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Why is Sociology considered as a safe optional?

Why is Sociology considered as a safe optional?

Sociology: A Safer Optional

Sociology is nothing else than the augmentation of our sagacity with respect to the social life. As a learner, we all are connected with this society so over a period of time we have developed some basic understanding of our society.

Why is Sociology considered as a safe optional?

Sociology: A Safer Optional

Sociology is nothing else than the augmentation of our sagacity with respect to the social life. As a learner, we all are connected with this society so over a period of time we have developed some basic understanding of our society. But in spite of this few fundamental questions boggles our mind. Few of such frequently asked queries are as following with their answers.

 

Advantages of opting Sociology for Mains Examination

  1. How productive is Sociology as an Optional in UPSC?

Sociology is a very productive optional subject for the UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination. It not just only aids you to get good marks in the optional subject but is also helpful in the Essay and over a time develops good answer writing skills.

  1. What is the success ratio of Sociology in UPSC?

Usually success ratio of every optional varies every year- the number of candidates getting selected are around 100 to 300. Success ratio of Sociology as an optional is mostly avoided, because there are a number of candidates, who score very good marks in their optional subject but as not getting good marks in their GS papers, they are not able to reach the doorsteps of the interview board.

  1. Why Sociology is a safer optional?

Sociology is considered as a very safe optional subject as to master it doesn’t require any special arena or particular knowledge or academic background. It has been proved many a times that candidates without previous knowledge of Sociology have scored very well here.

  1. Who should take Sociology?

Any student can take Sociology as an optional as it deals with the society and we all are staying in this society itself. Apart from humanities background, students who have acquired technical skills can also opt for Sociology as aspirants from this backdrop has an edge in applied aspects of Sociology. Other candidates who hails from streams other than technical and humanities can also consider Sociology as an optional as it is much generalized in nature and no specialization is required for it.

  1. Which books can be referred for Sociology?

You can start with the basic conceptual clarity like NCERT Books of XI and XII standards including watching UGC video lectures on Sociology. Although, Sociology is a very popular optional subject, so there is not the dearth of study material.

  1. Will Sociology help in General Studies?

Off course definitely, being a very generalized coverage of topic, it helps in all the four papers of the General Studies. Various sections in which it helps in General Studies has been mentioned below.

 

Added Advantages

  • Further, Sociology helps you have a generalized theory on each topic; this means scoring more marks in essays.
  • It helps you in your interview and communication skills at several stages of the examination.
  • The syllabus of Sociology for UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination is not as long as the other optional subjects available.
  • Usually the questions from the theoretical part of the syllabus are repeated frequently. So, there's no need to worry with regard to getting shockers while writing mains examination.
  • As I have mentioned above, there is not anything like to have any previous knowledge of Sociology.
  • You will never get very low score in this optional subject. Regardless of whether or not you have completely finished the syllabus, you can without much of a stretch compose answers from a general point of view and it will enable you to score marks unlike other subjects where there are issues of getting a zero after writing a couple of pages too.
  • The Study material is also very conveniently available in the market.

 

Benefits of taking Sociology as an optional subject in the UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination

 

Essay

Sociology as an optional helps us with the essay paper since at least one essay is asked on the prevailing social issues.

General Studies - Paper I

  • Political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.- their forms and effect on the society.
  • Notable highlights of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
  • Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
  • Impacts of globalization on Indian culture
  • Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

General Studies - Paper II

  • Pressure groups and formal/informal associations, their role in the Polity.
  • Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
  • Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
  • Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health,
  • Education, Human Resources.
  • Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
  • Civil services in a democracy.

General Studies - Paper III

  • Comprehensive development and issues emerging from it.
  • Land reforms in India.
  • Changes in industrial policy, impacts of liberalization on the economy, and their outcome on industrial growth.
  • Development and spread of extremism linkage – Naxalism.

General Studies - Paper IV

Human Values- role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values; reformers and administrators, lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders

Interview

Human is a social animal. We live in a society and by a close examination of our surroundings, we build up to make our opinion. By being a Sociology pupil always us an edge while maintaining balance in our answers during the Interview.