RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LAW

PUNJAB, PATIALA

SOCIOLOGY PROJECT

SEMESTER- I

TOPIC: THE SOCIOLOGY OF CASTE IN INDIA: EXPLORING THE

DYNAMICS AND IMPLICATIONS OF CASTE BASED DISCRIMINATION
IN THE CURRENT CONTEXT

SUBMITTED BY: SANAT KOUL

ROLL NO: 23237

SECTION: C

BATCH OF 2028

SUBMITTED TO: MR. AASHISH GAUR, Assistant Professor of Sociology,

RGNUL

1
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ms. Sanat Koul, a student at RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY OF LAW,PUNJAB has completed her research work on the topic
‘THE SOCIOLOGY OF CASTE: EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS AND
IMPLICATIONS OF CASED BASED DISCRIMINATION IN THE CURRENT
CONTEXT’ on her own by referring to the sources mentioned therein for Sociology
Project [FIRST SEMESTER] during the academic year 2023-2024.

I, MR. AASHISH GAUR , certify that this is the original work carried out by the
student under my supervision.

Date: Signature:

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I sincerely thank MR. AASHISH GAUR for providing me this great opportunity to
do the project work under his guidance and giving us all the required support and
encouragement, which made me complete my project duly. I am extremely fortunate
to have got this strong support and guidance all along the completion of my project
work.

I owe my profound gratitude to our Mr. Aashish Gaur who provided us with all the
necessary information and took keen interest in our project work and guided us all
along till the successful completion of our project.

I am fortunate enough to get the constant encouragement, support and guidance from
all the Teaching staffs of Department of Law who helped us in successfully
completing our project work. Also, I would like to extend my sincere esteems to all
my friends for their timely support.

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the research project entitled “ Sociology of Caste: Exploring
the dynamics and implications of Caste based Discrimination in the current
context” submitted to Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law Punjab, Patiala,
is a result of my original work carried out under the supervision of Mr. Aashish
Gaur and Dr. Jasleen Kewlani. The project has not been submitted anywhere else
and is solely based on my own research. All concepts and sources have been properly
acknowledged. My impression is that there is no plagiarism in the project.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Cover Page 1
2. Certificate 2
3. Acknowledgement 3
4. Declaration 4
5. Table of Content 5
6. Research Methodology and Literature Review 6
7.Chapter 1-Introduction 7
1.1- Background
1.2- Impact of Caste
Discrimination in the Society

9
8. Chapter 2- Theories and perspectives related to
persisted Caste Discrimination in India

2.1 Caste based theories

2.2 Role of different organizations in present

scenario

2.3 Recent Case Study of Caste Prejudice

9. Chapter 3- Impact of globalization on Caste based 13
prejudice

3.1 How has globalization impacted the Caste based

prejudice beyond South Asia?

3.2 How has globalization impacted the Caste based

prejudice in India?

10. Chapter 4- Role of Sociology in eradicating caste 15

discrimination in India
4.1 Sociological contributions in combating the
Caste Based prejudice

4.2 Sociology’s proposed measures for eliminating

the Caste Discrimination
11. Critical Analysis and Conclusion 17
12. Bibliography 19

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 RESEARCH METHODOLODY

RESEARCH METHOD

The sources for this study which used evaluative research as its method of inquiry,
comprised books, articles, blogs, journals etc. This research study used these sources
and the authors of these sources have also been given the proper credit. The
researcher examines these sources thoroughly and comprehends contribution of the
discipline of Sociology in eradicating the present day caste based prejudice in India
and beyond South Asia. The researcher offers the analysis of the subject as a whole.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

To study the impact of globalization on the contemporary issue of Caste based

discrimination both in India and beyond South Asia. To analyse the major role of
Sociology in working towards eliminating the prevalent issue of caste prejudice and to
study the measures suggested by the discipline of Sociology.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The researcher for the purpose of the study shall review various articles,blogs etc
written by different authors. There are several genuine sources that provide quality
data on the subject under study and the researcher has incorporated these resources in
this project along with the duty of citing such sources.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The researcher here shall mainly focus on these questions:

