what is the caste system?
596555
The pattern of social classes in Hinduism is called the "caste system"
448652
Quota System is that syatem by which the govt. insures the equal opputurinities for the socially underpriveliged peoples. The peoples from lower strata of the society & finamcially weaker sections are generally  eligible for the quota. Govt. fix for them a certain percentage of seats in govt. jobs or in educational institutes.\n\nNow a days there are demands for Quota even in Pvt. sector!
401548
depends on if caste is based on features or money.  you can beat one based on money by acting like you have money.  features, nope
186390
To them its not natural.  Its something that was punishable by at least imprisonment. Its like with other countries with oppressed societies.  If you are different in some way you are out casted.  In some societies its imprisonment, while others its death.
576118
Sati system is a social evil.  The roots of this system are in the Muslim invaders..when they came they usually killed the males and took their females, changed their religion and made them muslim.\n\nSati system started in Rajasthan, where women decided to burn themselves instead of getting into the hands of muslims.. but slowly it was forced onto women and became a social evil.\n\nSikh gurus and many reformers (raja Ram mohan roy) and british tried to stop this malpractice and now there is no sati-pratha in india, except some very rare incidents
130340
I am not a social expert on India.  I have had professors and friends growing up from there.  There are not political barriers to thier voting, but culrual barriers to them overcoming their "station" in life.  The way I was told, and please forgive me if I offend anyone, was that a person from a lower caste would nver marry, or get a job above their caste.  They could clean the toilets at a higher caste's persons house, but they would not clean their own!  they would have an even lower caste do that.  The lowest caste is the "untouchables" and this is not Elliot Ness.  \n\nAgain I not an expert, but have seen and studied how there can be no freedom, when it is not applied equally under the law, written or unwritten.  We in the USA had Jim Crow, the unwritten law of racial discrimination.\n\nI hope I did not muddy the water any more than it already was.
803683
IAS is a civil service post.Power and position depends upon their postings.They can be posted under state or central government on various administrative or on administrative positions.
1129768
In short idea of untouchability was taken to extereme by so called idea of Cleanliness among higher cast. The idea of hygene turned psychological peroblem.\n\nThe higher casts were more educated and followed more majors of cleanliness in comparison to lower ones. Later on it was grossly abused custom. Brahmans or other higher casts thought themselves to be purer just by being of higher caste.\n\nBut it is not a problem of Hindus only.\n\nA true telling of "caste-based" behavior of South Asians would show that it cuts across all religious lines, and can be found in churches as well as in masjids. Thus upper caste Syrian Christians advertise specifically for their own types in matrimony, as do other Christians. Goans and other Indian Christians still refer to themselves as Bamon (Brahmins), Bhandaris, Kolis, Prabhus, etc.   \n\n In spite of the fact that around 75% of the Christians are ‘dalits’ who got converted to Christianity to lose their caste or ‘outcaste’ tag, Dalit Christians within the Church were discriminated against and were denied powers within the ecclesiastical structure.\n\nIn the churches or places of worship, which were generally laid out in the shape of a cross, the Christians of upper caste have always humiliated their Dalit fellow Christians by occupying the central part of the church, while the Dalits were assigned to the wings. The Dalits were to take communion only after the upper caste people had done so. In some Protestant churches, there were separate cups for the Dalits at the eucharistic celebration. In the Catholic churches, there were separate communion rails, separate cemeteries in Madras dioceses like Trichy and Pondicherry. Such practices were also found in the Protestant churches. \n\nMuslims are also divided according to caste - Sayyads, Ashrafs, Ajlafs, Jolahas, Rajputs, etc. Marriages are disallowed between the high caste Ashrafs, Sayyads, Sheikhs or Pathans and the low caste Ansaris, Kunjras or Qureshis. The founder of the Aligarh Muslim University, Sir Sayyad Ahmad Khan, denied backward Muslims entry into AMU and kept its door open only for the Ashrafs. Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi wrote a book in which he said that the Sayyads are the highest caste! Dalit Muslims don't even come into the picture as yet."\n\nThree groups found in Indian Muslims of Bengal: \n\nAshraf or better class Muslims – The Sainads, Sheikhs, Pathans, Moghul, Mallik, and Mirza. \nAjlaf or lower caste Muslims – Cultivating Sheikhs, and others who were originally Hindus, Darzi, Jolaha, Fakir, Mallah, Kula Kunjara, Kasai, Kalal, Dhunia, Abdal, Bako, Chamba, Dafali, Dhobi, Hajjan,  etc. \nArzal or degraded class – include Bhanar, Halalkhor, Hijra, Kasbi, Lalbegi, Maugta, Mehra. \n\n\nJust sample these familiar insertions in the Sunday matrimonial pages of any newspaper:  \n\n* CSI Nadar Christian invites alliance...\n* CSI Adi dravida wants ...  \n* Roman Catholic ants...except SC/ST..    \n* Protestant Pillai seeks...  \n\nWelcome to the 'casteless' egalitarian world of Christianity. Or at least, that is what the board outside Evangelists Inc claims. Then what do the above advertisements that routinely appear in very secular newspapers point to? \n true telling of "caste-based" behavior of South Asians would show that it cuts across all religious lines, and can be found in churches as well as in masjids. Thus upper caste Syrian Christians advertise specifically for their own types in matrimony, as do other Christians. Goans and other Indian Christians still refer to themselves as Bamon (Brahmins), Bhandaris, Kolis, Prabhus, etc.   \n\nAli Anwar, a Muslim author, maintains in his book "War of Equality" that it's a myth that Indian Islam is caste-free. "Neither the Muslims' ruling elite nor the religious leaders have so far made any meaningful efforts to remove the disease of inequality that has made Dalit Muslims suffer for centuries," he writes.
