UGC-NET – Paper II: Anthropology (Code: 07)
Exam Cycle: June 2026
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COURSE OVERVIEW
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Subject Name: Anthropology
Subject Code: 07
Conducting Body: National Testing Agency (NTA)
Paper Type: Paper-II – Anthropology
Total Marks: 200
Total Questions: 100 MCQs
Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Duration: 3 Hours (Paper I + II combined)
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COMPLETE LIST OF UNITS
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Unit I: History, development, aim and scope of Anthropology, relationship with other sciences, different branches of Anthropology (including Linguistic Anthropology) and their interrelationship.
Unit II: Lamarekism, Neo-Lamarekism, Darwinism, Neo-Darwinism, Synthetic theory, neutral theory of molecular evolution, concept of cladogenesis and anagenesis, punctuated equilibrium, selection.
Unit III: Modern Human Variation: Typological Model, Populational Model and Clinal Model; overview of Classification proposed by Blumenbach, Deniker, Hooton, Coon, Garn and Birdsell.
Unit IV: Human Growth, development and maturation: definition, concepts.
Unit V: Concept of prehistoric archaeology; ethno-archaeology, experimental archaeology, environmental archaeology, settlement archaeology, cognitive archaeology, geo-archaeology, action archaeology.
Unit VI: Lower Palaeolithic Period in India.
Unit VII: Conceptual Understanding of Social Anthropology:
Unit VIII: Theories in Social Anthropology.
Unit IX: Stages in the Development of Indian Anthropology.
Unit X: Concepts and Theories: Applied Anthropology, Action Anthropology, Engaged Anthropology, Experimental Anthropology, Urban Anthropology,Public Anthropology, Public Archaeology, Anthropology of Development, Medical Anthropology, Visual Anthropology, Genomic Studies, Genetic Screening and Counseling, Forensic Anthropology, Food and Nutritional Anthropology, Ergonomics, Kinanthropometry, Business Anthropology.
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UNIT-WISE DETAILED SYLLABUS
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Unit I: History, development, aim and scope of Anthropology, relationship with other sciences, different branches of Anthropology (including Linguistic Anthropology) and their interrelationship.
Topic 1: History, development, aim and scope of Anthropology, relationship with other sciences, different branches of Anthropology (including Linguistic Anthropology) and their interrelationship.
Topic 2: Research methodology and methods:
• Concepts of epistemology
• ontology and theoretical perspectives
• Types of research (qualitative and quantitative)
• research design
• hypothesis
• Fieldwork and fieldwork tradition
• Ethnography
• Observation
• Interview
• Case Study
• Life History
• Focus group
• PRA
• RRA
• Genealogical Method
• Schedules and Questionnaires
• Grounded Theory
• Exploration and Excavation
• GIS
Topic 3: Statistics:
• concept of variables
• sampling
• measures of central tendency and dispersion
• parametric and nonparametric bivariate and multivariate (linear regression and logistic regression) statistical tests
Topic 4: Techniques of Analysis:
• Content analysis
• Discourse analysis and Narratives
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Unit II: Lamarekism, Neo-Lamarekism, Darwinism, Neo-Darwinism, Synthetic theory, neutral theory of molecular evolution, concept of cladogenesis and anagenesis, punctuated equilibrium, selection.
