(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.

"Max Weber said that it is not wise to apply to public administration the sort of moral and ethical norms we apply to matters of personal conscience. It is important to realise that the State bureaucracy might possess its own independent bureaucratic morality." Critically analyse this statement.

In the context of the diversity of India, can it be said that the regions form cultural units rather than the States? Give reasons with examples for your viewpoint.

The spirit of tolerance and love is not only an interesting feature of Indian society from very early times, but it is also playing an important part at the present. Elaborate.

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.

(a) Discipline generally implies following the order and subordination. However, it may be counter-productive for the organisation. Discuss. (b) Without commonly shared and widely entrenched moral values and obligations, neither the law, nor democratic government, nor even the market economy will function properly. What do you understand by this statement? Explain with illustration in the contemporary times.

Do we have cultural pockets of small India all over the nation? Elaborate with examples.

(a) What are the basic principles of public life? Illustrate any three of these with suitable examples. (b) What do you understand by the term 'public servant'? Reflect on the expected role of public servant.

(a) Effective utilization of public funds is crucial to meet development goals. Critically examine the reasons for under-utilization and mis-utilization of public funds and their implications. (b) "Non-performance of duty by a public servant is a form of corruption". Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer.

(a) What is meant by the term 'constitutional morality'? How does one uphold constitutional morality? (b) What is meant by 'crisis of conscience'? How does it manifest itself in the public domain?

(a) Explain the basic principles of citizens charter movement and bring out its importance. (b) There is a view that the Official Secrets Act is an obstacle to the implementation of Right to Information Act. Do you agree with the view? Discuss.

(a) What do you understand by probity in governance? Based on your understanding of the term, suggest measures for ensuring probity in government. (b) "Emotional Intelligence is the ability to make your emotions work for you instead of against you". Do you agree with this view? Discuss.

How does Indian society maintain continuity in traditional social values? Enumerate the changes taking place in it.

Analyse the salience of 'sect' in Indian society vis-a-vis caste, region and religion.

(a) What do you understand by 'moral integrity' and 'professional efficiency' in the context of corporate governance in India? Illustrate with suitable examples. (b) 'International aid' is an accepted form of helping 'resource-challenged' nations. Comment on 'ethics in contemporary international aid'. Support your answer with suitable examples.

(a) The application of Artificial Intelligence as a dependable source of input for administrative rational decision-making is a debatable issue. Critically examine the statement from the ethical point of view. (b) Ethics encompasses several key dimensions that are crucial in guiding individuals and organizations towards morally responsible behaviour. Explain the key dimensions of ethics that influence human actions. Discuss how these dimensions shape ethical decision-making in the professional context.

(a) In Indian culture and value system, an equal opportunity has been provided irrespective of gender identity. The number of women in public service has been steadily increasing over the years. Examine the gender-specific challenges faced by female public servants and suggest suitable measures to increase their efficiency in discharging their duties and maintaining high standards of probity. (b) Mission Karmayogi is aiming for maintaining a very high standard of conduct and behaviour to ensure efficiency for serving citizens and in turn developing oneself. How will this scheme empower the civil servants in enhancing productive efficiency and delivering the services at the grassroots level?

Intercaste marriages between castes which have socio-economic parity have increased, to some extent, but this is less true of interreligious marriages. Discuss.

(a) One who is devoted to one's duty attains highest perfection in life. Analyse this statement with reference to sense of responsibility and personal fulfilment as a civil servant. (b) To achieve holistic development goal, a civil servant acts as an enabler and active facilitator of growth rather than a regulator. What specific measures will you suggest to achieve this goal?

Unity in diversity remains the defining feature of Indian society despite the challenges from communalism and regionalism. Comment.

Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life

A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both

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

Life is long journey between human being and being humane

(a) Salient features of A.R. Desai's Marxist Sociology (b) Significance of Village Studies in Indian Sociology (c) 'Isolationism' as a dominant feature of colonial tribal policy (d) Anti-Brahmanical movements during the colonial period (e) Patriarchy as a form of dominance

(a) How has B.R. Ambedkar identified the features of caste system? How is it different from the mainstream treatment of caste features? (b) Discuss Andre Beteille's account of the relationship between caste, class and power as a change from symmetrical to asymmetrical one. (c) Analyse the major components of Land Reform Acts. Show their effectiveness in curbing rural inequality.

