The UPSC held the CSE 2025 Mains examination on the 31st of August, which included the Anthropology Optional Paper. For candidates, this serves as a pivotal examination. Such a vast subject needed to be divided into smaller sections to be covered, and this paper truly scrutinised the core concepts, the seat of analytical skills, and the knowledge of relating anthropology to the societal issues of today. Future candidates must take inspiration from this year’s test and questions to maintain in-depth discipline on the paper; this deeply focuses on the basic theories and their usefulness to practical issues and real life.
| Exam Name | UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam 2025 |
| Total Optional Subjects in the UPSC CSE Exam | 48 subjects |
| UPSC Anthropology Optional Exam Date | August 31st, 2025 |
| UPSC Anthropology Optional Paper Duration | Anthropology Optional Paper-I (Morning Session – 9 AM to 12 PM) Anthropology Optional Paper-II (Afternoon Session – 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM) |
| Total Marks (Anthropology Optional) | 500 Marks (250 Marks Each) |
UPSC Mains 2025 Anthropology Optional Paper-I
SECTION-A
1. Write notes on the following in 150 words each: 10×5=50
1.(a) Mendelian and non-Mendelian traits. 10 Marks
1.(b) Theoretical significance of Purum kinship-system. 10 Marks
1.(c) Osteodontokeratik culture and its makers. 10 Marks
1.(d) Smell as a signal among non-human primates. 10 Marks
1.(e) Culture and embodiment. 10 Marks
2.(a) Discuss the Miocene hominoid remains and their significance in evolution. 20 Marks
2.(b) Compare and contrast the symbolic approaches of Clifford Geertz and Victor Turner to understand culture.
15 Marks
2.(c) How political economy is integrated with ecological and adaptability perspectives in bio-cultural anthropology? 15 Marks
3.(a) How anthropologists assess the nutritional status of a community? Discuss the significance of intersectionality of ecology, culture, and social inequality in the study of nutritional anthropology. 20 Marks
3.(b) Critically examine the drawbacks in assuming culture as an ‘integrated-closed15 system in understanding of contemporary society. 15 Marks
3.(c) Differentiate between pedigree and genealogical analyses. Discuss the history and application of these methods in anthropological studies. 15 Marks
4.(a) Anthropology provides a multidimensional understanding of human beings by bridging the gap between science and humanities. Elucidate. 20 Marks
4.(b) Write a note on Mousterian tool tradition, Mousterian culture and its makers. 15 Marks
4.(c) Critically examine James Frazer’s theory of evolutionism. Elucidate the place of religion in modernity. 15 Marks
SECTION-B
5. Write notes on the following in about 150 words each: 10×5=50
5.(a) Multispecies, Multi-sited and Critical Ethnography. 10 Marks
5.(b) Evolutionary significance of menopause. 10 Marks
5.(c) Fission track dating method and its applications. 10 Marks
5.(d) Mitochondrial DNA and human evolution. 10 Marks
5.(e) Foetal origin of adult diseases and contribution of David Barker. 10 Marks
6.(a) What are genetic markers? Discuss their applications in understanding population variation, disease association and forensics. 20 Marks
6.(b) “The agenda of biological anthropology became more scientific from the middle of the twentieth century.” Justify. 15 Marks
6.(c) Describe briefly the theoretical perspectives in linguistic anthropology to explain the relationship of culture, language and thought. 15 Marks
7.(a) How the study of variation in forms of marriage led to a rethinking on the concepts of social reproduction, kinship and family? 20 Marks
7.(b) What are the major theories proposed in support of the origin of food production? How the change in subsistence economy brought revolution during this period? 15 Marks
7.(c) Critically discuss the centrality of the African continent in the narrative of human evolution. 15 Marks
8.(a) How the theories of postmodernism are relevant in promoting social justice and empowerment of marginalised communities? 20 Marks
8.(b) ‘Genome-wide Disease Association Studies (GWAS) advanced our understanding of health and disease.’ Discuss. 15 Marks
8.(c) Examine the utility of human remains in forensic analysis. Discuss the facial reconstruction technique. 15 Marks
UPSC Mains 2025 Anthropology Optional Paper- PAPER-II
SECTION-A
- Write short notes on the following in about 150 words each: 10×5=50
(a) ‘Soanian cultural’ tradition
(b) Çaste domination, factionalism and political power
(c) Regionalism and Autonomy
(d) Verrier Elwin’s philosophy with respect to Arunachal Pradesh
(e) Characteristics and communication between Little and Great Traditions
2. (a) Discuss the palaeoanthropological significance of Siwaliks of India giving its subdivisions, fossil primate fauna and major primate fossil localities. 20 Marks
