CASTE IN INDIA
A Comprehensive Study
Meaning • Definitions • Scheduled Castes • History�
B.P. Mandal Commission • OBC • Constitutional Provisions�
Political Impact • Caste Divisions in India
Political Science | Indian Society & Governance
Table of Contents
01
Meaning of Caste
02
Definitions of Caste
03
Scheduled Castes
04
History of Caste
05
B.P. Mandal Commission
06
Other Backward Classes (OBC)
07
Constitutional Provisions
08
Impact on Indian Politics
09
Caste Divisions in India
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
01
Meaning of Caste
Understanding the Social Stratification System
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
Meaning of Caste
The word 'Caste' is derived from the Portuguese/Spanish word 'Casta' meaning breed, race, or lineage.
In India, the caste system is known as 'Jati' — a social group into which one is born and within which one typically marries.
Caste is a hereditary, endogamous social group characterized by a common occupation, ritual status, and a specific place in the social hierarchy.
It is a closed social stratification where social mobility is restricted — a person's caste is determined at birth.
The caste system assigns social roles, occupational duties, and social privileges or disadvantages based on birth.
The traditional Hindu caste system was also reinforced through the concept of 'Varna' — the four-fold division of society.
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
02
Definitions of Caste
Scholarly Perspectives on the Caste System
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
Definitions of Caste
M.N. Srinivas
"Caste is a segmentary system in which status is determined by birth, endogamy, and a specific occupation."
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
"Caste is an enclosed class — it is a state of mind, a disease of the mind."
G.S. Ghurye
"Caste is a social division marked by hereditary membership, endogamy, hierarchy, and occupational restrictions."
Risley
"Caste is a collection of families claiming a common descent, same traditional occupation and regarded as a homogeneous community."
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
03
Scheduled Castes
Constitutionally Recognized Marginalized Communities
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
Scheduled Castes (SC)
Scheduled Castes (SCs), formerly known as 'Untouchables' or Dalits, are communities historically subjected to caste-based discrimination.
The term 'Scheduled Castes' was coined by the British Indian Government in the Government of India Act, 1935.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the most prominent leader who fought for the rights and dignity of Scheduled Castes.
As per the 2011 Census, SCs constitute approximately 16.6% of India's total population (around 201 million people).
SCs are listed in the First Schedule of the Constitution of India; the list is notified by the President under Article 341.
They face social exclusion, discrimination in education, employment, and access to public places — addressed through affirmative action.
Major SC communities include Chamar, Mahar, Mala, Madiga, Adi Dravida, Valmiki, and Balmiki among others.
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
04
History of Caste
Origins, Evolution and Transformation
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
History of Caste System in India
Vedic Period (~1500 BCE)
Varna system emerged — Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra. Initially occupational; became hereditary later.
Post-Vedic Period
Rigidity increased; birth replaced occupation as the basis; 'Untouchability' emerged as a social practice.
Medieval Period
Caste system was further entrenched; new sub-castes (Jatis) proliferated under feudal social order.
Colonial Period (1600–1947)
British census codified caste identities; created Scheduled Castes category in 1935 Government of India Act.
Post-Independence (1947–)
Constitution abolished untouchability; reservations introduced; social reform movements gained momentum.
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
05
B.P. Mandal Commission
The Landmark Report on Backward Classes (1980)
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
B.P. Mandal Commission (1979–1980)
The Second Backward Classes Commission was appointed in January 1979 under PM Morarji Desai, chaired by Bindheshwari Prasad Mandal.
The Commission submitted its report in December 1980, recommending 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in central government jobs.
The Commission identified 3,743 backward castes/communities across India constituting approximately 52% of the population.
Criteria for identifying OBCs included social, educational, and economic indicators with social factors given twice the weight.
The report was not implemented for nearly a decade. PM V.P. Singh announced implementation in August 1990.
Implementation triggered widespread protests and political upheaval ('Mandal controversy'), fundamentally reshaping Indian politics.
The Supreme Court upheld the 27% OBC reservation in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) but capped total reservation at 50%.
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
06
Other Backward Classes
OBCs: Rights, Reservations and Recognition
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
OBC: Overview
OBC: Key Facts
Socially and educationally backward communities that are not Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes.
