Is caste disappearing in urban India? Illustrate your answer with examples. (Answer in 250 words)

Urbanisation can weaken overt traditional controls, but caste is being transformed rather than erased through institutions, networks, identities and unequal access.

Occupational diversification, inter-caste interaction, education, migration and anonymous markets reduce some village-based surveillance. Apartment living, professional workplaces and constitutional rights can enable individual mobility. Inter-caste marriage, though limited, and urban associational life show changing boundaries.

Residential segregation, informal labour hierarchies, elite networks and discrimination in housing and employment reproduce caste advantage. Marriage remains strongly endogamous, often through digital matrimonial platforms. Caste associations mobilise resources, organise hostels and coaching, influence elections and demand reservations. Dalit and Adivasi workers remain overrepresented in precarious sanitation and manual occupations, while digital exclusion mirrors material inequality.

The city changes the form and visibility of caste; it does not automatically dismantle inherited capital, social networks or stigma. Education, anti-discrimination enforcement, dignified work, inclusive housing and representation are needed alongside mobility. Urban modernity should be measured by equal capabilities, not just physical co-presence.

endogamy, social mobility, urban segregation, caste associations, affirmative action