Impact of Modernization on the Caste System in India:

A Case Study of Undergraduate Students

Caste is a word derived from the Portuguese and Spanish word "Casta", which
signifies breed or heredity. Portuguese started using the word 'Casta' for hereditary
cultural groups of India, known as 'Jati' in India. The word 'Jati' emerged from 'Jana'
which signifies birth. Therefore, Caste is regarded with birth. According to E. Blunt, a
Caste is an endogamous group whose membership is hereditary, the group bears a
shared name and it also imposes certain restrictions on its members in the affairs
related to the cultural association. The restriction following a common traditional
profession that claims the same roots and forms a single homogenous community.
Often criticized for being inequitable and regressive, the caste system persisted
virtually unaltered for centuries, trapping people into fixed social orders from where it
becomes impossible to get oneself freed. Some Dalits and other low-caste Indians,
such as BR Ambedkar, author of the Indian Constitution, and India's first Dalit
President, KR Narayan, have climbed to hold some top positions in our country
despite the obstacles. Social identities were much more flexible until the 18th Century,
and it was much easy for people to move from one caste to another. For Indians, the
social distinctions of caste were of very little importance. Current researches shows
that British colonial rulers are responsible for making the boundaries among different
groups. They made caste a defining social feature of India. They started the census to
serve their own interests, so as to create a single society with common law so that they
can govern it easily, and for that, they framed all the diversity through alien
categorical systems of religion, race, caste, and tribe. The Caste system is so
profoundly engraved in people's imagination that people started believing it as truth.
We must question to challenge these imagined truths. This research paper will
examine these issues in detail and show the impact of modernization on this system in
the modern world.

Impact of Modernization on the Caste System

The term modernization is utilized not exclusively to portray the adjustments in the
material culture of a country yet in addition to its conviction framework, qualities, and
overall lifestyle. Modernization alludes to a typical standard of conduct described by a
reasonable and logical perspective, in view of development and consistently
expanding use of science and innovation. It is a variation of new foundations that
arose in the public arena to adapt to the new circumstance overwhelmed by science
and innovation.
Present-day education widened the viewpoint of individuals who began discussing
their rights and opportunities. The introduction of modern methods for
communicating, for example, rail line and transport travel, postal help, air and ocean
travel, press, radio, and TV has influenced man's life in changed regards. Current

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establishments like a financial framework, policy management, military association,
present day medication, law, and so on, were introduced in our country. It causes the
vanishing of traditional traits, standards of conduct, values, convictions,
establishments, and so on. A few customary convictions and practices broken to
society were disposed of and numerous new traditions, foundations, and social
practices were received. The introduction of the new values, the logic and ideologies
of individualism, secular spirit, and justice, and equity assumed extraordinary
significance.
Recent studies show the significance of the caste system even in the modern world.
Caste is a reality that is influencing various institutions and organizations in India. It
also affected Educational Institutions. I have carried out this study to find out the
perception of undergraduate students about the caste system's role in shaping the
socio-cultural lifestyle of peoples in modern India.
For this study, I collected a data sample of 600 undergraduate students. Data was
collected from the students studying in different leading law universities of India. To
know about every aspect of the caste system in the society, data was collected from
various students belonging to different caste, tradition, and culture. The study is
focused upon determining the student’s perspective on the hypothesis that, they still
believe in the caste system and are apathetic towards the caste system in India. It also
helps in knowing the views of the educated youth of the country as a whole because
the data collected is from leading law universities in which students enrolled come
from various parts of the country.

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Findings of the Research;

1. Do you consider Caste as an important factor is

Marriage?

12%

No

Yes
88%

In this question, 88 percent of the respondents said that they don’t think caste
to be an important factor for marriage. The rest of the 12 percent respondents
said that they consider it to be an important factor for marriage. Now further
they have also given their views and reasons for considering caste to be an
important factor. Some of the respondents said that, every caste has its own
traditions, culture and religious practices so it becomes very difficult for some
outsider to adjust and accept the culture which they do not understand because
they have been brought up in a totally different culture. On the other hand,
some who were of the view that caste is not important in marriage said that
Marriage is indeed a sociological bond, which is solely dependent on the factor
of compatibility rather than caste dynamism.

