5(c) Article 371A of the Indian Constitution.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Constitutional Safeguards > Special provisions > Article 371A
2026 · Paper II
Anthropology Optional Paper II PYQ 2026
Explore 28 official UPSC Anthropology Optional 2026 Paper II questions, organised by section, marks, syllabus and topic. Model answers are coming soon.
Q1(a)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Dravidian language family and its tribal speakers.
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Situation in India > Linguistic classification > Dravidian family
Tribal India
Q1(b)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Seed Eaters Model of hominid differentiation.
Syllabus: Paper II > Palaeo-anthropology > Hominid differentiation > Seed Eaters model
Human Evolution & Primatology
Q1(c)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Tana Bhagat movement.
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Movements > Reform and political movements > Tana Bhagat movement
Ethnicity, Tribal Movements & Social Change
Q1(d)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) of the islands.
Syllabus: Paper II > PVTGs > Island tribes > Andaman and Nicobar PVTGs
Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
Q1(e)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Kumar Suresh Singh's contribution in studying tribal movements.
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Movements > Typologies > Kumar Suresh Singh
Ethnicity, Tribal Movements & Social Change
Q2(a)
20 Marks Model Answer Available
What are the major debates related to the concept of jajmani system?
Syllabus: Paper II > Traditional Indian Social System > Jajmani system > Debates
Indian Society, Caste & Civilization
Q2(b)
15 Marks Model Answer Available
'Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan aims to meet some of the Sustainable Development Goals'. Discuss.
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Development Programmes > Government schemes > DAJGUA and SDGs
Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
Q2(c)
15 Marks Answer Coming Soon
What are the evidences available regarding crops and domesticated animals of Indus Valley Civilization? What are the views of the scholars regarding Indus script?
Syllabus: Paper II > Evolution of Indian Culture > Indus Valley Civilization > Subsistence and script
Prehistoric Archaeology
Q3(a)
20 Marks Model Answer Available
Critically examine the salience of F. G. Bailey's study on Bisipara village of Odisha.
Syllabus: Paper II > Village Studies > Caste, politics and change > Bailey's Bisipara
Village India, Urbanisation & Social Change
Q3(b)
15 Marks Answer Coming Soon
Discuss the impact of Christianity on the tribal population of Jharkhand.
Syllabus: Paper II > Impact of Religion on Tribes > Christianity > Tribes of Jharkhand
Ethnicity, Tribal Movements & Social Change
Q3(c)
15 Marks Model Answer Available
Discuss with examples, how general comparative analogy has been used in ethnoarchaeological studies in India.
Syllabus: Paper II > Ethnoarchaeology in India > Method > General comparative analogy
Prehistoric Archaeology
Q4(a)
20 Marks Model Answer Available
Write an account on the contribution of Verrier Elwin in developing policies for the tribal populations in post-independent India.
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Policy > Approaches > Verrier Elwin and Panchsheel
Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
Q4(b)
15 Marks Answer Coming Soon
Why the classifications of Indian populations, based on somatometric and somatoscopic characteristics failed to develop a common understanding of the population diversity?
Syllabus: Paper II > Indian Population > Racial classification > Somatometric and somatoscopic characters
Human Genetics & Human Biology
Q4(c)
15 Marks Model Answer Available
Make a critical appraisal of Niyamgiri movement against mining-induced displacement.
Syllabus: Paper II > Development and Displacement > Movements > Niyamgiri
Tribal Problems & Displacement
Q5(a)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Buddhist tribes of India.
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Situation in India > Religion among tribes > Buddhist tribes
Tribal India
Q5(b)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Debate regarding the phylogenetic position of Narmada Man.
Syllabus: Paper II > Palaeo-anthropological evidence in India > Narmada Man > Phylogenetic debate
Human Evolution & Primatology
Q5(c)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Article 371A of the Indian Constitution.
Syllabus: Paper II > Constitutional Safeguards > Special provisions > Article 371A
Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
Q5(d)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Nature-Man-Spirit-Complex.
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Situation in India > Ecology and religion > Nature-Man-Spirit complex
Tribal India
Q5(e)
10 Marks 150 words Model Answer Available
Contribution of L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer in Anthropology.
Syllabus: Paper II > Growth of Anthropology in India > Pioneers > L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer
Foundations of Anthropology
Q6(a)
20 Marks Model Answer Available
Make a critical appraisal of the mesolithic culture of Ganga basin with reference to artifacts, faunal and human skeletal remains excavated from different sites.
