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UPSC CSE Mains 2025 — Sociology Questions with Answers

All 67 Sociology previous-year questions from UPSC CSE Mains 2025, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.

1. Q1.Middle class

   Describe the main features of Indian new middle class. How is it different from the old middle class ?

2. Q2.Weber's Verstehen

   How does Weber's Verstehen address the objectivity-subjectivity debate in sociology?

3. Q3.Social exclusion

   Elaborate on the concept of 'social exclusion' and its manifestations in contemporary Indian society.

4. Q4.Social Movements

   How can you assess the significance of social movements in the digital era? Explain.

5. Q5.Globalization

   Critically analyse the impact of globalization on the agrarian structure of India.

6. Q6.G. S. Ghurye

   How would you appropriate to characterise G. S. Ghurye as a practitioner of 'theoretical pluralism' ?

7. Q7.Sociological Theories

   Can Merton's reference group theory be relevant in understanding 'identity making' in digital world? Explain.

8. Q8.Village studies

   Who is said to be the pioneer of village studies in India ? Illustratively describe contributions of some Indian sociologists on village studies. How their approaches are distinct from each other ?

9. Q9.Political Mobilization

   Discuss the social bases of political mobilization in Independent India. Has some change occurred in these during the last 60-70 years ?

10. Q10.Sociological Theories

    How do theories of Marx, Weber and Durkheim differ in understanding religion? Explain.

11. Q11.Research Methods

    What do you mean by reliability? Discuss the importance of reliability in social science research.

12. Q12.Same Sex Marriages

    How same sex marriages are responsible for population dynamics in India ? Discuss.

13. Q13.विज्ञान एवं धर्म

    आधुनिक समाज में विज्ञान और धर्म के बीच सम्बन्ध की प्रकृति क्या है? उपयुक्त उदाहरणों के साथ इसका विश्लेषण कीजिए।

14. Q14.Science

    What is science? Do you think that the methods used in natural sciences can be applied to sociology? Give reasons for your answer.

15. Q15.Dalit Movements

    How Dalit movements in India have facilitated their Identity formation? Analyze.

16. Q16.Sustainable Development

    Is it possible to have sustainable development in India? Cite major environmental issues and suggest a few measures to achieve the sustainability.

17. Q17.Village Industries

    Bring out various factors responsible for declining of village Industries in India.

18. Q18.Sociological Theories

    What is positivism? Critically analyze the major arguments against it.

19. Q19.Social Movements

    Examine the role of social movements in bringing about social change in contemporary India.

20. Q20.Caste System

    Discuss the changing nature of caste system in India and its impact on social mobility.

21. Q21.Economic reforms

    Do you think that new economic reforms of British rule have disrupted the old economic system of India ? Substantiate your answer with suitable examples.

22. Q22.Research Methods

    What is a variable in social research? What are their different types? Elaborate.

23. Q23.Industrial class structure

    'Industrial class structure is a function of social structure of Indian society.' Do you agree with this statement ? Analyze.

24. Q24.Kinship

    What is kinship ? Briefly explain G. P. Murdock's contribution to the study of the kinship system.

25. Q25.Panchayati Raj Institutions

    Critically evaluate the role of 'Panchayati Raj Institutions' in the context of democratic decentralization.

26. Q26.Theoretical Perspectives

    Critically analyse the functionalist perspective in Sociology.

27. Q27.Historical Materialism

    Highlight the main features of historical materialism as propounded by Marx. How far is this theory relevant in understanding contemporary societies? Explain.

28. Q28.Social Stratification

    Does the structural-functionalist perspective on social stratification promote a status quo? Give reasons for your answer.

29. Q29.Social Problems

    Compare capability deprivation perspective with social capital deprivation perspective in understanding long-term poverty.

30. Q30.Forced Displacement of Labourers

    Do you think that forced displacement of labourers has caused their deprivation and resultant inequalities during the recent past years? Elaborate.

31. Q31.Poverty

    Compare capability deprivation approach with that of social capital deprivation in understanding chronic poverty.

32. Q32.Contributions of Indian Sociologists

    Discuss the contributions of G.S. Ghurye to the field of Indian Sociology.

33. Q33.Indian Social System

    'Textual perspective is important in understanding of Indian Social System.' Discuss.

34. Q34.Globalization

    Analyze the impact of globalization on the 'informal sector' in India.

