सामाजिक विज्ञान — 60 Marks | CTET Paper II (alternative to Maths & Science)
Social Science carries 60 marks in Paper II and is the alternative to Maths+Science. The questions cover History, Geography, Political Science (Civics), Economics content, and Social Science pedagogy.
| Component | Questions | Source |
|---|---|---|
| History content | ~12–15 | NCERT Class 6–8 History textbooks |
| Geography content | ~12–15 | NCERT Class 6–8 Geography textbooks |
| Political Science/Civics | ~8–10 | NCERT Class 6–8 Political Science |
| Economics/Social Issues | ~5–7 | NCERT Class 8 Economics |
| Social Science Pedagogy | ~20 | Teaching methods, NCF 2005, assessment |
Social Science is an integrated subject that draws from History, Geography, Political Science, and Economics to develop students' understanding of the social world. It is NOT just about memorizing facts, dates, and capitals.
| Discipline | Central Questions | Key Concepts |
|---|---|---|
| History | How did the past shape the present? What changes and what continues? | Time, chronology, causation, change and continuity, evidence, perspective |
| Geography | Where are things? Why are they there? How do physical features shape human lives? | Location, place, region, space, human-environment interaction |
| Political Science | How is power organized? How do societies make decisions? What rights do citizens have? | Democracy, rights, justice, government, citizenship, Constitution |
| Economics | How do individuals and societies manage scarce resources? | Production, distribution, markets, livelihoods, development, inequality |
Critical pedagogy in Social Science means teaching students to:
| Source Type | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Primary sources | Original documents/objects from the time period under study | Edicts of Ashoka; Ain-i-Akbari; photographs from 1947 partition; coins; inscriptions |
Secondary sources| Analysis, interpretation, or summary of primary sources written later | History textbooks, encyclopedias, historical biographies | |
Teaching with primary sources develops historical thinking — students learn to ask: Who created this? Why? What perspective does it represent? What might be missing?
Concept mapping in Social Science helps students see relationships between events, ideas, and processes — not just linear sequences. For example: a concept map of "Causes of 1857 Uprising" connecting political, economic, religious, and social factors.
| Period/Topic | Key Facts for CTET |
|---|---|
| Prehistoric India | Paleolithic (stone tools, hunting-gathering), Mesolithic (microlithic tools), Neolithic (agriculture, settled life, pottery) |
| Harappan Civilization (2500–1900 BCE) | Urban planning (grid system, drainage), Great Bath (Mohenjo-daro), Dockyard (Lothal), uniform weights and measures, no monumental art, trade with Mesopotamia. Decline: debated (climate change, flooding, Aryan invasion theory now largely discredited) |
| Vedic Period | Rigveda = oldest text; Indo-Aryan society; Sabha and Samiti (assemblies); Early Vedic = more egalitarian; Later Vedic = rigid varna system; shift from pastoral to agricultural economy |
| Jainism | Founded: Vardhamana Mahavira (599–527 BCE); 24th Tirthankara. Five vows: non-violence (ahimsa), truth (satya), non-stealing, non-possession, celibacy |
| Buddhism | Siddhartha Gautama (563–483 BCE); Four Noble Truths (dukkha, samudaya, nirodha, magga); Eightfold Path; Sangha (monastic community). Mahayana vs. Theravada split |
| Maurya Empire | Chandragupta Maurya (founder, 321 BCE); Ashoka (268–232 BCE) — converted to Buddhism after Kalinga War; Dhamma (moral code); Arthashastra (Kautilya's manual of statecraft) |
| Period/Topic | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526) | Five dynasties: Slave (Mamluk), Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi. Qutub Minar started by Qutub-ud-din Aibak. Iqta system (land assignments). Ibn Battuta visited during Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign |
| Bhakti Movement | Sant/devotional poetry in vernacular languages. Key saints: Kabir (weaver), Mirabai (Rajput princess), Tukaram (Maharashtra), Ravidas (cobbler/Dalit saint). Emphasized personal devotion over caste/ritual |
| Mughal Empire (1526–1857) | Babur (1526, first battle of Panipat); Akbar (1556–1605): Din-i-Ilahi, Sulahe-kul (peace for all), Ain-i-Akbari, land revenue (Zabti/Todarmal system); Aurangzeb: Jizya tax reimposed; Shah Jahan: Taj Mahal |
| Regional Kingdoms | Vijayanagara Empire (14th–17th c); Maratha Empire (Shivaji, 1627–1680: Chauth and Sardeshmukhi taxation) |
| Topic | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| East India Company | Founded 1600; Battle of Plassey 1757 (British defeated Siraj-ud-daulah; Robert Clive); Diwani rights 1765; Permanent Settlement 1793 (Cornwallis) |
| 1857 Revolt | Immediate cause: greased cartridges (cow + pig fat — offensive to Hindu and Muslim soldiers). Mangal Pandey (Barrackpur); Rani Lakshmibai (Jhansi); aftermath: Company rule ended; Crown took direct control (Queen Victoria's Proclamation) |
| Freedom Movement | INC founded 1885 (A.O. Hume). Partition of Bengal 1905 (Curzon) → Swadeshi Movement. Non-Cooperation Movement 1920–22; Civil Disobedience (Salt March) 1930; Quit India Movement 1942. Subhash Chandra Bose: INA (Indian National Army) |
| Independence and Partition | 15 August 1947; Lord Mountbatten (last Viceroy); Cyril Radcliffe drew the boundary; communal violence and largest human migration in history (~15 million displaced) |
