SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL PAPER I UNIT WISE TREND ANALYSIS
MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS
UNIT IN PAPER 1
2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
1: Sociology – The Discipline 20 20 30 30 20 20 30
2: Sociology as a Science 40 40 60 40 30 50 30
3: Research Methods and Analysis 20 10 20 30 40 30 20
4: Sociological Thinkers 60 60 90 50 70 70 80
5: Stratification and Mobility 30 90 50 50 40 30 40
6: Works and Economic Life 40 30 40 30 30 30 30
7: Politics and Society 40 70 20 40 30 60 50
8: Religion and Society 30 20 30 30 50 40 30
9: Systems of Kinship 40 30 50 50 40 20 30
10. Social Change in Modern
60 30 10 50 50 50 60
Society
SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL PAPER II UNIT WISE TREND ANALYSIS
MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS MARKS
UNIT IN PAPER II
2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
A(i) :Perspectives on the study of Indian Society 10 20 30 10 10 30 10
A(ii): Impact of colonial rule on Indian Society 30 20 20 40 10 40 30
B(i) : Rural and Agrarian Social Structure 10 30 - - 20 - 30
B(ii): Caste System 50 30 30 50 60 50 20
B(iii) :Tribal communities in India 30 30 - 20 30 20 40
B(iv): Social Classes in India 10 20 30 - 10 - 20
B(v): Systems of Kinship in India 40 30 50 30 30 50 20
B(vi): Religion and Society 20 20 30 10 20 30 30
C(i): Visions of Social Change in India 20 20 20 0 0 0 0
C(ii): Rural and Agrarian transformation in
50 10 20 30 50 10 20
India
C(iii): Industrialization and Urbanization in
30 30 30 40 80 10 10
India
C(iv): Politics and Society 20 30 30 20 0 20 10
C(v): Social Movements in Modern India 30 10 40 20 20 40 50
C(vi): Population Dynamics 30 20 20 30 20 10 30
C(vii): Challenges of Social Transformation &
20 80 50 50 40 90 60
other Generic [GS like]
TREND ANALYSIS OF SOCIOLOGY PAPER I – 2020
Every unit of the syllabus has been covered in the questions.
Unit 6,7,10 questions were conspicuously absent in the compulsory sections but their weightage
had shifted considerably to the 20 markers.
Questions across all units were spread across both sections A and B. This was trend that had
begun in 2018 and has continued. [Unlike earlier years where Unit 1 to 5 would become Sec A
and Unit 6 to 10 as Sec B]
Compared to 2019, where 3 Indian society questions were asked in compulsory questions, this
year there is only 1. Paper I has been predominantly retained with the world sociology questions.
The effect of the pandemic was quite evident in the increased weightage for Unit 10 and
technology and development oriented questions.
There was however a marked reduction in the weightage of Unit 5, resurrection of Unit 4 in
terms of weightage.
There were no great surprises in terms of question areas or trends.
Overall this was quite a manageable paper.
The key learning being “Avoid skipping units while preparing, so as to have more choices to write
from”.
TREND ANALYSIS OF SOCIOLOGY PAPER II – 2020
The trend of touching each and every unit to ask questions continued in this paper as well. With
Section A majorly from Unit A & B, Section B from Unit C.
The questions were predominantly broad and generic.
Asking caste based specific question (not directly mentioned in the syllabus) which started in
2019 with Ranajit Guha continued this year too with the Whitehead question. Nevertheless, it
was of a manageable type and was current affairs’ oriented.
Asking Agriculture based GS type question “green chemistry” was again connected to a similar
one of 2019 on river linking and agriculture development. Of course this time it was a
compulsory one. Therefore “thinking on the feet” with sociological perspective was a prerogative.
Having said that, the question on migration and covid, malnourishment and New Educational
policy were on expected lines.
Overall, it was a blend of syllabus oriented current affairs based questions with direct from
syllabus questions.
The learning from this paper is that a wide reading, analytical thinking and correlation, bringing
a sociological touch to the mandatory GS titled questions and being poised to open up and
diversify will be the key to score well.
All the Best!
Rajitha Shivashankar, Faculty - Sociology