Introduction

Applications are invited for the RET examination 2025 for the admission to Ph.D. programme in the Department of Anthropology, University of Calcutta following the Regulation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2016, University of Calcutta (available in the website of the University of Calcutta; www.caluniv.ac.in). Total number of seats declared for admission is six (6). Reservation policy in admission will be followed as per the West Bengal State Higher Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) rules.

The eligibility criteria for the admission and the selection criteria to Ph.D. programme are available in the website of the University of Calcutta (vide ‘Procedure for Admission’ and ‘Eligibility Criteria for Admission to PhD programme of the Regulation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2016’).

Important Dates

Eligibility Criteria

• The eligibility criteria for admission and the selection criteria to Ph.D. programme are available in the website of the University of Calcutta (vide ‘Procedure for Admission’ and ‘Eligibility Criteria for Admission to PhD programme of the Regulation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2016’).
• Reservation policy in admission will be followed as per the West Bengal State Higher Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) rules.

Application Fee & Documents

• Application fee: Rs. 100/- (to be paid through SBI collect online in favor of the University of Calcutta).
• Candidates should apply in the proforma mentioned in the notice.
• Documents to submit with application: Self attested copies of testimonials (from Graduation course onward), proof of age and certificate supporting reserve category, and fee payment receipt.

Entrance Test / Interview

• Duration of the Ph.D. entrance test: 1 hour.
• Question type: MCQ.
• Total marks for entrance test: 50.
• Qualifying marks for entrance test: 50%.
• Syllabus for the entrance test: Mentioned below.
• Total marks allotted for the interview: 50.

RET Exemption

• Candidates qualified for the entrance test and who have cleared UGC/CSIR (JRF) Examinations / NET / SET / SLET / GATE or have obtained DST INSPIRE Fellowship / Teacher fellowship or have passed equivalent examinations or passed the M.Phil./ M.Tech / M.D/ M.E./ M.Pharm or equivalent examination (vide Ph.D. regulation of the University, 2016) will be called for the interview.

Syllabus (RET – Anthropology)

1. Biological Anthropology

• Neo-Darwinism, Neutral theory of molecular evolution.
• Primate evolution: the primate radiations to the hominids; the early hominids: Australopithecus, intermediate hominids, Pleistocene hominid evolution.
• Recent theories of human origin.
• Physical environment – the potential stressors, the nutritional stress, infections, diseases, modernization and human biological responses.
• Extension of Mendelian analysis, twin method of study, family method of study.
• DNA and RNA, protein structure, haemoglobin, protein synthesis.
• Linkage and chromosome mapping, sex linkage.
• Mutations: chromosomal, genomic, and genic.
• Polymorphism in Serological (ABO, RhD and HLA), Red cell enzyme (Hemoglobin), Serum Protein (Haptoglobins), molecular (brief outline: VNTRs and STRs, SNPs), Immunological (brief outline of different Immunoglbins in terms of polymorphism).
• Basic principles of human growth: definition and concept, growth, maturation and development, Prenatal growth and development. Methods of growth study: cross sectional, longitudinal, mixed longitudinal, linked longitudinal – merits and demerits; growth curves – Factors affecting postnatal growth.
• Nutritional Anthropology: techniques of estimating nutritional status; body composition. The utility of anthropology in studying ethnicity and health. Ethnic factors in health and disease, ethnic differences in the prevalence of common diseases of complex aetiology: coronary heart disease (CHD), non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and hypertension (HT), reproductive health and ethnic differences in the risk factor of the above disease. Reproductive and child health: Concept, Safe motherhood 1985, ICPD 1994, Beijing Congress 1995, MDG goals; Menstruation, Menopause, Reproductive endocrinology.
• Anthropological Demography- fertility, mortality, migration, consanguinity and inbreeding, marital distance, selection intensity, Darwinian fitness.
• Population genetics: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, polymorphism, genetic drift, genetic load, driving forces of evolution.
• Forensic Anthropology: Forensics, Forensic Anthropology, medico legal aspects. Identification of ages and sex (skull, pelvis). Human body fluids (blood), fingerprints, brief outline of DNA fingerprinting. Paternity diagnosis.