Topic 1: Trends in Primate radiation:
• Primate classification and distribution of extinct and extant species
• Characteristics of primates: morphological (hair)
• skeletal (cranial, post cranial, dental, brain)
• physical (opposability of thumb)
• locomotion (quadrupedalism, brachiation and bipedalism) and posture
• Primate social behaviour
Topic 2: Extant Primates:
• Distribution, characteristics and classification
• Prosimii (Tarsiioidea, Lorisoidea, Lemuroidea)
• Anthropoidea (Ceboidea, Cercopithecoidea, Hominoidea)
• Morphological and anatomical characteristics of Human, Chimpanzee, Gorilla, Orangutan and Gibbon
Topic 3: Fossils of extinct Primates:
• Oligocene-Miocene fossils – Parapithecus
• Gigantopithecus
• Aegyptopithecus
• Dryopithecus
• Ramapithecus
• Sivapithecus
Topic 4: Pre-hominid groups:
• Sahelanthropus tchadensis (Toumai)
• Orrorin tugenensis
• Ardipithecus ramidus
Topic 5: Early Hominids:
• Australopithecus afarensis
• Australopithecus ramidus
• Australopithecus africanus
• Australopithecus (Paramthropous) boisei
• Australopithecus (Paramthropous) robustus
• Australopithecus bahrelghazali
Topic 6: Early Transitional Human:
• Homo habilis
Topic 7: Hominid Evolution:
• Characteristics and distribution of Homo erectus in general
• Special reference to the fossil evidences discovered from Africa (Turkana boy)
• Asia (Java man and Peking man)
• Europe (Dmanisi)
• Homo floresiensis (Dwarf variety)
• Characteristics of Archaic sapiens with special reference to Europe (Homo heidelbergensis)
• Africa (Rhodesian Man)
• Asia (China, Jinniushan; India, Narmada Man)
• Neandertal man: Distribution, salient features and phylogenetic position
• Characteristics of anatomically Modern Homo sapiens with special reference to Africa (Omo)
• Europe (Cro-magnon, Chancelade, Grimaldi)
• Asia (Jinniushan)
• Australia (Lake Mungo)
Topic 8: Dispersal of modern humans:
• Out of Africa hypothesis
• Multiregional hypothesis
• Partial Replacement hypothesis
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Unit III: Modern Human Variation: Typological Model, Populational Model and Clinal Model; overview of Classification proposed by Blumenbach, Deniker, Hooton, Coon, Garn and Birdsell.
Topic 1: Ethnic Classification and distribution of Indian Populations:
• H.H. Risley
• B. S. Guha
• S. S. Sarkar
Topic 2: Linguistic distribution of ethnic groups.
Topic 3: Methods of studying Human Genetics:
• Cytogenetics
• Mendelian Genetics
• Twin Genetics
• Sib Pair methods
• Population Genetics
• Molecular Genetics
Topic 4: Cytogenetics:
• cell cycle
• standard karyotyping and banding techniques (G, C and Q)
• chromosomal abnormalities
• fluorescent in situ hybridization
• Lyon’s hypothesis
• importance of telomere and centromere
• Linkage and chromosome mapping
• genetic imprinting
Topic 5: Modes of inheritance:
• Autosomal (dominant, recessive, codominance)
• sex linked
• sex influenced
• sex limited
• modifying genes
• suppressor genes
• selfish gene
• multiple allelic inheritance
• multifactorial inheritance (stature and skin colour)
• polygenetic (dermatoglyphics-Finger-ball Pattern types, Dankmeijer’s Index, Furuhata’s Index and Pattern Intensity Index, Total Finger Ridge Count, Absolute Finger Ridge Count, Palmar formula and mainline index, transversality, aid angle and flexion creases)
Topic 6: Population genetics:
• Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, definition and application
• mating patterns (random, assortative and consanguineous)
• inbreeding coefficient
• genetic load
• genetic isolate
• genetic drift
• genetic distance
• genetic polymorphism (balanced and transient)
Topic 7: Molecular genetics:
• DNA
• RNA
• genetic code
• protein structure and synthesis
• concepts of RFLPs, VNTRs, STRs, and SNPs
• Mitrochondrial DNA
• genic and genomic mutations
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Unit IV: Human Growth, development and maturation: definition, concepts.
