Sanskritization is a process of:

The correct answer is Option (1) → Upward mobility

Option (1) Upward mobility — Correct. Sanskritisation, a term coined by M.N. Srinivas, is the process by which a ‘low’ caste or tribe or other group takes over the customs, ritual, beliefs, ideology and style of life of a high, in particular a ‘twice-born’, caste. It is a way for a group to move up the social ladder, which is upward mobility; it has even been criticised for exaggerating this social mobility, since it brings only positional change for some, not structural change.

Option (2) Downward mobility — Incorrect. Downward mobility is a fall to a lower position in society. A group that copies the customs of a higher caste seeks to rise, not to fall.

Option (3) Intra-generational mobility — Incorrect. Intra-generational mobility is a change of position within one person’s own lifetime, for example a clerk who becomes a manager. Sanskritisation is about a caste or group claiming a higher place, not one person’s career.

Option (4) Horizontal mobility — Incorrect. Horizontal mobility is a move from one position to another of the same rank, for example from one job to another of equal standing. Sanskritisation aims at a higher rank, so it is vertical, upward movement.