UPSC Anthropology Optional Syllabus for IAS Mains

Anthropology is one of the most popular optional subjects in the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Every topic on this page is linked to a well researched and detailed article about it, you can click and prepare entire syllabus content from here. The UPSC Anthropology Optional Syllabus for IAS Mains Exam is as follows:

UPSC Anthropology Optional Syllabus Paper I & Paper II for IAS Mains

Suggested:
Anthropology Optional Previous Year Questions Papers from 2009 to Present Year in PDF. Download Now

Anthropology Paper 1 Syllabus

S. No	Topic
1.1	Meaning, Scope and development of Anthropology.
1.2	Relationships with other disciplines : (i) Social Sciences (ii) Behavioural Sciences (iii) Life Sciences (iv) Medical Sciences (v) Earth Sciences (vi) Humanities
1.3	Main branches of Anthropology, their scope and relevance : (a) Social-cultural Anthropology (b) Biological Anthropology (c) Archaeological Anthropology (d) Linguistic Anthropology
1.4	Human Evolution and emergence of Man : (a) Biological and Cultural factors in human evolution (b) Theories of Organic Evolution (Pre-Darwinian, Darwinian and Post-Darwinian). (c) Synthetic theory of evolution; Brief outline of terms and concepts of evolutionary biology (Dollo’s rule, Cope’s rule, Gause’s rule, parallelism, convergence, adaptive radiation, and mosaic evolution).
1.5	Characteristics of Primates; Evolutionary Trend and Primate Taxonomy; Primate Adaptations; (Arboreal and Terrestrial) Primate Taxonomy; Primate Behaviour; Tertiary and Quaternary fossil primates; Living Major Primates; Comparative Anatomy of Man and Apes; Skeletal changes due to erect posture and its implications.
1.6	Phylogenetic status, characteristics and geographical distribution of the following : (a) Plio-preleistocene hominids inSouth and East Africa—Australopithecines (b) Homo erectus : Africa (Paranthropus), Europe (Homo erectus (heidelbergensis), Asia (Homo erectus javanicus, Homo erectus pekinensis (c) Neanderthal man—La-chapelle-aux-saints (Classical type), Mt. Carmel (Progressive type) (d) Rhodesian man (e) Homo sapiens—Cromagnon, Grimaldi and Chancelede
1.7	The biological basis of Life : The Cell, DNA structure and replication, Protein Synthesis, Gene, Mutation, Chromosomes, and Cell Division
1.8	(a) Principles of Prehistoric Archaeology. Chronology : Relative and Absolute Dating methods. (b) Cultural Evolution—Broad Outlines of Prehistoric cultures : (i) Paleolithic (ii) Mesolithic (iii) Neolithic (iv) Chalcolithic (v) Copper-Bronze age (vi) Iron Age
2.1	The Nature of Culture: The concept and Characteristics of culture and civilization; Ethnocentrism vis-a-vis cultural Relativism.
2.2	The Nature of Society: Concept of Society; Society and Culture; Social Institution; Social groups; and Social stratification
2.3	Marriage: Definition and universality; Laws of marriage (endogamy, exogamy, hypergamy, hypogamy, incest taboo); Type of marriage (monogamy, polygamy, polyandry, group marriage). Functions of marriage; Marriage regulations (preferential, prescriptive and proscriptive); Marriage payments (bride wealth and dowry)
2.4	Family: Definition and universality; Family, household and domestic groups; functions of family; Types of family (from the perspectives of structure, blood relation, marriage, residence and succession); Impact of urbanization, industrialization and feminist movements on family.
2.5	Kinship: Consanguinity and Affinity; Principles and types of descent (Unilineal, Double, Bilateral Ambilineal); Forms of descent groups (lineage, clan, phratry, moiety and kindred); Kinship terminology (descriptive and classificatory); Descent, Filiation and Complimentary Filiation; Descent and Alliance
3	Economic Organization: Meaning, scope and relevance of economic anthropology; Formalist and Substantivist debate; Principles governing production, distribution and exchange (reciprocity, redistribution and market), in communities, subsisting on hunting and gathering, fishing, swiddening, pastoralism, horticulture, and agriculture; globalization and indigenous economic systems.
4	Political Organization and Social Control: Band, tribe, chiefdom, kingdom and state; concepts of power, authority and legitimacy; social control, law and justice in simple Societies.
5	Religion: Anthropological approaches to the study of religion (evolutionary, psychological and functional); monotheism and polytheism; sacred and profane; myths and rituals; forms of religion in tribal and peasant Societies (animism, animatism, fetishism, naturism and totemism); religion, magic and science distinguished; magico-religious functionaries (priest, shaman, medicine man, sorcerer and witch).
