Syllabus and the Strategy

1.1 to 1.3 – Meaning, Scope; Relationship; Branches

 Core material: Braintree

 Value Addition: Ember & Ember

1.4 – Human Evolution

 Core material: P. Nath

 Value Addition: Ember & Ember
 For answer structure and diagrams, refer Anthropology Simplified
 Get a solid grasp of evolution and its concepts such as: Genetic recombination, directional
selection, Adaptive radiation, Darwinism, Parallelism, Neo-Darwinism etc (Given well in
Ember. Use internet as well)
 Innovate in your answers. Ex: You can depict genetic recombination through a diagram
and adaptive radiation through a flowchart. Quote examples for topics like adaptive
radiation.
1.5 – Primates
 Primary Source: P. Nath
 For better diagrams/sketches – Use Ember & Ember, Google, Anthropology
Simplified and notes of Kirthi (AIR-14, CSE 2015) published in this Insights article.
 Go through previous years question papers and prepare notes for most important topics.
It’s static and highly scoring
 Must draw diagrams with proper labelling. For example, when you draw skulls of ape and
human, you should comparatively point out changes in parts such as Zygomatic arch,
Foramen magnum, Sagittal crest etc. Practise diagrams to show evolutionary changes not
just in the skull but also foot, spinal cord, pelvis, dentition etc
 Dedicate adequate time to practise neat drawings. Your aim must be to attempt as many
questions as you can from topics like these and max out your scores.
1.6 – Fossils et al
 Primary Source: P. Nath
 Use Ember & Ember and Anthropology Simplified for value addition and diagrams
 Practise diagrams for: Australopithecus, Homo Erectus, Rhodesian man, Neanderthal
man, Cro Magnon, Grimaldi, Chancelade
 Prepare thoroughly on each and every fossil mentioned in the syllabus.
 Focus on:
 Phylogenetic Status (i.e. its place in the evolution tree, who are its
ancestors/successors, etc.)
 Characteristics (physical, cultural aspects, time-span of the fossil)
 Geographical distribution
 Who discovered the first fossil, where & when
 Distribution of the fossil in other parts of the world
 Draw map depicting site names
1.7 – The biological basis of life
 I prepared this unit entirely from the Khan academy YouTube channel
 Refer to PDF Slides for diagrams and value addition
 DNA replication, translation, protein synthesis must be illustrated with diagrams
 Highly scoring
1.8 (1) – Dating methods, etc.
 Ember & Ember
1.8 (2) Cultural Evolution

 I skipped this subtopic for lack of time.

2.1 & 2.2 – Nature of Culture and Society, etc.

 Primary Source: BrainTree

 Value addition: Ember and Ember

2.3, 2.4, 2.5; 3, 4 and 5 – Marriage, Family, Kinship, Economic Organisation, Political
Organisation, Religion

 Most important chapters of Socio-Cultural Anthro.

 Primary Sources: Braintree
 Use Ember & Ember for value addition, especially for world tribe examples. Note down
all of them in an A4 sheet and memorise.
 For all the terms (marriage, religion, magic etc), definitions must be a scholarly one.
Cram word to word and replicate in your paper.
 Always include names of relevant Anthropologist’s name, publication year, name and the
tribe on which the study was done. Eg: If you talk about Kula Ring, your answer will be
incomplete without quoting Malinowski and his work on Trobriand Islanders. Same goes
with Totemism and Durkheim.
 Also, your answer will stand out only when you quote many examples. Just quoting
Indian tribe examples won’t be enough. For instance, if you are explaining Balanced
Reciprocity, you must quote at least a couple of world tribes (Eg: trade between !Kung
and Tswana Buntu) that practice it and the significance of such a system in the tribe.
Source these examples from Ember and the internet.
 Diagrams and schematics for marriage, kinship, descent are absolutely crucial. Ember &
Ember has some good diagrams (Eg: Kula ring exchange map) and tables. Practise.
 For economic anthropology, memorise examples such as that of potlatch: Chinook of
Northern Pacific, Kwakiutl of British Columbia. Also mug up examples for tribes for each
of fishing/pastoral/horticulture etc. More the examples, better it is. Also practice rough
diagrams of tools used by these communities.
 For political organisation chapter, source examples from Ember and Ember. As I had
mentioned, quote anthropologists, their works and tribe’s names.
 Religion: Same approach as above

6 – Anthropological Theories

 Primary Source: Ember & Ember

 Additional Details: University of Alabama’s website, Braintree
 Prepare short notes on each theory. Expand on:
 Why it emerged?
 Main thinkers and their major works
 Tribes on which the study was done
 Criticism
 Balanced conclusion
 This being a very important chapter, you can go a little deep into each theory and each
thinker. You can read on the internet about the most important work of each
anthropologist mentioned in the syllabus. For example, if you read a little deeper about
Clifford Geertz and his work, you will understand how he described the Balinese
 cockfight and its relationship to the society at large. These will help you write great
answers.
 The amount of time you invest in this chapter will never go waste. Questions definitely
come from this chapter and if you write an in-depth answer, it’s a great chance to
outshine your competition.