1. How has globalization impacted the Caste based prejudice beyond South Asia?

2. How has globalization impacted the Caste based prejudice in India?

3. What is the role played by Sociology in eradicating the Caste Based Prejudice?

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 1.INTRODUCTION

The Caste based discrimination is one such type of prejudice which is based upon a
social hierarchy or ranking that is fixed and determined by the society one is born
into. The Caste based prejudice leads to the creation of several social or societal
groups that are unequal to some extent and are based on some kind of hierarchy. It
further leads to certain violations of well known cultural rights, social rights, political
rights and other such rights of those groups that are considered to be low on hierarchy.
Those at the bottom are considered ‘lesser human beings’, ‘impure’ and ‘polluting’ to
other caste groups. They are known to be ‘Untouchable’ and subjected to so called
‘Untouchability practices’. Untouchables’ – known in South Asia as Dalits – are often
forcibly assigned the most dirty, menial and hazardous jobs, and many are subjected
to forced and bonded labour.1 ‘Dalits’ are often termed as ‘outcasts’ who are not
allowed to participate in the process of decision making or meaningful discussions of
a particular society or a community and most of them eventually become the victims
of poverty as they have limited or no access to the basic necessities or services
provided by the state.

1.1 BACKGROUND

The origin of the Caste System prevalent in the current scenario can be traced back to
the ancient Vedic Period [1500-600 BCE]. Historically, the caste system in India
consisted of four well known categories (Varnas): Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas
(warriors), Vaishyas (commerce), Shudras (workmen) and outside this system are the
‘Dalits’ who were historically considered as ‘untouchables’ and they were subjected
to the severe discrimination. Ancient Indian legal texts, such as Manusmṛti (ca. 200
BCE-200 CE), suggest that caste systems have been part of Indian society for
millennia.2 In the initial stages the caste system was based on the profession or
occupation of the pupils but later on the essence of the caste system went under a
major change and over the years it became associated with the ‘social status’ of the
individuals. The differences among the occupation adopted by different people and
the increasing race and competition for acquiring all sorts of resources available lead
to the enhancement of the socially defined hierarchies in the society. In this structure
of social hierarchy the well known higher three castes namely Brahmans, Kshatriyas
and Vaishyas have been granted more privileges and opportunities than the lower
castes and Dalits. These upper three castes had greater access to education, land, basic
necessities etc. than the lower strata of the society. They possessed huge amount of
wealth/income as well as they used to hold well established political positions. On the
contrary the lower castes were always subjected to violence, abuse and other forms of
prejudice. The British Raj furthered this development, making rigid caste organisation
a central mechanism of administration. Between 1860 and 1920, the British
incorporated the Indian caste system into their system of governance, granting
administrative jobs and senior appointments only to Christians and people belonging
1
Network Solidarity Dalit International. “Caste Discrimination.” p. 1.
https://idsn.org/caste-discrimination/what-is-caste-discrimination Accessed October 2003.

2
TextsLibre. “Caste Systems”. Sociology (boundless) vol. 8, no. 1, p. 4,
https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/Sociology_(Boundless)/
08%3A_Global_Stratification_and_Inequality/8.01%3A_Systems_of_Stratification/8.1A%3A_Stratificatio

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to certain castes. Social unrest during the 1920s led to a change in this policy,Caste
was no longer used by the colonial authority to functionally organize civil
society. After the 1920s, the colonial administration began a policy of positive
discrimination by reserving a certain percentage of government jobs for the lower
castes. In 1948, negative discrimination on the basis of caste was banned by law and
further enshrined in the Indian Constitution in 1950. However, the system continues
to be practiced in parts of India.3

1.2 IMPACT OF CASTE DISCRIMINATION IN THE SOCIETY

Caste based discrimination has a complex and wide-ranging impact on Indian society.
It is considered to be as a major reason for political, social, cultural and economic
inequalities. In order to successfully address this issue, it is crucial to comprehend its
many facets. The caste system has existed in some form in India for at least 3000
years. It is a social hierarchy passed down through families, and it can dictate the
professions a person can work in as well as aspects of their social lives, including
whom they can marry. While the caste system originally was for Hindus, nearly all
Indians today identify with a caste, regardless of their religion.4

