UPSC Anthropology 2026

Write notes on the following in about 150 words each : (a) Health as a cultural construct (10 marks) (b) Canalization and catch-up growth (10 marks) (c) Myth as oral literature (1…

(a) What is meant by a somatotype? Discuss the Heath-Carter anthropometric method, giving its advantages over that of Sheldon's method. How can somatotyping be applied in sports s…

(a) How do the concepts of power, authority, legitimacy and social control change with changing political organization? Discuss in detail giving suitable examples. (20 marks) (b)…

(a) Discuss the phylogenetic status, characteristic features, geographical distribution and lifeways of Paranthropus. (20 marks) (b) Discuss ‘incest taboo’ as the basis of develop…

Write notes on the following in about 150 words each : (a) Ethics in anthropological fieldwork (10 marks) (b) Distinguishing features of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (10 marks) (…

(a) How would you find out that a particular disease/disorder is inherited and, if so, in which manner? Elaborate with suitable examples. (20 marks) (b) Critically discuss how cul…

(a) Discuss the mixed method approach in anthropological research. (20 marks) (b) What do you understand by fertility and mortality? How are these influenced by biological and soc…

(a) Compare Edmund Leach's structuralism with interpretive anthropology of Clifford Geertz. (20 marks) (b) In what manner is our understanding of serogenetics and cytogenetics use…

Write notes on the following in about 150 words each : (a) Dravidian language family and its tribal speakers. (10 marks) (b) Seed Eaters Model of hominid differentiation. (10 mark…

(a) What are the major debates related to the concept of jajmani system ? (20 marks) (b) ‘Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan aims to meet some of the Sustainable Developme…

(a) Critically examine the salience of F. G. Bailey’s study on Bisipara village of Odisha. (20 marks) (b) Discuss the impact of Christianity on the tribal population of Jharkhand.…

(a) Write an account on the contribution of Verrier Elwin in developing policies for the tribal populations in post-independent India. (20 marks) (b) Why the classifications of In…

Write notes on the following in about 150 words each : (a) Buddhist tribes of India. (10 marks) (b) Debate regarding the phylogenetic position of Narmada Man. (10 marks) (c) Artic…

(a) 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) (b…

(a) Assess the contribution of colonial scholars in studying the tribal populations of North-East India. (20 marks) (b) Does caste as a social category exist among the non-Hindu c…

(a) 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. (2…