The Persistence Of Caste In India’s Army

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Representational image; public domain/wikimedia.
For the Indian Army to truly fulfil its promise of representing all of India, it will need to confront the enduring legacy of caste.

In India’s military, caste is not a relic of the past but an enduring force, subtly woven into the fabric of one of the country’s most celebrated institutions. The Indian Army, an organisation that symbolises national unity, seems an unlikely place for the caste system—a social hierarchy that dictates everything from whom you marry to where you live—to persist.

Yet, despite decades of reform and official policies that espouse meritocracy, caste remains deeply embedded in the army’s regimental structure, recruitment practices, and even the honour associated with military service.



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