(b) Delineate the major features of S. S. Sarkar’s classification of Indian populations. Was his classification better than Risley? Explain. 15 Marks
(c) Evaluate the impact of Christianity on Scheduled Tribe societies of North-East India. 15 Marks
3. (a) Describe the distinctive features and distribution of Upper Palaeolithic of India. 20 Marks
(b) Examine the environmental and biocultural factors influencing the health of tribals of India. 15 Marks
(c) Highlight the significant contributions of B. S. Guha, Irawati Karve, and S. R. K. Chopra to Indian Anthropology. 15 Marks
4. (a) What are the different types of caste mobility in India? Highlight the various factors responsible for it. 20 Marks
(b) Elucidate the role of demographic and social factors for population growth in India. 15 Marks
(c) Critically examine the concept of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and mention the limitations of the administrator’s criteria. 15 Marks
SECTION-B
5. Write short notes on the following in about 150 words each: 10×5=50
(a) Impact of urbanization and industrialization on tribal communities of India
(b) Taxonomic status of Ramapithecus in the light of Ramapithecus-Sivapithecus controversy
(c) Tribalism and Pseudotribalism
(d) Varnashrama and its contemporary relevance
(e) Lothal dockyard and international trade relations
6. (a) “The village was not merely a place where people lived; it had a design in which were reflected the basic values of Indian civilization,” Who said this? Elaborate. 20 Marks
(b) Discuss the role of NGOs in the socioeconomic and political development of weaker sections and the manner in which they facilitate other stakeholders. 15 Marks
(c) Trace the history and describe the methods of formulating the lists of OBCs, the State and National levels. 15 Marks
7. (a) Identify the contemporary limitations in the process of tribal development. How can anthropological knowledge contribute in this process? 20 Marks
(b) Discuss the rising ethnic conflicts in India and propose their possible remedial measures. 15 Marks
(c) Critically evaluate the concept of Nation-State and describe its impact on indigenous societies. 15 Marks
8. (a) Describe the nature of traditional socioeconomic interdependence among the Toda, Kota, Kurumba and Irula tribes of Nilgiri Hills. Highlight the changes occurring in these interrelationships. 20 Marks
(b) Define minority. Elaborate the patterns of linguistic and religious minorities in India. 15 Marks
(c) What are the identifying criteria for PVTGs in India? Examine their current status, nomenclature and distribution. 15 Marks
UPSC Mains 2025 Anthropology Optional Papers PDF
With the conclusion of the UPSC Civil Services Mains 2025 Anthropology Optional Paper Examination, students and educators alike now have access to the examination paper in PDF format. The paper acts as an archive of questions and is a crucial reference for Anthropology optional preparation, giving students the ability to understand the nuances of the subject. The examination paper can be scrutinized to gain a deeper understanding of the core areas of focus and the difficulty level of the questions in Anthropology. The link for the Mains 2025 Anthropology Optional Paper PDF is attached below, from which the paper can be downloaded.
How to download the UPSC Civil Services Mains 2025 Anthropology Optional Papers?
To download the UPSC Civil Services Mains 2025 Anthropology Optional Papers, follow these steps:
- Visit the Official UPSC Website: Go to the official website of the Union Public Service Commission at upsc.gov.in
- Navigate to the Examination Section: Look for the ‘Examinations’ tab in the main menu and click on it.
- Select ‘Previous Year Papers’: Within the Examinations section, find the link for ‘Previous Year Papers’ papers.
- Locate the 2025 Mains Examination Papers: Look for the section dedicated to the 2025 Civil Services Mains Examination.
- Find the Anthropology Optional Paper: Scroll through the list of available papers to locate the Anthropology Optional Paper.
- Download the PDF: Click on the link for the Anthropology Optional Paper to open it. Then, you can download the PDF file by clicking the download icon or using the ‘Save As’ option from your browser.
- Save for Reference: Once downloaded, save the document in a folder for easy access and future reference.
UPSC has released the Mains 2025 Anthropology Optional paper which acts as an essential resource to analyse the requirements of the exam and plan preparation and strategy accordingly. For further details on the Anthropology Optional questions, and other descriptive exams, keep following and use the link to download the Anthropology Optional questions.