6	Anthropological theories : (a) Classical evolutionism (Tylor, Morgan and Frazer) (b) Historical particularism (Boas) Diffusionism (British, German and American) (c) Functionalism (Malinowski); Structural—Functionlism (Radcliffe-Brown) (d) Structuralism (L’evi-Strauss and E. Leach) (e) Culture and personality (Benedict, Mead, Linton, Kardiner and Cora-du Bois) (f) Neo—evolutionism (Childe, White, Steward, Sahlins and Service) (g) Cultural materialism (Harris) (h) Symbolic and interpretive theories (Turner, Schneider and Geertz) (i) Cognitive theories (Tyler, Conklin) (j) Post-modernism in anthropology
7	Culture, Language and Communication: Nature, origin and characteristics of language; verbal and non-verbal communication; social contex of language use
8	Research methods in Anthropology : (a) Fieldwork tradition in anthropology (b) Distinction between technique, method and methodology (c) Tools of data collection : observation, interview, schedules, questionnaire, case study, genealogy, life-history, oral history, secondary sources of information, participatory methods. (d) Analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.
9.1	Human Genetics: Methods and Application : Methods for study of genetic principles in man family study (pedigree analysis, twin study, foster child, co-twin method, cytogenetic method, chromosomal and karyo-type analysis), biochemical methods, immunological methods, D.N.A. technology and recombinant technologies.
9.2	Mendelian genetics in man-family study, single factor, multifactor, lethal, sub-lethal and polygenic inheritance in man.
9.3	Concept of genetic polymorphism and selection, Mendelian population, Hardy-Weinberg law; causes and changes which bring down frequency-mutation, isolation, migration, selection, inbreeding and genetic drift. Consanguineous and non-consanguineous mating, genetic load, genetic effect of consanguineous and cousin marriages.
9.4	Chromosomes and chromosomal aberrations in man, methodology. (a) Numerical and structural aberrations (disorders). (b) Sex chromosomal aberration– Klinefelter (XXY), Turner (XO), Super female (XXX), intersex and other syndromic disorders. (c) Autosomal aberrations- Down syndrome, Patau, Edward and Cri-du-chat syndromes. (d) Genetic imprints in human disease, genetic screening, genetic counseling, human DNA profiling, gene mapping and genome study.
9.5	Race and racism, biological basis of morphological variation of non-metric and characters. Racial criteria, racial traits in relation to heredity and environment; biological basis of racial classification, racial differentiation and race crossing in man.
9.6	Age, sex and population variation as genetic marker: ABO, Rh blood groups, HLA Hp, transferring, Gm, blood enzymes. Physiological characteristics-Hb level, body fat, pulse rate, respiratory functions and sensory perceptions in different cultural and socio-ecomomic groups.
9.7	Concepts and methods of Ecological Anthropology: Bio-cultural Adaptations—Genetic and Nongenetic factors. Man’s physiological responses to environmental stresses: hot desert, cold, high altitude climate.
9.8	Epidemiological Anthropology: Health and disease. Infectious and non-infectious diseases, Nutritional deficiency related diseases.
10	Concept of human growth and Development: Stages of growth—pre-natal, natal, infant, childhood, adolescence, maturity, senescence. —Factors affecting growth and development genetic, environmental, biochemical, nutritional, cultural and socio-economic. —Ageing and senescence. Theories and observations —biological and chronological longevity. Human physique and somatotypes. Methodologies for growth studies.
11.1	Relevance of menarche, menopause and other bioevents to fertility. Fertility patterns and differentials.
11.2	Demographic theories-biological, social and cultural
11.3	Biological and socio-ecological factors influencing fecundity, fertility, natality and mortality.
12	Applications of Anthropology: Anthropology of sports, Nutritional anthropology, Anthroplogy in designing of defence and other equipments, Forensic Anthroplogy, Methods and principles of personal identification and reconstruction, Applied human genetics—Paternity diagnosis, genetic counselling and eugenics, DNA technology in diseases and medicine, serogenetics and cytogenetics in reproductive biology.