(a) Bring out the significance of the difference between family and household. (b) Elucidate the concepts of 'majoritarianism' and 'minoritarianism' in accentuating communal tensions in India. (c) Comment on the increasing significance of caste in politics.

(a) How is the tribal question related with the issues of integration and autonomy in modern India? (b) Comment on the factors behind the changing status of women in urban India. (c) What accounts for the growth and consolidation of the middle classes in modern India?

(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) Write a note on G. S. Ghurye's Indological perspective of understanding Indian society. (b) Give a critical analysis of Andre Beteille's study of Tanjore village. (c) Media is the fourth pillar of democracy. Discuss. (d) Write a note on the changing roles of middle-class women in India. (e) Discuss the growth of religious sects in India.

(a) Elaborate A. R. Desai's perspective to the study of Indian society. (b) Banning practice of 'Sati' is attributed to annihilation of a major social evil in colonial India. Comment. (c) How do you justify Dumont's deliberate stress on ideology that produced intellectualized account of Indian society? (d) Explain the definitional problems concerning the tribal communities in India. (e) Secularism was an outcome of 20th century humanistic radicalism. Comment on this statement.

(a) Discuss the conceptual issues about lineage and descent in India. Give suitable illustrations. (b) Analyze household dimensions of family in India. (c) Write a note on 'cultural pluralism' in multi-religious society like India.

(a) Colonial administrators helped to construct the very traditionalism which marked the Indian society as 'backward'. Comment critically. (b) What were the salient features of the India's Population Policy (2000)? How far its goals have been achieved? (c) Point out the main causes of 'child labour' in India. How far the State policies have succeeded in its elimination?

(a) What are the reactions of R.K. Merton to the functionalism of social anthropologists? Bring out the limitations of latent functions. (b) How are Hierarchy and Exclusion the major impediments in the transformation of societies? Discuss. (c) Explain democracy as an order of society. What are the factors preventing people's participation in politics?

(a) Capitalism has brought increasing informalisation of work in society. Substantiate your answer. (b) Critically analyse Durkheim's views on elementary forms of religious life and role of religion. Also discuss the consequences of religious revivalism in contemporary society. (c) Discuss the consequences of Across Region marriage on kinship system in modern Indian society.

(a) Is humanity at the mercy of Nature, Science and Technology? Comment in the light of pandemic situation. (b) According to Durkheim, "The major function of education is the transmission of society's norms and values." Discuss. (c) Critically assess social mobility in closed and open systems.

(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) Elaborate on M.N. Srinivas's structural-functionalist approach to the study of Indian society. (b) Do you agree that the agrarian class structure in India is changing? Justify your answer with illustrations. (c) Elucidate the challenges of integration for tribal communities in India. (d) In the context of the changing Indian society, how do you view Andre Beteille's conceptions of harmonic and disharmonic social structures? (e) Explain Leela Dube's concept of "Seed and Earth".

(a) Examine the social background of growth of Indian nationalism. (b) Explain how land reforms brought about desired agrarian transformation. (c) Discuss the challenges during village studies in India.

(a) Highlight the significant features of A.R. Desai's 'Dialectical Perspective' to study Indian Society. (b) The decade of 1950s was the golden period of village studies in Indian Sociology. Explain the statement. (c) Analyse the differences between the attributional and interactional approach in studying the caste system. (d) Are Tradition and Modernity antithetical to each other? Comment. (e) Discuss the main features of Land Reforms in post-independence India.

(a) Do you agree with the view of Andre Beteille that India's villages are representative of Indian society's basic civilizational values? Present a sociological overview. (b) Elaborate the salient features and the role of middle class in India's democracy and development. (c) Analyse the role of market and modern forces in understanding the changing trends in marriage systems in India.

(a) Analyse the perspectives of Isolation, Assimilation and Integration in understanding the trajectories of Indian Tribal Development. (b) Explain the implications and the impact of globalization in situating the changing agrarian class structure in India. (c) Critique the victory narratives of Green Revolution in the context of Indian society.

(a) Citing some case studies, expand the concept of 'Development-induced Displacement'. (b) Examine the concept of 'Cultural Pluralism' in the context of India's Unity in Diversity. (c) Highlight the salient features of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. (d) Analyse the sociological interconnections between Social Media and Mass Mobilization in India. (e) Discuss the nature of regional variations in sex ratio in India, stating reasons thereof.

