Is the caste system still important in modern Indian society?

The leaders of independent India decided that India will be democratic, socialist and secular country. According to this policy there is a separation between religion and state. Practicing untouchability or discriminating a person based on his caste is legally forbidden. Along with this law the government allows positive discrimination of the depressed classes of India.

The Indians have also become more flexible in their caste system customs. In general the urban people in India are less strict about the caste system than the rural. In cities one can see different caste people mingling with each other, while in some rural areas there is still discrimination based on castes and sometimes also on untouchability. Sometimes in villages or in the cities there are violent clashes which, are connected to caste tensions. Sometimes the high castes strike the lower castes who dare to uplift their status. Sometimes the lower caste get back on the higher castes.

In modern India the term caste is used for Jat and also for Varna. The term, caste was used by the British who ruled India until 1947. The British who wanted to rule India efficiently made lists of Indian communities. They used two terms to describe Indian communities. Castes and Tribes. The term caste was used for Jats and also for Varnas. Tribes were those communities who lived deep in jungles, forests and mountains far away from the main population and also communities who were hard to be defined as castes for example communities who made a living from stealing or robbery. These lists, which the British made, were used later on by the Indian governments to create lists of communities who were entitled for positive discrimination.

The castes, which were the elite of the Indian society, were classified as high castes. The other communities were classified as lower castes or lower classes. The lower classes were listed in three categories. The first category is called Scheduled Castes. This category includes in it communities who were untouchables. In modern India, untouchability exists at a very low extent. The untouchables call themselves Dalit, meaning depressed. Until the late 1980s they were called Harijan, meaning children of God. This title was given to them by Mahatma Gandhi who wanted the society to accept untouchables within them.

The second category is Scheduled Tribes. This category includes in it those communities who did not accept the caste system and preferred to reside deep in the jungles, forests and mountains of India, away from the main population. The Scheduled Tribes are also called Adivasi, meaning aboriginals.

The third category is called sometimes Other Backward Classes or Backward Classes. This category includes in it castes who belong to Sudra Varna and also former untouchables who converted from Hinduism to other religions. This category also includes in it nomads and tribes who made a living from criminal acts.

According to the central government policy these three categories are entitled for positive discrimination. Sometimes these three categories are defined together as Backward Classes. 15% of India's population are Scheduled Castes. According to central government policy 15% of the government jobs and 15% of the students admitted to universities must be from Scheduled Castes. For the Scheduled Tribes about 7.5% places are reserved which is their proportion in Indian population. The Other Backwards Classes are about 50% of India's population, but only 27% of government jobs are reserved for them.

Along with the central government, the state governments of India also follow a positive discrimination policy. Different states have different figures of communities entitled for positive discrimination based on the population of each state. Different state governments have different lists of communities entitled for positive discrimination. Sometimes a specific community is entitled for rights in a particular state but not in another state of India.

In modern India new tensions were created because of these positive discrimination policies. The high caste communities feel discriminated by the government policy to reserve positions for the Backward Classes. In many cases a large number of high caste members compete for a few places reserved for them. While the Backward Classes members do not have to compete at all because of the large number of reserved places for them compared to the candidates. Sometimes in order to fill the quota, candidates from the lower classes are accepted even though they are not suitable. Sometimes some reserved positions remain unmanned because there were few candidates from the lower classes causing more tension between the castes. Between the lower castes there are also tensions over reservation.

In the order of priority for a reserved place of the Backward Classes, candidate from the Scheduled castes is preferred over a candidate from the Scheduled Tribes who is preferred over a candidate from the other Backward Classes. As stated earlier Other Backward Classes are about 50% of India's population but only 27% of the Other Backward Classes are entitled for positive discrimination according to central government policy. Some Other Backward Classes communities are organizing politically to be recognized as Backward Classes entitled for positive discrimination.

The Scheduled Tribes who are seen as the aborigins of India got ownership and certain rights over Indian land. Many communities in India claim also to be aborigins of India and they are claiming the same rights as the Scheduled Tribes.

The caste identity has become a subject of political, social and legal interpretation. Communities who get listed as entitled for positive discrimination do not get out of this list even if their social and political conditions get better. In many cases the legal system is involved to decide if a certain person is entitled for positive discrimination.

But with all this positive discrimination policy, most of the communities who were low in the caste hierarchy remain low in the social order even today. And communities who were high in the social hierarchy remain even today high in the social hierarchy. Most of the degrading jobs are even today done by the Dalits, while the Brahmans remain at the top of the hierarchy by being the doctors, engineers and lawyers of India.