Anthropology Paper 2 Syllabus

S. No.	Topic
1.1	Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization—Prehistoric (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Neolithic-Chalcolithic), Protohistoric (Indus Civilization). Pre-Harappan, Harappan and postHarappan cultures. Contributions of the tribal cultures to Indian civilization.
1.2	Palaeo—Anthropological evidences from India with special reference to Siwaliks and Narmada basin (Ramapithecus, Sivapithecus and Narmada Man).
1.3	Ethno-archaeology in India: The concept of ethno-archaeology; Survivals and Parallels among the hunting, foraging, fishing, pastoral and peasant communities including arts and crafts producing communities.
2	Demographic profile of India—Ethnic and linguistic elements in the Indian population and their distribution. Indian population—factors influencing its structure and growth.
3.1	The structure and nature of traditional Indian social system—Varnashram, Purushartha, Karma, Rina and Rebirth.
3.2	Caste system in India— Structure and characteristics Varna and caste, Theories of origin of caste system, Dominant caste, Caste mobility, Future of caste system, Jajmani system. Tribe-case continuum
3.3	Sacred Complex and Nature-Man-Spirit Complex.
3.4	Impact of Buddhism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity of Indian society.
4	Emergence, growth and development in India—Contributions of the 18th, 19th and early 20th Century scholar-administrators. Contributions of Indian anthropologists to tribal and caste studies
5.1	Indian Village—Significane of village study in India; Indian village as a social system; Traditional and changing patterns of settlement and inter-caste relations; Agrarian relations in Indian villages; Impact of globalization on Indian villages.
5.2	Linguistic and religious minorities and their social, political and economic status
5.3	Indigenous and exogenous processes of socio-cultural change in Indian society: Sanskritization, Westernization, Modernization; Inter-play of little and great traditions; Panchayati Raj and social change; Media and Social change.
6.1	Tribal situation in India—Bio-genetic variability, linguistic and socio-economic characteristics of the tribal populations and their distribution.
6.2	Problems of the tribal Communities—Land alienation, poverty, indebtedness, low literacy, poor educational facilities, unemployment, under- employment, health and nutrition.
6.3	Developmental projects and their impact on tribal displacement and problems of rehabilitation. Development of forest policy and tribals. Impact of urbanisation and industrialization on tribal populations.
7.1	Problems of exploitation and deprivation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.
7.2	Social change and contemporary tribal societies : Impact of modern democratic institutions, development programmes and welfare measures on tribals and weaker sections.
7.3	The concept of ethnicity; Ethnic conflicts and political developments; Unrest among tribal communities; Regionalism and demand for autonomy; Pseudo-tribalism. Social change among the tribes during colonial and post-Independent India.
8.1	Impact of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and other religions on tribal societies.
8.2	Tribe and nation state—a comparative study of tribal communities in India and other countries.
9.1	History of administration of tribal areas, tribal policies, plans, programmes of tribal development and their implementation. The concept of PTGs (Primitive Tribal Groups), their distribution, special programmes for their development. Role of N.G.O.s in tribal development.
9.2	Role of anthropology in tribal and rural development.
9.3	Contributions of anthropology to the understanding of regionalism, communalism and ethnic and political movements.

