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UPSC CSE Mains 2020 — Anthropology Questions with Answers
All 56 Anthropology previous-year questions from UPSC CSE Mains 2020, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.
Practice Anthropology as a timed test →- Q1.Prehistoric Archaeology
Write a short note in about 150 words: Natufian culture.
- Q2.Linguistic Anthropology
Write a short note in about 150 words: Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.
- Q3.Physical & Biological Anthropology
Write a short note in about 150 words: Human rights and Cultural relativism.
- Q4.Anthropological Theories
Write a short note in about 150 words: Victor Turner and Liminality.
- Q5.Physical & Biological Anthropology
Write a short note in about 150 words: Jane Goodall's contributions in studying primate behaviour.
- Q6.Physical & Biological Anthropology
Critically evaluate the contesting theories of the emergence and dispersal of modern Homo Sapiens.
- Q7.Anthropological Theories
Discuss Erving Goffman's concept of total institutions and its relevance in contemporary society.
- Q8.Prehistoric Archaeology
Differentiate between Lower Palaeolithic culture and Middle Palaeolithic culture with suitable examples.
- Q9.Social-Cultural Anthropology
Explain the impact of feminist movement on universality of marriage and family structure.
- Q10.Physical & Biological Anthropology
Critically examine the demographic and epidemiological consequences with rise in food production and sedentism.
- Q11.Physical & Biological Anthropology
Elucidate how Darwin and Post-Darwin theories of evolution resulted in the development of Synthetic theory of evolution.
- Q12.Anthropological Theories
Discuss various anthropological approaches to the study of personality and culture.
- Q13.Physical & Biological Anthropology
Illustrate with examples the various types of locomotion patterns among the non-human primates.
- Q14.Social-Cultural Anthropology
How is the construct of power linked to the notion of conspicuous consumption and its impact on distributive justice?
- Q15.Human Genetics & Molecular Anthropology
Write a short note in about 150 words: Racism and Eugenics.
- Q16.Human Genetics & Molecular Anthropology
Write a short note in about 150 words: Genetic drift.
- Q17.Research Methods & Fieldwork
Write a short note in about 150 words: Experiential Ethnography.
- Q18.Human Genetics & Molecular Anthropology
Write a short note in about 150 words: Ethics and Genetic engineering.
- Q19.Physical & Biological Anthropology
Write a short note in about 150 words: Senescence.
- Q20.Physical & Biological Anthropology
Secular trend in human growth can be positive, negative or neutral. Illustrate with examples.
- Q21.Tribal & Indigenous India
Describe the impact of infectious diseases on indigenous populations.
- Q22.Human Genetics & Molecular Anthropology
How may numerical aberrations in sex chromosomes lead to genetic disorders?
- Q23.Linguistic Anthropology
Explain how variations in language usage is related to social inequality.
- Q24.Physical & Biological Anthropology
Describe the biocultural responses to extreme climatic events.
- Q25.Social-Cultural Anthropology
How do marriage rules impact the gene pool of populations?
- Q26.Fundamentals of Anthropology
How can synergising the core branches of anthropology reinvigorate the holistic spirit of the discipline?
- Q27.Human Genetics & Molecular Anthropology
What are the applications of human genomic research in human welfare?
- Q28.Anthropological Theories
How have interpretation and presentation of data changed from classical to contemporary writings in anthropological texts?
- Q29.Prehistoric Archaeology
Write a short note in about 150 words: Contribution of Robert Bruce Foote to Indian Archaeology.
- Q30.Indian Prehistory & Populations
Write a short note in about 150 words: Debates on 'Aryan' invasion.
- Q31.Indian Prehistory & Populations
Write a short note in about 150 words: Contribution of K. S. Singh to Indian Anthropology.
- Q32.Indian Prehistory & Populations
Write a short note in about 150 words: Dravidian languages.
- Q33.Indian Society & Civilization
Write a short note in about 150 words: 'Khap' Panchayat.
- Q34.Indian Society & Civilization
Discuss the impact of Islam on Indian Society.
- Q35.Prehistoric Archaeology
Discuss the contribution of V. N. Misra to Archaeological Anthropology in India.
- Q36.Indian Prehistory & Populations
Elucidate the linguistic classification of Indian tribes.
- Q37.Indian Society & Civilization
Discuss the characteristics of caste system in India.
- Q38.Prehistoric Archaeology
Discuss the importance of Ethnoarchaeology in reconstructing the Past citing Indian examples.
- Q39.Indian Society & Civilization
Explain the impact of Hinduism on Tribal people of India.
- Q40.Indian Society & Civilization
Explain the reasons of caste violence in India with suitable examples.
- Q41.Indian Society & Civilization
Discuss the impact of Globalization on Indian villages.
- Q42.Tribal & Indigenous India
Describe the provisions under 6th Schedule of Indian constitution.
- Q43.Indian Society & Civilization
Write a short note in about 150 words: Concept of Sanskritisation.
- Q44.Prehistoric Archaeology
Write a short note in about 150 words: 'Narmada' Man.
- Q45.Indian Society & Civilization
Write a short note in about 150 words: Concept of 'Dominant' caste.
- Q46.Indian Prehistory & Populations
Write a short note in about 150 words: Linguistic minorities in India.
- Q47.Tribal & Indigenous India
Write a short note in about 150 words: Concept of Ethnicity.
- Q48.Indian Society & Civilization
What are the social and political problems of religious minorities in India?
- Q49.Indian Prehistory & Populations
Describe the functions of Tribal Research Institutes in India.
- Q50.Indian Society & Civilization
Discuss the effect of job reservation in alleviating unemployment among the tribal people of India.
- Q51.Tribal & Indigenous India
Explain the impact of development-induced displacement among the tribal people in India with suitable examples.
- Q52.Prehistoric Archaeology
Discuss the characteristic features of 'Neolithic culture' in India.
- Q53.Indian Society & Civilization
Critically evaluate the state of implementation of the constitutional safeguards for the scheduled castes.
- Q54.Tribal & Indigenous India
Discuss regionalism and the demand for autonomy in India from an anthropological perspective with respect to Kashmir/Nagaland/Bodoland/Gorkhaland agitation.
- Q55.Tribal & Indigenous India
Elucidate the problems of land alienation among the tribals of India.
- Q56.Indian Society & Civilization
Describe the different settlement patterns in rural India.
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Anthropology — other years
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