Class 12 Sociology: CBSE Sample Question Papers (2024-25) | Sociology Class 12 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

 Page 1


1 
 
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
SOCIOLOGY (039) 
Class XII-2024-25 
Time: 3 hours                                                                           Maximum Marks: 80 
General Instructions:  
1. The question paper is divided into four sections. 
2. There are 35 questions in all. All questions are compulsory. 
3. Section A includes question No. 1-16. These are MCQ type questions. As per the 
4. question, there can be one answer. 
5. Section B includes question No.17-25. These are very short answer type questions carrying 2 marks 
each. Answer to each question should not exceed 30 words. 
6. Section C includes question No. 26-32. They are short answer type questions carrying 4 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 80 words. 
7. Section D includes question No. 33-35. They are long answer type questions carrying 6 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 200 words each. 
Question no. 33 is to be answered with the help of the given graphics. 
 SECTION-A  
1 Assertion(A): The modern state had begun to take an active interest in the development of 
early forms of public health management, policing and maintenance of law and order. 
Reason (R): This new and constantly expanding sphere of state activity required the 
systematic science of statistics. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
2.  Assertion(A): For most of us who are born and live in India, social inequality and exclusion 
no longer are facts of our lives. 
Reason(R): The everydayness of social inequality and exclusion often make them appear 
inevitable, almost natural. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
3.  While population rises in geometric progression, agricultural production can only grow in 
arithmetic progression.Which of the following appropriately explains the progressions? 
 
I. 2,4,8,16 and 2,4,6,8 respectively 
II. 2,4,6,8 and 2,4,8,16 respectively 
III. 3,6,12,24 and 3,6,9,12 respectively 
IV. 3,6,9,12 and 3,6,12,24 respectively 
 
a) I., II. 
b) II., IV. 
c) I. and III. 
d) I. and IV. 
 
1 
 
Page 2


1 
 
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
SOCIOLOGY (039) 
Class XII-2024-25 
Time: 3 hours                                                                           Maximum Marks: 80 
General Instructions:  
1. The question paper is divided into four sections. 
2. There are 35 questions in all. All questions are compulsory. 
3. Section A includes question No. 1-16. These are MCQ type questions. As per the 
4. question, there can be one answer. 
5. Section B includes question No.17-25. These are very short answer type questions carrying 2 marks 
each. Answer to each question should not exceed 30 words. 
6. Section C includes question No. 26-32. They are short answer type questions carrying 4 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 80 words. 
7. Section D includes question No. 33-35. They are long answer type questions carrying 6 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 200 words each. 
Question no. 33 is to be answered with the help of the given graphics. 
 SECTION-A  
1 Assertion(A): The modern state had begun to take an active interest in the development of 
early forms of public health management, policing and maintenance of law and order. 
Reason (R): This new and constantly expanding sphere of state activity required the 
systematic science of statistics. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
2.  Assertion(A): For most of us who are born and live in India, social inequality and exclusion 
no longer are facts of our lives. 
Reason(R): The everydayness of social inequality and exclusion often make them appear 
inevitable, almost natural. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
3.  While population rises in geometric progression, agricultural production can only grow in 
arithmetic progression.Which of the following appropriately explains the progressions? 
 
I. 2,4,8,16 and 2,4,6,8 respectively 
II. 2,4,6,8 and 2,4,8,16 respectively 
III. 3,6,12,24 and 3,6,9,12 respectively 
IV. 3,6,9,12 and 3,6,12,24 respectively 
 
a) I., II. 
b) II., IV. 
c) I. and III. 
d) I. and IV. 
 