In accordance to the present context the concept of ‘caste or social exclusion’ has
emerged as a prevalent issue in today’s times wherein the oppressed classes or the
marginalized groups like SC’s, OBC’s, ST’s etc. are often subjected to the above
mentioned term i.e. caste exclusion. They are basically separated by the upper castes
from their residencies, public areas and are not even allowed to enter holy places like
temples, church etc. The operation of the system of elections in a country like India
continue to get highly influenced by the politics which majorly focuses on the ‘caste’.
Politicians in India tend to use caste based identities to their electoral benefits which
has the capacity and capability to widen various segments even when the political
participation for the oppresed class has significantly increased. There still exists a
societal stigma which is often experienced by the individuals who tend to marry
outside of their own caste and make a decision to marry someone from a lower caste.
These types of inter-caste marriages can be highly disapproved by their own families,
peers, neighbors and other relatives. Sometimes the conduct of such marriages might
result into violence as well as exclusion from the society. The Caste based
discrimination can also have a deep psychological effect on the minds of the people
who belong to lower castes, they might experience low self confidence, anxiety,
extreme levels of prejudice etc. That are a result of the derogatory remarks such
people often encounter. Caste injustice results into the major difficulty in acquiring
the basic needs, land, state’s welfare objectives or schemes which are formulated to
benefit lower castes.

3
Guha, Sumit. “The Birth of Caste. Beyond Caste, pp. 38-39,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system_in_India

4
Sahgal Neha, Jonathan Evans, Salazar Monique Ariana, Starr Jo Kelsey, Corichi Manolo. “Attitudes about caste.”
p. 4, 29 June. 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/06/29/attitudes-about-caste/

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In many cases, the caste system has proved to be exploitative for women. Under caste
system, a caste wishing to raise its status in the caste hierarchy should follow certain
customs like child marriage, prohibition of widow remarriages and seclusion of
women, all of which lead to hardships for them and degradation of their status in
society.5

All these incidents of caste injustice justify that the ‘casteism’ continue to cease in
the present Indian society regardless of the fact that the legally derived efforts have
been applied to eradicate it.

2. THEORIES AND PERSPECTIVES RELATED TO PERSISTED

CASTE DISCRIMINATION IN INDIA

2.1 CASTE BASED THEORIES [Historical Context]

Various theories and frameworks have been put out in order to clarify why caste-
based prejudice persists to exist in India.

1. Traditional Theory - It claims that the caste system is a development of the varna
system, in which the four varnas are said to have descended from Bramhna’s body.
The Brahmins, who hailed from Brahma’s head and were primarily educators and
intellectuals, were at the pinnacle of the social order. From his limbs emerged the
Kshatriyas, or warriors and kings.6

The Vaishyas which are also known as businessmen were born through the thighs of a
Brahmin. At the bottom most level were the Shudras and are described to have been
descended from the soles of the Brahman and they are bound to implement their
duties of providing all kinds of services to their superiors and also to work towards
catering their needs. Furthermore the mouth of a Brahmana describes its use for
studying, arms of a Brahman denotes its use to protect the subjects of the king, the
thighs of a Brahman have the duty to conduct the business or trade and at last comes
the feet of a brahman which provides the essential support to the entire body structure
of a Brahman. The concept of inter-varna marriages led to the establishment of sub-
castes.
2. Political Theory - According to this theory, the well known caste system was
introduced by the upper castes Brahmins as an intellectual path for them to reach to
the top . According to the view point given by Dr. Ghurye the caste is an Indo- Aryan
5
IASdrishti. “GS Paper 1 Indian Society”. 2 January. 2023,
https://www.drishtiias.com/mains-practice-question/question-1516/pnt

6
Sweta. “Caste System In India, Origin, Theories, Features and Effects.” 6th April. 2023,
https://www.studyiq.com/articles/caste-system-in-india/

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culture and its origin can be traced back to the region of Ganges and it eventually got
spread to the other areas of the country as a Brahminic birth child.7 The Brahmins also
adopted the notion of the king’s spiritual merit with an objective to win the king’s
favor.