UPSC Anthropology Optional Syllabus PDF Download

Aspirants preparing for the UPSC Anthropology Optional should always keep a copy of the syllabus within reach. A clear understanding of the syllabus helps in strategic preparation, ensuring that no important topics are missed.

The PDF provided below contains the detailed Anthropology syllabus, including all major topics and subtopics. This will help you structure your preparation, align your study materials, and systematically cover each area. Whether you’re focusing on socio-cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, or archaeological anthropology, this syllabus acts as a roadmap to streamline your learning.

Download the PDF now and use it as a reference to track your progress and optimize your answer-writing practice.

Download: UPSC Anthropology Optional Syllabus PDF Download

Official Anthropology Syllabus Screenshots

UPSC Anthropology Optional Syllabus by Anthroholic

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Anthropology Optional PYQ Papers

The UPSC Anthropology Optional consists of two papers, each worth 250 marks, totaling 500 marks. Both papers are three hours long. Paper I focuses on general anthropological concepts and theories, while Paper II applies these principles to the Indian context. Each paper is divided into two sections, with four questions in each section. In both papers, the first question of Section 1 and the fifth question of Section 2 are compulsory. Candidates must choose and answer three additional questions from the remaining six, selecting those they can answer most effectively.

Anthropology PYQ Paper 1

Anthropology PYQ Paper 2

How to Prepare for UPSC Anthropology Optional?

Anthropology is one of the most scoring optional subjects in the UPSC Mains, provided candidates develop conceptual clarity and integrate case studies, diagrams, and examples in their answers. A structured and disciplined approach to covering the syllabus is essential to mastering this subject. Below are some key strategies to help you prepare effectively:

Master the Syllabus and PYQs: Start by thoroughly analyzing the Anthropology syllabus and previous years’ question papers. This will help you understand the recurring themes and prioritize topics accordingly. Identifying high-weightage areas can streamline your study plan.
Strengthen Your Fundamentals: A solid foundation is crucial in Anthropology. Begin with core topics such as human evolution, genetics, social structures, and tribal studies. Reading NCERTs (Biology & Sociology) will provide a basic understanding before diving into advanced materials.
Choose the Right Books and Resources: Standard textbooks like Ember & Ember for Social Anthropology, P Nath for Physical Anthropology, and Nadeem Hasnain for Indian Anthropology are highly recommended. Supplement your reading with journals like The Indian Anthropologist and government reports on tribal affairs for contemporary updates.
Integrate Diagrams and Flowcharts: Anthropology answers become more effective with visual representation. Regularly practice drawing human evolution sequences, kinship diagrams, and cultural adaptation models to make your answers more impactful.
Use Case Studies and Real-Life Examples: Illustrate theoretical concepts with real-world examples. Incorporate case studies from tribal reports, census data, and government schemes to enrich your answers. Keeping track of articles from The Hindu, EPW, and Yojana will help in this aspect.
Answer Writing and Revision: Practice is key. Attempt past 10–15 years of UPSC Anthropology questions, and focus on structuring answers with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Use a comparative approach while addressing socio-cultural aspects and always link theories to practical applications. Refer to this detailed article about Answer Writing for Anthropology Optional.

By following these strategies with dedication and regular revision, you can develop a strong command over Anthropology and maximize your score in the UPSC Mains.

Anthropology Optional Success Rate

Anthropology has consistently been a popular optional subject in the UPSC Civil Services Examination, often yielding a commendable success rate. Below is a detailed year-wise table showcasing the number of candidates who appeared for Anthropology as their optional subject, the number recommended, and the corresponding success rates from 2011 to 2020.

Year	Candidates Appeared	Candidates Recommended	Success Rate (%)
2011	463	61	13.2
2012	579	38	6.6
2013	449	53	11.8
2014	619	68	11.0
2015	641	95	14.8
2016	345	37	10.7
2017	880	85	9.7
2018	797	65	8.2
2019	1,189	108	9.1
2020	1,211	100	8.3

Note: Data for the years 2021 to 2024 is currently unavailable.

