal probity with empathy towards the designated beneficiaries? (b) Discuss the ethics of using technology as a gatekeeper for welfare schemes.

(a) Discuss the ethical issues that need to be addressed in this case. (b) What are the options open to Rajan? Which option would ensure protection of his non-partisan image without compromising ethics?

(a) Discuss the options available to Ajit. Which option should he select and why? (b) How can Ajit balance nation's economic and strategic interests with ethical considerations?

Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it

South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities

The real is rational and the rational is real.

(a) Sociology is pre-eminently study of modern societies. Discuss. (b) What is 'value-free sociology'? Clarify. (c) Analyze the importance of qualitative method in social research. (d) Evaluate Marx's ideas on mode of production. (e) Vertical mobility brings structural change even in a closed social system. Comment.

(a) Elucidate the basic premises of Davis' structural-functional theory of social stratification. How far is it relevant in understanding contemporary Indian society? (b) Describe the functional prerequisites of social system as given by Talcott Parsons. Examine in the context of a university as a social system. (c) Is sociology common sense? Give reasons in support of your argument.

(a) Education is a major source of social mobility in contemporary society. Explain. (b) How is Durkheim's theory of religion different from Max Weber's theory of religion? (c) Distinguish between family and household as sociological concepts.

(a) The focal point of Sociology rests on interaction. How do you distinguish it from common sense? (b) Distinguish between fact and value in Weber's Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism. (c) Do you think 'I' and 'Me' are central terms in Mead's work? (d) What is the difference between natural and social inequality? Give examples from caste and class dimensions. (e) What are the new forms of family in developed societies? Discuss.

(a) Is non-positivistic methodology scientific? Illustrate. (b) Explain Durkheim's basic arguments on suicide. Can you analyse high suicide rates of contemporary Indian society with Durkheim's theory? (c) Evaluate if social stratification is functional for society.

(a) Does collapse of functionalism and bankruptcy of Marxism coincide with the rupture of modernity? Discuss. (b) Define patriarchy. How does patriarchy manifest in interpersonal relations? (c) What is the difference between anomie in Merton and Durkheim? Explain.

(a) According to Marx, how are human beings alienated from their human potential and what does he suggest to change this? (b) Schooling does not ensure upward mobility of all members of the society. Discuss with reference to class societies. (c) Discuss the challenges thrown by religious revivalism to a secular nation-state.

(a) Is the theory of cultural lag valid in present times? Discuss. (b) Are social movements primordial in means and progressive in agenda? Explain. (c) Does scientific method make Sociology a science? Illustrate your answer with Durkheim's method. (d) Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative techniques of data collection with suitable examples from Indian society. (e) Is social mobility possible in closed systems of stratification? Illustrate from research work.

(a) How can Parsons' AGIL framework be used to analyse key problems in a society? Discuss. (b) What is labour commitment? Discuss it with reference to studies of manufacturing industry. (c) What, according to Pareto, are the basic characteristics of elites? Discuss.

(a) "The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relationship between the two in a society." — C.W. Mills. Explain. (b) What are sects? Discuss their role in multi-religious societies with empirical examples. (c) In what way did Durkheim perceive religion as functional to society?

(a) Discuss the historical antecedents of the emergence of Sociology as a discipline. (b) Davis and Moore made it clear that social stratification is a functional necessity and also an unconscious device. Discuss. (c) What is the Marxist concept of 'fetishism of commodities'? (d) Present a sociological review on the 'new middle-class'. (e) Explain the probability sampling strategies with examples.

(a) Why is gender a dimension of social stratification? How does gender intersect other dimensions of inequality based on caste, class, race and ethnicity? (b) What are the theoretical models of societal power? Which one of them is most applicable in advanced industrial societies? (c) What is affirmative action? Substantiate theoretical positions on affirmative actions with examples.

(a) How did the intellectual forces lead to the emergence of sociology? Discuss. (b) Is sociology a value-free science? Discuss. (c) Methodology is a system of rules, principles and procedures, which forms scientific investigation. Comment. (d) 'Ideal Types' of Max Weber are mental constructs, they do not correspond to the reality. Give your views. (e) Analyse the relevance of 'Pattern variables' in the study of social change.

(a) In the context of globalisation, has the scope of sociology been changing in India? Comment. (b) Discuss the importance and sources of hypothesis in social research. (c) What are the problems in observing social facts in Durkheim's views? (d) State the reasons for the various religious beliefs and practices in pre-modern societies. (e) Does the institution of marriage continue to be sacred in Indian society? Comment.

(a) Technology has accelerated the process of development and dependency. Discuss. (b) Phenomenological perspectives in sociology reject many of the assumptions of positivism. Comment. (c) Critically assess the Marxian theory of 'Alienation'.

(a) How does Marx view social conflict as an essential element in social change? (b) What is the impact of gender division of labour on the development of society? (c) Examine how social movements come to an end. Illustrate with examples.

