Syllabus
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
- • Indian Culture – Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
• Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues
• The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
• Post-independence Consolidation and Reorganization within the
• History of the World will include events from 18th century such as Industrial Revolution, World Wars, Redrawal of National Boundaries, Colonization, Decolonization, political philosophies like Communism, Capitalism, Socialism etc. – their forms and effect on the society.
• Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
• Role of Women and Women’s Organization, Population and Associated Issues, Poverty and Developmental issues, Urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Effects of Globalization on Indian society.
• Social Empowerment, Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism.
• Salient features of World’s Physical Geography.
• Distribution of Key Natural Resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
• Important Geophysical Phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
PYQs
2024
- 1. How do the paintings of Ajanta and the folk art of Kalighat reflect people’s emotions, beliefs, and social life? (150 words) (10 marks)
2. Write a short note on Bharata Muni’s Natya Shastra. (150 words) (10 marks)
3. Write a short note on the achievements of Women’s Self Defense Corps (WSDC) in Kashmir with special reference to Kanta Wazin. (150 words) (10 marks)
4. Write briefly on the strengths and shortcomings of Moderates in the freedom movement. (150 words) (10 marks)
5. Highlight the contributions of Rabindranath Tagore in making of modern India. (150 words) (10 marks)
6. Write a brief note on the Suez Crisis of 1956. What were its consequences? (150 words) (10 marks)
7. India’s renewable energy capacity has grown manifold in recent years. In this regard, discuss the key government initiatives that are accelerating the achievement of India’s clean energy targets (150 words) (10 marks)
8. Discuss the consequences of climate change on food security in tropical countries. (150 words) (10 marks)
9. Evaluate the impact of improved road and rail connectivity on tourism and livelihoods in Jammu & Kashmir. (150 words) (10 marks)
10. Explain the geographical factors responsible for the predominance of vineyards in the Mediterranean region. (150 words) (10 marks)
11. Discuss in brief the growth of trade union movement in India from 1920 to 1930. (250 words) (15 marks)
12. Discuss Sufism in Kashmir with special reference to Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani. (250 words) (15 marks)
13. What were the impacts of British de-industrialization of India on traditional artisanal industry and rural economy of India? (250 words) (15 marks)
14. ‘He was the first Indian Muslim who felt the need of a fresh orientation of Islam and worked for it.’ Evaluate the contributions of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in light of this statement. (250 words) (15 marks)
15. To what extent did land reforms and the adoption of democratic institutions contribute to socio-political stability in post-independence India? (250 words) (15 marks)
16. Discuss how recent policies on semiconductor manufacturing are influencing locational shifts in India’s secondary sector industries. (250 words) (15 marks)
17. How has globalization impacted the rural-urban divide in Indian society? Discuss. (250 words) (15 marks)
18. Developing India’s maritime sector is key to supporting the country’s trade, economic growth, and geopolitical ambitions. Discuss in light of recent developments in the maritime sector. (250 words) (15 marks)
19. What is temperature inversion? Explain its impact on local weather conditions with suitable examples. (250 words) (15 marks)
20. Evaluate the hydroelectric potential of India and examine the factors responsible for its uneven spatial distribution. (250 words) (15 marks) 2023
- 1. Write a short essay on Purusarthas. (150 words) (10)
2. Write a note on the significance of Dholavira, the World Heritage Site. (150 words) (10)
3. Write a short essay on the Nilamata Purana. (150 words) (10)
4. Vedangas are last treatises of Vedic literature. Elaborate. (150 words) (10)
5. Distinguish, with illustrations, between the arcuate and trabeate system of Indian architecture. (150 words) (10)
6. Highlight the contributions of Aruna Asaf Ali during and after India’s struggle for independence. (150 words) (10)
7. What are heat waves? Discuss the impact of heat waves on the energy sector in India. (150 words) (10)
8. Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes. (150 words) (10)
9. What are the significance and concerns regarding lithium discovery in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir? (150 words) (10)
10. Aeolian landscape evolution is primarily concerned with the formation and extension of pediments. Comment. (150 words) (10)
11. Write a short note on Shankaracharya Temple of Kashmir. (250 words) (15)
12. Why is Samudragupta called ‘Napoleon of India’? (250 words) (15)
13. Write an essay on Kashmir’s Sufi traditions with special reference to Sheikh Nooruddin Noorani. (250 words) (15)
14. Examine the statement ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God for All’ in the context of socio-religious reform movements in late 19th Century. (250 words) (15)
15. Explain the impacts of Anglo-Sikh wars on Jammu and Kashmir. (250 words) (15)
16. What are the challenges in millet production and consumption in India? Suggest steps to enhance millet production in India apart from current initiatives in place. (250 words) (15)
17. Spreading of ‘Dead Zones’ has serious consequences on marine ecosystems. Elaborate. (250 words) (15)
18. India’s rapid urbanisation calls for sustainable and effective urban planning reforms to improve the process of urban planning in India. Discuss. (250 words) (15)
19. What is One Water Approach? Discuss its advantages in tackling water crisis in 21st century. (250 words) (15)
20. Despite India being one of the countries of Gondwanaland, its mining industry contributes much less to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in percentage terms. Discuss. (250 words) (15) 2022
- 1. Write a note on collective memory as India’s valuable intangible heritage. (150 words) (10)
2. Discuss the salient features of stupa architecture. (150 words) (10)
3. Write a note on the local self-government under the Cholas. (150 words) (10)
4. Discuss the role of Raja Ram Mohan Roy in the socio-religious awakening of 19th century India. (150 words) (10)
5. Discuss the relevance of Guru Nanak’s teachings in 21st century. (150 words) (10)