489419
A Brahmin is a member of a priestly section of Hindu society. Hindu community is divided into four transient sections (varnas) based on occupation: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. The Brahmins constitute the community of scholars, priests and teachers and are responsible, broadly speaking, for society's spiritual progress.\n\nThe range and profundity of their contributions to learning and culture in India belie the fact that numerically, the Brahmins constitute a miniscule segment of Indian society. In 1931, Brahmins were 4.32% of the total population. Even in Uttar Pradesh, where they are most numerous, the Brahmins constitute just 9% of the total populace. In Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, they form less that 3% and 2% respectively of the population.
321116
no reservations shhould not be there. we should be counted according to our capabilities not by the caste. reservations creates a breakage line within the unity of our country.
731906
well i dont know where did u find this word,but being an indian , a hindu i wanna answer this question for you....jati <> a hindu caste or distinctive social group of which there are thousands through out india.A special characteristic is often the exclusive occupation of its male members....
815580
are you in the proper caste? will your mommy sign the permission slip?
993664
Because the Caste System has never died, there or anywhere else in the world.  We are just the expendable masses waiting to be walked on by those VIPs who are higher and mightier than us.  VIPs over in the US include such devine creatures as Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson and Angelina Jolie.  Be glad all you had was a minister...
449992
Well...you could say that the caste system (and I assume you're talking about India here) brings people together because it reinforces structural hierarchies in society. People across many different castes contribute to the maintenance of the caste system.\nThis is not necessarily a good thing in my opinion. It's saying that people come together to preserve this tradition which is not necessarily a good one. But they're coming together to do so nonetheless, so I suppose that answers your question.
673336
India is one of the worst nations on earth because of the discriminating "caste system" which is still adhered to by indians - your constitution is only worth the paper it's wriiten on. your leaders, politicians and authorities do not have the political will to enforce anything that does not make money. Your system of democracy stinks - it does not work for the good of the indian people.
608076
well at some time in the future when they completely abolish the caste system.
597608
The most basic division of the Indian society is of Aryans and Dravidians. According to this division, nearly 72% of Indians are Aryans and 28% are Dravidians. The north Indians are the descendants of Aryans and the south Indians are Dravidians. The languages spoken in five states of south India are considered Dravidian languages and most of the languages spoken in the north are considered Aryan languages. The general script of the Aryan languages is different from the general script of Dravidian languages. The Indians also distinguish themselves by the general north Indian accent and general south Indian accent.\n\nAccording to general Indian legend, the Aryans arrived in north India somewhere from Iran and southern Russia at around 1500 BC. Before the Aryans, the Dravidian people resided in India. The Aryans disregarded the local cultures. They began conquering and taking control over regions in north India and at the same time pushed the local people southwards or towards the jungles and mountains in north India. According to this historical fact the general division of Indian society is made. North Indians are Aryans and south Indians are Dravidians. But this division isn’t proper because of many reasons.\n\nMany Indians immigrated from one part of India to other parts of India and not all local people of north India were pushed southwards by the Aryans. Some stayed and served the Aryans and others moved to live in the forests and the jungles of north India. Before the arrival of the Aryans there were also other communities in India like Sino-Mongoloids and Austroloids. There were also other foreign immigrations and invaders who arrived in India, from time to time. \n\nThere are many that completely doubt that there was ever any Aryan invasion in India. This skepticism is based on the dating of the Aryan invasion of India and the fact that Hinduism and the caste system are believed to have been established as the result of the meetings between the intruding Aryans and original residents of India, the Dravidians. \n\nThe caste system is believed to have been established by the Aryans. The fair skinned Aryans who occupied parts of India established the caste system, which allowed only them to be the priests (Brahman), aristocracy (Kshatria) and the businessmen (Vaisia) of the society. Below them in hierarchy were the Sudras who consisted of two communities. One community was of the locals who were subdued by the Aryans and the other were the descendants of Aryans with locals. In Hindu religious stories there are many wars between the good Aryans and the dark skinned demons and devils. The different Gods also have dark skinned slaves. There are stories of demon women trying to seduce good Aryan men in deceptive ways. There were also marriages between Aryan heroes and demon women. Many believe that these incidences really occurred in which, the gods and the positive heroes were people of Aryan origin. And the demons, the devils and the dark skinned slaves were in fact the original residence of India whom the Aryans coined as monsters, devil, demons and slaves. Normally the date given to Aryan invasion is around 1500 BC. But according to Hinduism experts some of the events in Hinduism occurred much earlier. Some of the events like the great war in the Mahabharta epic is believed to have occurred (based on astronomical research) 7000 years ago. \n\nAccording to this Hindu experts the word Aryan is a misinterpretation of the original Sanskrit word, Arya. Arya means pure or good in Sanskrit. In the holy Vedas the good people were called Arya. Some of the European scholars of Indian culture in the 19th century were Germans. These German scholars who found that Swastika was also a holy symbol among the Hindus distorted, the word Arya to Aryan.