(a) Europe was the first and the only place where modernity emerged. Comment. (b) Do you think ethnomethodology helps us in getting reliable and valid data? Justify your answer. (c) Discuss the challenges involved in collecting data through census method. (d) Explain whether Durkheim's theory of Division of Labour is relevant in the present day context. (e) Critically examine Max Weber's theory of Social Stratification.

(a) From the viewpoint of growing importance of multidisciplinarity, how do you relate sociology to other social sciences? (b) How far are sociologists justified in using positivist approach to understand social reality? Explain with suitable illustrations. (c) How is sociology related to common sense?

(a) How do qualitative and quantitative methods supplement each other in sociological enquiry? (b) Critically examine the dialectics involved in each mode of production as propounded by Karl Marx. (c) Do you agree with Max Weber's idea that bureaucracy has the potential to become an iron cage? Justify your answer.

(a) Elucidate the main problems and challenges faced by the migrant labourers in the recent 'Lockdown period'. (b) Explain how political parties and pressure groups are dialectically related to each other in terms of achieving their goals. (c) Give your comments on the growth of religious revivalism in the present day context.

(a) Explain how the pattern of patriarchy is being altered in a family and at the workplace in the present context. (b) Critically examine the contribution of dependency theories in understanding the present global scenario. (c) Explain the growing salience of ethnicity in the contemporary world with illustrations.

(a) Discuss the changing nature of kinship relations in the contemporary world. (b) Describe the role of Science and Technology in enabling us to face the challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. (c) Highlight the roles and functions of civil society in a democratic system.

(a) Caste system studies in India have been dominated by the "book-view" initially. How did the entry of "field-view" bring about a balance in the study of Indian caste system? Discuss. (b) What does Dr. B. R. Ambedkar mean by the concept of "Annihilation of caste"? (c) Discuss different forms of kinship system in India. (d) Critically examine briefly the phrase "Little Republics" as used to denote India's villages. (e) Caste-like formations are present in Non-Hindu religious communities as well. Discuss with examples.

(a) What is identity politics? Discuss the main trends in Dalit movements in India. (b) Is Indian society moving from "Hierarchy" towards "differentiation"? Illustrate your answer with suitable examples. (c) Discuss the salient features of 'new middle class' in India.

(a) Delimit the scope of Sociology in relation to other social sciences. (b) How does a researcher achieve objectivity in interpretative research? (c) The difference between information and data in social science is subtle. Comment. (d) Durkheim argued that society is more than the sum of individual acts. Discuss. (e) How do sociologists construct gender in their analysis on social inequality?

(a) What aspects of 'Enlightenment' do you think paved way for the emergence of sociology? Elaborate. (b) Explain the different types of non-probability sampling techniques. Bring out the conditions of their usage with appropriate examples. (c) Discuss social mobility in open and closed system.

(a) What is the distinctiveness of the feminist method of social research? Comment. (b) Discuss the relationship between sociology and political science. (c) How does the dramaturgical perspective enable our understanding of everyday life? (d) Is reference group theory a universally applicable model? Elucidate. (e) Do you think that the boundary line between ethnicity and race is blurred? Justify your answer.

(a) Discuss the nature of Sociology. Highlight its relationship with Social Anthropology. (b) Analyse the changing nature of caste as a status group. (c) Marriage as an institution has undergone a radical transformation from 'ritual' to 'commercial' in its outlook. Explain the factors behind this change. (d) Democracy needs a vibrant culture of civil society in order to strengthen its foundation of citizenship. Comment. (e) What are the 'basic and irreducible' functions of the family as proposed by Talcott Parsons ? Explain.

(a) Sociology is the product of European enlightenment and renaissance. Critically examine this statement. (b) Do you think 'objectivity' is an over-hyped idea in sociological research? Discuss the merits and demerits of non-positivist methods. (c) What is social mobility ? Critically examine the classification of 'closed' and 'open' models of social stratification.

(a) What is common sense? How are common knowledge and sociology related to each other? Explain. (b) What is the relationship (similarities and differences) between sociology and history in terms of their area of study and methodology? Discuss. (c) What is a variable in social research? What are their different types? Elaborate. (d) Can Merton's reference group theory be relevant in understanding 'identity making' in digital world? Explain. (e) Is the social stratification theory gender-blind? Elucidate.

(a) In what way is the scope of sociology unique? Explain. (b) Does the structural-functionalist perspective on social stratification promote a status quo? Give reasons for your answer. (c) Do you think that the formal workspaces are free of gender bias? Argue your case. (d) How does Weber's Verstehen address the objectivity-subjectivity debate in sociology? (e) To what extent can education and skill development be an agent of social change? Critically analyze.

(a) What is science? Do you think that the methods used in natural sciences can be applied to sociology? Give reasons for your answer. (b) What do you understand by gender-based domestic division of labour? Is it undergoing a change in the wake of increasing participation of women in formal employment? Clarify your answer with illustrations. (c) How can you assess the significance of social movements in the digital era? Explain.

