IGNOU BSOG 171 (Indian Society: Images and Realities): Assignment, Question Papers and Study Blocks

Part of IGNOU Study Material: IGNOU Study Material 2026: How to Check Book Status and Download eSLM PDF?

BSOG 171 Indian Society: Images and Realities at a glance

BSOG 171 subject name and where it sits in IGNOU BAFJDM

BSOG 171 is titled Indian Society: Images and Realities. It is an elective course with 6 credits, requiring 180 hours of learner study. This course is listed in the Bachelor of Arts (Journalism and Digital Media) (BAFJDM) programme, under Interdisciplinary Courses, and is taught in English by the School of Journalism and New Media Studies (SOJNMS).

Learners taking BSOG 171 in the BAFJDM programme will also study other 6-credit courses in the same term. These include BEGG 171 Media and Communication Skills, BHDG 175 Madhyakaneen Bharatiya Sahitya Evam Sanskriti, and BPAG 171 Disaster Management. Other options are BPCG 171 General Psychology, BPYI 101 Applied Ethics, BMDG 171 Disability, Society and Culture, BABG 171 Understanding Ambedkar, and BDIG 171 Introduction to Migration and Diaspora. While BSOG 171 is part of the BAFJDM course table, other IGNOU programmes may also carry it.

BSOG 171 syllabus: the 3 study blocks on eGyanKosh

The eGyanKosh record for ‘BSOG 171 Indian Society : Images and Realities’ lists the course content in English.

The BSOG 171 course, an elective carrying 6 credits, is structured into three study blocks. The first block, ‘Ideas of India’, introduces foundational concepts. This initial block sets the context for understanding the subsequent material. Block 2, ‘Institutions and Processes’, then examines how these ideas manifest in societal structures and dynamics. Finally, Block 3, ‘Critiques’, builds on the previous two by presenting critical perspectives on Indian society.

The 3 blocks hold 12 units between them:

1. Block 1: Ideas of India
   • Unit 1: Civilization and culture
   • Unit 2: India as colony
   • Unit 3: Nation, state and society
2. Block 2: Institutions and Processes
   • Unit 4: Village India
   • Unit 5: Urban India
   • Unit 6: Language and religion
   • Unit 7: Caste and class
   • Unit 8: Tribe and ethnicity
   • Unit 9: Family and marriage
   • Unit 10: Kinship
3. Block 3: Critiques
   • Unit 11: Class, power and inequality
   • Unit 12: Resistance and Protest

Getting the printed books and e-books: IGNOU study material.

BSOG 171 assignment: download, submission and marks

The official IGNOU BAFSO Sociology BSOG 171 Hindi Assignment 2024 (Hindi — Four Year Under Graduate Programme (FYUG)/BAM) July 2024-Jan 2025) includes the BSOG 171 assignment in Hindi. For English medium, the IGNOU BAFSO BSOG 171 Assignment January 2024 (English — Four Year Under Graduate Programme (FYUG)/BAM) July 2024-Jan 2025) provides the assignment.

Assignments are compulsory and must be written before taking the Term-End Examination (July 2026). Tutor Marked Assignments go to the Coordinator of the learner’s Learner Support Centre (July 2026). If an assignment is failed, it must be re-submitted. Once an assignment is passed, it cannot be re-submitted to improve the grade. The programme medium for BAFJDM is English.

Official IGNOU assignment files that include BSOG 171

BSOG 171 assignment questions: July 2024 and January 2025

Assignment ASST /TMA / July 2024 – Jan. 2025 has 10 questions. Together they carry 100 marks.

Questions as printed in IGNOU’s file: BSOG 171 assignment PDF. Check the Assignments page before you write, since IGNOU replaces the file each year.

Assignment rules that apply to every IGNOU course: front page format, paper and margin rules, binding and envelope and checking assignment status.

BSOG 171 question papers and the term-end exam

IGNOU posts previous BSOG 171 question papers on its Previous Question Papers page. These papers are arranged by programme and course. The term-end examination for BSOG 171 is held twice a year, in June and December. Examination centres are available across the country and abroad.

The examination fee is Rs. 200 per theory course, as of the December 2026 TEE. Learners may write the exam in Hindi even if registered in English medium, except for language programmes.

For BSOG 171, only term-end theory exams can be re-evaluated. Projects, practicals, workshops, assignments, or seminars are not eligible for re-evaluation. A copy of the answer script costs Rs. 100 per course (January 2026). Early declaration of results is available for Rs. 1000 per course for Indian students, provided there is proof of selection for a post or further studies (January 2026).

The University provides numerical marks and division (I, II or Pass) for bachelor’s and master’s degrees upon request (July 2026). Bachelor’s and Master’s students who are within 2% marks of a 2nd or 1st division may improve their division, with one opportunity only (January 2026).

BSOG 171 previous year question papers

The last 6 term-end papers on IGNOU’s question paper site:

BSOG 171 exam pattern

The June 2026 paper runs 3 hours and carries 100 marks. The instruction at the top reads: “Answer any five questions in about 400 words each. All questions carry equal marks.”

BSOG 171 topics asked in more than one exam

Read across the 6 papers, these subjects came back:

How the questions in these papers spread over the blocks (48 of 48 questions match a unit):

For the exam itself: previous year question papers by programme, the exam form, the date sheet and results and grade card.

Other BAFJDM courses in the same term

• BPYI 101 Applied Ethics

Official IGNOU links for BSOG 171

• eGyanKosh: BSOG 171 Indian Society : Images and Realities
• IGNOU previous term-end question papers
• IGNOU assignments page
• IGNOU BAFSO Sociology BSOG 171 Hindi Assignment 2024
• IGNOU BAFSO BSOG 171 Assignment January 2024

Common IGNOU Questions