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GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 FAQs
Q. What are the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subjects?
Ans. The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subjects are Economics (XH- C1), English (XH-C2), Linguistics (XH- C3), Philosophy (XH-C4), Psychology (XH-C5), and Sociology (XH-C6).
Q. Which GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subject is compulsory?
Ans. The General Aptitude, Reasoning, and Comprehension are the compulsory GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subjects.
Q. Who will release the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus for 2026?
Ans. The official GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 will be released by IIT Guwahati @iitg.ac.in.
Q. Is completing GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus in 4 months possible?
Ans. With a well-structured study plan and a committed allocation of time, it is indeed possible to cover the entire GATE Humanities and Social Sciences syllabus within 4 months.
GATE Humanities And Social Sciences Syllabus 2026, Topic-Wise Syllabus
A detailed GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 is provided here to help the aspirants in gearing up their preparation for the upcoming exam. Go through the topic-wise GATE XH Syllabus now.
Krati Saraswat15 Apr, 2025
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GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026: IIT Guwahati will conduct the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering for the forthcoming year. The exam will be organized for 30 various disciplines, including Humanities and Social Sciences. Candidates who are planning to appear forGATE 2026for this paper must go through the entire syllabus to prepare systematically.
The GATE Syllabus for Humanities and Social Sciences will be officially released at gate.iitg.ac.in. Candidates must have an in-depth knowledge of the GATE XH Syllabus to ace their preparation accordingly. A proper understanding of syllabus provides detailed insights into topic-wise weightage and key focus areas.
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026
Candidates who wish to perform well in the Humanities and Social Sciences examination in GATE 2026 must kick-start their preparation by reviewing the comprehensive syllabus. The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus includes Reasoning and Comprehension which is compulsory section and Economics, English, Linguistic, Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology are optional sections. Candidates must refer to the entire topic-wise syllabus for GATE XH paper in this article.
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Subjects
The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subjects are reasoning and comprehension, economics, English, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, and sociology. The Reasoning and Comprehension subject is compulsory for all aspirants appearing for the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences (XH) paper.
On the other hand, the remaining six GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subjects are optional sections where aspirants have to select any one subject.
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Subjects
Sections
Paper Code
Reasoning and Comprehension (Compulsory)
XH-B1
Optional GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Subjects
Economics
XH-C1
English
XH-C2
Linguistic
XH-C3
Philosophy
XH-C4
Psychology
XH-C5
Sociology
XH-C6
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus For Reasoning and Comprehension
The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus for Reasoning and Comprehension evaluates aspirants ability to understand and interpret written information and the skills needed for research in the humanities and social sciences.
Find out the important topics from the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 below:
Reading Comprehension: Understanding complex language material in short paragraphs and answering questions related to them
Expression: Addressing stylistic and rhetorical aspects of a short passage, including sentence corrections or modifications
Analytical Reasoning: Comprehending relationships in statements or brief passages and drawing reasonable conclusions or inferences from them
Logical Reasoning: Critically assessing arguments, identifying main and supporting points, and predicting outcomes
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 for Economics
The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus for Economics paper with code XH -C1 covers topics such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, public economics, Indian Economics, Development Economics, etc.