2. Is there an Impact of Modernization on the Caste

System?

21%
Yes
No

79%

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The 2nd question that I asked from the respondents regarding whether there is
any impact of modernization on Caste system? For this question the students
who believe that the Caste system thinking is impacted by modernization were
79 percent and those who think that modernization has no impact on caste
system were 21 percent. The students who gave believe that modernization has
its impact on the system gave some interesting answers for the ways in which
the modernization has impacted. One said that, Earlier, it was strictly
prohibited for the lower caste people to attend any kind of schools or any form
of education. Modernisation basically broke that barrier and the system begun
of all kids, irrespective of caste, coming at one place to study. Definitely in
early years, (and even now in some areas) people faced discrimination by their
peers. Apart from that though, the good side was they still at least got an access
to education. And that access then provided them with better opportunities for a
much better life. Now, when people are living in cities, they never ask about
the person's caste to form a reference point. It shifts towards merit on education
and ultimately your economic development if any Division is present. But
relevance of caste has much decreased simply because the system accepted a
change which made education universal. That was much needed otherwise
people would still be thinking "it's in the genes" when it's actually "in the
circumstances".
One other respondent also gave an interesting point and said that modernization
brings a Positive change. The rigid opinions on caste were not inherited by the
present generation. Also, it led to more job opportunities which might have
helped curb the income disparity at least to some extent, a step towards
bringing the lower caste to the mainstream of the society. Modernization has
had effects upon the system of caste in certain regions and situations, it has
made some of the populace understand the uselessness of the system of caste as
well as the systemic oppression it performs. As it also brings people together,
there is the continuous flow of ideas regarding caste (among others), and most
of the time, these do help in staying away from the caste system. In the modern
world, people care less about the caste and more about how worthy the person
is based on their skills.

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 3. Do you avoid Socialising with a person if he/she is
from a Lower Caste?

7%
Yes
No

93%

The third question which I asked from the respondent was whether they avoid
socialising with a person or any friend of his/her who belong to a lower caste.
They responses I received were humungous proportion of students said that
they don’t think about caste while socialising or making a friend. But a little
proportion of about 7 percent accepted that they are biased when they make
their friends and do not socialize with lower caste.

4. How do you determine the Caste of Others?

10%
2%

4%
3%

7%

74%

By Surname By Religious Symbols By Residence

By Accent By Attire I don't

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 5. Do you Insist on knowing the surname of a person?

6%

Yes
No

94%

The response from these questions shows us that a very large percentage of
people do not ask surname to determine the caste system of another person.
They do not consider it to be an important part in making a personality of a
human being but rather they focus on skills and knowledge of people.

6. Do you hesitate to go to your friend's house who

belongs to a Lower Caste? 6%

94%
Yes No

In this question, a huge percentage of respondents said that they don’t hesitate
in going to their friend’s house or doing party with their friends who belongs to
lower caste. Only a few said that they don’t like to visit their friends who is
from a lower caste. Respondents also mentioned some cultural practise or acts
which they don’t like about other castes. Some said that they don’t like the
pride that some upper caste people have just for the reason that they are born in
a certain family. One respondent said that he dislikes the sacrificing of animals

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in the name of God. Some mentioned about the child marriage, marrying girls
and boys as soon as they turn 18. One respondent said that he doesn’t like
people harming oneself in the name of God.
I will say that almost every caste has some practices which are disliked by
people of other caste since they are not used to such practices and it may look
strange to them. For example- a religion where eating meat isn't a big issue
may not be adaptable to the one who hasn't seen this practice at home since
childhood so it's not disliking actually but a lack of adaptability.

Conclusion
The study found out that the majority of the students do not believe in the caste
system. They believe that Modernization has a major part in reducing the caste
system in India. When we analyse the data with, we can say that the
respondents are not ignorant towards the discriminatory system rather they
oppose and condemn this kind of practice in the modern world. This shows that
our educated youth are against the caste system and they are unaffected from
the upper caste or lower caste of any person. This study shows that youngsters
want a society free of the caste system which is evident from their views on
inter-caste marriage. Thus, the hypothesis assumed at the beginning of the
project is proved to be false and the study supports the truth that young
educated people of our society do not believe in the discriminatory practice
based on the caste system.