1 
 
2 
 
4.  Assertion(A): It was in the cultural and domestic spheres that caste has proved strongest. 
Reason(R): While some boundaries may have become more flexible or porous, the borders 
between groups of castes of similar socio-economic status are still heavily patrolled. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
5.  Which of the following statements is not true with regard to colonialism and caste? 
 
a) All major social institutions and specially the institution of caste underwent major 
changes during the colonial period. 
b) All of the changes brought about by colonialism were intended or deliberate. 
c) Initially, the British administrators began by trying to understand the complexities of 
caste in an effort to learn how to govern the country efficiently. 
d) The 1901 Census under the direction of Herbert Risley was particularly important as it 
sought to collect information on the social hierarchy of caste. 
1 
 
 Read the passage given below 
 
“There is no necessary relationship between any specific form of community and the 
modern form of the state. Any of the many bases of community identity (like language, 
religion, ethnicity and so on) may or may not lead to nation formation – there are no 
guarantees.” 
 
Based on the given passage, answer Q6 and 7. 
 
 
6.  Cultural diversity can often be perceived as a source of threat to states because- 
I. states see all forms of community identity as dangerous rivals. 
II. control is difficult in case of heterogeneous identities. 
III. Suppressing cultural diversity can be very costly in terms of the subdued community. 
IV. community identities cannot act as the basis of nation-formation. 
 
a) I. and IV. only 
b) III. and IV. only 
c) I., II., III. only 
d) I., II., III., IV. 
1 
 
7.  Which of the following is not true for a community conflict? 
 
a) Communities become reversed mirror images of each other in a community conflict. 
b) People often react emotionally in case of any perceived threat to their community 
identity. 
c) Community identities provide a sense of security and satisfaction to its members. 
d) Community conflicts can be resolved easily. 
 
1 
 
8.  Assertion(A): Today, barring the North-Eastern states, there are no areas of the country 
that are inhabited exclusively by tribal people. 
Reason (R):  The term Adivasi connotes political awareness and the assertion of rights. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
 
1 
 
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1 
 
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
SOCIOLOGY (039) 
Class XII-2024-25 
Time: 3 hours                                                                           Maximum Marks: 80 
General Instructions:  
1. The question paper is divided into four sections. 
2. There are 35 questions in all. All questions are compulsory. 
3. Section A includes question No. 1-16. These are MCQ type questions. As per the 
4. question, there can be one answer. 
5. Section B includes question No.17-25. These are very short answer type questions carrying 2 marks 
each. Answer to each question should not exceed 30 words. 
6. Section C includes question No. 26-32. They are short answer type questions carrying 4 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 80 words. 
7. Section D includes question No. 33-35. They are long answer type questions carrying 6 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 200 words each. 
Question no. 33 is to be answered with the help of the given graphics. 
 SECTION-A  
1 Assertion(A): The modern state had begun to take an active interest in the development of 
early forms of public health management, policing and maintenance of law and order. 
Reason (R): This new and constantly expanding sphere of state activity required the 
systematic science of statistics. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
2.  Assertion(A): For most of us who are born and live in India, social inequality and exclusion 
no longer are facts of our lives. 
Reason(R): The everydayness of social inequality and exclusion often make them appear 
inevitable, almost natural. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
3.  While population rises in geometric progression, agricultural production can only grow in 
arithmetic progression.Which of the following appropriately explains the progressions? 
 
I. 2,4,8,16 and 2,4,6,8 respectively 
II. 2,4,6,8 and 2,4,8,16 respectively 
III. 3,6,12,24 and 3,6,9,12 respectively 
IV. 3,6,9,12 and 3,6,12,24 respectively 
 
a) I., II. 
b) II., IV. 
c) I. and III. 
d) I. and IV. 
 
1 
 
2 
 
4.  Assertion(A): It was in the cultural and domestic spheres that caste has proved strongest. 
Reason(R): While some boundaries may have become more flexible or porous, the borders 
between groups of castes of similar socio-economic status are still heavily patrolled. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
5.  Which of the following statements is not true with regard to colonialism and caste? 
 
a) All major social institutions and specially the institution of caste underwent major 
changes during the colonial period. 
b) All of the changes brought about by colonialism were intended or deliberate. 
c) Initially, the British administrators began by trying to understand the complexities of 
caste in an effort to learn how to govern the country efficiently. 
d) The 1901 Census under the direction of Herbert Risley was particularly important as it 
sought to collect information on the social hierarchy of caste. 
1 
 
 Read the passage given below 
 
“There is no necessary relationship between any specific form of community and the 
modern form of the state. Any of the many bases of community identity (like language, 
religion, ethnicity and so on) may or may not lead to nation formation – there are no 
guarantees.” 
 