3.Radical Theory - The term “varna” is a Sanskrit word which stands for the word
“color”. The distinctions among the four varnas under the system called Chaturvarna
System marked the beginning of class structure in Indian civilization. According to
the book written by an Indian Sociologist D.N. Majumdar incorporates the title
“Races and Culture in India” states that the caste system emerged after the arrival of
Aryans. The distinctions between the Arya and non- Aryans was based on certain
factors which included their speech, religious rituals and physical features, all of these
factors altogether are also highly described and emphasized in Rig Vedic Literature.

Initially the Varna System was based on the divisions of Profession and labor. The
Brahmans were regarded as intellectual priests or educated class, Kshatriyas were the
warriors and so on. The Rig Veda mentioned Sudras only once in their literature texts
and Sudras were regarded as domestic servants.

7
https://triumphias.com/blog/sociology-paper-ii-the-caste-system/

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2.2 ROLE OF DIFFERENT ORGANISATIONS IN THE PRESENT
SCENARIO

Navsarjan Trust - This is a type of association or organisation which actively

participates in several rural regions of the Gujarat state. This association works
towards ensuring protection of the human rights for all the individuals to eradicate
untouchability practices and puts emphasis on achieving equal status and providing
equal opportunities for all regardless of their caste, gender, race etc.

Navsarjan’s core work is to create awareness among the marginalised and oppressed
communities in such a way that people are able to develop independent thinking about
the world around them, so that they can fight oppression and inequality without the
organisation’s support. To this end, the field staff is incessantly involved in
mobilising and organizing meetings and training programmes. Women’s rights
groups, land rights groups, youth groups, village paralegals, agricultural workers etc.
Are formed and trained to exist independently of Navsarjan, though Navsarjan’s
support remains intact.8

Navsarjan seeks to reinforce the equality movement and holds that all such
movements must draw their strength from the downtrodden, marginalized populations
themselves.

2.National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights [NCDHR] - The organization was

founded in the year 1998 and has its offices situated in fifteen states across India. The
organisation works towards the visibility of Dalit Issues at various levels, bringing
international attention and media coverage at Dalit rights, and holding the state
accountable for all human rights violations committed against the Dalits.9

The organization of NCDHR works towards raising the awareness regarding the caste
injustices or discrimination, It advocates to bring positive changes in the policies and
provide aid to those who have suffered the extreme prejudices. This organization
plays a important role in bringing various reforms pertaining to societal issues in India
by associating with the groups to further raise the understanding of the issues like
caste discrimination and to promote social inclusion. It has put forward variety of
efforts to eliminate this Caste based prejudice, untouchability etc. It ensures the
equitable and dignified life of all Dalits. It seeks to promote the human rights values
or principles in the Indian Society and also promotes media coverage of Dalits.

8
https://navsarjantrust.org/

9
https://www.ncdhr.org.in/

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2.3 RECENT CASE STUDY OF CASTE PREJUDICE

A recent study was conducted which came to be known as ‘The Steady Drumbeat of
Institutional Casteism’ which explores and investigates the dark truth of caste
inclusion and casteism in higher educational settings, more specifically in engineering
and medical colleges. This study is based on a Suicide Case of Payal Tadvi which is
still ongoing in the state of Maharashtra. Payal Tadvi was the first woman from the
Adivasi Muslim Bhil Community, belonging to Schedule Tribe to pursue the post-
graduation in the field of Medicine.Payal Tadvi was a 2nd-year Post-Graduate
resident doctor at the BYL Nair Hospital.10

On the day of May 22, 2019, Payal allegedly committed suicide on the account of
being harassed by three of her seniors at Topiwala National Medical College and
BYL Nair Hospital.11 The harassment on Dr Payal by the three accused included
persistent derisive remarks about her caste, and on her being from a backward
community, being an Adivasi, and having been admitted to medicine through the
reserved categories. These accused would often wipe their feet on Dr. Payal's
bed after using the washrooms/toilets. They would also made casteist remarks such
as; “You are from the reserved category, right? And what rank did you get in the
NEET (entrance exam)?”12

