BHIS 183 Question Paper December 2025 is the best paper to rehearse on if your Crafts in Bharat exam falls in 2026. It runs from the meaning of Shreni and the guild system through Dokhra metal craft, Bagh printing and the decline in artisanal labour. Let's break it down the way a senior would before your attempt.
BHIS-183 Question Paper December 2025 Exam Pattern and Marks
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Medium | Bilingual, fully printed in English and Hindi |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Total marks | 50 |
| Number of sections | 2 (Section A and Section B) |
| Questions to attempt | 5 in all |
| Minimum per section | At least 2 from each Section |
| Marks per question | 10 marks each |
| Word limit per mark band | 300 words for a 10-mark question and 150 words for a 5-mark note |
| Type of questions | Descriptive long answers and short notes |
| Language of answers | English or Hindi, both accepted |
How the Section A and Section B Split Works
Both sections sit at the same weight, so you cannot lean entirely on one. Section A holds the conceptual and historical end, Shreni and the legal rights and duties of guilds, the utility of crafts as a weapon for the attainment of Swaraj, learning by practice, and short notes on the craftsman as a maker of beauty. Section B turns practical, the machines debate, the craft value chain, government handicraft initiatives, and notes on Dokhra metal craft, Bagh printing and Fabindia. With at least two needed from each, plan a three and two split before you pick up the pen.
All Questions in the BHIS-183 December 2025 Paper
Note : (i) There are two Sections in the question paper—Section A and Section B.
(ii) Attempt five questions in all.
(iii) Attempt at least two questions from each Section.
(iv) All questions carry equal marks.
(v) The word limit for 10 marks question is 300 words and for 5 marks question it is 150 words.
Section—A
What do you understand by Shreni ? Discuss the legal rights and duties of Shreni. 10
Describe the utility of crafts as a weapon for attainment of Swaraj. 10
Discuss the concept of learning by practice. 10
Write short notes on any two of the following : 5+5
(a) Craftsman as the maker of Beauty
(b) Types of crafts in pre-colonial period
(c) Condition of crafts at the time of independence
(d) Characteristics of crafts knowledge
Section—B
Are machines necessary for humans ? In what context do they become harmful for humans and nature ? Explain. 10
What are the different components of the craft value chain ? Discuss with example. 10
Describe some of the government initiatives to boost the handicraft sector in Bharat. 10
Write short notes on any two of the following : 5+5
(a) Dokhra metal craft
(b) Bagh Printing
(c) Fabindia
(d) Decline in artisanal labour
भाग—अ
नोट : (i) इस प्रश्न-पत्र में दो भाग हैं—भाग 'अ' और भाग 'ब'।
(ii) कुल पाँच प्रश्नों के उत्तर दीजिए।
(iii) प्रत्येक भाग से कम-से-कम दो प्रश्नों के उत्तर दीजिए।
(iv) सभी प्रश्नों के अंक समान हैं।
(v) 10 अंक वाले प्रश्नों के लिए शब्द-सीमा 300 शब्द तथा 5 अंक वाले प्रश्नों के लिए शब्द-सीमा 150 शब्द है।
श्रेणी से आप क्या समझते हैं ? श्रेणियों के विधिक अधिकार और कर्तव्यों पर चर्चा कीजिए। 10
स्वराज प्राप्ति के लिए हथियार के रूप में शिल्प की उपयोगिता का वर्णन कीजिए। 10
अभ्यास द्वारा अधिगम की अवधारणा पर चर्चा कीजिए। 10
निम्नलिखित में से किन्हीं दो पर संक्षिप्त टिप्पणियाँ लिखिए : 5+5
(क) सौन्दर्य सर्जक के रूप में शिल्पकार
(ख) पूर्व-औपनिवेशिक काल में शिल्प के प्रकार
(ग) स्वतंत्रता के समय शिल्प की स्थिति
(घ) शिल्प ज्ञान की विशेषताएँ
भाग—ब
क्या मनुष्य के लिए मशीनें आवश्यक हैं ? वे किस संदर्भ में मनुष्य और प्रकृति के लिए हानिकारक हो जाती हैं ? समझाइए। 10
शिल्प मूल्य शृंखला के विभिन्न घटक क्या हैं ? उदाहरण सहित चर्चा कीजिए। 10
भारत में हस्तशिल्प क्षेत्र को बढ़ावा देने वाली सरकारी पहलों का वर्णन कीजिए। 10
निम्नलिखित में से किन्हीं दो पर संक्षिप्त टिप्पणियाँ लिखिए : 5+5
(क) ढोकरा धातु शिल्प
(ख) बाग प्रिंटिंग
(ग) फेबइण्डिया
(घ) कारीगर श्रम में गिरावट
Topics Covered in the BHIS-183 Paper
The meaning of Shreni and the legal rights and duties of the guild
The utility of crafts as a weapon for the attainment of Swaraj
The concept of learning by practice
The craftsman as a maker of beauty
Types of crafts in the pre-colonial period
The condition of crafts at the time of independence
The characteristics of craft knowledge
Whether machines are necessary for humans and when they harm humans and nature
The different components of the craft value chain
Government initiatives to boost the handicraft sector in Bharat
Dokhra metal craft
Bagh printing
Fabindia
The decline in artisanal labour
About IGNOU BHIS-183 Traditions and Perceptions of Crafts in Bharat
BHIS-183 looks at how Indian crafts have been understood across centuries, starting with the guild system and what Shreni meant for the social and legal standing of artisans. It treats craft not just as production but as knowledge, hence the focus on learning by practice and the idea of the craftsman as a maker of beauty.