(a) How do you account for the increasing significance of religion in public and personal spheres in the context of secularization thesis in India? Explain. (b) In the face of rising global climatic concerns, how do you contextualize the relevance of Chipko Movement and its Gandhian tone? Answer analytically. (c) What actionable measures would you suggest to curb the recurrent child labour menace in India?

(a) Do you think that the decades of Dalit political mobilizations and movements have helped in strengthening India's democracy? Substantiate your arguments with facts. (b) What is 'reverse migration'? Discuss its features, causes and consequences in India. (c) Discuss the phenomenon of rural-urban continuum with suitable examples.

(a) Underline the role of social media in contemporary social movements and describe its challenges. (b) How does a multicultural society accommodate diversities of all kinds — ethnic, linguistic and religious? Discuss its major challenges. (c) Discuss the concept of animism and differentiate it from naturism.

(a) Differentiate between 'Western' and 'Indological' perspectives on the study of Indian society. Bring out the major aspects of G. S. Ghurye's contribution to 'Indological' approach. (b) What are the definitional problems involved in identifying tribes in India? Discuss the main obstacles to tribal development in India. (c) What, according to Andre Beteille, are the bases of agrarian class structure in India? Analyse.

(a) Examine with suitable examples the recent trends in the growth of urban settlements in India. (b) Is there a connection between labour migration and informal sector? Justify your answer with reference to Indian context. (c) Are slums the manifestations of industrialisation and urbanisation in India? Explain. (d) Discuss the changing nature of political elites in India. (e) What is your assessment about the recent farmers' movement in India? Elaborate.

(a) Discuss the major challenges related to women's reproductive health in India. What measures would you suggest to overcome these challenges? (b) What is sustainable development? How can sustainability be achieved in India where livelihood needs conflict with environmental protection? (c) Critically examine the relevance of development planning in India.

(a) Analyse the trilogy between environmental movement, development and tribal identity. (b) To what extent have the legal provisions been effective in curbing violence against women in India? Give your argument. (c) Trace the social and historical origins of Dalit movements in modern India.

(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) What do you mean by nation building? What is the role of religion in nation building? Elaborate your answer. (b) Do you think that new economic reforms of British rule have disrupted the old economic system of India? Substantiate your answer with suitable examples. (c) Describe the main features of Indian new middle class. How is it different from the old middle class?

(a) In what respect is M. N. Srinivas' study of Indian village society based on structural and functional perspective? Analyse. (b) According to you, which social reform had long-lasting impact on a specific section of society? Support your answer with suitable example. (c) In the context of women's movements and laws do you think that matriarchy is the need of the hour? Discuss in detail. (d) Discuss the debates on the concepts 'duty' and 'worship' while understanding religion in India. (e) How does the concept 'secular' go beyond any religion in plural society like India? Analyse.

(a) Indological approach, advocated by G. S. Ghurye, focuses on the study of Indian society through Indian texts. How can Indological approach be useful in the study of other society? Comment in detail. (b) Examine how Indian Nationalism was a result of 'Akhand Bharat'/Indian Subcontinent's socio-cultural and political consciousness. (c) How does A. R. Desai argue that Indian social classes must be studied through the colonial mode of production? Elucidate.

(a) Examine the challenges of applying micro-level village studies to macro-level village structure of Indian society. (b) Explain the emergence of middle class in agrarian society in India. What have been the socio-structural implications of the emergence of this middle class? (c) When land reform was a paradigm shift, then what type of land reforms would you recommend to make India a more equitable society?

(a) How does the Constitution of India promote education? Do you think that education can be a major instrument of social change? Clarify. (b) Draw the current population pyramid of India. What policy measures would you recommend for population dynamics to achieve sustainability? (c) Compare G. S. Ghurye's and A. R. Desai's approaches used in understanding Indian society.

(a) Discuss the challenges faced by the aged people in receiving 'elder care'. (b) Examine the transiting social movements from physical movements to virtual movements in 21st century India. (c) Clarify how the family planning programmes have taken a political 'U'-turn in present India. (d) How do Louis Dumont and Andre Beteille differ in their approaches in understanding caste system in India? Explain. (e) Bring out the debates of 'insiders' and 'outsiders' approaches in understanding Indian society.

(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.