The Study describes the sequence of events that lead up to the death of Dr. Payal
Tadvi and it further demonstrates the fact that the students and the faculty of the
institute were highly reluctant and hesitant to label the incidents experienced by Payal
as something related to Caste discrimination or Caste based prejudice even after the
conduction and collection of several testimonies and proofs respectively of how Dr.
Payal was target of caste based humiliation and derogatory remarks. The
Administration of the institution labeled it as the acts of normal ragging between
seniors and juniors or normal harassment.

The failure and inability to label such acts as ‘casteist’ promotes the idea to regard or
consider such acts as normal in the present cases and scenario in the larger context.
We cannot ignore the fact that this behaviour to a larger extent is adopted by our
institutions, culture, laws etc. Even when such treatment or behaviour does not result
into loss of lives but it gets frequently difficult to live a peaceful and dignified life.

10
Das, Sudipta. “Caste Based Discrimination Rampant In Higher Educational Institutions, Affirms Study.” 26
October. 2021, https://feminisminindia.com/2021/10/26/caste-based-discrimination-rampant-in-higher-
educational-institutions-affirms-study/

11
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_of_Payal_Tadvi

12
Das, Sudipta. “Caste Based Discrimination Rampant In Higher Educational Institutions, Affirms Study.” 26
October. 2021, https://feminisminindia.com/2021/10/26/caste-based-discrimination-rampant-in-higher-
educational-institutions-affirms-study/

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 3. IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON CASTE PREJUDICE

What is Globalization?

Globalization, or globalisation integration among people, companies, and

governments worldwide. The term globalization first appeared in the early 20th
century (supplanting an earlier French term mondialization), developed its current
meaning some time in the second half of the 20th century, and came into popular use
in the 1990s to describe the unprecedented international connectivity of the post-Cold
War world.13

3.1 HOW HAS GLOBALIZATION IMPACTED THE CASTE BASED

PREJUDICE BEYOND SOUTH ASIA?

Caste Discrimination is a concept which is a global concern that affects 250 million
people worldwide, with the bulk of them residing in South Asia. Caste discrimination
has experienced a mixed response from globalization. On the one hand, it has
increased public awareness of the problem and pressure on governments to take action
to address it. On the contrary the the phenomena of Caste Discrimination has
expanded outside far beyond South Asia as a consequence of Globalization, with
lower caste encountering caste prejudice in other nations like Nigeria, Japan etc.
According to European Parliament, caste-based discrimination is practiced in many
parts of the world, including some African countries, the Middle East and the
Diaspora.14

The Caste based prejudice is a complicated issue that requires a thorough

understanding and it has been quite prevalent in the areas of South Asia for a large
number of centuries or periods. The prejudice has spread to these locations due to the
increase growth of the phenomena known as ‘Globalization’ which to a large extent
has lead to the immigration of the large number of populations from South Asia to the
other parts of the world. There have been quite a number of incidents of Caste
injustices against the Dalits who belong to lower hierarchy of the society residing in
the countries like US. The workers or laborers have been subjected to never ending
exploitation in various parts of the world. For example- In the state of Brazil, laborers
from lower castes were provided with poor working conditions and low wages. This
commercialization of labor as well as the expansion of the international flow of chains
are the other factors of globalization.
13
Paul, James. “A Genealogy of Globalization: The career of a concept.” pp. 34-417,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization#cite_note-tandfonline.com-1

14
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/droi/dv/
201/201102/20110228_510eustudy_en.pdf

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This multi-faced issue has brought up the great demand and need for the concentrated
efforts to be put forward by the government or higher authority and several other
types of civil society organizations to cater this problem at the global level. It is
specified in the special issue of the Contemporary South Asia which states that the
caste continues to exist and aligns with other kinds of inequalities and caste like status
hierarchies have existed in most if not all, societies. 15 The rise in the Globalization all
over the globe has lead to increased global spread and flow of Caste discrimination
and it also reveals the consequences of the social relations based on caste when it
travels different continents. Globalization also specifies and emphasizes regarding the
importance of the need to amend our attitude and behaviour towards caste but it keeps
on remaining persistent related to caste based identities and dynamics in the countries
beyond South Asia.

