CUET UG 2027 / KTPI syllabus

CUET UG 2027 · Paper 316

CUET KTPI Syllabus 2027: Units, Chapters and Books

The official CUET UG Knowledge Tradition and Practices in India syllabus (paper 316), unit by unit, with the book chapter each unit comes from, what changed from 2025 to 2026, and where to practise.

Practise CUET KTPI in the Study OS Official NTA syllabus PDF

2027 status: NTA has not released the CUET UG 2027 syllabus. This page shows the official CUET UG 2026 KTPI syllabus, the latest available, and will be updated when NTA publishes the 2027 version.

CUET KTPI at a glance

Paper code: 316 (Knowledge Tradition and Practices in India)
Questions: 50 multiple-choice questions, all compulsory
Time: 60 minutes
Marking: +5 for a correct answer, minus 1 for a wrong answer; 250 maximum
Syllabus: 8 units, 11 chapters in our chapter map

How the CUET KTPI paper is structured

CUET Knowledge Tradition and Practices in India (KTPI, paper 316) has eight sections: agriculture, architecture, dance, education systems, Indian ethics, martial arts, language and grammar, and other technologies. Each section is a survey plus a selection of primary texts.

The sections come from the CBSE KTPI class 12 modules. The newer NCERT class 11 book Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India has a different chapter set and is not a match for this paper.

CUET KTPI syllabus, unit by unit

Unit titles and topics as printed in NTA’s CUET UG 2026 syllabus PDF.

Unit 1

Agriculture: A Survey

Agriculture in Prehistory and Protohistory
Textual Sources
Types of Lands
Rain-Fed and Irrigated Crops
Implements
Seed and Sowing
Manures
Pests and Their Management
Cattle Management
Horticulture and Arboriculture
Fishing
Agriculture and Society
Agricultural Heritage: Excerpts from Primary Texts (Rigveda, …)

Unit 2

Architecture: A Survey

(1) Early and Classical Architecture: Temple Architecture
Rock-Cut Structures
Monolithic Temples
Constructed Temples
Public and Private Architecture
Architecture: Excerpts from Primary Texts
(2) Medieval & Colonial Architecture: Fort and Palace Architecture
Mosques
Mausoleums
Colonial Architecture

Unit 3

Dance: A Survey

(1) Classical Dance Forms: Classical Period / Middle Period / Modern Period
Classical Dance Forms: Bharatanatyam / Kathakali / Kathak / Kuchipudi / Manipuri / Odissi / Sattriya
Primary Texts on Dance in India: A Selection
(2) Folk Dance Forms: Chau / Bihu / Rauf / Padayani / Dollu Kunitha / Dandiya / Ghumar / Kalbelia / Chaufla / Bhangra / Giddha / Garba / Lavani / Bamboo Dance

Unit 4

Education Systems and Practices: A Survey

Goals of Indian Education
Teaching and Learning
The Teacher and the Student
Centres of Education
Temples as First Schools
Gurukulas
Viharas and Universities
Community-Supported Education
The Continuing System
Primary Texts on Education in India: Two Types of Knowledge and the Right Pupil / Mere Intellectual Knowledge Is Not Enough / The Link between Teacher and Pupil / Teachers Invite Students to come to Them / Controlling the Mind and the Senses: the Goal of Indian Education / Teacher's Directives to Students on their Completion of Study / What is a Useful Life?
Hsüan-tsang's (Xuanzang) Impressions of Indian Education / Hsüan-tsang's (Xuanzang) Description of Nalanda University
Narratives of Indian Education in the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries: An Italian Explorer's Record of Indian Education in the 17th Century / A Description of Indian Education in the 18th Century / The Teacher's Subsistence / Respect for the Teacher / Physical Education and Sports / Description of the University at Navadveep (Nuddeah) in Bengal in 1791 / Love of Learning and Support for Education among Indians / A Widespread Colonial Network of Indigenous Schools

Unit 5

Indian Ethics: Individual and Social

The Cosmic Order
Buddhist Ethics
Jain Ethics
Sikh Ethics
The Bhakti Movement
Primary Texts on Ethics: From Jain Granthas / From Buddhist Granthas / From Asoka's Edicts / From the Kural (tr. P.S. Sundaram)

Unit 6

Martial Arts Traditions: A Survey

Texts / Practice of Martial Arts / Stick Combat / Kalarippayattu
Martial Arts Traditions: A Selection from Primary Texts: Wrestling in the Mahabharata / Mallapurana / Marmasastram