More essential GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subjects from the Economics section are listed below:
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 - Economics
Microeconomics
Theory of Consumer Behavior
Theory of Production and Costs
Market Equilibrium
Decision Making under Uncertainty and Risk
Asymmetric Information
Theory of Search
Non-Cooperative Games
Theory of Firm
Factor Pricing
General Equilibrium Analysis
Welfare Economics
Macroeconomics
National Income Accounting
Determination of Output and Employment
Theories of Consumption
Investment Function Specifications
Keynesian Stabilization Policies
Demand and Supply of Money
Central Banking
Financial Institutions
Capital Markets and Regulation
Theories of Inflation
Economic Models
Statistics, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
Probability Theory
Probability Distributions
Central Limit Theorem
Index Numbers and Construction of Price Indices
Sampling Methods & Sampling Distribution
Statistical Inferences
Hypothesis Testing
Linear Regression Models and the Gauss Markov Theorem
Heteroscedasticity, Multicollinearity, and Autocorrelation
Spurious Regressions and Unit Roots
Simultaneous Equation Models
Identification Problem
Differential Calculus and its Applications
Linear Algebra – Matrices
Applications of Cramer’s Rule
Static Optimization Problems and Applications
Input-Output Model
Linear Programming
Difference Equations and Differential Equations with Applications
International Economics
Theories of International Trade
International Trade under Imperfect Competition
Gains from Trade
Terms of Trade
Trade Multiplier
Tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade
Dumping and Anti-Dumping Policies
GATT, WTO, and Regional Trade Blocks
Trade Policy Issues
Balance of Payments: Composition, Equilibrium, and Disequilibrium
Adjustment Mechanisms
Foreign Exchange Market and Arbitrage
Exchange Rate Determination
IMF and World Bank
Public Economics
Market Failure and Remedial Measures
Asymmetric Information
Public Goods
Externality
Regulation of Market – Collusion and Consumers’ Welfare
Public Revenue: Tax & Non-Tax Revenue
Direct & Indirect Taxes
Progressive and Non-Progressive Taxation
Incidence and Effects of Taxation
Public Expenditure
Public Debt and its Management
Public Budget and Budget Multiplier
Tax Incidence
Fiscal Policy and its Implications
Environment as a Public Good
Coase Theorem
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Development Economics
Theories of Economic Development
Indicators of Economic Development
Social Sector Development
Models of Economic Growth
Indian Economics
Economic Growth in India
Agriculture, Industry and Services Sector in India
Rural and Urban Development in India
Flow of Foreign Capital
Trade Policies in India
Infrastructure Development in India
Reforms in Land, Labor, and Capital Markets
Poverty, Inequality, and Unemployment in India
Functioning of Monetary Policy in India
Fiscal Policy in the Indian Context
Fiscal Federalism in India
Sustainability of Deficits and Debt
The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act 2003
Demonetization and Aftermath
India’s Balance of Payments
Composition of India’s Trade
Competitiveness of India’s Exports
India’s Exchange Rate Policy
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 for English
The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 for English (XH -C2) includes English literature, multi-genre literature, and other genres of fiction such as short tales, drama, creative nonfiction, and non-fiction prose.
Multi-genre literature in English:
Poetry, the novel, and other forms of fiction, including the short story, drama, creative non-fiction, and non-fiction prose
Emphasis on the long 19th and 20th centuries.
Literature from India and the Larger Subcontinent:
Anglophone literatures and those in English translation
Especially in a comparative context.
Extending to some degree to the larger Indian subcontinent.
Literary Criticism, Theory, and Traditions:
Literary criticism and theory
Critical and cultural intellectual traditions and widely used approaches in the discipline of English
History of English Literature:
History of English literature and English literary studies.
Research Approaches and Methodologies:
Research approaches and methodologies
Interpretive techniques responsive to literary forms, devices, concepts, and genres.
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus for Linguistics
The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus for Linguistics (XH -C3) in 2025 which includes grammar, phonetics, morphology, syntax, semantics, and other topics as outlined below.
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 - Linguistics
Levels of grammar and grammatical analysis
Phonetics and phonology
Morphology
Syntax
Semantics and pragmatics
Historical linguistics
Sociolinguistics
Areal typology, universals, and cross-linguistic features
Methods of analysis
Applied linguistics
GATE Humanities and Social Science Syllabus 2026 for Philosophy
The Philosophy (XH-C4) GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subject offers a wide range of topics in Classical, Contemporary, and Modern Western Philosophy.
