In a modern democratic polity, there is the concept of political executive and permanent executive. Elected people's representatives form the political executive and bureaucracy forms the permanent executive. Ministers frame policy decisions and bureaucrats execute these. In the initial decades after independence, relationship between the permanent executive and the political executive were characterized by mutual understanding, respect and co-operation, without encroaching upon each others domain. However, in the subsequent decades, the situation has changed. There are instances of the political executive insisting upon the permanent executive to follow its agenda. Respect for and appreciation of upright bureaucrats has declined. There is an increasing tendency among the political executive to get involved in routine administrative matters such as transfers, postings etc. Under this scenario, there is a definitive trend towards 'politicization of bureaucracy'. The rising materialism and acquisitiveness in social life has also adversely impacted upon the ethical values of both the permanent executive and the political executive. What are the consequences of this 'politicization of bureaucracy'? Discuss.

(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 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) Examine whether rural bondage still continues to be a social reality. Give your argument. (b) Define ethnicity. Discuss the factors responsible for the growth of ethnic movements in India. (c) Discuss the changing nature of structure of political elites.

(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) How do religious communities contribute to the cultural diversity of India? (b) What do you understand by decentralisation of power? What is its role in strengthening the roots of democracy in India? Elaborate. (c) What are the different forms of untouchability still practised in India? Discuss with suitable illustrations.

(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) The transfer of land from cultivating to the non-cultivating owners is bringing about transformation in Indian society. Justify your answer by giving suitable illustrations. (b) Bring out various factors responsible for declining of village Industries in India. (c) Discuss the social bases of political mobilization in Independent India. Has some change occurred in these during the last 60-70 years? (d) What are the major problems faced by the labour migrants while working in informal sectors of Indian States? Discuss. (e) Do you think that law has been able to abolish child labour in India? Comment.

(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.