2. Social Cultural Anthropology

• Kinship, Marriage, Family, Tribe, Community, Demography and Population, Social Stratification, Village, Social Movement, Technology, Material Culture, Cultural Syncretism.
• Anthropology of Religion, Linguistic Anthropology, Anthropology of Development, Anthropology of Power and Politics, Economic Anthropology, Ecological Anthropology, Psychological Anthropology, Symbolic Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, Cognitive Anthropology, Legal Anthropology, Visual Anthropology.
• Enlightenment, Evolutionism, Diffusionism, Historical-particularism, Cultural relativism, Functionalism, Structural-functionalism. Culture and personality, Neo-evolutionism, Materialism, Cultural Ecology, Interpretative Approach, Manchester School, Symbolism, Structuralism, Reflexivity.
• Positivism and Logical positivism, Rationalism and Empiricism, Realism and Nominalism, Idealism, Dialectics, Pragmatism, Hermeneutics, Phenomenology and brief introduction to other philosophical thoughts (e.g. Neo-Platonism, Skepticism, Dualism, Utilitarianism, Essentialism and Constructivism, Reductionism, anti-foundationalism, etc.).
• Conflict theory, Liberal feminism, Analytical Feminism, Radical Feminism, Socialist Feminism, Critical theory.
• Post-Positivism, Post-structuralism, Postmodernism, Post-colonialism.

3. Palaeoanthropology — Prehistoric Archaeology

• Theoretical development of archaeological thought in global perspective and its position in Anthropology; relation with other discipline like History, palaeoanthropology, etc. Development of prehistoric culture in old world.
• Classification of the nomenclature- Archaeology, prehistory, palaeoanthropology, archaeological Anthropology. Ideas on Ethno archaeology, Experimental archaeology, environmental Archaeology, settlement archaeology, Archaeobotany, zoo Archaeology, Salvage Archaeology, Action Archaeology, Primate ethology, Underwater Archaeology, Geoarchaeology.
• Methods and techniques in Archaeology, justification of Geo-Archaeology as a method. Field Survey; study of Toposheet and geological maps.
• Methods of Archaeological exploration; pre exploration activities, Intensive and extensive exploration, general idea about survey methods, mapping of archaeological sites. Excavation: Pre excavation activities, actual method of digging and its application in different types of sites, recording and analysis of excavated materials in terms of time and space, interpretation and publication of report.
• Concept of chronology in Archaeology: Datable materials, basic principles, advantages and disadvantages, application and recent developments of different dating methods in Archaeology.
• Geoarchaeology: Basic principles of Stratigraphy, Historical geology, Ideas and relevance about the litho logical, floral and faunal evidences of Stratigraphic section.
• Palaeoenvironment: Study of glacial, Periglacial, tropical geomorphology and geological evidences with special reference to Neogene and Quaternary environment.
• Research Methodology: Types of Research, Methodology, Methods, Research Design, Data, Writing of research report, etc.
• Methods, Design & Analysis: Scientific techniques for collecting and analyzing data including research paradigms, measurement, design, The understanding of empirical techniques, Emphasis on theory and application of survey research, measurement, scaling, questionnaire construction, validity and reliability, data reduction and analysis.
• Basic statistical methods: sampling techniques, descriptive and inferential statistics (bivariate and multivariate), probability theory, distribution (binomial, normal).

Important Instructions

• The names of the short listed candidates for the entrance test will be displayed on the Notice Board of the Department on September 11, 2025.
• The names of the qualified candidates for the interview will be displayed on the Notice Board of the Department on September 17, 2025.
• Submit applications by September 2, 2025 at the Office of the Department of Anthropology, University of Calcutta.