Abstract

Caste discrimination remains one of the most deeply entrenched and persistent forms of social inequality in India. Despite constitutional guarantees affirmative action and decades of social reform movements caste continues to influence access to education employment housing justice and dignity. In contemporary India caste-based exclusion manifests both in explicit and covert forms sustained by systemic institutional bias socio-cultural practices and the dominance of upper-caste groups in political and economic spheres. This research paper critically examines the paradox of caste in modern India where legal and policy measures promote equality but lived realities reflect ongoing segregation and violence. It explores how caste discrimination continues through newer forms in urban spaces digital platforms and market economies even as traditional village hierarchies persist in rural settings. Drawing upon sociological theory empirical studies and case-based evidence the paper identifies st