Based on the given passage, answer Q6 and 7. 
 
 
6.  Cultural diversity can often be perceived as a source of threat to states because- 
I. states see all forms of community identity as dangerous rivals. 
II. control is difficult in case of heterogeneous identities. 
III. Suppressing cultural diversity can be very costly in terms of the subdued community. 
IV. community identities cannot act as the basis of nation-formation. 
 
a) I. and IV. only 
b) III. and IV. only 
c) I., II., III. only 
d) I., II., III., IV. 
1 
 
7.  Which of the following is not true for a community conflict? 
 
a) Communities become reversed mirror images of each other in a community conflict. 
b) People often react emotionally in case of any perceived threat to their community 
identity. 
c) Community identities provide a sense of security and satisfaction to its members. 
d) Community conflicts can be resolved easily. 
 
1 
 
8.  Assertion(A): Today, barring the North-Eastern states, there are no areas of the country 
that are inhabited exclusively by tribal people. 
Reason (R):  The term Adivasi connotes political awareness and the assertion of rights. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
 
1 
 
3 
 
 Read the passage given below 
 
A great many students and office-workers around the world go to work only for five or six 
days and rest on the weekends. Yet, very few people who relax on their day off realise that 
this holiday is the outcome of a long struggle by workers. That the work-day should not 
exceed eight hours, that men and women should be paid equally for doing the same work, 
that workers are entitled to social security and pension — these and many other rights were 
gained through social movements. Social movements have shaped the world we live in 
and continue to do so. 
Based on the given passage, answer Q9 and 10. 
 
 
9.   Which of the following statements is incorrect? 
 
a) The rights we enjoy just happened to exist. 
b) Social movements not only change societies; they also inspire other social 
movements. 
c) Movements are directed against the state and takes the form of demanding changes 
in state policy or practice. 
d) A social movement requires sustained collective action over time. 
1 
 
10.  Social Movements is an important subject matter of Sociology because- 
I. These protests were perceived by elites as a major threat to the established order of 
society. 
II. ‘crowd’ and the ‘mob’ were not made up of anarchic hooligans out to destroy society. 
Instead, they too had a ‘moral economy’. 
III. Public resorted to protest because they had no other way of expressing their anger 
and resentment against deprivation. 
IV. There was an anxiety among people to maintain the prevailing social order. 
 
a) I. and IV. 
b) III. and IV. 
c) II., IV. and III. 
d) I., II., and III. 
 
1 
 
11.  Which of the following statements is not true for the Indian government’s policy of 
liberalisation? 
 
a) Private companies, especially foreign firms, are encouraged to invest in sectors earlier 
reserved for the government. 
b) Foreign products are now easily available in Indian shops. 
c) Indian companies have ensured that they work within national boundaries. 
d) Licenses are no longer required to open industries. 
1 
 
12.  Which of the following is not true for stereotypes? 
a) In a country such as India, many of these stereotypes are partly colonial creations. 
b) They are flexible characterisations of a group of people. 
c) Stereotypes are often applied to ethnic and racial groups and to women.  
d) Prejudices are often grounded in stereotypes. 
1 
 
13.  Assertion (A): Sanskritisation normally presupposes either an improvement in the 
economic or political position of the group concerned or a higher group self-consciousness 
resulting from its contact with a source of the ‘Great Tradition’.  
Reason (R):  In a highly unequal society such as India there were and still are obstacles to 
any easy taking over of the customs of the higher castes by the lower. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
1 
 