3.2 HOW HAS GLOBALISATION IMPACTED THE CASTE-BASED

PREJUDICE IN INDIA

The effects of Globalization both positive and negative have been witnessed in the
vast Indian culture which also includes its impact on Caste Discrimination. It has
further lead to the increment in the occurrences of inter-caste marriages in modern
and urban areas. It has created awareness and zeal among the lower castes to gain
better understanding and greater awareness of their rights. However, some scholars of
Sociology have stated that by obtaining the social mobility and economic success the
globalization has tried to undermine the Indian Caste system. The article from ‘The
Hindu’ suggests that globalization may have more than doubled the rate of growth but
it has also heightened caste tensions and widened social inequalities, leading
inevitably to protests, especially by Dalits and Shudras.16 The Caste Discrimination
continues to enhance various economic, social, political etc. differences and
inequalities and there have been execution of various kinds of newer forms of
violence and abuse despite execution of various anti-caste movements and
prohibitions implemented by the Constitution of India.

A paper published in the arena of International Journal of Law Management and

Humanities describes the role of globalization in India’s caste system. The author
argues that globalization has socio-cultural effects and bearing with regards to
different castes (particularly lower castes) that exist in India The paper further
deliberates on the consequences of globalization and whether it helps eradicate the
caste system as a whole, has no bearing on it, or further perpetuates it.17 It is important
to note that the concepts like industrialization and urbanization have increased as a

15
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09584935.2017.1360246

16
Yadav, Bhupendra. “Globalization, caste tension & social inequalities.” 8 November. 2011,
https://www.thehindu.com/books/globalisation-caste-tension-social-inequalities/article2608811.ece

17
Humanities & Management Law of Journal International. Vol. 4. 2021, https://www.ijlmh.com/paper/role-of-
globalization-in-indias-caste-system/

14
consequence of Globalization. Due to which the past employed workers of lower
hierarchy now have the opportunity to have greater access to new job options. On the
contrary globalization has also lead to greater economic inequality among the castes.
Moreover, it has also resulted in the increment in the levels of education among the
people belonging to lower castes which has given them the decent access to the
greater employment prospects and has improved their social statuses to a certain
extent.

Another significant point to be marked is that India has been able to witness a huge
rise in the consumerism as a result of the globalization this has further resulted into
the increase in the creation of varieties of new forms of markets for goods and
services with an objective to cater to the needs of the population belonging to
distinctive castes. On the other hand it has also lead to the monetization of traditions
and cultures of Indian Society which is regarded as one of the major challenge of it.
At last it is important to mention how globalization has increased the migration of
population within the country which has to some extent provided the oppressed class
with the handful of opportunities pertaining to jobs but it has also increased the
conflicts and tensions among different castes as all of them fight against each other to
acquire all sorts of resources and valuable opportunities.

4. ROLE OF SOCIOLOGY IN ERADICATING CASTE-BASED

DISCRIMINATION IN INDIA

Sociology is is a distinct science with its own subject matter. It is concerned with
scientific study of society. It is also known as ‘Mother of all Social Sciences’ as it
covers every aspect of human life. It is a study of social life, relationships, social
actions, human interactions, social systems and so on.

4.1 SOCIOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN COMBATING THE CASTE

BASED PREJUDICE

The discipline of Sociology is contributing to our knowledge and better understanding

of Indian Caste structure. It has been beneficial in recognizing the several caste
injustices and varities of discrimination that is prevalent in the present Indian society.
The social based reforms and amendments are required to eradicate the caste
prejudice and Sociology as a subject has been helpful in highlighting this important
framework.

The Sociologists have begun to inquire into the matter of Indian Caste Structure and
its implications on individuals residing in the Indian Society. They have been able to
identify and discover a large number of elements which includes economic benefits of
upper castes, social exclusion, etc. That are the major factors which have contributed
towards Caste based prejudice. In addition to this various Sociologists have
investigated into how politics, media, religion, culture etc. influence the observation
and understanding of people related to caste.

