UPSC Mains 2026 Anthropology Optional Paper II questions

28 questions from the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026. Official UPSC paper (PDF) · All Anthropology Optional PYQs

1. Dravidian language family and its tribal speakers.

   10 marks

2. Seed Eaters Model of hominid differentiation.

   10 marks

3. Bhagat movement.

   10 marks

4. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) of the islands.

   10 marks

5. Kumar Suresh Singh's contribution in studying tribal movements.

   10 marks

6. What are the major debates related to the concept of jajmani system?

   20 marks

7. Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan aims to meet some of the Sustainable Development Goals'. Discuss.

   5 marks

8. What are the evidences available regarding crops and domesticated animals of Indus Valley Civilization? What are the views of the scholars regarding Indus script?

   5 marks

9. Critically examine the salience of F. 6. Bailey's study on Bisipara village of. Odisha.

   20 marks

10. Discuss the impact of Christianity on the tribal population of Jharkhand.

11. Discuss with examples, how general comparative analogy has been used for ethnoarchaeological studies in India.

    5 marks

12. Write an account on the contribution of Verrier Elwin in developing policies for the tribal populations in post-independent India.

    20 marks

13. Why the classifications of Indian populations, based on somatometric and somatoscopic characteristics failed to develop a common understanding of the population diversity?

    15 marks

14. Make a critical appraisal of Niyamgiri movement against mining-induced displacement.

    5 marks

15. Buddhist tribes of India.

    10 marks

16. Debate regarding the phylogenetic position of Narmada Man.

    10 marks

17. Article 37lA of the Indian Constitution.

    10 marks

18. Nature-Man-Spirit-Complex.

    10 marks

19. Contribution of L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer in Anthropology.

20. Make a critical appraisal of the mesolithic culture of Ganga basin with reference to artifacts, faunal and human skeletal remains excavated from different sites.

    20 marks

21. Discuss the impact of democratic institutions on the tribal populations of India.

    5 marks

22. Write an account on the prevalence of sickle cell disease among the tribal populations of India. What are the initiatives undertaken by the affected states to tackle with this disease?

23. Assess the contribution of colonial scholars' in studying the tribal populations of North-East India.

    20 marks

24. Does caste as a social category exist among the non-Hindu communities in India? Illustrate your answer with suitable examples..

    5 marks

25. Write an account on Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST).

    5 marks

26. Make a critical appraisal of Surajit Sinha's line of argument that tribes and castes may not be isolated social categories, but are a part of the great Indian civilization.

    20 marks

27. What are the major challenges tribal communities are facing in contemporary India?

    5 marks

28. What are the provisions given in the Constitution of India for the safeguard of the: Scheduled Caste populations?

    15 marks