Question

How is the caste of a person determined in India?

Answer 1

Hint: A caste can be defined as any class or group of society sharing a common identity. The caste of a person is primarily determined by his/her birth. The system of stratification of society into different divisions is termed the caste system.

Complete Answer:
The Indian caste system is unique in many ways. It has originated in ancient India. This caste system has undergone many transformations throughout the course of our history especially during the Mughal Empire and the British Raj and is still evolving. Our caste system deals with two concepts- Varna and jati. These are around 3000 castes and 25000 subcastes in India based on their occupation. All of the cases fall under the following four broad varnas-
1)Brahmans- Priests and intellectuals 2)Kshatriyas- Rulers and warriors 3)Vaishyas-Traders and merchants 4)Shudras - laborers. In modern India, the Varna system or these social distinctions have become less rigid. Untouchability has been abolished. Our constitution prohibits any kind of discrimination based on caste. Presently, we have implicitly, two divisions of classes- upper and lower. The classes which were elite castes are considered as upper classes. The lower classes are classified into 3 categories- Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. According to the social and economic conditions, these are determined. These divisions are not intended to create social divisions. They are entitled to positive discrimination to ensure equality in our society. Thus, in India, the caste of a person is primarily determined by birth. It is said that a child is' born into' his/her parent's caste.

Note: The Varna system of India is the longest surviving social hierarchy, the determinants of the caste of person has gradually evolved with our evolving society. But the basic determinants are social and economic factors.