Which of the following statements is/are not correct?

You are an honest and responsible civil servant. You often observe the following: (a) There is a general perception that adhering to ethical conduct one may face difficulties to oneself and cause problems for the family, whereas unfair practices may help to reach the career goals. (b) When the number of people adopting unfair means is large, a small minority having a penchant towards ethical means makes no difference. (c) Sticking to ethical means is detrimental to the larger developmental goals. (d) While one may not involve oneself in large unethical practices, but giving and accepting small gifts makes the system more efficient. Examine the above statements with their merits and demerits.

(a) What is meant by conflict of interest? Illustrate with examples, the difference between the actual and potential conflicts of interest. (b) "In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if they do not have the first, the other two will kill you." — Warren Buffett. What do you understand by this statement in the present-day scenario? Explain.

(a) "An unexamined life is not worth living". - Socrates (b) "A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes." - M. K. Gandhi (c) "Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world." - A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

(a) Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If not, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way. - Swami Vivekanand. What does this mean to you? (b) The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. - Mahatma Gandhi. What does this mean to you? (c) A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true. - Socrates. What does this mean to you?

(a) Attitude is an important component that goes as input in the development of human being. How to build a suitable attitude needed for a public servant? (b) In case of crisis of conscience does emotional intelligence help to overcome the same without compromising the ethical or moral stand that you are likely to follow? Critically examine.

(a) What are the options available with Pawan to cope up with the situation? (b) What approach Pawan should adopt for bringing peace, tranquillity and congenial environment in the office and home? (c) As an outsider, what are your suggestions for both boss and subordinate to overcome this situation and for improving the work performance, mental and emotional hygiene? (d) In the above scenario, what type of training would you suggest for officers at various levels in the government offices?

(a) Wisdom lies in knowing what to reckon with and what to overlook. An officer being engrossed with the periphery, ignoring the core issues before him, is not rare in the bureaucracy. Do you agree that such preoccupation of an administrator leads to travesty of justice to the cause of effective service delivery and good governance? Critically evaluate. (b) Apart from intellectual competency and moral qualities, empathy and compassion are some of the other vital attributes that facilitate the civil servants to be more competent in tackling the crucial issues or taking critical decisions. Explain with suitable illustrations.

(a) Those who in trouble untroubled are, Will trouble trouble itself. - Thiruvalluvar (b) The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes. - William James (c) The strength of a society is not in its laws, but in the morality of its people. - Swami Vivekananda

A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge

Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life

A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both

Wisdom finds truth

Life is long journey between human being and being humane

Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.

(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) Indebtedness is one of the serious issues leading to farmers' suicides. Discuss reasons and suggest solutions. (b) Clarify the distinction between 'household' and 'family' and evaluate whether joint families have completely disintegrated. (c) Compare the North Indian Kinship System with the South Indian Kinship System.

(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) Differentiate between 'Life-chances' and 'Life-style' with suitable examples. (b) Discuss the issues of access and exclusion in higher education in India. (c) What is civil society? Present a note on civil society engagement with science and technology policy in India. (d) Critique A.G. Frank's 'development of underdevelopment'. (e) How well do you think Tonnies, Durkheim, Weber and Marx predicted the character of modern society? Critique.

(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) 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) Explain the concept of social mobility. Describe with suitable illustrations how education and social mobility are related to each other. (b) How has the idea of 'Work From Home' forced us to redefine the formal and informal organisation of work? (c) With suitable examples, explain how conformity and deviance coexist in a society as propounded by R.K. Merton.

(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 are the shortfalls of positivist philosophy that gave rise to the non-positivist methods of studying social reality? (b) Critically examine how Durkheim and Merton explicate Anomie. (c) Suggest measures to minimize the influence of the researcher in the process of collecting data through focus group discussion.

(a) What characterizes degradation of work in capitalist society according to Marx? (b) Social stratification is claimed to contribute to the maintenance of social order and stability in society. Critically assess. (c) What is reliability? Explain the different tests available to social science researcher to establish reliability.

(a) According to Mead the idea of self develops when the individual becomes self-conscious. Explain. (b) Analyse the nature of transition from ideology to identity politics in India. (c) How do little tradition and great tradition coexist in contemporary Indian society?

(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) What, according to Robert Michels, is the iron law of oligarchy? Do lions and foxes in Vilfredo Pareto's theory, essentially differ from each other? Substantiate. (b) What is historical materialism? Examine its relevance in understanding contemporary societies. (c) What are variables? How do they facilitate research?

(a) What are the different dimensions of qualitative method? Do you think that qualitative method helps to gain a deeper sociological insight? Give reasons for your answer. (b) Explain Max Weber's theory of social stratification. How does Weber's idea of class differ from that of Marx? (c) What are the ethical issues that a researcher faces in making use of participant observation as a method of collecting data? Explain.

(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) Describe various characteristics of a 'social fact'. How is rate of suicide a social fact according to Durkheim? (b) Explain G.H. Mead's idea of development of 'self' through the 'generalised other'. (c) Describe the differing principles of work organization in feudal and capitalist societies. (d) How is 'power' different from 'authority' ? Discuss various types of authorities as theorized by Max Weber. (e) Critically examine the roles of science and technology in social change. What is your opinion on their increasing trend in 'online' education and teaching?

(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) What is positivism? Critically analyze the major arguments against it. (b) Highlight the main features of historical materialism as propounded by Marx. How far is this theory relevant in understanding contemporary societies? Explain. (c) What do you mean by reliability? Discuss the importance of reliability in social science research.

(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) In what ways do class and caste intersect and overlap in shaping social structure? (b) Critically examine the position of women in the informal economy. (c) Discuss the role of geographical factors in social change and development. (d) Although sociology, as a subject of study, overarches all disciplines in social sciences yet it maintains its distinctiveness. Comment. (e) Explain in brief the relationship between social movement, collective action and revolution in bringing about social and political changes.

(a) Describe the impact of capitalist mode of production on society. (b) Differentiate between social hierarchy and social exclusion and substantiate your answer with reference to the caste system. (c) 'Data without theory is blind and theory without data is empty.' Comment.

(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) 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.