| Topic | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| Earth and Solar System | Shape: oblate spheroid (flattened at poles). Rotation (24 hrs) → day/night. Revolution (365.25 days) → seasons. Equinoxes (21 March, 23 Sept): equal day and night. Solstices (21 June, 22 Dec): longest/shortest day |
| Latitudes and Longitudes | Equator = 0°; Tropic of Cancer = 23.5°N; Tropic of Capricorn = 23.5°S; Arctic Circle = 66.5°N; Antarctic Circle = 66.5°S. Prime Meridian = 0° (Greenwich). India's Standard Meridian = 82.5°E (IST = GMT+5:30) |
| Interior of Earth | Crust (outermost, thinnest: ~35km continental, ~7km oceanic), Mantle (middle, semi-solid), Core (inner = solid iron+nickel; outer = liquid iron+nickel) |
| Rocks and Rock Cycle | Igneous (formed from cooled magma/lava): granite (intrusive), basalt (extrusive). Sedimentary (layers of sediment compacted): sandstone, limestone, shale. Metamorphic (heat+pressure): marble (from limestone), slate (from shale), quartzite (from sandstone) |
| Atmosphere | Layers: Troposphere (0–12km; weather occurs; temp decreases with altitude), Stratosphere (ozone layer; temp increases), Mesosphere (coldest), Thermosphere, Exosphere. Ozone: absorbs UV radiation; depletion by CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) |
| India's Physical Features | Himalayan Mountains (fold mountains; youngest; highest peak Kangchenjunga in India; K2 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir). Deccan Plateau (ancient crystalline rocks; triangular shape). Gangetic Plain (most fertile; alluvial soil). Coastal Plains (Western: narrow + steep cliffs; Eastern: wider, deltas) |
| Indian Soils | Alluvial (Indo-Gangetic plain; rice, wheat, sugarcane; most fertile). Black/Regur (Deccan plateau; best for cotton; holds moisture). Red (Tamil Nadu, Odisha; less fertile; iron content). Laterite (Kerala, NE India; coffee, tea; leached by rain). Desert/Arid (Rajasthan; low organic matter) |
| Indian Rivers | Himalayan rivers (perennial: Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra — glacial + rainfall fed). Peninsular rivers (seasonal/rain-fed: Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Mahanadi, Narmada). Narmada and Tapi flow westward into Arabian Sea; most Deccan rivers flow eastward into Bay of Bengal |
| Natural Vegetation | Tropical Evergreen (high rainfall >200cm: dense, thick canopy — NE India, Western Ghats). Tropical Deciduous (moderate: teak, sal, bamboo — most of India). Thorn and Scrub (low rainfall: babul, cacti — Rajasthan). Montane (altitude-dependent zones on Himalayas). Tidal/Mangrove (coastal/delta: Sunderbans) |
| Topic | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| Democracy | Rule by people; universal adult franchise (18+); free and fair elections; protection of rights; independent judiciary. India = largest democracy in world |
| Constitution | Drafted by Constituent Assembly (1946–1949); adopted 26 Nov 1949 (Constitution Day); in force 26 Jan 1950 (Republic Day). B.R. Ambedkar = Chairman, Drafting Committee ("Chief Architect") |
| Fundamental Rights | Articles 12–35; 6 categories: Right to Equality (14–18), Right to Freedom (19–22), Right Against Exploitation (23–24), Right to Religion (25–28), Cultural and Educational Rights (29–30), Right to Constitutional Remedies (32). Article 32 = "Heart and soul" — Ambedkar |
| Directive Principles of State Policy | Part IV (Articles 36–51); guidelines for government to create a just society; NOT enforceable in court (unlike Fundamental Rights) |
| Panchayati Raj | Three-tier: Gram Panchayat (village) → Panchayat Samiti/Block → Zila Parishad (district). 73rd Constitutional Amendment 1992: gave constitutional status. Reservation of seats: SC, ST, and women (at least 1/3 seats) |
| Urban Local Bodies | Municipal Corporation (large cities >1 lakh population), Municipality/Municipal Council (medium towns), Nagar Panchayat (small towns). 74th Amendment 1992 |
| Parliament | Rajya Sabha (upper house, max 250 members, 12 nominated by President; elected by state legislatures — indirect election). Lok Sabha (lower house, 543 elected + 2 Anglo-Indian nominated; direct election; 5-year term). President = head of state (constitutional, not executive) |
| Judiciary | Independent of executive; Supreme Court → High Courts → Sessions/District Courts → Magistrate Courts. Public Interest Litigation (PIL): any citizen can petition Supreme Court on public interest matters |
| Topic | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Markets | Weekly markets (haats), permanent shops, shopping malls — serve different needs. Market chain: producer → wholesale market → retailer → consumer. Middlemen can exploit both producers and consumers. |
| Livelihoods | Rural livelihoods: farming, fishing, forestry, crafts. Urban livelihoods: formal sector (regular salary, benefits) vs. informal sector (daily wage, no benefits — majority of Indian workers) |
| Marginalized workers | Women, Adivasi/tribal communities, Dalit workers — face multiple forms of discrimination in labour markets; often paid less; do more unpaid care work |
| Development | GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is ONE measure of development; others include: literacy rate, infant mortality rate, life expectancy, Human Development Index (HDI). High GDP ≠ equal development for all |
| Globalization | Integration of economies through trade, investment, technology. Benefits: cheaper goods, jobs in export industries. Costs: displacement of local industries, exploitative labour practices, environmental harm in low-regulation countries |