Analysis and Insights:

Consistent Performance: Anthropology has maintained a relatively high success rate over the years, often hovering around 9% to 14%. This consistency highlights its viability as an optional subject for aspirants.
Peak Success: The year 2015 witnessed the highest success rate at 14.8%, with 95 out of 641 candidates recommended.
Fluctuations: While the number of candidates opting for Anthropology has varied, the success rate has remained fairly stable, indicating the subject’s consistent scoring potential.

Factors Contributing to Success in Anthropology Optional

Structured Syllabus: Anthropology offers a well-defined and concise syllabus, making it manageable for aspirants to cover comprehensively.
Interdisciplinary Nature: The subject’s overlap with General Studies, especially in areas related to society and culture, provides an added advantage.
Availability of Resources: Numerous coaching institutes and online platforms offer specialized guidance for Anthropology, aiding in better preparation.
Scoring Potential: With its scientific approach and empirical nature, Anthropology allows for objective answers, which can be advantageous in scoring.

Choosing Anthropology as an optional subject in the UPSC examination has proven beneficial for many candidates over the years. Its consistent success rate, coupled with a structured syllabus and interdisciplinary relevance, makes it an attractive choice. However, aspirants should assess their personal interest and aptitude in the subject before making a decision.

Frequently Asked Questions about Anthropology Optional

Can Anthropology be completed in 3 months?

While some aspirants have managed to cover the Anthropology syllabus in 3 months, it typically requires 4 to 6 months of dedicated preparation for a comprehensive understanding. The syllabus is vast, encompassing topics like socio-cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeological anthropology. Rushing through it might compromise depth and retention. A structured study plan, consistent effort, and regular revisions are essential for effective preparation.

Is Anthropology high scoring?

Yes, Anthropology is considered a high-scoring optional. Its scientific nature allows for objective answers, and the inclusion of diagrams can enhance clarity and fetch better marks. With proper guidance and structured answers, candidates can achieve excellent scores. For instance, several toppers have secured ranks with Anthropology as their optional, reflecting its scoring potential.

Can candidates from science backgrounds score high in Anthropology?

Absolutely. Candidates with science or engineering backgrounds often find Anthropology’s scientific theories and methodologies familiar, aiding in better comprehension. Subjects like human evolution, genetics, and biological diversity resonate with their prior knowledge, potentially leading to higher scores. However, success also depends on interest and consistent effort.

What are the important topics in Anthropology for UPSC?

Key topics include:
Physical Anthropology: Human evolution, genetics, and biological diversity.
Social-Cultural Anthropology: Marriage, family, kinship, economic and political organizations, and religion.
Archaeological Anthropology: Prehistoric cultures and archaeological methods.
Linguistic Anthropology: Language and communication.
Focusing on these areas, along with practicing diagrams and case studies, can enhance answer quality.

Is Anthropology optional suitable for non-science background candidates?

Yes, Anthropology is accessible to candidates from non-science backgrounds. While it incorporates scientific concepts, they are presented in a manner that is understandable with dedicated study. Many successful candidates without a science background have excelled in Anthropology by focusing on conceptual clarity and consistent practice.

Which is the best Platform to learn Anthropology Optional?

For UPSC aspirants opting for Anthropology as their optional subject, Anthroholic offers a comprehensive course with a micro-topic-based approach, ensuring in-depth coverage of the syllabus. The platform provides interactive tools like quizzes and answer-writing practices, along with free resources such as eBooks and video lectures, making it a valuable resource for mastering Anthropology.

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UPSC Anthropology Optional Syllabus for IAS Mains

Anthropology Paper 1 Syllabus

Anthropology Paper 2 Syllabus

UPSC Anthropology Optional Syllabus PDF Download

Official Anthropology Syllabus Screenshots