Mock Test Paper - 1 (Anthropology Optional Paper- I): Questions | Anthropology Optional for UPSC PDF Download

Time Allowed: Three Hours
Maximum Marks: 250

Instructions:

1. There are EIGHT questions divided into two Sections (A and B).

2. Candidate has to attempt FIVE questions in all.

3. Question Nos. 1 and 5 are compulsory. Out of the remaining, THREE are to be attempted choosing at least ONE question from each Section.

4. The number of marks carried by a question/part is indicated against it.

5. Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate, clearly stated on the cover of the Question-cum-Answer (QCA) Booklet.

6. Word limits in questions (10 marks: 150–170 words; 15 marks: 200–250 words; 20 marks: 300–350 words) must be adhered to.

7. Attempts of questions shall be counted in sequential order. Unless struck off, an attempt will be counted even if partly answered. Blank pages in the QCA Booklet must be clearly struck off.

SECTION-A

Q1. Write notes on the following in about 150–170 words each (10 × 5 = 50):
(a) Anthropological perspective on globalization
(b) Mesolithic rock art in India
(c) Hemoglobinopathies and their anthropological significance
(d) Cultural relativism in anthropological research
(e) Role of bioarchaeology in understanding past societies

Q2. 
(a) Discuss historical particularism as a critical development to the classical evolutionism. (20) [PYQ 2024]
(b) Examine the impact of modernization on kinship systems in India with suitable examples. (15)
(c) Discuss the role of serological markers in studying human population genetics. (15)

Q3. 
(a) What is meant by karyotype? How does its analysis help in diagnosis of the chromosomal aberrations in man? (20) [PYQ 2024]
(b) Discuss the significance of the Soanian tradition in Indian Paleolithic cultures with examples. (15)
(c) Critically examine the challenges of applying evolutionary theory to human behavior. (15)

Q4. 
(a) Critically discuss the synergistic effect of biological and cultural factors in human evolution. (20) [PYQ 2024]
(b) Describe the applications of anthropometry in ergonomic design with examples. (15)
(c) Discuss the role of participant observation in anthropological fieldwork. (15)

SECTION-B

Q5. Write notes on the following in about 150–170 words each (10 × 5 = 50):
(a) Concept of animism in anthropological studies
(b) Genetic drift and its implications in human populations
(c) Economic systems in hunter-gatherer societies
(d) Importance of pottery analysis in archaeological anthropology
(e) Structural-functional approach to social organization

Q6. 
(a) Discuss the geographical distribution of Homo erectus. Taking into account its physical features, where does it fit in human evolutionary line? (20) [PYQ 2024]
(b) Examine the role of ethnographic analogy in interpreting archaeological data. (15)
(c) Critically discuss the concept of reciprocity in economic anthropology with examples. (15)

Q7. (a) Critically evaluate the contributions of Franz Boas to anthropological thought. (20)
(b) Discuss the genetics of sickle-cell anemia and its anthropological implications. (15) 
(c) Analyze the impact of colonialism on indigenous social structures. (15)

Q8. 
(a) Critically examine the concept of social stratification as a basis for sustaining social inequality. (20) [PYQ 2024]
(b) Discuss the role of mitochondrial DNA in tracing human ancestry. (15) 
(c) Examine the significance of ritual in maintaining social cohesion. (15)