Alerts and Updates for GATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Sociology

IIT Madras is the organizing institute for GATE 2027 and released the official notification and brochure on 20 July 2026 at gate2027.iitm.ac.in. The exam, covering 30 papers including Humanities and Social Sciences (XH), will be a computer-based test held on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027.

GATE 2027 registration, originally planned for 14 August 2026, was postponed; the GOAPS application portal opened on 27 August 2026 and is open now. Regular registration (no late fee) closes 27 September 2026, with an extended late-fee window until 5 October 2026. DigiLocker registration and live facial verification are also now mandatory.

The GATE 2027 syllabus was revised across all papers for the first time in five years to align with current industry needs; a new Robotics and Automation (RA) paper was introduced, and Textile Engineering and Fibre Science (TF) became a sectional paper within Engineering Sciences (XE).

The official GATE 2027 XH (Humanities and Social Sciences) combined syllabus confirms the paper structure: General Aptitude (15 marks), a common XH0 Reasoning and Comprehension section (25 marks, covering reading comprehension, expression, analytical and logical reasoning), plus one chosen optional subject worth 60 marks.

The GATE 2027 XH6 Sociology syllabus covers eight sections — Sociological Theory (Durkheim, Weber and Marx through Bourdieu, Foucault and Indian thinkers like Ambedkar and M.N. Srinivas), Research Methodology, Sociological Concepts, Agrarian Sociology, Family/Marriage/Kinship, Indian Society, Social Movements, and Sociology of Development.

IIT Madras is the organising institute for GATE 2027 and the official notification is expected in the last week of July 2026. Registration through the GOAPS portal is reported to open around August 24, 2026 and close on September 29, 2026, with a late-fee window until October 13, 2026. These dates stay tentative until the official brochure appears.

GATE 2027 is expected to be conducted on February 6, 7, 13 and 14, 2027 across forenoon (9:30 am to 12:30 pm) and afternoon (2:30 pm to 5:30 pm) sessions. The date and slot for the XH Humanities and Social Sciences paper will be fixed in the official timetable.

Sociology is the XH-C6 optional section. Every XH candidate answers General Aptitude for 15 marks plus the compulsory Reasoning and Comprehension section XH-B1 for 25 marks (15 questions: five carrying one mark and ten carrying two marks), and then one optional subject paper carrying 60 marks.

The GATE 2027 fee is reported as Rs 2000 per paper for General, OBC and EWS candidates and Rs 1000 for SC, ST, PwD and women candidates, doubling if a two-paper combination is chosen. Candidates in the third year or higher of any UG programme can apply.

Because XH-C6 syllabus and pattern details are finalised only in the information brochure, Sociology aspirants should verify the syllabus PDF and calendar on the GATE IIT Madras official portal once GATE 2027 is announced rather than relying on coaching timelines.