Which of the following are the characteristics of the caste system in…

Which of the following are the characteristics of the caste system in India?

(A) Caste groups are endogamous in nature
(B) Involves hierarchy and rank
(C) Castes do not have subdivisions and sub-castes
(D) One's caste is linked to one's occupation

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → (A), (B) and (D) only

(A) Caste groups are endogamous in nature Correct. Membership of a caste involves strict rules about marriage: caste groups are ‘endogamous’, that is, marriage is restricted to members of the group.

(B) Involves hierarchy and rank Correct. Caste is a system of many castes arranged in a hierarchy of rank and status. Every caste has a place in it; the place of a middle-ranking caste may vary from region to region, but there is always a hierarchy.

(C) Castes do not have subdivisions and sub-castes Incorrect. The opposite is true: castes almost always have sub-castes, and sub-castes may have sub-castes of their own. This is called a segmental organisation.

(D) One’s caste is linked to one’s occupation Correct. Castes were traditionally linked to occupations: a person born into a caste could practise only its occupation, so occupations passed from generation to generation.

NCERT (2025-26): “Caste in the Past … The most commonly cited defining features of caste are the following:

1. Caste is determined by birth – a child is ‘born into’ the caste of its parents. Caste is never a matter of choice. One can never change one’s caste, leave it, or choose not to join it, although there are instances where a person may be expelled from their caste.…
2. Membership in a caste involves strict rules about marriage. Caste groups are ‘endogamous’, i.e. marriage is restricted to members of the group.
3. Caste membership also involves rules about food and food-sharing. What kinds of food may or may not be eaten is prescribed and who one may share food with is also specified.
4. Caste involves a system consisting of many castes arranged in a hierarchy of rank and status. In theory, every person has a caste, and every caste has a specified place in the hierarchy of all castes. While the hierarchical position of many castes, particularly in the middle ranks, may vary from region to region, there is always a hierarchy.
5. Castes also involve sub-divisions within themselves, i.e., castes almost always have sub-castes and sometimes sub-castes may also have sub-castes. This is referred to as a segmental organisation.
6. Castes were traditionally linked to occupations. A person born into a caste could only practice the occupation associated with that caste, so that occupations were hereditary, i.e. passed on from generation to generation.…”