The discipline of Sociology has further proved to be beneficial in making people

aware about the harmful effects of caste based discrimination. It has worked towards
the highlighting the issues of neglected class of population. In order to highlight their

15
concerns and worries pertaining to caste based discrimination, sociologists have been
vigilant in the process of the creation of the policies and advocate for the activities
that would eventually benefit the lower castes.

4.2 SOCIOLOGY’S PROPOSED MEASURES FOR ELIMINATING CASTE

DISCRIMINATION

The conduct of the research in the field of sociology has enhancly contributed towards
recognizing and raising awareness as well as promoting the measures that can be
taken into account to eliminate casteism in India. The following measures are:-

1. The most effective means emphasized by the discipline of sociology of ending

casteism is education. It raises one's mental capacity and aids in clearing one's head of
misconceptions. Therefore, the dissemination of education requires that the required
actions be performed. All educational institutions must make it their top priority to
remove casteism from children's hearts and minds. Caste emotions should be avoided
in educational institutions, and students should be trained to fight them whether they
experience them in their regular social interactions or not. The Government should
also take on the responsibility of mobilizing the public against casteism through
appropriate education at the same time.

2. The another important measure to eradicate the Casteism is to promote no use of

the word ‘Caste’. The word ‘Caste’ stands as a metaphor for injustice, disintegrate
and discord. As a result of which some scholars have started to believe that the word
‘caste’ should be used as little as possible. As a result, the new generation will
disregard it and shall give it no importance in the future and it will eventually
disappear.

3.The encouragement of inter-caste marriage is another strategy to combat casteism.

We typically refer to marriages between members of different castes as inter-caste
marriages. Inter-caste marriage brings together two individuals from different castes
as well as their families for the rest of their lives. The possibility for two individuals
from different castes to interact and understand one another is provided through inter
caste marriage. As a result, the discrepancy caused by casteism between different
castes can be reduced.

4.Another measure suggested by the discipline of sociology is the promotion of

‘economic equality’.One of the main causes of caste-based prejudice is economic
disparity. Therefore, it is crucial to give people from all castes equal access to the
economy.

5. The concept of Reservation or the reservation policies they tend to create

conflicting viewpoints as a result of reservation rules among the members of different
castes. Therefore, it is very much crucial and important to develop certain norms or

16
laws that promotes equality while abstaining from prejudice against any one particular
group.18

Regardless of the fact that there have been various implementations of different kinds
of plan of action as well as efforts put forward by variety of Sociologists there still
exists a long path which needs to be followed before the Caste based prejudice is
completely eradicated from the society. In order to achieve equality and bring about
major societal changes it becomes very important for all societal aspects to learn to
cooperate and must work in a union. In order to completely alleviate the Caste
Discrimination the Government must take vigilant actions to ensure valuable
employment opportunities for the marginalized group. It is very necessary to
implement the education drives and apply initiatives to make people aware about the
negative consequences of caste based prejudice.

5.CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

In a country like India, Caste based prejudice is a social and complex issue that has
been prevalent for centuries. However, it not just exist in India but it is widely spread
throughout the regions of South Asia. The well known caste system is based on a
social structure that has been originated since Indian civilization and played a very
important role in deriving the development of the region as a whole. The caste system
which comprises of socially prescribed hierarchically ranks etc. That are bound to
strictly adhere to their customary social rules or norms. Over the years this caste
system has gone through a lot of amendments and it emerged as a social and political
identity.

The originality and origin of the popular Caste system dates back to the well known
period known as Vedic period which was existing between 1500 BCE and 600 BCE.
The defined objectives of the Caste structure were to get people rid from their
obligations imposed by the society. In the Vedic period the citizens were divided on
the basis of the categorization of Varna or caste. There were total of four Varnas and
each Varna established their own rules and regulations as well as the guidelines for
the proper conduct of the humans especially the lower castes who were bound to
strictly follow the laws, morals, traditions etc. That were regarded as vital to that
particular Varna. Over the years now the Caste System has emerged as a elaborative
societal structure that is deep rooted into the customs and culture of India.

