Pick the correct statements: (A) One can change one's caste(B) Caste…

Pick the correct statements:

(A) One can change one's caste
(B) Caste is determined by birth
(C) Membership in a caste involves flexible rules about marriage
(D) Castes were traditionally linked to occupations
(E) Castes also involve sub-division within themselves

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → (B), (D), (E) only

(A) One can change one’s caste Incorrect. Caste is never a matter of choice. One can never change one’s caste, leave it, or choose not to join it, although a person may be expelled from it.

(B) Caste is determined by birth Correct. A child is ‘born into’ the caste of its parents.

(C) Membership in a caste involves flexible rules about marriage Incorrect. The rules are strict, not flexible: caste groups are ‘endogamous’, that is, marriage is restricted to members of the group.

(D) Castes were traditionally linked to occupations Correct. A person born into a caste could only practise the occupation associated with that caste, so occupations were hereditary, passed on from generation to generation.

(E) Castes also involve sub-division within themselves Correct. Castes almost always have sub-castes, and sub-castes may have sub-sub-castes; this is called a segmental organisation.

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.…”