(a) Textual perspective is important in understanding of Indian Social System. Discuss. (b) Justify that the Indian traditions are modernizing. Also discuss its contributing factors. (c) According to you, which social reform movement has played the most effective role in uplifting the status of women? Explain. (d) How did Colonial Policies for the tribes affected their socio-economic conditions in India? Discuss. (e) How would you appropriate to characterise G. S. Ghurye as a practitioner of 'theoretical pluralism'?

(a) Discuss the relationship between religion and science in modern society. Do they necessarily remain in conflict? (b) Is 'interpretativism' more effective than 'positivism' in analysing social reality? Discuss. (c) How does Emile Durkheim conceptualize religion as a 'social fact'? Explain.

(a) Elaborate major sociological theories of power. How do power elite shape the political process in modern societies? (b) Evaluate the socio-economic impacts of migration on rural households. (c) 'The methods of sociology are inadequate in understanding the complex social phenomena'. Discuss.

(a) The major challenge for sociology researchers is to analyze social reality objectively. Critically analyze. (b) Explain the concept of 'definition of the situation' and its significance in sociology. (c) In what way the concept of 'patriarchal bargain' be applied to the institution of marriage? Comment. (d) How does Max Weber's 'theory of authority' shape bureaucracy? Analyse. (e) How do different theories explain social dimensions of social movements? Discuss.

(a) Discuss the intellectual origins of sociology and the historical antecedents of its evolution as a distinct field of study. (b) Critically analyse the mode of production debate from different perspectives. (c) How does the rise of new 'cults' and 'sects' influence intercaste relations?

(a) Explain how sociology has emerged as a distinct discipline based on rationality and scientific temper. (b) Examine ethnomethodological and phenomenological perspectives as critique of positivism. (c) Illustrate with example the significance of variables in sociological research. (d) Critically analyse Talcott Parsons' conception of 'Pattern Variables'. (e) Can we equate 'poverty' with 'poor living' ? Elaborate your answer.

(a) Discuss distinct sociological method adopted by Emile Durkheim in his study of 'suicide'. (b) Analyse Marxian conception of historical materialism as a critique of Hegelian dialectics. (c) Examine epistemological foundations of qualitative methods of social research.

(a) What is Weberian critique of Marxist notion of social stratification ? (b) Examine gender, ethnicity and race as major dimensions of social stratification. (c) How can one resolve the issue of reliability and validity in the context of sociological research on inequality ?

(a) What do you understand by 'informalisation of labour' ? Write your answer with special reference to India. (b) Discuss the changing interface between state and civil society in post-independent India. (c) Give an assessment of Durkheimian notion of 'sacred' and 'profane' in sociology of religion. (d) Examine 'patriarchal bargain' as gendered division of work in contemporary India. (e) Assess the role of mass media as an agent of social change.

(a) Trace the changing nature of organisation of work in capitalist society over the years. (b) What is new in 'new social movements' ? Elaborate your answer with special reference to India. (c) Examine the dynamics of pressure groups in multi-party political system.

(a) Examine the relationship between the contemporary trends in marriage and changing forms of family. (b) Discuss the regional variations of kinship system in Indian society. (c) Problematise the concept of secularism in the present context.

Consider the following statements: (i) A primary group is relatively smaller in size. (ii) Intimacy is an essential characteristic of a primary group. (iii) A family may be an example of a primary group. In the light of the above statements, which one of the following is true?

I must say that, beyond occasionally exposing me to laughter, my constitutional shyness has been of no disadvantage whatever. In fact I can see that, on the contrary, it has been all to my advantage. My hesitancy in speech, which was once an annoyance, is now a pleasure. Its greatest benefit has been that it has taught me the economy of words. I have naturally formed the habit of restraining my thoughts. And I can now give myself the certificate that a thoughtless word hardly ever escapes my tongue or pen. I do not recollect ever having had to regret anything in my speech or writing. I have thus been spared many a mishap and waste of time. Experience has taught me that silence is part of the spiritual discipline of a votary of truth. Proneness to exaggerate, to suppress or modify the truth, wittingly or unwittingly, is a natural weakness of man, and silence is necessary in order to surmount it. A man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his speech; he will measure every word. We find so many people impatient to talk. There is no chairman of a meeting who is not pestered with notes for permission to speak. And whenever the permission is given the speaker generally exceeds the time-limit, asks for more time, and keeps on talking without permission. All this talking can hardly be said to be of any benefit to the world. It is so much waste of time. My shyness has been in reality my shield and buckler. It has allowed me to grow. It has helped me in my discernment of truth. The author says that a thoughtless word hardly ever escapes his tongue or pen. Which one of the following is not a valid reason for this?

The most appropriate reason for the author to be spared many a mishap is that

For the author, silence is necessary in order to surmount