Page 4


1 
 
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
SOCIOLOGY (039) 
Class XII-2024-25 
Time: 3 hours                                                                           Maximum Marks: 80 
General Instructions:  
1. The question paper is divided into four sections. 
2. There are 35 questions in all. All questions are compulsory. 
3. Section A includes question No. 1-16. These are MCQ type questions. As per the 
4. question, there can be one answer. 
5. Section B includes question No.17-25. These are very short answer type questions carrying 2 marks 
each. Answer to each question should not exceed 30 words. 
6. Section C includes question No. 26-32. They are short answer type questions carrying 4 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 80 words. 
7. Section D includes question No. 33-35. They are long answer type questions carrying 6 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 200 words each. 
Question no. 33 is to be answered with the help of the given graphics. 
 SECTION-A  
1 Assertion(A): The modern state had begun to take an active interest in the development of 
early forms of public health management, policing and maintenance of law and order. 
Reason (R): This new and constantly expanding sphere of state activity required the 
systematic science of statistics. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
2.  Assertion(A): For most of us who are born and live in India, social inequality and exclusion 
no longer are facts of our lives. 
Reason(R): The everydayness of social inequality and exclusion often make them appear 
inevitable, almost natural. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
3.  While population rises in geometric progression, agricultural production can only grow in 
arithmetic progression.Which of the following appropriately explains the progressions? 
 
I. 2,4,8,16 and 2,4,6,8 respectively 
II. 2,4,6,8 and 2,4,8,16 respectively 
III. 3,6,12,24 and 3,6,9,12 respectively 
IV. 3,6,9,12 and 3,6,12,24 respectively 
 
a) I., II. 
b) II., IV. 
c) I. and III. 
d) I. and IV. 
 
1 
 
2 
 
4.  Assertion(A): It was in the cultural and domestic spheres that caste has proved strongest. 
Reason(R): While some boundaries may have become more flexible or porous, the borders 
between groups of castes of similar socio-economic status are still heavily patrolled. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
5.  Which of the following statements is not true with regard to colonialism and caste? 
 
a) All major social institutions and specially the institution of caste underwent major 
changes during the colonial period. 
b) All of the changes brought about by colonialism were intended or deliberate. 
c) Initially, the British administrators began by trying to understand the complexities of 
caste in an effort to learn how to govern the country efficiently. 
d) The 1901 Census under the direction of Herbert Risley was particularly important as it 
sought to collect information on the social hierarchy of caste. 
1 
 
 Read the passage given below 
 
“There is no necessary relationship between any specific form of community and the 
modern form of the state. Any of the many bases of community identity (like language, 
religion, ethnicity and so on) may or may not lead to nation formation – there are no 
guarantees.” 
 
Based on the given passage, answer Q6 and 7. 
 
 
6.  Cultural diversity can often be perceived as a source of threat to states because- 
I. states see all forms of community identity as dangerous rivals. 
II. control is difficult in case of heterogeneous identities. 
III. Suppressing cultural diversity can be very costly in terms of the subdued community. 
IV. community identities cannot act as the basis of nation-formation. 
 
a) I. and IV. only 
b) III. and IV. only 
c) I., II., III. only 
d) I., II., III., IV. 
1 
 
7.  Which of the following is not true for a community conflict? 
 
a) Communities become reversed mirror images of each other in a community conflict. 
b) People often react emotionally in case of any perceived threat to their community 
identity. 
c) Community identities provide a sense of security and satisfaction to its members. 
d) Community conflicts can be resolved easily. 
 
1 
 
8.  Assertion(A): Today, barring the North-Eastern states, there are no areas of the country 
that are inhabited exclusively by tribal people. 
Reason (R):  The term Adivasi connotes political awareness and the assertion of rights. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
 
1 
 
3 
 
 Read the passage given below 
 
A great many students and office-workers around the world go to work only for five or six 
days and rest on the weekends. Yet, very few people who relax on their day off realise that 
this holiday is the outcome of a long struggle by workers. That the work-day should not 
exceed eight hours, that men and women should be paid equally for doing the same work, 
that workers are entitled to social security and pension — these and many other rights were 
gained through social movements. Social movements have shaped the world we live in 
and continue to do so. 
Based on the given passage, answer Q9 and 10. 
 
