Q.Has caste lost its relevance in understanding the multi-cultural Indian Society? Elaborate your answer with illustrations.

graph TD
    FC["Features of Caste System"] --> SD["Segmental Division"]
    FC --> H["Hierarchy"]
    FC --> SR["Social Restrictions"]
    FC --> CRP["Civil and Religious Privileges"]
    FC --> OR["Occupational Restrictions"]
    FC --> MR["Marriage Restrictions"]

Body

How Caste Has Lost Relevance:

• Dissociation from Hereditary Occupations: Modern education, industrialization, and urbanization have weakened the link between caste and occupation. For example, a person's profession (such as working in a salon) no longer strictly defines their caste.
• Socio-Political Empowerment: Lower-caste communities have gained significant political representation and equal decision-making power through affirmative action and targeted government policies.
• Growing Acceptance of Inter-Caste Marriages: Urbanization and higher education have led to a gradual increase in inter-caste marriages.
• Caste-Neutral Public Spaces: Modern public spaces like restaurants, shopping malls, and private offices generally operate without regard to caste identities.

How Caste Retains Relevance:

• Political Mobilization: Political parties frequently utilize caste-based calculations and identity politics to mobilize voters during elections.
• Caste-Based Violence: Incidents of violence and discrimination, particularly targeting Dalits, continue to occur.
• Identity and Surnames: Caste identities remain strong, with surnames continuing to serve as primary indicators of social background.
• Persistence of Manual Scavenging: The continuation of manual scavenging, which is almost exclusively performed by individuals from lower castes, remains a stark symbol of untouchability.