Which one of the following was the latest inclusion in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of UNESCO?

The women's questions arose in modern India as a part of the 19th century social reform movement. What were the major issues and debates concerning women in that period?

Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former has got transformed into the latter in independent India.

(a) "Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them." - Napoleon Bonaparte. Stating examples mention the rulers (i) who have harmed society and country, (ii) who worked for the development of society and country. (b) "If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher." - A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Analyse.

(a) How will you apply emotional intelligence in administrative practices? (b) Strength, peace and security are considered to be the pillars of international relations. Elucidate.

(a) State the three basic values, universal in nature, in the context of civil services and bring out their importance. (b) Distinguish between "Code of ethics" and "Code of conduct" with suitable examples.

(a) What are the main factors responsible for gender inequality in India? Discuss the contribution of Savitribai Phule in this regard. (b) The current internet expansion has instilled a different set of cultural values which are often in conflict with traditional values. Discuss.

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

Are tolerance, assimilation and pluralism the key elements in the making of an Indian form of secularism? Justify your answer.

(a) What do you understand by the term 'good governance'? How far recent initiatives in terms of e-Governance steps taken by the State have helped the beneficiaries? Discuss with suitable examples. (b) Online methodology is being used for day-to-day meetings, institutional approvals in the administration and for teaching and learning in education sector to the extent telemedicine in the health sector is getting popular with the approvals of the competent authority. No doubt, it has advantages and disadvantages for both the beneficiaries and the system at large. Describe and discuss the ethical issues involved in the use of online method particularly to the vulnerable section of the society.

What role do environmental NGOs and activists play in influencing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) outcomes for major projects in India? Cite four examples with all important details.

In dealing with socio-economic issues of development, what kind of collaboration between government, NGOs and private sector would be most productive?

Mahatma Jotirao Phule's writings and efforts of social reforms touched issues of almost all subaltern classes. Discuss.

(a) What are the options available with Rajesh in the above situation? (b) What are the ethical issues involved in this case? (c) Which would be the most appropriate option for Rajesh and why?

(a) What is your reaction to the above situation and how do you restore the proper functioning of MGNREGA Program in this regard? (b) What actions would you initiate to solve the various issues listed above? (c) How would you deal with the above situation?

(a) What are the options available with Ashok to cope with the situation? (b) What are the ethical and legal dilemmas being faced by Ashok? (c) Which of the options, do you think would be more appropriate for Ashok to adopt and why? (d) In the present situation, what are the extra precautionary measures to be taken by the Border Guarding Police in dealing with soldiers in uniform?

Right to privacy relating to self-identity is very dear to every human being and well protected under Article 21 of the Constitution. In this context, examine the effect of the amendment in 2026, to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.

(a) Usually schools, working in remote areas, do not fully comply with government regulations. However, if the rules are enforced strictly, it would lead to most schools closing down. How should an administrator strike a balance between enforcement of rules and educational rights of children? (b) In international relations, ethical considerations are often subjugated to the strategic interests of nation-states. Discuss this from an ethical perspective.

(a) Describe the nature of social organization of work in industrial society. (b) Discuss the importance of 'power elite' in democracy. (c) Is religion playing an important role in increasing fundamentalism? Give reasons for your answer. (d) To what extent is patriarchy a cause for the problems of women? Discuss. (e) Social conflict is both a cause and a consequence of social change. Explain.

(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) The main objectives of socio-religious movements during the colonial rule in India were reforming and synthesizing Hinduism. Write on any two such important movements. (b) Discuss Yogendra Singh's thesis on Modernisation of Indian Tradition, and evaluate its applicability in the present day context. (c) What are the changes in the cultural and structural aspects of the caste system since independence?

(a) Explain the concepts of 'dominant caste' and 'vote bank', giving examples from specific regions. (b) What is the nature of religious change among tribal communities? Illustrate with two examples from colonial and post independence times. (c) Compare the pressing problems of a dalit poor family living in an urban slum with a similar type of family living in a rural setting.

(a) What are the reasons for the escalation of violence against women in the public domain? (b) Write a note on Education and Equality in India. (c) Give an account of the problems relating to the "creamy layer". (d) Do you agree that the issue of child labour raises questions about and beyond the informal sector? Give reasons. (e) What are the emerging concerns on women's reproductive health?

(a) Discuss some of the striking issues of development induced imbalances that need urgent attention. (b) Examine the impact of heritage tourism on urban socio-spatial patterns in India. (c) What are the causes and solutions for the low female sex-ratio in the DEMARU States of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Gujarat?

(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 the concept of constitutional morality as given by B. R. Ambedkar. (b) Construct a sociological narrative on the increasing trend of child abuse in India. (c) Explain the dynamics of neo-farmers' movement in contemporary India. (d) Assess the role of the State in promoting education of girl child. (e) Elaborate the 'Me Too' Movement and its impact in India.

(a) Has caste system hindered democracy and adult franchise in India? Discuss. (b) Elaborate various forms of Dalit assertions in contemporary India. What are its implications on the Indian political system? (c) With increase in education and economic development is Indian society becoming more secular?

(a) What are the issues relating to male migration and its impact on birthrate? Does it necessarily result in skewed sex ratio? (b) Western patriarchy which surrenders feminine principles is the new development project in India. Do you agree with this view? Why? (c) Assess the impact of ban on 'Triple Talak' on marriage and divorce among the Muslim community in India.