The course then traces a journey. It moves from the types of crafts in the pre-colonial period to the condition of crafts at the time of independence, when the question of whether machines are necessary for humans grew sharp. That debate runs straight into Gandhi's view of crafts as a weapon for Swaraj.
The modern half is just as concrete. You study the craft value chain, government handicraft schemes, enterprises like Fabindia, and the worrying decline in artisanal labour, alongside living crafts such as Dokhra metal work and Bagh printing.
This page is written by Prateek Talwar and reviewed by the Unnati Educations academic team, including our history and Indian-crafts content reviewers. It sits within the BHIS-183 course offered across the IGNOU BAG, BAM, Honours and Major undergraduate streams, and reflects the official IGNOU Term-End Examination of December 2025. Last updated: June 2026.
How to Use BHIS-183 December 2025 Question Paper to Score in the 2026 Exam
Rehearse this paper against a real 2-hour clock and choose your five answers first, keeping the two-per-section rule live. A strong Shreni answer earns marks only when you give both halves the legal rights of the guild and its duties, not just a definition.
Where a question asks for an example, give a named one. The craft value chain answer lifts immediately if you trace a real craft such as Dokhra metal work or Bagh printing from raw material to market, rather than listing abstract stages.
Read the Swaraj question as a link, not a fact dump. The examiner wants you to connect handicraft revival, khadi and self-reliance to the freedom movement. Themes like crafts at independence and the decline in artisanal labour recur, so a tight argument there pays off across years, including this December 2025 IGNOU paper.
Sample Answer Approach (not a full answer)
Take question 6, the components of the craft value chain. Here is the shape of a full-marks 300-word answer, not the answer itself.
Opening: frame the value chain as the full journey of a handmade product, from raw material to the consumer, and why it matters for artisan income.
Points to cover: sourcing of raw material, the artisan's skill and production, design and finishing, aggregation by cooperatives or middlemen, marketing and branding, and final retail.
Worked example: walk Dokhra metal craft through these stages, the lost-wax casting by tribal artisans, then the role an enterprise like Fabindia plays in reaching urban buyers.
Conclusion: a two-line judgement on where artisans lose value in the chain and how fair links could check the decline in artisanal labour.
Frequently Asked Questions about the BHIS-183 Question Paper December 2025
Is this the authentic BHIS-183 IGNOU question paper?
Yes. This is the official IGNOU Term-End Examination paper for BHIS-183 held in December 2025, copied exactly as printed in both languages. The real questions on Shreni, the craft value chain, government handicraft initiatives and short notes like Bagh printing appear here unchanged, with the same marks and the same Section A and Section B structure.
Is the BHIS-183 question paper available in Hindi as well as English?
Absolutely. The paper is fully bilingual, so both the English questions and the Hindi (भाग अ and भाग ब) versions are printed here in full. Whether you write on ढोकरा धातु शिल्प or the decline in artisanal labour in Hindi or in English, you can revise from the exact wording IGNOU used, since both mediums are accepted in BHIS-183.
How does the BHIS-183 50-mark two-section question paper pattern work?
Simply put, you attempt five questions for 50 marks in 2 hours, with at least two drawn from each section. Section A carries Shreni, Swaraj and learning by practice, while Section B carries the craft value chain and government schemes. Ten-mark questions want about 300 words and five-mark notes such as Fabindia want roughly 150.
Is a BHIS 183 solved question paper available?
Yes, a BHIS 183 solved question paper can be shared on request. The questions here are the genuine ones, and the solved set adds model answers shaped the way examiners reward, with a worked craft example for the value chain and a clear rights-and-duties split for Shreni. Drop us a message and we will send what fits your prep.
Can the BHIS-183 question paper help with the assignment?
It helps considerably. The BHIS-183 assignment and this exam draw on one syllabus, so revising the condition of crafts at independence, the machines debate, or government handicraft initiatives for the paper strengthens your tutor-marked work too. Practising these December 2025 questions builds the same understanding of Indian artisanship that the assignment expects.
What BHIS-183 IGNOU support is available?
You can reach our desk directly. If you want the solved set, help structuring a 300-word answer on the craftsman as a maker of beauty, or guidance on picking five questions across both sections, we are a message away. Send us a note on WhatsApp and we will point you to the right BHIS-183 resource.
Unnati Educations is an independent IGNOU study-resource platform that prepares practice papers and solved material for learners.
Disclaimer: Unnati Educations is an independent academic support service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or associated with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The original question paper is the property of IGNOU and is provided here only as a reference for student practice.