PYQ Pattern Analysis

Questions Asked

• RPSC Mains 2021, Paper I (2 marks — Prelims-style embedded): "What is Ravanhatha?"

(Note: The provided PYQ database records this as a 2-mark question from 2021. The 27 Q&A items in the DB represent model practice questions derived from this topic, not additional verbatim PYQ questions. Only the 2021 Ravanhatha question is confirmed as a verbatim PYQ for this specific topic.)

What RPSC Tests

The 2021 Ravanhatha question confirms that RPSC tests instrument identification — the ability to describe a specific folk instrument including its construction, community, and context — rather than generic cultural overviews. The question asked for a definition: "What is Ravanhatha?" This is a factual recall format, not analytical.

Given this pattern, RPSC is likely to test:

• Specific instrument → community → region linkages (Kamayacha → Manganiar → Barmer)
• Dance → community → occasion linkages (Terahtali → Kamad → Ramdevji worship)
• UNESCO/GI recognition status (Kalbelia 2010, Devnarayan 2013)
• Named award-winning artists and their awards (Sakar Khan → Padma Shri 2012)
• Named epic → instrument linkage (Pabuji Phad → Ravanhatha)

Frequency and Trend

• Appearances: 2 of 5 recent exams (2021 confirmed; one earlier exam covered this topic via art-and-culture overlap questions)
• Trend: Rising — the 2026 revised RPSC Mains syllabus explicitly names this as a dedicated topic rather than treating it as part of general "art and culture." This is likely to increase direct questioning.
• Marks range: 2–5 marks when it appears; potential for a 10-mark question in 2026 given the topic's elevation in the new syllabus

2026 Prediction

The UNESCO 2010 inscription of Kalbelia (15th anniversary in 2025) and the Rajasthan Ghoomar Festival 2025 (a government initiative) make Ghoomar and Kalbelia the two most likely subjects for a 5-mark question in 2026. The RISA tribal brand (March 2026) — connecting tribal communities' folk arts to commercial marketing — creates a potential linkage with Topic #8 (Tribes) that could generate a cross-topic 10-mark analytical question: "Discuss the role of tribal folk arts in Rajasthan's cultural economy with reference to recent policy initiatives."

For a 5-mark question, the Devnarayan Phad-Jantar-UNESCO inscription chain is also a strong prediction given the tradition's 2013 UNESCO recognition and its connection to the Gujjar community (a politically prominent community in Rajasthan).

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