Dismantling Social Hierarchy In India

This year India seems to be stepping up efforts to eliminate the still persuasive caste discrimination within its borders. Caste discrimination is punishable by law and unconstitutional in India yet much like other types of discrimination it still exists. India's parliament has introduced a series of bills aiming to mandate discrimination out of existence and one day possibly all but eliminate the caste system. The Indian government introduced one controversial bill into its parliament last month that aims to reserve more college admissions for lower castes amid protests by upper caste students. The bill, which is expected to be scrutinized by a parliamentary panel before being put to vote, will boost the number of college places reserved for lower caste students to 49.5 percent from 22.5 percent. Earlier this month Indian Government announced it would be offering 50,000 rupees ($1,103) to higher-caste people who marry spouses from the lowest castes. But on the streets of New Delhi and India's financial hub of Mumbai, upper caste students have staged disruptive protests. In Mumbai, police detained dozens of college students who marched on the streets, stopping traffic. Some held banners that read: "Indians born free, later bonded by quota". I find the concept of castes very difficult to conceive of. Here in the US, class is defined by income and social mobility is a protected right. There is, of course, still much discrimination here and everywhere in the world. I have to wonder if caste quotas and financial incentives will only highlight and reinforce social divisions in the long run. Such could be said about the results of affirmative action here. In other words, to legislate over and dictate a certain social class, that class needs to be strictly defined and recognized. Your thoughts?