 
9.   Which of the following statements is incorrect? 
 
a) The rights we enjoy just happened to exist. 
b) Social movements not only change societies; they also inspire other social 
movements. 
c) Movements are directed against the state and takes the form of demanding changes 
in state policy or practice. 
d) A social movement requires sustained collective action over time. 
1 
 
10.  Social Movements is an important subject matter of Sociology because- 
I. These protests were perceived by elites as a major threat to the established order of 
society. 
II. ‘crowd’ and the ‘mob’ were not made up of anarchic hooligans out to destroy society. 
Instead, they too had a ‘moral economy’. 
III. Public resorted to protest because they had no other way of expressing their anger 
and resentment against deprivation. 
IV. There was an anxiety among people to maintain the prevailing social order. 
 
a) I. and IV. 
b) III. and IV. 
c) II., IV. and III. 
d) I., II., and III. 
 
1 
 
11.  Which of the following statements is not true for the Indian government’s policy of 
liberalisation? 
 
a) Private companies, especially foreign firms, are encouraged to invest in sectors earlier 
reserved for the government. 
b) Foreign products are now easily available in Indian shops. 
c) Indian companies have ensured that they work within national boundaries. 
d) Licenses are no longer required to open industries. 
1 
 
12.  Which of the following is not true for stereotypes? 
a) In a country such as India, many of these stereotypes are partly colonial creations. 
b) They are flexible characterisations of a group of people. 
c) Stereotypes are often applied to ethnic and racial groups and to women.  
d) Prejudices are often grounded in stereotypes. 
1 
 
13.  Assertion (A): Sanskritisation normally presupposes either an improvement in the 
economic or political position of the group concerned or a higher group self-consciousness 
resulting from its contact with a source of the ‘Great Tradition’.  
Reason (R):  In a highly unequal society such as India there were and still are obstacles to 
any easy taking over of the customs of the higher castes by the lower. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
1 
 
4 
 
14.  Assertion (A): No social group howsoever weak or oppressed is only a victim. 
Reason (R): Human beings are always capable of organising and acting on their own – 
often against very heavy odds–to struggle for justice and dignity   
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
15.  Which of the following statements is true for the tea plantations established by the British 
in India? 
 
a) The colonial administrators were clear that the measures taken on the plantation for 
labourers was different vis-à-vis the planters. 
b) Coolies lived a comfortable life on the tea plantations. 
c) Planters and coolies had a cordial relationship. 
d) Colonial administration stuck to democratic norms. 
1 
 
16.  Put the following statements in the correct order. 
I. The worker works without wages until the loan is repaid. 
II. He will loan them some money. 
III. The contractor goes to villages and asks if people want work. 
IV. They can break the contract and find another employer. 
 
a) III., II., I., IV. 
b) I., II., III., IV. 
c) IV., III., II., I. 
d) I., II., IV., III. 
 
1 
 
 SECTION-B  
17.  The dependency ratio is equal to the population below 15 or above 64, divided by 
population in the 15-64 age group. This is usually expressed as a percentage.  
In 2020, the average Indian was only 29 years old, compared with an average age of 37 in 
China and the United States, 45 in Western Europe, and 48 in Japan. What inference can 
you draw from this statement? 
2 
 
18.  Prejudice can be either positive or negative. Support the statement with suitable examples. 
OR 
Discrimination can be very hard to prove because it may not be open or explicitly stated.  
Support the statement with suitable examples. 
 