Globalization has significantly impacted the well known caste system. The newer
forms of caste prejudices have emerged as a result of the emergence of globalization,
including caste based exclusion from work areas and education sector. On the
contrary it has further lead to the rise in the fresh tactics and strategies to battle
against such prejudices. For example - due to globalization there has been the
emergence of various Dalit movements in India which stands as a primary example of
how caste based oppression is now currently being dealt and confronted with new
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forms of opposition. The conflicts over such societal issues along with economic
inequalities have further intensified due to globalization. The previous operation that
reserved the high paid jobs for the higher castes has started to disappear due to
country’s increasing economic growth and self sufficiency as well as the expansion
the high technological industries. The Caste system has experienced both negative and
positive aspects of globalization. The new forms of prejudices and resistance to it
have erupted as a consequence of it .

The Sociology as a discipline or a subject has tried to implement certain ways to

eradicate the Caste based prejudice. Sociologists have played a instrumental role for
defining the detrimental effects of caste-based prejudice on society and promoting
laws of societal equality. They have worked towards recording the experiences of
marginalized groups and bringing people’s attention towards the prevalent Caste
based discrimination. They have also analyzed the functional and structural changes
that the Caste system had gone through over these years and have defined the
segments that still supports the survival of Caste discrimination. Furthermore, the
Sociologists have examined how the Caste prejudices are being impacted by
globalization and studies how the Caste system has changed over the period of time.

In the end, I would like to conclude that the concept of Caste Discrimination is a
major societal issue that has been existing in India for decades. It is prevalent in both
India and beyond South Asia. The Caste System has been enormously affected by by
globalization which has lead to emergence of new forms of discrimination as well as
emerging resistance against the prejudices While the Sociology has also played a
crucial role in eliminating it.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS:

 Majumdar, D.N. Races and Culture In India, 1961.

JOURNAL/ARTICLES

 Network Solidarity Dalit International. “Caste Discrimination.” p. 1. https://idsn.org/caste-

discrimination/what-is-caste-discrimination Accessed October 2003.

 TextsLibre. “Caste Systems”. Sociology (boundless) vol. 8, no. 1, p. 4,

https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/Sociology_(Boundless)/
08%3A_Global_Stratification_and_Inequality/8.01%3A_Systems_of_Stratification/8.1A%3A_Stratificatio

 Sahgal Neha, Jonathan Evans, Salazar Monique Ariana, Starr Jo Kelsey, Corichi Manolo. “Attitudes about
caste.” p. 4, 29 June. 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/06/29/attitudes-about-caste/

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 Sweta. “Caste System In India, Origin, Theories, Features and Effects.” 6th April. 2023,
https://www.studyiq.com/articles/caste-system-in-india/

 Das, Sudipta. “Caste Based Discrimination Rampant In Higher Educational Institutions, Affirms Study.”
26 October. 2021, https://feminisminindia.com/2021/10/26/caste-based-discrimination-rampant-in-higher-
educational-institutions-affirms-study/

WEB SOURCES

 Guha, Sumit. “The Birth of Caste. Beyond Caste, pp. 38-39,

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system_in_India

 IASdrishti. “GS Paper 1 Indian Society”. 2 January. 2023, https://www.drishtiias.com/mains-practice-

question/question-1516/pnt

 https://triumphias.com/blog/sociology-paper-ii-the-caste-system/

 https://navsarjantrust.org/

 https://www.ncdhr.org.in/

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_of_Payal_Tadvi

 Paul, James. “A Genealogy of Globalization: The career of a concept.” pp. 34-417,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization#cite_note-tandfonline.com-1

 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/droi/dv/
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 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09584935.2017.1360246

 Yadav, Bhupendra. “Globalization, caste tension & social inequalities.” 8 November. 2011,
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 Humanities & Management Law of Journal International. Vol. 4. 2021, https://www.ijlmh.com/paper/role-

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 https://vajiramandravi.com/quest-upsc-notes/caste-system-in-india/

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