I think we are assuming that once you have a low score it becomes impossible to raise the score back to an acceptable level. Caste does not work like that. If you are born into the wrong caste you can't be promoted to a higher one.
GOD NO, I have seen this in India where someone from a so-called low caste only has to get 50% in exams to become a doctor whilst other castes have to get 70% or higher. It creates a system where merit goes and instead you get stupid people into high roles.
Anyone should get a role if they get the right scores, not because of their surname
You're missing the cultural insight needed to understand caste. For example, two people from New Jersey may tolerate each other even if one of their ancestors are from other places. Castes on the other hand, carries on from generation to generation. It's extremely hard to get rid of the caste label you're born with. Another factor is the level of discrimination involved. Caste is widely used to judge academic and professional proficiencies. It's extremely hard for lower caste people to rise up even if they work hard. They get denied and often demotivated in public. It gets much worse within India. Lower caste people are kept away from good residential areas, many commercial establishments and even village wells.
The weaker sections usually need the social support provided by their caste. They are therefore more likely to want to keep it.
It is easy to cosmetically change your caste, in schools if you are not "lower" caste you do not mention anything and you fall into "general category".
On the other hand you need to prove that you are "lower caste". As government benefits follow.
Actually caste isn't a binary classification. And reservations don't apply only to one caste. Many castes get reservations.
The remainder bulk of the people who don't get reservations fall into this category called 'General Merit'.
Now the system fills up the reservation quotas first, leaving leftovers to general merit. General merit has way more candidates and a larger section of people who score above reservation people. The net result is you end up denying top performers seats, so that you can fill reservation quotas.
If they are, then is it a) a tragedy that should be remedied by providing better nutrition, education, opportunities, or b) are they a lower level of sub-human who we just have to put up with in menial roles?
I'll note that if you do a) then the problem of them getting in on lower grades solves itself, as they compete for the limited slots available to them. And at that point you can remove the system entirely.
This happens around the world. I previously worked closely with teams in India and someone told me that there's secret lineage books that track every born Indian so that higher castes can identify lower castes.
Explained a lot cause many of those promoted, didn't deserve it as much as others, who were probably in lower castes.
India has an often criticized reservation system where 50-60% of seats in colleges/universities are allotted to people from lower castes. This puts enormous pressure on economically backward kids from upper castes who have to score upwards of 98% to get admitted whereas a person from a lower caste can get admitted by scoring just about 50%.
codified caste system? Have no idea what you mean.
You're hired for a position, when you feel you're ready for the next level you apply, if not, just continue where you are. This doesnt mean you dont get paid more the better you perform. Why do you need someone above you to say you're ready for the next level?
That caste reservation system you mentioned is fundementally flawed. For example, it will favor children of low caste individual who already benefitted from the system and is at economically very priviledged position over children of a high caste individual who are economically disadvantaged.
Fuck, does that mean you can ignore merit and let the guy who grew up with more privileges and less qualifications still get better opportunities than one with better qualifications just because the former is from a caste that is oppressed by someone else somewhere else? This will just increase dissatisfaction among non-reserved castes and reinforce the discrimination.
Even then, what is wrong with the retired judge's suggestion I mentioned?
I won't speak to the situation in India, but in America it is certainly possible for somebody from a 'lower caste' to be in a position of authority over somebody from a 'higher caste'. If for no other reason than because Americans with no understanding of the caste system might find the 'lower caste' person to be more competent and capable than the 'higher caste' person and promote accordingly.
No it's not. You can change your class you can't change your caste - your caste is literally determined exclusively by birth. It's a form of race and has nothing to do with social standing.
not that. the caste system has nothing to do with it AT ALL. my cook was a higher caste than my family was. Caste system is yet another concept people from the west who've watched a couple of documentaries about India like to throw around. You dont understand it - it doesnt work the way it used to. Being from a "lower caste" is actually a damn boon in todays India. IF you want to get into a decent engineering college atleast.
The other side of the story is the positive discrimination via Reservations that some castes are granted for college admissions, jobs, promotions, financial help etc. available to them. I don't know the legal position of this, but I imagine changing a name might be seen as giving up on your caste based reservations. Politicians favour caste/religion based voter segmentation, which doesn't help either.
In some states, it is impossible to get into good med schools, even if you score 100% in your tests, because there could be only three seats in the open quota, and 4 candidates got 100%
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