(a) Critically examine Dube's contributions to the study of Indian villages. (b) What is caste politics? Substantiate your answer with examples of how identities are defined by caste dynamics. (c) Do you think that the Indian saints have brought about social reform and awareness in Indian society? Explain.

(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) Elaborate the causes, consequences and other concerns of growth of urban settlements in India. (b) Evaluate the nature and scope of anthropogenic influence on climate in India and also analyze the environmental movements arising out of it. (c) Are the contemporary farmers' movements in India changing their course? Discuss.

(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) Discuss in detail the major contribution of Prof. Yogendra Singh in theorizing India's modernization. (b) Examine the factors responsible for the rural unrest in contemporary India. (c) Discuss the changing dimensions of family structure in urban India.

(a) Explain the sociological significance of the New Education Policy and its thrust on vocationalization and skill development. (b) Is 'ageing' an emerging issue in Indian society? Discuss the major problems of the old age people in India. (c) Underline the socio-cultural factors responsible for India's skewed sex-ratio.

(a) The problem of displacement is inherent in the idea of development. Analyze the statement critically. (b) Rising 'ethnocentricism' is leading to conflict in our society. Assess this statement with appropriate reasons. (c) Is social democracy a precondition for political democracy? Comment.

(a) Discuss the role of social media in communal polarisation. Suggest ways to combat it. (b) Urban settlements in India tend to replicate its rural caste-kinship imprints. Discuss the main reasons. (c) Does "economic empowerment" automatically bring about "substantive empowerment" for women? Briefly describe the main issues in women empowerment in India.

(a) Critically examine the relevance of Durkheim's views on religion in contemporary society. (b) Discuss various theoretical perspectives on the family. (c) Explain the implications of feminization of work in the developing societies. (d) Write a note on global trends of secularization. (e) Trace the trajectory of development perspectives on social change.

(a) Sociologists argue for democratization of science and technology for inclusive development. Comment. (b) Are traditional social institutions getting weakened as agents of social change in the contemporary society? Substantiate. (c) How do you understand the relationship between patriarchy and social development?

(a) Discuss law as an important instrument for women's empowerment. (b) Examine different understandings of secularisation in India. (c) How do you view the growth of informal sector in India? (d) Discuss the role of pressure groups in strengthening democracy. (e) What role do co-operatives play in poverty alleviation in rural India?

(a) Bring out the various issues involved in Dalit movements in India. (b) Critically examine the dialectics between 'development and environment'. (c) Discuss the changing nature of Industrial working class.

(a) Do you think that common sense is the starting point of social research? What are its advantages and limitations? Explain. (b) How is poverty a form of social exclusion? Illustrate in this connection the different dimensions of poverty and social exclusion. (c) Highlight the differences and similarities between totemism and animism.

(a) Explain how economic globalization has brought changes in the patterns of employment in the 21st century. (b) Do you think that the social media has brought significant changes in the forms of protest? Argue your case. (c) Assess critically A. G. Frank's 'theory of development of underdevelopment'.

(a) What is Taylorism? Analyze its merits and demerits. (b) What are new religious movements? Elaborate emphasizing their forms and orientations. (c) Examine the role of science and technology in addressing age-old taboos and superstitions.

(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) Contextualize Louis Dumont's concept of 'binary opposition' with reference to caste system in India. (b) Define the concepts of 'Descent' and 'Alliance'. Differentiate between North Indian and South Indian Kinship systems with examples. (c) Critically examine the concept of Sanskritization with suitable illustrations.

(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) Do modernization and secularization necessarily go together? Give your views. (b) How do you understand the phenomena of the mushrooming of sects and cults in contemporary society? Discuss the factors responsible for the trend. (c) Discuss the dimensions of power in the construction and maintenance of social hierarchies in a society.

(a) Why is the study of marriage important in Sociology? Analyse the implications of changing marriage patterns for Indian society. (b) Do you think that the constitutional provisions for women have led to their uplift? Give reasons for your answer. (c) Education is a key to social development. Elucidate.

(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) Highlight the major contributions of the reform movements in pre-independent India. (b) Identify different forms of inequalities associated with agrarian social structure in India. (c) What are pressure groups? Discuss their role in decision-making in democracy.

(a) Compare capability deprivation approach with that of social capital deprivation in understanding chronic poverty. (b) Are pressure groups a threat to or a necessary element of democracy? Explain with suitable illustrations. (c) What is hypothesis? Critically evaluate the significance of hypothesis in social research.

(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) In what respects have the constitutional provisions changed the socio-economic and political conditions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India? Critically examine. (b) Discuss the trend of urbanization in India. Do you think that Industrialization is the only precondition of urbanization? Give you arguments. (c) Which measures would you suggest for preventing caste conflicts in India? Justify your argument.

(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) 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 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.

(a) Examine any two theories of social change in detail. (b) Critically analyse the role of science and technology in bringing about social change. (c) Elaborate on various types of religious practices prevalent in Indian society.

In the context of cultural history of India, a pose in dance and dramatics called 'Tribhanga' has been a favourite of Indian artists from ancient times till today. Which one of the following statements best describes this pose?