Political Science & IR

Syllabus & Strategy

Exam Structure & Papers

Paper-I: Foundations of Sociology

Sociological perspectives and methods
Social structure and stratification
Family and kinship systems
Religion and society
Education and social change

Paper-II: Indian Society

Caste system in India
Village and tribal communities
Social movements
Gender and development
Urban society and urbanization

Recommended Booklist

Introduction to Sociology by Anthony Giddens
Indian Society by Rajendra Singh
Caste in Modern India by Surinder Jodhka
The Social Life of Things by Arjun Appadurai
Understanding Indian Society by Yogendra Singh

Topper Strategy

Focus on understanding concepts deeply rather than memorizing. Create mind maps for complex topics, practice answer writing regularly, and reference standard textbooks. Maintain a topical compilation from newspapers and journals throughout the year for current examples.