Unit 7

Language and Grammar

Languages of India
Study of Language in India
Disciplines of Language Studies in India
Classification of Speech-Sounds
Theory of Grammar
Chanda (Prosody)
Primary Texts on Language: Reflections on Language from Vedic Sources; Phonetics: Paniniya Siksha (tr. & ed., Manomohan Ghosh); Nirukta (Etymology): The Nighantu and the Nirukta of Sri Yaskacharya (tr. ed., Lakshman Sarup); Patanjali's Mahabhasya (adapted from S.N. Dasgupta's translation); Grammar, Language and Knowledge: Bhartrhari's Vakyapadiya, Brahmakanda (tr. K. A. Subramania Iyer)

Unit 8

Other Technologies: A Survey

Harappan Technologies
Later Pottery
Glass
Water Management
Textile Technology
Writing Technology
Pyrotechnics
Cosmetics and Perfumes
Other Technologies: A Selection from Primary Texts: Gemmology / Water Management / Textiles and Garments / Cosmetics and Perfumes

Chapter map

Each row is one chapter of study, with the book it comes from. Where a syllabus topic is missing from that book, the row says so.

Agriculture: A Survey (with primary texts)Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Agriculture: A Survey, chapter 1
Architecture I: Early and ClassicalKnowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Architecture: A Survey (1) Early and Classical, chapter 2
Architecture II: Medieval and ColonialKnowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Architecture: A Survey (2) Medieval & Colonial, chapter 2
Dance I: Classical Dance Forms (with primary texts)Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Dance: A Survey (1) Classical, chapter 3
Dance II: Folk Dance FormsKnowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Dance: A Survey (2) Folk, chapter 3
Education Systems and Practices: A SurveyKnowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Education Systems and Practices: A Survey, chapter 4
Education: Primary Texts, Xuanzang and 17th-19th Century NarrativesKnowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Education Systems and Practices (primary texts and narratives), chapter 4
Indian Ethics: Individual and SocialKTPI Class XII - Ethics: Individual and Social, chapter 5Not covered in this source: Full CBSE text of 'Indian Ethics: Individual and Social' and its primary-text selection (Jain/Buddhist granthas, Asoka's edicts, Kural) - no downloadable official copy
Martial Arts Traditions: A Survey (with primary texts)Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Martial Arts Traditions: A Survey, chapter 6
Language and Grammar (with primary texts)Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Language and Grammar, chapter 7
Other Technologies: A Survey (with primary texts)Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Class XII - Other Technologies: A Survey, chapter 8

What changed from 2025 to 2026

No change: the 2025 and 2026 KTPI syllabus text is identical.

Compared against NTA’s CUET UG 2025 syllabus PDF. When the 2027 syllabus is out, this section will compare 2027 with 2026.

Books to study from

CBSE Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India class 12 modules
CBSE KTPI curriculum, which still lists the same eight class 12 sections

NCERT books are on ncert.nic.in; NIOS course material is on nios.ac.in.

Practise CUET KTPI chapter by chapter

The Study OS CUET track follows the chapter map above. Choose KTPI as one of your papers, revise a chapter, then test it with exam-style questions and read the explanation after every answer.

Practise CUET KTPI

Frequently asked questions

What is the exam pattern of the CUET KTPI paper?

CUET UG KTPI (paper code 316) has 50 compulsory multiple-choice questions to be answered in 60 minutes. A correct answer earns 5 marks and a wrong answer costs 1 mark, so the paper is out of 250. This is the CUET UG 2026 pattern; NTA has not announced any change for 2027.

Has NTA released the CUET KTPI syllabus for 2027?

Not yet. The syllabus on this page is the official CUET UG 2026 KTPI syllabus, which is the latest one NTA has published. This page will be updated when the 2027 syllabus is released.

Which books should I study for CUET KTPI?

Study from: CBSE Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India class 12 modules; CBSE KTPI curriculum, which still lists the same eight class 12 sections.

What changed in the CUET KTPI syllabus?

No change: the 2026 KTPI syllabus is identical to 2025. This compares the 2025 and 2026 syllabi; the 2027 syllabus is not out yet.

Is the NCERT KTPI class 11 book enough for CUET KTPI?

No. The CUET syllabus follows the eight CBSE KTPI class 12 modules (agriculture, architecture, dance, education, ethics, martial arts, language and grammar, other technologies). The NCERT class 11 book covers different topics.

What does a KTPI section include?

Each section has a survey of the tradition and a short selection of primary texts, so expect questions on both the history and the named texts.