Topic 1: Basic principles of growth; phases of growth:
• Prenatal and postnatal (growth and development of different body parts, subcutaneous tissues and physiological variables)
Topic 2: Growth curves:
• Velocity
• Distance
• Acceleration
• Scammon’s Growth curve
• Catch up and Catch down growth
Topic 3: Aging and senescence with special reference to somatic, skeletal and dental maturation Factors affecting growth:
• Genetic and Environmental
• Secular trends in growth
Topic 4: Methods of studying human growth:
• Longitudinal
• Cross-sectional
• Mixed longitudinal
• Linked longitudinal
Topic 5: Body composition:
• Bone mass
• body mass
• percentage of body fat
• segmental fat
• body age
Topic 6: Human Adaptation:
• Allen’s and Bergmann’s rule
• Human Adaptability Programme
• human adaptation to heat, cold, high altitude
Topic 7: Somatotyping:
• Concept
• Development (Kretschmer, Sheldon, Parnoll, Health-Carter) and its application
Topic 8: Demography:
• Multidisciplinary nature of demography and its relation with other disciplines
• Relationship between demography and anthropological demography
• Fertility (concept and determinants)
• Morbidity and mortality (concept and determinants)
• Migration (concept and determinants)
• Selection intensity
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Unit V: Concept of prehistoric archaeology; ethno-archaeology, experimental archaeology, environmental archaeology, settlement archaeology, cognitive archaeology, geo-archaeology, action archaeology.
Topic 1: Theoretical paradigms:
• descriptive to scientific period to interpretative period
Topic 2: Dating:
• Typology
• seriation
• geo-archaeological
• obsidian
• hydration
• chemical dating of bones
• oxygen isotope
• fluorine estimation
• dendrochronology
• radio-carbon
• fission track
• thermo-luminescence
• potassium-argon
• varve clay
• cross dating
• amino acid racemization
• palaeomagnetic
Topic 3: Paleoenvironment:
• Major geological stages (Tertiary, Quaternary, Pleistocene, Holocene)
• Major climatic changes during Pleistocene and post Pleistocene periods, glacial and interglacial periods, ice age, pluvial and inter-pluvial climatic phases
• Evidences of quarternary climatic changes (moralnes, varve, river terraces, loess, sea level changes, beach sequences, sea core, fluviatile deposits, palynology, palaeontology)
• Site formation
Topic 4: Lithic tool typology and technology:
• Lower Palaeolithic (pebble tools, chopper and chopping tools, bifaces, handaxes and cleavers)
• Middle Palaeolithic (Clactonean, Levalloisian and Mousterian flakes, discoid cores, tortoise core, fluted core, scrapers, point)
• Upper Palaeolithic (blade, knife, blunted back, borer, burin, points)
• Mesolithic (microliths)
• Neolithic (ring stone, grind stone, cell, adze)
Topic 5: Overview of Lithic Cultures of Europe:
• Lower Palaeolithic: Acheulian culture
• Middle Palaeolithic: Mousterian culture
• Upper Palaeolithic: Perigordian, Chatelperronian, Gravettian, Aurignacian, Solutrian, Magdalenian
• Mesolithic: Azilian, Tardenoisean, Maglamosean, Kitchen Midden, Natufian
Topic 6: Early Farming Cultures and Neolithic of the Near East:
• Sites like Jericho, Jarmo, Çatal Huyuk, Shanidar
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Unit VI: Lower Palaeolithic Period in India.
Topic 1: Pebble tool culture:
• Soan
Topic 2: Acheulian culture:
• Madrasian (Kortalayar Valley)
• Attirmpakkam
• Didwana
• Belan Valley
• Bhimbetka
• Chirki-Nevasa
• Hunsgi
• Krishna Valley
• Importance of Hathnora, Narmada valley
Topic 3: Middle Palaeolithic period in India:
• Belan valley
• Bhimbetka
• Nevasa
• Narmada valley
Topic 4: Upper Palaeolithic period in India:
• Renigunta
• Billa Surgam
• Patne
• Bhimbetka
• Son and Belan Valleys
• Visadi
• Pushkar
• Gunjan Valley
Topic 5: Mesolithic period in India:
• Mesolithic economy and society
• Post Pleistocene environmental changes
• Development in microlithic technology, composite tools and bows and arrows