Syllabus: Paper II > Prehistoric India > Mesolithic > Ganga basin sites
Prehistoric Archaeology
Q6(b)
15 Marks Model Answer Available
Discuss the impact of democratic institutions on the tribal populations of India.
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribe and Polity > Democratic institutions > Impact on tribes
Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
Q6(c)
15 Marks Model Answer Available
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?
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Health > Genetic disorders > Sickle cell disease
Tribal Problems & Displacement
Q7(a)
20 Marks Model Answer Available
Assess the contribution of colonial scholars in studying the tribal populations of North-East India.
Syllabus: Paper II > Growth of Anthropology in India > Colonial ethnography > North-East India
Foundations of Anthropology
Q7(b)
15 Marks Model Answer Available
Does caste as a social category exist among the non-Hindu communities in India? Illustrate your answer with suitable examples.
Syllabus: Paper II > Caste System > Caste among non-Hindus > Comparative examples
Indian Society, Caste & Civilization
Q7(c)
15 Marks Model Answer Available
Write an account on Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST).
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Development > Planning > DAPST
Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
Q8(a)
20 Marks Model Answer Available
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.
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribe-Caste Continuum > Great tradition > Surajit Sinha
Tribal India
Q8(b)
15 Marks Model Answer Available
What are the major challenges tribal communities are facing in contemporary India?
Syllabus: Paper II > Problems of Tribal Communities > Contemporary challenges > Overview
Tribal Problems & Displacement
Q8(c)
15 Marks Answer Coming Soon
What are the provisions given in the Constitution of India for the safeguard of the Scheduled Caste populations?
Syllabus: Paper II > Constitutional Safeguards > Scheduled Castes > Provisions
Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
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UPSC Anthropology Optional 2026 — Paper II
28 questions5(a) Buddhist tribes of India.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Situation in India > Religion among tribes > Buddhist tribes
Syllabus: Paper II > Caste System > Caste among non-Hindus > Comparative examples
Syllabus: Paper II > Growth of Anthropology in India > Colonial ethnography > North-East India
Syllabus: Paper II > Ethnoarchaeology in India > Method > General comparative analogy
Syllabus: Paper II > Constitutional Safeguards > Scheduled Castes > Provisions
Syllabus: Paper II > Traditional Indian Social System > Jajmani system > Debates
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribe and Polity > Democratic institutions > Impact on tribes
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Development > Planning > DAPST
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Development Programmes > Government schemes > DAJGUA and SDGs
1(a) Dravidian language family and its tribal speakers.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Situation in India > Linguistic classification > Dravidian family
Syllabus: Paper II > Village Studies > Caste, politics and change > Bailey's Bisipara
Syllabus: Paper II > Impact of Religion on Tribes > Christianity > Tribes of Jharkhand
Syllabus: Paper II > Evolution of Indian Culture > Indus Valley Civilization > Subsistence and script
1(e) Kumar Suresh Singh's contribution in studying tribal movements.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Movements > Typologies > Kumar Suresh Singh
5(e) Contribution of L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer in Anthropology.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Growth of Anthropology in India > Pioneers > L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer
Syllabus: Paper II > Problems of Tribal Communities > Contemporary challenges > Overview
Syllabus: Paper II > Prehistoric India > Mesolithic > Ganga basin sites
5(d) Nature-Man-Spirit-Complex.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Situation in India > Ecology and religion > Nature-Man-Spirit complex
Syllabus: Paper II > Development and Displacement > Movements > Niyamgiri
1(d) Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) of the islands.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > PVTGs > Island tribes > Andaman and Nicobar PVTGs
5(b) Debate regarding the phylogenetic position of Narmada Man.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Palaeo-anthropological evidence in India > Narmada Man > Phylogenetic debate
1(b) Seed Eaters Model of hominid differentiation.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Palaeo-anthropology > Hominid differentiation > Seed Eaters model
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Health > Genetic disorders > Sickle cell disease
Syllabus: Paper II > Indian Population > Racial classification > Somatometric and somatoscopic characters
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribe-Caste Continuum > Great tradition > Surajit Sinha
1(c) Tana Bhagat movement.
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Movements > Reform and political movements > Tana Bhagat movement
Syllabus: Paper II > Tribal Policy > Approaches > Verrier Elwin and Panchsheel