UPSC Sociology Syllabus

Paper I

FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIOLOGY

1. Sociology - The Discipline:

Modernity and social changes in Europe and emergence of Sociology.
Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.
Sociology and common sense.

2. Sociology as Science:

Science, scientific method, and critique.
Major theoretical strands of research methodology.
Positivism and its critique.
Fact, value, and objectivity.
Non-positivist methodologies.

3. Research Methods and Analysis:

Qualitative and quantitative methods.
Techniques of data collection.
Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability, and validity.

4. Sociological Thinkers:

Karl Marx - Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle.
Emile Durkheim - Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion and society.
Max Weber - Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.
Talcott Parsons - Social system, pattern variables.
Robert K. Merton - Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups.
Mead - Self and identity.

5. Stratification and Mobility :

Concepts - equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty, and deprivation.
Theories of social stratification - Structural functionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory.
Dimensions - Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity, and race.
Social mobility - open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources, and causes of mobility.

6. Works and Economic Life :

Social organization of work in different types of society - slave society, feudal society, industrial capitalist society.
Formal and informal organization of work.
Labour and society.
Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply.

7. Politics and Society:

Sociological theories of power.
Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups and political parties.
Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.
Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.

8. Religion and Society :

Sociological theories of religion.
Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.
Religion in modern society: religion and science, secularization, religious revivalism, fundamentalism.

9. Systems of Kinship:

Family, household, marriage.
Types and forms of family.
Lineage and descent.
Patriarchy and sexual division of labour.
Contemporary trends.

10. Social Change in Modern Society :

Sociological theories of social change.
Development and dependency.
Agents of social change.
Education and social change.
Science, technology and social change.

Paper II

INDIAN SOCIETY : STRUCTURE AND CHANGE

A. Introducing Indian Society :

(i) Perspectives on the Study of Indian Society :

Indology (G.S. Ghure)
Structural functionalism (M. N. Srinivas)
Marxist sociology (A. R. Desai)

(ii) Impact of colonial rule on Indian society :

Social background of Indian nationalism.
Modernization of Indian tradition.
Protests and movements during the colonial period.
Social reforms.

B. Social Structure:

147 Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply.

(i) Rural and Agrarian Social Structure:

The idea of Indian village and village studies.
Agrarian social structure— evolution of land tenure system, land reforms.

(ii) Caste System:

Perspectives on the study of caste systems: G. S. Ghurye, M. N. Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.
Features of caste system.
Untouchability-forms and perspectives

(iii) Tribal Communities in India:

Definitional problems.
Geographical spread.
Colonial policies and tribes.
Issues of integration and autonomy.

(iv) Social Classes in India:

Agrarian class structure.
Industrial class structure.
Middle classes in India.

(v) Systems of Kinship in India:

Lineage and descent in India.
Types of kinship systems.
Family and marriage in India.
Household dimensions of the family.
Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour.

(vi) Religion and Society :

Religious communities in India.
Problems of religious minorities.

C. Social Changes in India:

(i) Visions of Social Change in India:

Idea of development planning and mixed economy.
Constitution, law and social change.
Education and social change.

(ii) Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India:

Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation schemes. Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply.
Green revolution and social change.
Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture.
Problems of rural labour, bondage, migration.

(iii) Industrialization and Urbanisation in India:

Evolution of modern industry in India.
Growth of urban settlements in India.
Working class: structure, growth, class mobilization.
Informal sector, child labour.
Slums and deprivation in urban areas.

(iv) Politics and Society :

Nation, democracy and citizenship.
Political parties, pressure groups, social and political elite.
Regionalism and decentralization of power.
Secularization.

(v) Social Movements in Modern India :

Nation, democracy and citizenship.
Political parties, pressure groups, social and political elite.
Regionalism and decentralization of power.
Secularization.

(vi) Population Dynamics :

Population size, growth, composition and distribution.
Components of population growth: birth, death, migration.
Population Policy and family planning.
Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health.
Ethnicity and Identity movements.

(vii) Challenges of Social Transformation :

Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems, and sustainability.
Poverty, deprivation, and inequalities.
Violence against women.
Caste conflicts.
Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.
Illiteracy and disparities in education.
Ethnicity and identity movements.

FAQ

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A civil servant also referred to as a public servant, is an individual who is employed by a government department or agency in the public sector. They serve the government, not a political party, and can be found working for both central and state governments.

In India, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and State Public Service Commission (SPSC) (or GPSC in Gujarat) oversee the selection and appointment process for Civil Services. The civil services at the central level are divided into All India Services, such as IAS and IPS, as well as Central Civil Services Group-A and Group-B.

Civil servants in India are responsible for implementing policies, managing public services, and administering government programs. This is the reason the selection procedure is extremely strict, and to become a civil servant, you are required to have a wealth of knowledge regarding the political conditions, socioeconomic conditions and other pressing matters in the country.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination every year to choose the most qualified candidates for the Central Civil Services, including IAS and IPS, which are classified as All India Services. The exam pattern for all civil services, including IAS and IPS, is the same, and candidates must pass all three stages of the exam: Prelims, Mains, and Interview to be appointed as civil servants.

For IAS or IPS, a candidate must attain a higher rank among all passing candidates to obtain the preferred service. UPSC selects candidates for IAS or IPS based on the merit achieved in the UPSC-CSE. In addition, IPS candidates must meet certain physical criteria to qualify for the service.

To clear your UPSC exam on the first or next attempt, you can take help from mentors at UPSC institute in Surat, like DICS, who has experts in every subject.

While it is not compulsory for you to join a UPSC/IAS coaching centre, if you want to pass your exam with flying colours, a coaching centre helps you steer your studies in the right direction. It goes without saying that to clear the UPSC exam; you would need to follow a studying structure that might be too complex for you to crack.

The UPSC coaching in Surat teaches not only to solve the questions but follow a structured study pattern that will help you maintain a disciplined routine.

Once the Civil Services Examination results are announced, the role of the UPSC comes to an end. The responsibility of training IAS or IPS probationers then falls under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). To fulfil this purpose, the selected candidates are invited to participate in foundation training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) located in Mussoorie. Following the foundation training, those selected for IPS receive training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Academy of Administration (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad.

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