• Sites include Bagor, Tilwara, Langhnaj, Adamgarh, Bagor, Chopani Mando, Bhimbetka, Sarai Nahar Rai, Birbhanpur
Topic 6: Neolithic Period in India:
• Economic and social consequences of food production
• Settlements, population growth, craft specializations, class formation and political institutions
• Sites like Burzahom, Gufkral, Ahar, Gilund, Nagada, Kayatha, Navdatoli, Eran, Nevasa, Chandoli, Daimabad, Inamgaon, Prakash, Maski, Brahmagiri, Sangankallu, Tekkalkota, Piklihal, Nagarjunakonda, Daojali Hading, Kuchai, Sarutadu
Topic 7: Prehistoric Cave art from India:
• Bhimbetka
• Adamgarh
Topic 8: Indus Civilization:
• Expansion of village sites
• Development of metal technology, art and writing
• Architecture and city planning
• Stages and theories of decline
• Sites like Amri, Kot Diji, Kalibangan, Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi
Topic 9: Pottery and Traditions:
• Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP)
• Black and Red ware
• Painted Grey Ware (PGW)
• Northern Black Polished Ware (NBP)
• Distribution of the pottery types and period
Topic 10: Bronze/Copper Age:
• General characteristics, distribution, people
Topic 11: Iron Age and Urban Revolution:
• General characteristics, distribution, people
Topic 12: Megaliths:
• concept and types (menhir, dolmen, topical, cist, cairn circle, sarcophagi)
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Unit VII: Conceptual Understanding of Social Anthropology:
Topic 1: Culture:
• Attributes
• Holism
• Universals
• Acculturation
• Enculturation
• Transculturation
• Culture Change
• Culture Shock
• Cultural Relativism
• Civilization
• Folk-Urban Continuum
• Great and Little Tradition
• Cultural Pluralism
• World-View
Topic 2: Society:
• Groups
• Institutions
• Associations
• Community
• Status and Role
• Incest
• Endogamy and Exogamy
• Rites of passage
Topic 3: Social Institutions: Family:
• Definitions, universality of the family
• Typological and Processual methods of studying the family
• Types of family – conjugal-natal, consanguineal, nuclear, joint, extended
• Rules of residence – Patrilocal, Matrilocal, Ambilocal, Bilocal, Neolocal, Avunculocal, Virilocal, Amitalocal, Uxorilocal
• Functions of family
• Trends of change – urbanization, globalization, industrialization, feminist movements
Topic 4: Marriage:
• Definition, universality, types and functions (monogamy, polygamy – polyandry, polygyny, hypogamy, hypergamy, levirate, sororate)
• Preferential and Prescriptive types
• Types and forms of marital transactions – bride price and dowry
• Marriage as exchange
Topic 5: Kinship:
• Definition
• Descent
• kinship terminology
• matrilineal puzzle
• Joking and avoidance
• moiety
• phratry
• clan and lineage
• Types of kinship systems
Topic 6: Economic Anthropology:
• Definition and relationship with Anthropology and Economy
• Theories (Malinowski, Formal, Substantivist, Marxist)
• Livelihoods
• Subsistence
• Principles of production, distribution, consumption
• division of labour in hunting-gathering, pastoral, swidden and agricultural communities
• Exchange, reciprocity, gifts and barter systems
• Kula, Potlatch and Jajmani – Anthropological explanations
Topic 7: Legal Anthropology:
• Anthropology of Law
• Social Sanctions
Topic 8: Political Organization:
• Definitions
• political processes in band, tribe, chiefdom and state systems
• Conflicts and social control
• Nations and Nation-state
• democracy
Topic 9: Religion and Belief Systems:
• Definitions
• animism
• animation
• manaism
• bongaism
• totemism
• taboo
• Religious specialists – witch, shaman, priest, medicine-man, sorcerer
• Magic – definitions, types, approaches
• Rituals
Topic 10: Social Change:
• Basic ideas and concepts (Assimilation, Integration, Syncretism, Dominance and Subjugation)
• Approaches
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Unit VIII: Theories in Social Anthropology.