Constitute approximately 41–52% of India's population (exact figures debated; no OBC census since 1931).
Identified and listed by the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) under Article 340.
27% reservation in central government jobs and educational institutions (Mandal Commission recommendation).
104th Constitutional Amendment (2019) allowed states to maintain their own OBC lists.
Prominent OBC groups: Yadavs, Kurmis, Telis, Vokkaligas, Lingayats, Jats (in some states), Nairs, etc.
Many OBC communities have historically been artisans, cultivators, merchants, and service providers.
Political mobilization of OBCs post-1990 dramatically transformed electoral politics in Hindi heartland.
The 'Creamy Layer' principle excludes well-off OBC individuals (income above ₹8 lakh/year) from reservation benefits.
Debate persists on sub-categorization within OBCs to ensure benefits reach the most marginalized groups.
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
07
Provisions for Caste
in Indian Constitution
Safeguards, Rights and Affirmative Action
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
Constitutional Provisions for Caste
Art. 14
Equality before law — no discrimination on grounds of religion, caste, sex, place of birth.
Art. 15
Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of caste; allows special provisions for SCs, STs, OBCs.
Art. 16
Equality of opportunity in public employment; reservations for SCs, STs, OBCs permitted.
Art. 17
Abolition of 'Untouchability' — its practice in any form is an offence punishable by law.
Art. 46
DPSP — State to promote educational and economic interests of SCs, STs and weaker sections.
Art. 330/332
Reservation of seats for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
Art. 338/338A
National Commission for SCs and National Commission for STs — constitutional bodies.
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
08
Impact of Caste
in Indian Politics
Vote Banks, Identity Politics and Electoral Dynamics
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
Impact of Caste in Indian Politics
Caste-based voting ('caste vote banks') is a dominant feature — candidates are often chosen based on caste identity of the constituency.
Political parties form alliances along caste lines ('caste arithmetic') to secure electoral majorities.
The rise of OBC politics post-Mandal (1990) gave rise to parties like SP, BSP, RJD, and JD(U) championing lower caste interests.
Dalits (SCs) under Ambedkar's legacy formed the BSP; caste-based parties dominate several states.
Upper caste mobilization led to 'anti-Mandal' movements and the emergence of counter-narratives in politics.
Caste influences policy-making: reservation policies, land reforms, welfare schemes are shaped by caste equations.
Despite modernization, caste identity persists and in some ways has been reinforced through democratic competition.
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
Caste & Political Parties in India
BSP
Dalit / SC
Founded by Kanshi Ram; led by Mayawati. Represents Scheduled Castes, especially Jatavs.
SP
OBC (Yadav)
Samajwadi Party — strong among Yadavs and Muslims in Uttar Pradesh.
RJD
OBC (Yadav)
Rashtriya Janata Dal — Lalu Prasad Yadav's party, dominates backward caste politics in Bihar.
JD(U)
OBC/EBC
Strong among Kurmis, Extremely Backward Classes and non-Yadav OBCs in Bihar.
PMK
Vanniyar (OBC)
Pattali Makkal Katchi — represents Vanniyar community in Tamil Nadu.
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
09
Caste Divisions in India
Varna, Jati and Social Hierarchy
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
Caste Divisions in India
The Varna System (4-fold division)
Brahmin — Priests, teachers, scholars
Kshatriya — Warriors, rulers, nobles
Vaishya — Merchants, farmers, traders
Shudra — Artisans, servants, labourers
+ Scheduled Castes (Dalits) — Outside the Varna hierarchy; faced untouchability and severe social exclusion.
Caste in India: A Comprehensive Study
Conclusion
Caste is a complex, multi-dimensional social institution deeply embedded in Indian society and history.
Despite Constitutional abolition of untouchability and affirmative action, caste inequalities persist.
The Mandal Commission's recommendations transformed OBC politics and national political discourse.
Constitutional provisions ensure legal equality, but social transformation requires sustained efforts.
Caste continues to shape electoral behavior, party formation, and policy priorities in Indian democracy.
Movements for caste annihilation, social justice, and dignity — inspired by Ambedkar — remain relevant.
"Caste is not a physical object like a wall of bricks — it is a notion, it is a state of mind." — Dr. B.R. Ambedkar