2 
 
19.  State how communalism is all about politics, not about religion. 2 
 
20.  Give an example of an anomalous instance with regard to minority groups. 
OR 
People constituting a nation may actually be citizens or residents of different states. 
2 
 
21.  Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was born in a well-to-do Bengali Muslim family, and 
was lucky to have a husband who was very liberal in outlook and encouraged her education 
first in Urdu and later in Bengali and English. She was already a successful author in Urdu 
and Bengali when she wrote Sultana’s Dream to test her abilities in English. 
Why was Sultana’s Dream considered a remarkable short story, in context of struggle for 
women’s equality and rights? 
2 
 
Page 5


1 
 
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
SOCIOLOGY (039) 
Class XII-2024-25 
Time: 3 hours                                                                           Maximum Marks: 80 
General Instructions:  
1. The question paper is divided into four sections. 
2. There are 35 questions in all. All questions are compulsory. 
3. Section A includes question No. 1-16. These are MCQ type questions. As per the 
4. question, there can be one answer. 
5. Section B includes question No.17-25. These are very short answer type questions carrying 2 marks 
each. Answer to each question should not exceed 30 words. 
6. Section C includes question No. 26-32. They are short answer type questions carrying 4 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 80 words. 
7. Section D includes question No. 33-35. They are long answer type questions carrying 6 marks each. 
Answer to each question should not exceed 200 words each. 
Question no. 33 is to be answered with the help of the given graphics. 
 SECTION-A  
1 Assertion(A): The modern state had begun to take an active interest in the development of 
early forms of public health management, policing and maintenance of law and order. 
Reason (R): This new and constantly expanding sphere of state activity required the 
systematic science of statistics. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
2.  Assertion(A): For most of us who are born and live in India, social inequality and exclusion 
no longer are facts of our lives. 
Reason(R): The everydayness of social inequality and exclusion often make them appear 
inevitable, almost natural. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
3.  While population rises in geometric progression, agricultural production can only grow in 
arithmetic progression.Which of the following appropriately explains the progressions? 
 
I. 2,4,8,16 and 2,4,6,8 respectively 
II. 2,4,6,8 and 2,4,8,16 respectively 
III. 3,6,12,24 and 3,6,9,12 respectively 
IV. 3,6,9,12 and 3,6,12,24 respectively 
 
a) I., II. 
b) II., IV. 
c) I. and III. 
d) I. and IV. 
 
1 
 
2 
 
4.  Assertion(A): It was in the cultural and domestic spheres that caste has proved strongest. 
Reason(R): While some boundaries may have become more flexible or porous, the borders 
between groups of castes of similar socio-economic status are still heavily patrolled. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
1 
 
5.  Which of the following statements is not true with regard to colonialism and caste? 
 
a) All major social institutions and specially the institution of caste underwent major 
changes during the colonial period. 
b) All of the changes brought about by colonialism were intended or deliberate. 
c) Initially, the British administrators began by trying to understand the complexities of 
caste in an effort to learn how to govern the country efficiently. 
d) The 1901 Census under the direction of Herbert Risley was particularly important as it 
sought to collect information on the social hierarchy of caste. 
1 
 
 Read the passage given below 
 
“There is no necessary relationship between any specific form of community and the 
modern form of the state. Any of the many bases of community identity (like language, 
religion, ethnicity and so on) may or may not lead to nation formation – there are no 
guarantees.” 
 
Based on the given passage, answer Q6 and 7. 
 
 
6.  Cultural diversity can often be perceived as a source of threat to states because- 
I. states see all forms of community identity as dangerous rivals. 
II. control is difficult in case of heterogeneous identities. 
III. Suppressing cultural diversity can be very costly in terms of the subdued community. 
IV. community identities cannot act as the basis of nation-formation. 
 
a) I. and IV. only 
b) III. and IV. only 
c) I., II., III. only 
d) I., II., III., IV. 
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7.  Which of the following is not true for a community conflict? 
 
a) Communities become reversed mirror images of each other in a community conflict. 
b) People often react emotionally in case of any perceived threat to their community 
identity. 
c) Community identities provide a sense of security and satisfaction to its members. 
d) Community conflicts can be resolved easily. 
 