Topic 1: Evolutionism:
• Tylor
• Morgan
• Fraser
• Maine
• McLennan
Topic 2: Diffusionism:
• Three schools (Austro-German, British, American)
Topic 3: Historical Particularism:
• Boas
Topic 4: Functionalism:
• Malinowski
Topic 5: Structural-Functionalism:
• Radcliffe-Brown
• Firth
• Fortes
• Eggan
• Parsons
Topic 6: Structuralism:
• Levi-Strauss
Topic 7: Culture and Personality/Psychological Anthropology:
• Mead
• Benedict
• DuBois
• Linton
• Kardiner
• Whiting and Child
Topic 8: Cultural Ecology, Environmental Anthropology, Neo-evolutionism:
• Leslie White
• Julian Steward
• Marshall Sahlins
Topic 9: Cultural Materialism:
• Marvin Harris
Topic 10: Symbolic Anthropology:
• Victor Turner
• Raymond Firth
• Mary Douglas
Topic 11: Cognitive Anthropology:
• Roy D’Andrade
• Stephen Tyler
• Ward Goodenough
Topic 12: Deep Ethnography, Interpretive Anthropology:
• Clifford Geertz
Topic 13: Anthropology and Gender:
• Leela Dube
• Renato Rosaldo
• Marilyn Strathern
• Zora Neale Hutson
Topic 14: Postmodernism, Poststructuralism, Postcolonialism:
• Foucault
• Derrida
• Bourdieu
Topic 15: Ethnicity:
• Barth
• Jeffery
• Weber
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Unit IX: Stages in the Development of Indian Anthropology.
Topic 1: Concepts:
• Social Stratification (eg. Caste)
• Scheduled Caste (SC)
• Dalit
• OBC
• Nomadic Groups
• Revivalist/Nativist movements
• Peasant movements (Malabar and Telengana movements)
• Tribe
• Scheduled Tribe (ST)
• Particularly Vulnerable Groups (PVTGs)
• Tribal movements (Birsa and Naga movements)
• Tribal Development
• Distribution
Topic 2: Indian Village and Village Studies in India:
• S.C. Dube
• McKim Marriott
• Weiser
• Scarlett Epstein
• M.N. Srinivas
• F.G. Bailey
Topic 3: Constitutional Safeguards for SC and ST, Inclusion and Exclusion. Panchayati Raj Institutions and other traditional community political organizations, Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Topic 4: Theoretical ideas:
• Sanskritization
• Westernization
• Modernization
• Globalization
• Sacred Complex
• Nature-Man-Spirit Complex
Topic 5: Early Indian Anthropologists and their contributions:
• G.S. Ghurye
• B.S. Guha
• S.C. Roy
• Iravati Karve
• L.P. Vidyarthi
• S.C. Dube
• M.N. Srinivas
• N.K. Bose
• Surajit Sinha
• D.N. Majumdar
• S.R.K. Chopra
• Verrier Elwin
• S.S. Sarkar
• Dharan Sen
• T.C. Das
• P.C. Biswas
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Unit X: Concepts and Theories: Applied Anthropology, Action Anthropology, Engaged Anthropology, Experimental Anthropology, Urban Anthropology,Public Anthropology, Public Archaeology, Anthropology of Development, Medical Anthropology, Visual Anthropology, Genomic Studies, Genetic Screening and Counseling, Forensic Anthropology, Food and Nutritional Anthropology, Ergonomics, Kinanthropometry, Business Anthropology.
Topic 1: Community Development Projects (Rural, Urban and Tribal); Revisits, Re-studies, Reinterpretations, Intervention, Research Process and Social Impact Assessment (SIA).
Topic 2: Anthropological approaches in community studies:
• public health
• education
• nutrition
• land alienation
• bonded labour
• housing
• alternative economy
• livelihood
• gender issues
• relief, rehabilitation and relocation
• identity crisis
• communication, training and management
• aging and the aged
Topic 3: Development Strategies (Plan/Sub Plan).
Topic 4: Role of NGOs in Development. Anthropology and NGOs.
Topic 5: Empowerment of Women, LGBT groups.
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EXAMINATION STRUCTURE
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Paper-II: Subject Specific Examination
- Total Questions: 100
- Total Marks: 200
- Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
- Negative Marking: No
- Duration: 3 Hours (Combined with Paper I)
- Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Additional Notes (if any):
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SYLLABUS SUMMARY
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Total Units: 10
Total Topics: 79
Subject: Anthropology
Subject Code: 07
Exam Category: UGC-NET Paper-II
Source: Official NTA/UGC Syllabus
Status: As per latest official syllabus
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