Is it limited to Science students to take Anthropology as an optional subject in UPSC exams? 

No, Anthropology is an interdisciplinary field that includes subjects like sociology, psychology, political science, history, human biology, philosophy, and literature. The UPSC Anthropology syllabus covers Physical Anthropology, which requires basic science knowledge, but it only constitutes 40% of Paper 1.

How long does it take to prepare for Anthropology optional? 

Although the Anthropology syllabus may seem extensive, it is relatively simple. With good preparation, one can prepare for Anthropology in less than 2.5 months.

What is the scoring potential of Anthropology optional?

 With proper preparation, one can score an average of 320-350 out of 500 marks.

What is the recommended way to start preparing for Anthropology optional? 

It can be tedious to study Anthropology test books and materials without guidance. We suggest preparing with our best guidance to excel in the exam.

 ANTHROPOLOGY REFERENCE BOOKS

Reference Books

1. Physical Anthropology – P. Nath

2. Outlines of Physical Anthropology- B. M. Das

3. Physical Anthropology and Human Genetics – B. R. K. Shukla & Sudha Rastogi

4. History of Anthropological Thought – V. S. Upadhyay & Gaya Pandey

5. An introduction to Social anthropology- D. N. Majumdar & T. N. Madan

6. An introduction to social Anthropology – Makhan Jha

7. Introduction to anthropological thought- Makhan Jha

8. Anthropology -Carol R Ember , Melvin Ember and Peter N Peregrine

9. Tribal India -Nadeem Hasnain

10. Indian Anthropology-Nadeem Hasnain

11. Anthropology The study of Man -Indrani Basu Roy

12. An outline of Indian prehistory -D K Bhattacharya

13. Social and cultural Anthropology -U S Misra and Nadeem Hasnain.

Sample videos and anthropology workshop available on you tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxJ5p0ujf1g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O8qHJQLCdE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOwdDa_YhrQ&t=3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWqr02VY1h0&t=54s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGhVd0CHcqs&t=11s