35. Q35.Child Labour

    Do you think that law has been able to abolish child labour in India ? Comment.

36. Q36.Orthogenetic Changes

    Do you think that in a society like India orthogenetic changes take place through differentiation ? Do you observe continuities in the orthogenetic process ? Elaborate your answer with suitable examples.

37. Q37.Environmental movements

    Examine the contribution of the 'Chipko Movement' to the evolution of environmental movements in India.

38. Q38.Social Stratification

    Elaborate on the significance of 'Social Stratification' in contemporary society.

39. Q39.Sociological Theories

    What is common sense? How are common knowledge and sociology related to each other? Explain.

40. Q40.Social Stratification

    Examine the concept of 'Sanskritisation' as given by M.N. Srinivas.

41. Q41.Social Stratification

    Elaborate on the significance of 'Dominant Caste' in the Indian social structure.

42. Q42.Research Methodology

    What is hypothesis? Critically evaluate the significance of hypothesis in social research.

43. Q43.Contributions of Indian Sociologists

    Discuss the contribution of G.S. Ghurye to the field of Indian Sociology.

44. Q44.Civil Society Organizations

    How do 'Civil Society Organizations' such as 'NGOs' and 'Self-Help Groups' contribute to grassroots level social changes? Discuss.

45. Q45.Directive Principles of State Policy

    Elaborate on the significance of Directive Principles of State Policy.

46. Q46.Gender Bias

    Do you think that the formal workspaces are free of gender bias? Argue your case.

47. Q47.सामाजिक आन्दोलन

    माजिक आन्दोलनों के महत्त्व का आकलन कैसे कर सकते हैं? व्याख्या कीजिए।

48. Q48.Constitutional Provisions

    In what respects have the constitutional provisions changed the socio-economic and political conditions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India ? Critically examine.

49. Q49.Sustainable Development

    What do you understand by sustainable development? Discuss the elements of sustainable development as proposed in the UNDP's Sustainable Development Goals Report-2015.

50. Q50.Globalization and Society

    Assess the impact of globalization on Indian society.

51. Q51.Panchayati Raj

    Assess the working of the Panchayati Raj institutions in India.

52. Q52.State

    Assess the role of the state in the context of social welfare policies in India.

53. Q53.Gender-Based Domestic Division of Labour

    What do you understand by gender-based domestic division of labour? Is it undergoing a change in the wake of increasing participation of women in formal employment? Clarify your answer with illustrations.

54. Q54.National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

    "Educational development is the only Panacea for country's all ills and evils." Critically examine the above statement with reference to NEP-2020.

55. Q55.Elite Theory

    What would you identify as the similarities and differences in the elite theories of Mosca, Michels and Pareto? Discuss their main/crucial issues.

56. Q56.Pressure Groups

    Are pressure groups a threat to or a necessary element of democracy? Explain with suitable illustrations.

57. Q57.Labour Migration

    What are the major problems faced by the labour migrants while working in informal sectors of Indian States ? Discuss.

58. Q58.सामाजिक अनुसन्धान

    सामाजिक अनुसन्धान के सन्दर्भ में निर्देशन से आप क्या समझते हैं? निर्देशन के विभिन्न प्रारूपों पर उनके सापेक्ष लाभ और हानि के साथ चर्चा कीजिए।

59. Q59.Agrarian Class Structure

    'Agrarian class structure has been undergoing changes due to modern forces.' Critically examine.

60. Q60.Education and Skill Development

    To what extent can education and skill development be an agent of social change? Critically analyze.

61. Q61.Science and Religion

    What is the nature of relationship between science and religion in modern society? Analyze with suitable examples.

62. Q62.Nation building

    What do you mean by nation building ? What is the role of religion in nation building ? Elaborate your answer.

63. Q63.Marriage

    Give an account of the recent trends of marriage in the Indian context. How are these different from traditional practices?

64. Q64.Scope of Sociology

    In what way is the scope of sociology unique? Explain.

65. Q65.Parliament

    Examine the role of the Parliament in the Indian political system.

66. Q66.Social Stratification

    Is the social stratification theory gender-blind? Elucidate.

67. Q67.Aged Population

    What are the Private and Public network and support systems operative in Indian society for the aged? Suggest measures to curb down the challenges before care givers of the aged.