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8.  Assertion(A): Today, barring the North-Eastern states, there are no areas of the country 
that are inhabited exclusively by tribal people. 
Reason (R):  The term Adivasi connotes political awareness and the assertion of rights. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
 
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3 
 
 Read the passage given below 
 
A great many students and office-workers around the world go to work only for five or six 
days and rest on the weekends. Yet, very few people who relax on their day off realise that 
this holiday is the outcome of a long struggle by workers. That the work-day should not 
exceed eight hours, that men and women should be paid equally for doing the same work, 
that workers are entitled to social security and pension — these and many other rights were 
gained through social movements. Social movements have shaped the world we live in 
and continue to do so. 
Based on the given passage, answer Q9 and 10. 
 
 
9.   Which of the following statements is incorrect? 
 
a) The rights we enjoy just happened to exist. 
b) Social movements not only change societies; they also inspire other social 
movements. 
c) Movements are directed against the state and takes the form of demanding changes 
in state policy or practice. 
d) A social movement requires sustained collective action over time. 
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10.  Social Movements is an important subject matter of Sociology because- 
I. These protests were perceived by elites as a major threat to the established order of 
society. 
II. ‘crowd’ and the ‘mob’ were not made up of anarchic hooligans out to destroy society. 
Instead, they too had a ‘moral economy’. 
III. Public resorted to protest because they had no other way of expressing their anger 
and resentment against deprivation. 
IV. There was an anxiety among people to maintain the prevailing social order. 
 
a) I. and IV. 
b) III. and IV. 
c) II., IV. and III. 
d) I., II., and III. 
 
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11.  Which of the following statements is not true for the Indian government’s policy of 
liberalisation? 
 
a) Private companies, especially foreign firms, are encouraged to invest in sectors earlier 
reserved for the government. 
b) Foreign products are now easily available in Indian shops. 
c) Indian companies have ensured that they work within national boundaries. 
d) Licenses are no longer required to open industries. 
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12.  Which of the following is not true for stereotypes? 
a) In a country such as India, many of these stereotypes are partly colonial creations. 
b) They are flexible characterisations of a group of people. 
c) Stereotypes are often applied to ethnic and racial groups and to women.  
d) Prejudices are often grounded in stereotypes. 
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13.  Assertion (A): Sanskritisation normally presupposes either an improvement in the 
economic or political position of the group concerned or a higher group self-consciousness 
resulting from its contact with a source of the ‘Great Tradition’.  
Reason (R):  In a highly unequal society such as India there were and still are obstacles to 
any easy taking over of the customs of the higher castes by the lower. 
 
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
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4 
 
14.  Assertion (A): No social group howsoever weak or oppressed is only a victim. 
Reason (R): Human beings are always capable of organising and acting on their own – 
often against very heavy odds–to struggle for justice and dignity   
a) A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 
c) A is true but R is false. 
d) A is false and R is true. 
 
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15.  Which of the following statements is true for the tea plantations established by the British 
in India? 
 
a) The colonial administrators were clear that the measures taken on the plantation for 
labourers was different vis-à-vis the planters. 
b) Coolies lived a comfortable life on the tea plantations. 
c) Planters and coolies had a cordial relationship. 
d) Colonial administration stuck to democratic norms. 
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16.  Put the following statements in the correct order. 
I. The worker works without wages until the loan is repaid. 
II. He will loan them some money. 
III. The contractor goes to villages and asks if people want work. 
IV. They can break the contract and find another employer. 
 
a) III., II., I., IV. 
b) I., II., III., IV. 
c) IV., III., II., I. 
d) I., II., IV., III. 
 
