Anudeep Durishetty

IAS | All India Rank 1, UPSC CSE 2017

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How to Ace Anthropology Optional: Deep

Dive into Paper I
By Anudeep Durishetty |

Note: On Anthropology, there are a total of three blog posts, of which this is the second one. The
몭rst one primarily talks about my book list and the basic approach. This is the second article
among the series and it deals with topic wise detailed plan for Paper I. The third article talks
about the detailed plan for Paper II.

Our Chimp cousin contemplating the origin of life, universe and the cosmos.

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 Simpli몭ed
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 몭owchart. Quote examples for topics like adaptive radiation.

1.5 – Primates

Primary Source: P. Nath

For better diagrams/sketches – Use Ember & Ember, Google, Anthropology Simpli몭ed 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 Simpli몭ed 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 몭rst 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), de몭nitions 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 signi몭cance 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 Paci몭c, Kwakiutl of British Columbia. Also mug up examples for tribes for each of
몭shing/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 Cli몭ord Geertz and
his work, you will understand how he described the Balinese cock몭ght 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 de몭nitely 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 Simpli몭ed

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 Simpli몭ed 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 Simpli몭ed

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 Simpli몭ed, 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
몭elds wherein Anthropology is being applied for practical purpose. This is way you make
your answers stand out from the rest.

My best wishes.

Note: For the bene몭t of UPSC aspirants, I am working on a detailed guide book on how to write
powerful Essays and compelling answers (GS and Anthropology) in the UPSC exam. Subscribe
to this blog to download a free chapter and to hear 몭rst when the book launches.

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 Anudeep Durishetty
IAS | All India Rank 1, UPSC CSE 2017

Menu

How to Ace Anthropology Optional: Deep

Dive into Paper II
By Anudeep Durishetty |

Note: I’ve published a total of 3 blog posts on Anthropology. The 몭rst article primarily talks about
my booklist and the basic approach I followed. The second discusses topic wise detailed plan for
Paper I. This is the third and 몭nal one among the series, and it deals with topic wise detailed
plan for Anthro Paper II.

A Bison Horn Maria from Bastar in his traditional attire

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 Simpli몭ed 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 Simpli몭ed

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 signi몭cance
Draw a phylogenetic to illustrate where that particular fossil 몭ts in the whole chain

1.3 – Ethno-archaeology in India

I skipped this topic for lack of time

2 – Demographic and Linguistic Pro몭le

Source: Nadeem Hasnain and Brain Tree

Thoroughly prepare map of pro몭le distribution – both ethnic and linguistic
Cram Risley’s and Guha’s Classi몭cation i.e., memorise the physical characteristics and other
features of each of the race they described. Also prepare on criticism of their classi몭cation.
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 Simpli몭ed 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 Simpli몭ed – 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 Simpli몭ed for this topic

Cramm important Anthropologists and their work

5.1 – Indian Village Studies etc.

I did not 몭nd any concrete material for this topic. I prepared very basic stu몭 from BrainTree.
Apart from it, wherever relevant I used to quote important village studies of major
anthropologists like Red몭eld 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 Simpli몭ed

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 speci몭cally designed to bene몭t the community
and its evaluation.

5.3 – Indigenous and exogenous processes of socio-cultural change Sanskritization

etc..

Indian Anthropology by Nadeem Hasnain + Anthropology Simpli몭ed

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 Simpli몭ed

Prepare notes from Xaxa report to enrich your answers
Always be mindful of being speci몭c. Don’t just say tribes are a몭icted with ill-health and
indebtedness. Tell the examiner which speci몭c tribe su몭ers 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 Simpli몭ed

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 speci몭city of the problem of a certain tribe and how it was/is being impacted by
development. For instance, some tribes su몭er from ill health while others from outright
displacement. Be speci몭c 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 Simpli몭ed

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 de몭ned, their location, speci몭c problems, current
statistics, govt schemes related to them must be on your 몭nger 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 Simpli몭ed

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 a몭airs
5. Use diagrams/Schematics for better presentation.

My best wishes.

Note: For the bene몭t of UPSC aspirants, I am working on a detailed guide book on how to write
powerful Essays and compelling answers (GS and Anthropology) in the UPSC exam. Subscribe
to this blog to download a free chapter and to hear 몭rst when the book launches.

Share this:

 Facebook  Twitter  WhatsApp  Pinterest  Email  Print

Like this:

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How to Ace Anthropology How to Ace Anthropology Coaching for the Civil
Optional: Book list and Basic Optional: Deep Dive into Services Exam: Is It
Plan Paper I Necessary?

Anthropology Optional Uncategorized Civil Services Exam UPSC

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