7 – Culture, Language etc

 Braintree
 Ember & Ember
 Anthropology Simplified

8 – Research Methods in Anthro

 Primary Source: Braintree

 Easy and scoring topic
 Always mention the name of prominent anthropologist associated with a particular
method and their works. E.g. Participant-Observation method used by Malinowski for his
study on Trobriand Islanders, Genealogical Method by W.H. Rivers, etc.

9.1 to 9.4 – Human Genetics, et al

 Primary Source: P. Nath.

 PDF material for value addition
 Anthropology Simplified for diagrams
 Use internet extensively to know about technical terms such as Genetic load, genetic
drift. Your clarity of concepts must be impeccable.
 Go through previous years questions from this chapter and prepare notes for all of them
 Value addition: You can write about latest advances in Genetics such as Epigenome,
methylation and its impact on Gene expression etc to make your answers more
contemporary. You can get this content from newspapers and the internet.

9.5 – Race and Racism

 Primary Source: P. Nath

 Mug up physical characteristics of major races of the world

9.6 – Genetic Markers, Physiological characteristics etc

 P. Nath

9.7 – Ecological Anthro

 Core material: P. Nath

 You can value add from Ember and Ember: Note down adaptation and acclimatization
examples
9.8 – Epidemiological Anthropology
 I prepared this topic from the PDF material and Anthropology Simplified

10 – Growth and Development

 Primary Source: P. Nath

 Prepare short notes for each topic
 Graphs and examples are indispensible. They will enrich your answers.

11.1 to 11.3

 P. Nath
 Practise graphs and diagrams (Eg: Demographic Transition Theory etc)
 You may use internet to enrich the content. Prepare short notes.

