UPSC Mains Previous Year Questions: Caste System in India | Indian Society for UPSC CSE PDF Download

“Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, caste system cannot be eradicated in India.” Comment. (UPSC GS1 2018)

Textually, Caste system is a hierarchical, regressive institution where individuals are ascribed social positions, powers, access to important social resources (like education, jobs) differentially from their being part of a certain caste grouping. Be it Brahmins, Kshtriyas or Vaishyas etc. there are many castes and sub-castes in India. 

• Prevalence of Khap Panchayat, demand for caste based reservations (as in Patel, Jat agitation), political parties giving tickets based on castes (Ex: Akali dal), Ccste based political mobilisation like Bahujan Samaj Party and Coalition-Politics (Ex: Alliance btw Congress and JDS in Karnataka elections), Regional caste associations like Dalit Mandals, Fragmented Habitations /Colonies in urban areas where dalits, lowers caste reside ——examples which show that caste in India assuming new identities and forms Regressive attributes of Caste system: Dowry, caste conflict, child marriage, jajmani inter-caste relationship, patriarchy and its impact on women and children, purdah and restriction on sexuality of women, authoritarianism classification of work and social life as pure/impure. 

Before it assuming new identities and forms one has understand the reasons for its perpetuation, rigidity and its all pervasiveness 

• Slow Economic Growth and increasing population during medieval times and 19th C resulted in resourcescarcity. This led to exclusive control of important resources by upper caste to reduce competition 
• Lack of Modern Education based on science, rationalism and more emphasis on literature, religion, law. 
• Lack of a Modern Secular State with Rule of law, Political and Social rights to citizens. 
• Lack of Physical and Social infrastructure that could create employment, integration, collective mobilisation. This would have contributed for upward social mobility, breaks the old social relationships and forms new identities. Western societies have through socio-economic changes have replaced old social institutions, relationships through modern institutions. 

However Post independent India with: 

• Modern Constitution, idea of individual-civil rights, social legislations like “Right to Education”, Dowry, Sati acts, New Industrial Policy Resolutions, Representation of People’s act disallowing political parties to ask votes based on Caste gives freedom for choice of occupation, mobility, migration and participation. 
• Modern Infrastructure and facilities, public places are open to all irrespective of caste promotes secularism in public place. 
• Public and private employment is equally open to all based on merit and not on social positions Despite these changes, caste appears to be taking new forms, transforming, reviving itself to make itself relevant in modern political and secular Indian society than altogether disappearing. 
• Reasons for its prevalence and new forms: Today caste system has transformed into Political Pressure group (vote banks), Cooperative, educational to protect, promote their interest unlike a closet, controlled, power group of the earlier times. This is because Indian secularism doesn’t disengage completely with caste but recognises all equally and intervenes for social upliftment ex: Art 15, Art 16(4b), Art 17. 
• Hence protecting their identity serves their sociopolitical interests Reservation on basis of caste and unequal growth between regions, community and groups has resulted in a sense of relative deprivation in excluded groups making caste mobilisation, identification more relevant. Modern society is changing too fast and getting instrumental, bureaucratic, and uncertain that people want some emotional bonding to identify themselves which Caste provides. 
• When rural workers migrate, they tend to look for people from their caste who can help them, strengthening caste groupings. Marriage within caste is most preferred through Gotra Caste like many traditions has origin in supernatural belief. Science hasn’t answered the uncertain phenomena’s of universe (big bang theory). This reinforces peoples beliefs in caste. This explains why HigsBason is called “God Particle”. 
• Modernuncertainties sudden shocks like landslides, tsunami, earthquake, rapid economic slump, Job loss, lifestyle disease feel the want of emotional wellbeing which the caste community provides. Caste groups provide subsidy, scholarships for higher education among their communities.
• Caste institutions today has proliferated into various institutions like Educational Institutions, Political system, pressure groups, Grass-root community groups like Self-help groups etc where they have changed their earlier role of stratification, control, closet community to economic mobilisation for the purpose of development(both qualitative and quantitative).
• However some aberrations in the form of Hate-speeches, Dalit violence (as in Bhima-Karegoen), caste conflicts (ex: Lynching of dalits, honour killings) castisation of politics and politicisation of caste are becoming more menacing. In India people attach their caste identity with their names as in Aggarwal, Gowdas etc. to identify and ensure that society identify their social positions all the while ensuring that they act secular in their public interaction.
• Lower caste still prefers to identify with word “Dalit” than Scheduled caste to manifest their identity and reassertion. Hence caste may not be eliminated rather will evolve to suit the times making it immortal Indian legacy.

Topics Covered - Caste system in India