Yes the caste system is still there is India. There are people who get married out of caste, but the cases are still very less. In high society the caste is not that important but there money matters a lot.

The caste system plays important role during elections ( MP, MLA)and selection (bride and groom). In India voters do not cast there votes but caste votes.

Castes do influence the habits, culture and social organization. In fact some castes think that they are superior to other castes and then the problem starts.

Caste System

What is it and why do we need it

Why was it established isd the root problem now what to do about that no need

Caste System was not needed then and not now also

See if intercastes are allowed to communicate and given a chance to be treated equally then there will be a good uprising in the society

The govt has done a mistake by giving the lower castes uncontrolled power rather than developing them and making them capable of the modern society yes i know the lower castes are unaware about modern eating habits which constitues to a modern society but that problem is now on a small scale and can be solved by equal treatment by us so called equal castes

I am a bit broad minded and belive in gradual but complete eradication of the caste system why arent we indians just indians u know what some sections call the other sections till date untouchables i feel so sorry that this still takes place I know ur question was different and my answer was out of the point but I m talking a bit broad and want to explain to every Indian the importance of eradication of caste system

Intercastes marriages are perfectly ok to the as of now situation as long as the bride and groom and broad minded and practical thats it!! any queries consult me.....

castes do influence habits, customs and social organization..

the so called lower castes however are getting an advantage because of the new quota system.. i think the quota system should have been based on the economic status alone and not the caste.. none of the political parties would dare to remove the quota on basis of caste coz they would lose votes from them..

i have a friend who belongs to a lower caste.. but they belong to a financially very well off family.. however since his father is retiring this year his annual income would be shown to be very less.. and he would fall into the qouta category for all the competive examinations.. what is worse is that this guy gloats about it..

inter caste marraiges have now become quite common.. even if the parents do not agree in the begining, they eventually do.. but there are some instances where the caste system( as far as marraige is concerned) is carried too far..

i've not heard of arranged marraiges among different castes.. even if different state people get married, they often belong to the same caste atleast in arranged marraiges..

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RE:

Is the caste system still important in modern Indian society?

Do the castes influence habits, culture and social organization? Is it possible for people from different castes to get married?

This is an important Question and today we have the modern version of the Answer for it.

It was created by the founding fathers of the Indian constitution bearing in mind to uplift the downtrodden little realising that after them generation of politicians born, to be born, are going to misuse it to the highest degree. Exactly this has happened. Inorder to safe guard to safe guard their interest they have meddeled into the same. And now it is called RESERVATION GROUP instead of caste system. Congress Govt. on the other hand is slowly introducing this style at the expense of the intelligent students and is shouting at the top of their voice about "BRAIN DRAIN". When a 35% achiever secures a seat against 95% achever not getting th e seat. Therefore it plays an important role " caste system still plays an important role in the modern Indian society".

We are not discussing the merits and demerits of "Caste" system here. Conforming to the question:

The family into which a person is born into is bound to have quite a few characteristics imbibed by his family. Reasoning thus, irrespective of caste system, the person will have certain traits. Because people belonging to certain "Caste" have some common set of practices, yes, "Caste" system does have an "influence" on habits culture and social organization.

It is possible for people from different castes to get married, and many of my friends have had such inter-caste marriage. In India people normally marry within same caste because it becomes easy for them to adjust with each other as many practices would be familiar or convenient. This is the only reason why more than 70+% of inter caste marriages are discouraged and not for social stupor or such.

Caste as social status is considered only by a very low percentage of the general populace and is more of a political / individual issue as much as racism in other countries are.

The society, company, moral education, family atmosphere & work routine cast our habits, culture and Social organization. I can't understand the caste system.

Yes,we are provided constitutionally. It is possible for people from different castes to get married but after fixed age (18 year for women & 21 years for men).

No. Caste system is not important in modern society. And Yes,It's possible for people from different castes to get married. Caste is made by we people only according our work. So now we should not think about caste

Hi Gabriela I am from India. And caste system still exist in India.Racial discrimination among the people here is more. Some people hate to see the face of other caste. Do u know even the seats for medical and engineering is on the basis of caste. The parents in India will never Allow to marry the person from other caste. I dont think indian society is modern now. There is still lot of things existing because of caste.. I have been decided to leave my country only because of this reason and I wanna settle in US . I dont think so these things will exist in US

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