6. Aryan invasion is a myth or reality? Justify your answer. (150 words) (10)
7. Differentiate the causes of landslides between Himalayan region and Western Ghats. (150 words) (10)
8. Discuss the multidimensional implications of uneven distribution of mineral resources in the world. (150 words) (10)
9. Our earth is a playfield of two opposite geomorphic processes. Discuss. (150 words) (10)
10. How far has linguistic diversity helped in strengthening Indian unity? (150 words) (10)
11. Hampi is appropriately known as “the city etched in stone”. Explain this site’s architectural and historical significance. (250 words) (15)
12. Write a note on the Mansabdari System under the Mughal rulers. (250 words) (15)
13. Discuss Ashoka’s policy of dhamma as gleaned from his edicts. (250 words) (15)
14. Write salient features of Indo-Islamic architecture. (250 words) (15)
15. Evaluate the role of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the merger of the princely states of India. (250 words) (15)
16. Why is Indian regional navigational satellite system needed? How does it work? (250 words) (15)
17. Urbanization and migration are causing feminisation of agriculture sector in India. In the light of the statement, discuss the socio-economic impact of feminisation of agriculture sector. (250 words) (15)
18. What do you understand by seismic noise? Discuss its impact on the seismic activities on earth surface. (250 words) (15)
19. Explain cloud seeding and its associated forms, structure and environmental concerns associated with it. (250 words) (15)
20. Explaining the problems faced by the sugar industry in India, account for the measures taken by the government to support it. (250 words) (15) 2021
- 1. Write a note on Nagara style of temple architecture in India. (150 words) (10)
2. Which monument of India is the latest inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list? Write down the significance of that monument. (150 words) (10)
3. Elaborate on the literary contributions of the Gupta dynasty. (150 words) (10)
4. Write a note on pre-historic paintings with special reference to Bhimbetka rock shelters. (150 words) (10)
5. Time has come to revisit, rethink and reshape Indian Cities. Discuss. (150 words) (10)
6. Explain the geological and paleontological evidences of continental drift theory. (150 words) (10)
7. Discuss the significance of Indian Ocean as a geo-economic boundary for India. (150 words) (10)
8. What is tropical cyclone? Why don’t tropical cyclones form within 5° of the equator? (150 words) (10)
9. What are the major factors responsible for the origin of oceanic currents across the globe? (150 words) (10)
10. How can you explore the changing landscape of the ‘third gender’ movement in contemporary India? (150 words) (10)
11. Secularism in India is not just the result of Constitutional provisions but also of its syncretic heritage. Discuss. (250 words) (15)
12. Assess the functionality of Israel’s Iron Dome & how it works. (250 words) (15)
13. What is intangible cultural heritage? Discuss it with special reference to recent inclusion of ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. (250 words) (15)
14. Discuss the relevance of Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts in the 21st Century. (250 words) (15)
15. Nation building depends on strengthening of pluralities in Indian Society. Comment. (250 words) (15)
16. Indian freedom movement was not a conglomeration of different struggles or certain principles, but had a long term strategic perspective. Elaborate. (250 words) (15)
17. Explain the Bio-Physical significance of Eastern Ghats in India. Describe the steps that can be taken to conserve biodiversity in the region. (250 words) (15)
18. Landslide hazards are most prominent in the Himalayan region. Explain the geological factors of landslide hazard and its impact on the Himalayan ecosystem. (250 words) (15)
19. “India is undergoing a demographic transition the implications of which are multipronged”. Justify this statement and critically analyse. (250 words) (15)
20. The state needs to take the first step towards examining women’s actual experiences in the contexts of unequal pay, allocation of inferior work and denial of rights over their minds and bodies. Discuss. (250 words) (15) 2018
- 1. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the present day urbanization? Discuss. (10)
2. Gandhara Sculpture owed as much to the Romans as to the Greeks. Explain. (10)
3. Examine critically the various facets of economic policies of the British in India from mid-eighteenth century till independence. (10)
4. How different would have been the achievement of Indian independence without Mahatma Gandhi? Discuss. (10)
5. Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate. (10)
6. It would have been difficult for the Constituent Assembly to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India in just three years but for the experience gained with the Government of India Act, 1935. Discuss. (10)
7. To what extent can Germany be held responsible for causing the two world wars? Discuss critically. (10)
8. Describe any four cultural elements of diversity in India and rate their relative significance in building a national identity. (10)
9. Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four decades. (10)
10. Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on women in India. (10)
11. “The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides”. Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation. (15)
12. The effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce the human miseries. Explain. (15)
13. Major cities are becoming more vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss. (15)
14. Present an account of the Indus Water Treaty and examine its ecological, economic and political implications in the context of changing bilateral relations. (15)
15. What are the two major legal initiatives by the state since independence addressing discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)? (15)
16. Examine how the decline of traditional artisanal industry in colonial India crippled the rural economy. (15)
17. The women’s questions arose in modern India as a part of the 19th century social reform movement. What are the major issues and debates concerning women in that period? (15)
18. How the Indian concept of secularism is different from the western model of secularism? Discuss. (15)
19. Discuss whether formation of new states in recent times is beneficial or not for the economy of India. (15)
20. What is the significance of Industrial Corridors in India? Identify industrial corridors, explain their main characteristics. (15)