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 SECTION-B  
17.  The dependency ratio is equal to the population below 15 or above 64, divided by 
population in the 15-64 age group. This is usually expressed as a percentage.  
In 2020, the average Indian was only 29 years old, compared with an average age of 37 in 
China and the United States, 45 in Western Europe, and 48 in Japan. What inference can 
you draw from this statement? 
2 
 
18.  Prejudice can be either positive or negative. Support the statement with suitable examples. 
OR 
Discrimination can be very hard to prove because it may not be open or explicitly stated.  
Support the statement with suitable examples. 
 
2 
 
19.  State how communalism is all about politics, not about religion. 2 
 
20.  Give an example of an anomalous instance with regard to minority groups. 
OR 
People constituting a nation may actually be citizens or residents of different states. 
2 
 
21.  Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was born in a well-to-do Bengali Muslim family, and 
was lucky to have a husband who was very liberal in outlook and encouraged her education 
first in Urdu and later in Bengali and English. She was already a successful author in Urdu 
and Bengali when she wrote Sultana’s Dream to test her abilities in English. 
Why was Sultana’s Dream considered a remarkable short story, in context of struggle for 
women’s equality and rights? 
2 
 
5 
 
22.  Agrarian society can be understood in terms of its class structure. But we must also 
remember the structure is itself through the caste system. In rural areas, there is a complex 
relationship between caste and class. This relationship is not always straightforward. 
Give two examples to prove that the relationship is not straightforward. 
2 
 
23.  In the old social movements, the role of political parties was central. Political scientist Rajni 
Kothari attributes the surge of social movements in India in the 1970s to people’s growing 
dissatisfaction with parliamentary democracy. As a result of this people joined social 
movements or non-political party formations.  
What were the reasons for this growing dissatisfaction? 
 
2 
 
24.  “You need energy. The eyes move, the neck, the legs and the hands, each part moves. 
Weaving is done under a continuous gaze - one cannot go anywhere, the focus must be 
on the machine. When four machines run all four must move together, they must not stop. 
(Joshi 2003) 
The more mechanised an industry gets; the fewer people are employed.” What are the 
reasons for this? 
 
2 
 
25.  “Someone may be endowed with exceptional intelligence or talent, or may have worked 
very hard to achieve their wealth and status.” 
Does this statement reflect social stratification? Give reasons for your answer. 
 
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 SECTION-C 
 
 
26.  “An alternative to the nation-state, then, is the “state nation”, where various “nations”— be 
they ethnic, religious, linguistic or indigenous identities— can co-exist peacefully and 
cooperatively in a single state polity.” 
What factors are required to build enduring state-nations? 
4 
 
27.  “The present form of caste as a social institution has been shaped very strongly by both 
the colonial period as well as the rapid changes that have come about in independent India. 
The development activity of the state and the growth of private industry affected caste 
indirectly through the speeding up and intensification of economic change.” 
How has economic change affected caste? 
 
4 
 
28.  “In traditional India caste system operated within a religious framework. Belief systems of 
purity and pollution were central to its practice. Today it often functions as political pressure 
groups.” 
Illustrate the process of secularisation of caste. 
OR 
“The term modernisation has a long history. From the 19th and more so the 20th century, 
the term began to be associated with positive and desirable values. People and societies 
wanted to be modern. In the early years, modernisation referred to improvement in 
technology and production processes. Increasingly, however, the term had a wider usage.” 
What, according to sociologists, constitutes the modernisation process? 
 
4 
 
29.  “A significant change in rural society that is linked to the commercialisation of agriculture 
has been the growth of migrant agricultural labour. As ‘traditional’ bonds of patronage 
between labourers or tenants and landlords broke down, and as the seasonal demand for 
agricultural labour increased in prosperous Green Revolution regions, a pattern of 
seasonal migration emerged.” 
Elaborate on this pattern of migration. 
 
4 
 
30.  Enumerate the indicators of the process of globalisation of agriculture. 4 
 
31.  Industrialisation in the west is associated with the growth of a middle class. Discuss the 
Indian experience of the growth of this middle class. 
 
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