12 – Applications of Anthropology

 Primary Source: P. Nath

 Value Addition: Anthropology Simplified, Internet, PDF material
 Very important topic of Paper I.
 Practise diagrams wherever appropriate Eg: in DNA technology, Forensic Anthropology,
serogenetics and cytogenetics etc
 Scour the internet to understand about the latest research and developments in various
fields wherein Anthropology is being applied for practical purpose. This is way you make
your answers stand out from the rest.
1.1 – Indian Prehistory, Indus Civilisation, Contribution of tribal cultures, etc.
 Primary Source: Indian Anthropology Nadeem Hasnain
 Value addition: DK Bhattacharya (Selective Reading only for this topic)
 Diagrams: Anthropology Simplified by Vivek Bhasme
 Prepare notes for each topic under various subheads
 Climate
 Tools, Tool-types, Tool-technology, Tool material
 Practice the diagrams of tools
 Prominent sites, their excavators, any uniqueness in the sites, etc.
 Draw India map and locate the sites in all your answers
 For the sub-topic “Contribution of Tribal Cultures”, I referred to Anthropology
Simplified
1.2 – Indian Fossils
 Prepare notes for a comprehensive 15 marker on Ramapithecus, Sivapithecus and
Narmada Man
 For all answers, you should quote the archaeologist name, the site and the year of
discovery and its significance
 Draw a phylogenetic to illustrate where that particular fossil fits in the whole chain
1.3 – Ethno-archaeology in India
 I skipped this topic for lack of time
2 – Demographic and Linguistic Profile
 Source: Nadeem Hasnain and Brain Tree
 Thoroughly prepare map of profile distribution – both ethnic and linguistic
 Cram Risley’s and Guha’s Classification i.e., memorise the physical characteristics and
other features of each of the race they described. Also prepare on criticism of their
classification. Basically you need to have holistic content for a 15 marker question from
this section
3.1 – Indian Social System- Varnashram, Karma, Rina, Rebirth etc.
 Core material: Indian Anthropology by Hasnain
 You can refer to Anthropology Simplified for diagrams/schematics and value addition
3.2 – Caste system in India, Varna and Caste, Theories, Caste Mobility, Dominant
Caste etc
 Indian Anthropology by Hasnain and Internet to understand about Sociology theories
little more deeply
 You can prepare notes for easy revision. It’s a static part and so if a question comes from
this section, you must answer well.
 Have a solid grip over the works of MN Srinivas, Ghurye, Louis Dumont and other
sociologists. Use internet to make in-depth notes.
 When discussing a concept, always remember to quote the relevant anthropologist name,
tribe’s name, village name, and the name of their publication. Eg: Wiser’s work on
Jajmani system, Bailey’s on Tribe-caste continuum etc. Also mention scholarly criticism
of that concept by other anthropologists etc. You must answer like a specialist, not a
generalist.
 Write about contemporary relevance of these social systems in Indian Society with
examples to substantiate the concept.
3.3 Sacred Complex, Nature Man Spirit
 Indian Anthropology by Hasnain
 Also mention about BN Saraswati’s work. You can use internet for getting details
 Link it to contemporary relevance too. Mention how when tribes that get displaced the
balance inherent between NMS get disturbed.
 Use schematic to improve presentation.
3.4 – Impact of Buddhism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity on Indian Society
 Indian Anthropology – Nadeem Hasnain.
 Anthropology Simplified – Vivek Bhasme
 This is a static part. Prepare comprehensive notes for a 15 marker.
4 – Emergence and growth of Anthro in India, Contributions, etc.
 I completely relied on Anthropology Simplified for this topic
 Cramm important Anthropologists and their work
5.1 – Indian Village Studies etc.
 I did not find any concrete material for this topic. I prepared very basic stuff from
BrainTree.
 Apart from it, wherever relevant I used to quote important village studies of major
anthropologists like Redfield and interlink with the concepts that emerged out of their
studies.
 Also prepare scholarly criticisms of these concepts. Adding a brief line or two about the
relevance of these studies on contemporary Indian society would enrich your answer.
5.2 – Linguistic and religious minorities etc.
 Prepared completely from Anthropology Simplified
 Wherever relevant quote Constitutional provisions regarding minorities
 Give some contemporary relevance. For instance, when you talk about any minority
community, try and quote any govt scheme specifically designed to benefit the
community and its evaluation.
5.3 – Indigenous and exogenous processes of socio-cultural change Sanskritization etc..
 Indian Anthropology by Nadeem Hasnain + Anthropology Simplified
 Use schematic/diagrams to improve presentation (Eg: Interplay between GT and LT)
 For Panchayati Raj and Social Change, Media and social change etc., use internet to
prepare case studies
6.1 – Tribal Situation in India – bio-genetic variability etc.
 Tribal India by Nadeem Hasnain
6.2 and 6.3 – Tribal Problems
 Tribal India + Anthropology Simplified
 Prepare notes from Xaxa report to enrich your answers
 Always be mindful of being specific. Don’t just say tribes are afflicted with ill-health and
indebtedness. Tell the examiner which specific tribe suffers from which problem, its
underlying cause, latest statistics, govt schemes, criticisms, and way forward. Quote
relevant case studies with separate side heading to draw examiner’s attention.
7.1 – Problems of SC/STs, OBCs etc, Constitutional Safeguards
 Tribal India + Anthropology Simplified
 Memorize all the Constitutional safeguards, articles, etc.
 Xaxa report has excellent content for this topic.
7.2 – Social change and contemporary tribal societies
 Source: Hasnain’s Tribal India
 The problem with this topic is that the questions would be very generic. The challenge is
to make your write answers that stand out.
 You can do this through value addition. Memorize tribal examples, case studies and
explain the specificity of the problem of a certain tribe and how it was/is being impacted
by development. For instance, some tribes suffer from ill health while others from
outright displacement. Be specific when you quote your examples. That’s how you make
a mark on the examiner’s mind.
 Suggest a good way forward as conclusion (Xaxa committee report has many good
recommendations)
7.3 – Ethnicity, Tribal Unrest, Regionalism, etc
 I prepared this topic from Tribal India and Anthropology Simplified
8.1 – Impact of religions on tribes
 I prepared this topic from LP Vidyarthi’s The Tribal Culture of India
 Value addition: Tribal India – Nadeem Hasnain
 Cram examples and case studies
8.2 – Tribe and nation state
 I skipped it for lack of time
9.1 – History of tribal administration, PVTGs, role of NGOs etc.
 I prepared this topic from Tribal India and Xaxa report.
 Names of important PVTGs, how they are defined, their location, specific problems,
current statistics, govt schemes related to them must be on your finger tips. Have a rough
idea of which PVTGs reside in which part of the country. Wherever relevant, draw India
map to illustrate.
 Value addition: Yojana 2014 edition on Tribals
 Watch out for latest news/legislations related to PVTGs and quote them in your answers.
PRS website is a good resource.
 Use internet for understanding about important NGOs doing work in this sector
9.2 – Role of anthropology in tribal and rural development
 Tribal India + Anthropology Simplified
 Value addition: Yojana 2014 edition on Tribals
 Write about Action Anthropology content of Paper I and the thinkers associated with it.
Enrich your answer with examples and case studies in Indian context
9.3 – Contribution of Anthro to understanding of regionalism, etc.
 Prepare a generic GS answer on each topic.
 Quote examples of regionalism and ethnic movements (you can give any tribal movement
as an example) and underlying causes
 Way forward as conclusion
Endnote: In Anthro Paper II, you can inculcate the following things to NOT make your write
up look like a GS answer.
1. Always quote names of relevant anthropologists, their publication, tribe/village name on
which they worked etc
2. Have compilation of case studies (can be sourced from Xaxa report)
3. Interlinkage with theories of Paper-I
4. Contemporary relevance of the question and link it with current affairs
5. Use diagrams/Schematics for better presentation.