Fairfield Institute of Management and Technology

TOPIC OF RESEARCH PROJECT

Factors responsible for change in caste system in India

Subject Name: Sociology

Subject code: 108

Submitted to Submitted by:

Name of the faculty: Ms himani Name: Sneha swami

Enrollment no. 121211102267

Course: Ba llb

Semester/section: 2(A)
 INDEX
Content page no.
Introduction 1

Evil facts of this

system
2

Factors Responsible for

Change in Caste System
3
in India

conclusion 8
Bibliography 9
INTRODUCTION

Caste System in India

The caste system is the bane for the Indian society. It divides
the Indian society into sectarian groups and classes. Even
today, it plays a predominant role in our society despite the
growth of culture and civilisation.
 The terms ‘Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes’
(SC/ST) are the official terms used in government
documents to identify former untouchables and tribes.
However, in 2008 the National Commission for
Scheduled Castes, noticing that the word ‘Dalit’ was
used interchangeably with the official term ‘Scheduled
Castes’, asked the State Governments to end the use of
the word ‘Dalit’ in official documents by calling the term
‘unconstitutional’ and to replace it with the term
‘Scheduled Caste’ instead.
 The roots of the caste system are traced back to the
ancient ages. While one view discriminates between the
castes as upper and lower castes on the basis of their
origin, another view traces the origin of the castes to
varnas which classifies the caste system on the basis of
their functions. Since then, it was found that undue
advantage was taken by the section of people having an
upper hand and a say in the community, leading to
 discrimination and exploitation of the weaker sections of
community.
 The people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes, referred to as ‘untouchables’ form one-sixth of
India’s population or 160 million; they endure
discrimination and segregation.

Evil faces of this system

Untouchability
Many villages are separated by caste and they may not cross
the line dividing them from the higher castes. They also may
not use the same wells or drink in the same tea stalls as higher
castes.
Discrimination
They often do not have the facility to electricity, sanitation
facilities or water pumps in lower caste neighbourhoods.
Access to better education, housing and medical facilities than
that of the higher castes is denied.
Division of labour
They are restricted to certain occupations like sanitation work,
plantation work, leather works, cleaning streets, etc.
Slavery
They are subjected to exploitation in the name of debt,
tradition, etc., to work as labourers or perform menial tasks
for generations together.
Factors Responsible for Change in Caste System in India

1. Modern education:
Modern liberal education introduced into the country by the
British has played a crucial role in undermining the
importance of caste in Indian social life

Modern education is based on such democratic values like

equality, liberty and fraternity. It is also grounded on such
scientific values like reason and observation. Hence it is quite
natural that with the spread of modern education, the people’s
belief in the divine origin of caste, Karma and Karmaphala
has received a severe setback.

As modern education is usually imparted in co-educational

institutions, it encourages inter-caste marriage and inter-caste
mixing. Moreover, it acts as a powerful force towards the
removal of untouchability.

2. Industrialization:
The process of industrialization has affected caste structure to
a remarkable extent. Industrial growth has provided new
sources of livelihood to people and made occupational
mobility possible. Factories, mills and offices are agog with
activity.
In the midst of all this, the people belonging to various castes
consider it mediaevalistic to go into the question of one’s
caste. In a factory a Brahmin works side by side with a
Shudra. He cannot avoid his touch or shadow.
3. Urbanization:
Industrialization has given rise to the process of urbanization.
New townships have emerged. The ruralises migrate to these
towns in order to avail better employment opportunities.

4. Modern means of transport and communication:

Modern means of transport and communication are
instrumental in increasing spatial mobility of the people and
thereby put an end to the caste system. Means of transport like
train, bus, tram, airplane etc. cannot provide for distinctions
between castes, and a leveling effect has been brought into the
society. It is absurd for any transport authority to reserve
berths for Brahmins to the exclusion of the Shudras. During
travel, too, one must of necessity take his meals without
questioning the propriety of doing so in the company of low-
caste persons.

5. Increase in the importance of wealth:

Under the caste system, birth was taken as the basis of social
prestige. But today, wealth has replaced birth as the basis of
social prestige. Occupations are now no longer caste-based.
People while choosing their occupations attach greater
importance to income rather than anything else. It is because
of this reason a high-born may be ill-placed in society while a
man of low caste with ample wealth at his disposal has a room
at the top. With this change of emphasis, the Indian caste
system is in the process of being replaced by the system of
social classification as prevails in western countries.

6. The new legal system:

The new legal system, introduced by the British Government,
has given a severe blow to the caste system in India. Equality
before law irrespective of castes has been firmly instituted.
Consequently, the age old discrimination against the lower
castes has been removed. Further, with the establishment of
law courts, the traditional castes Panchayats have lost their
power and effectiveness to punish the deviants. Not only that
a number of Acts like the Untouchability Offences Act of
1955 and the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 have abnegated the
evil effects of the caste system.

7. Sanskritization:
Srinivas defines sanskritization as “the process by which a
low Hindu caste or tribal or any other group changes its
customs, rituals, ideology and way of life in the direction of a
high and frequently ‘twice-born’ caste”. The members of the
lower castes leave their own traditional ideals and behaviour
patterns and accept the ideals and standards of higher castes.
The caste system being a closed one, sanskritization does not
entail structural change. It entails positional change. Hence
through sanskritization the lower caste people move up
slightly in the scale of “Jatis’ within a particular varna.

8. Westernization:
The term ‘Westernization’ was coined by Srinivas to signify
the changes in the Indian society during the British rule. By
promoting education, egalitarianism, rationalism, humanism
and above all a critical outlook towards various social issues
and problems, westernization has gone a long way in
undermining the influence of the caste system. It has given
severe blow to practices like child marriage, purity and
pollution, commensality, untouchability etc. The effects of
westernization are prominently visible in the form of inter-
caste marriages, intercommunity marriages, inter-religious
marriages, occupational changes etc. In this way
westernization has brought about profound changes in the
Indian society.

9. Secularization:
The role of secularization in weakening the caste system is
great. By legitimizing secular ideologies and formal legal
doctrines and promoting rationality, scientific attitude and
differentiation, secularization has affected certain
characteristics of the caste system especially the concept of
purity and pollution, commensality, fixity of occupation etc.
10. Socialistic ideas:
Caste system is based on the ideas of high birth and low birth.
On the other hand, socialists say, “the differences between
human beings have been created by society; hence the society
only can remove them.” As a result of such socialist thought,
caste system is breaking
11. New social movements:
Some social movements have also attacked the caste system.
The Brahmo Samaj movement led by Raja Ram Mohan Roy
rejected the barriers of caste divisions and stood for
universalisation and brotherhood of man. The Prarthana Sabha
movement supported by Justice Ranade brought about certain
social reforms like inter-caste marriage, interdining and
remarriage of widows, etc.

12. Rise of new social classes:

Industrialization has given rise to the emergence of new social
classes. These social classes are replacing the traditional
castes. Trade Unions, Merchants’ Associations and Political
Parties are replacing the old caste loyalties. An increase in
class consciousness leads to a decrease in caste consciousness.
13. Influence of Indian Constitution:
Indian Constitution bestows some fundamental rights on the
citizens irrespective of caste, creed, colour or sex. It offers
equal opportunities to all. Para 15(2) of the Constitution,
which declares all citizens as equal, directly attacks the Hindu
social order based on inherited inequality. No wonder that
caste system is withering away.
CONCLUSION

In the Indian social system, caste is a solid structure.

Caste system is also an important identity of India. As
an important institute of Indian social system its impact
on equality, inequality, social and economic matters is
seen for a long time.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

>Wikipedia
>Youmatter.world