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus - Philosophy
Classical Indian Philosophy, covering Orthodox Systems, Heterodox Systems, Upaniṣads, Bhagavadgita, and Dharmasastras
Philosophy of the Upaniṣads, Kasmira Saivism, Saivasiddhanta, Vira Saivism, Shaktism, and Vaishnavism
Vivekananda and C. Bhattacharyya's Contemporary Indian Philosophy
Classical and Modern Western Philosophy, including Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, and Logic
Contemporary Western Philosophy
GATE Humanities and Social Science Syllabus 2026 for Psychology
The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus for Psychology (XH -C5) provides an array of topics that are necessary for a thorough understanding of the subject. The main subjects on which applicants can expect questions in the GATE 2026 examination are as follows:
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Psychology Syllabus 2026
Research Methods and Statistics
Approaches to research
Designing research
Nature of quantitative and qualitative research
Ethics in conducting and reporting research
Statistics in Psychology
Correlational Analysis
Psychometrics
Biological and Evolutionary Basis of Behavior
Perception, Learning, Memory, and Forgetting
Cognition: Thinking, Intelligence, and Language
Theories of Personality
Motivation, emotion, stress, and coping
Social Psychology
Development across the Lifespan
Applications of Psychology
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus for Sociology
The Sociology GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Subject evaluates applicants' social awareness and knowledge in a variety of areas, including various social movements, marriage, family, and kinship, among others.
Sociology GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026
Sociological Theory, Classical Sociological Traditions, Structural-Functionalism and Structuralism, Hermeneutic and Interpretative Traditions, Post-Modernism, Post-Structuralism and Post-Colonialism, Conflict theory, Indian thinkers
Family, Marriage, and Kinship, Indian Society / Sociology of India, Agrarian Sociology and Rural Transformation, Social Stratification, Sociological Concepts, etc
Research Methodology and Methods, Sociological Concepts, Research Design, Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Social Movements, Introduction to social movements, Theories of Social Movements, Social Movement in India with specific reference to social basis, leadership, ideology and actions, Social Movements, civil society and globalization
Sociology of Development, Perspectives on the Study of Development, State and Market, The Micro-Politics of Development: Transforming Communities, Sustainable development, etc
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus for General Aptitude
The General Aptitude section of the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences syllabus covers the following topics:
English grammar
Sentence completion
Instructions
Verbal analogies
Word groups
Critical reasoning
Verbal deduction
Numerical computation
Numerical reasoning
Numerical estimation
Data interpretation
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus - Important Topics
Studying all GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subjects is important to score well. So, aspirants are advised to give special attention to the specific topics highlighted below from the comprehensive GATE Humanities and Social Science Syllabus.
This strategy will enhance the overall understanding of subjects and lead to better scores in the GATE XH 2026 examination.
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus - Important Topics
Analytical Reasoning
Language and Linguistics Focusing on English Multi-genre literature
Sociological Theory
Macroeconomics
Reading Comprehension
Psychometrics
Classical Indian Philosophy, Covering Orthodox Systems
The Biological and Evolutionary Basis of Behavior
Expression
Logical Reasoning
Social Movements
Indian Economics
Sociolinguistics: Levels of Grammar and Grammatical Analysis
Sociological Concepts
GATE Humanities And Social Sciences Syllabus PDF
The GATE Humanities and Social Sciences subject was introduced in GATE 2021. For the upcoming examination, IIT Guwahati will release the detailed GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus PDF on its official website, gate.iitg.ac.in. Further, for aspirants convenience, a direct link to download the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026 PDF is provided below:
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus - Sectional Weightage
In accordance with the GATE Exam Pattern 2026, the examination will carry a total of 65 questions based on core Humanities and Social Sciences subjects, reasoning and comprehension, and general aptitude, worth 100 marks.
Check out the sectional weightage of the subjects from the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2026.
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus - Sectional Weightage
XH Paper Sections
Paper Code
Total Marks
Reasoning and Comprehension
GA
15 Marks
General Aptitude
XH-B1
25 Marks
Optional GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Subject List
Economics
XH-C1
60 Marks
English
XH-C2
Linguistics
XH-C3
Philosophy
XH-C4
Psychology
XH-C5
Sociology
XH-C6
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