What does the word casteism meaning? It is the belief and practice of assigning a person a social status of higher or lower based on the caste they were born into. Caste is usually birth-based social ranking or grouping found in some South Asian societies. It has negative impact in various aspects of the society and may result in social and economic exclusion of the people believed to be of the lower caste. To learn more about this issue, please go through this guide.
What is meant by casteism? It is the assignment of a social status based on a person’s caste. A person’s caste may decide who they are allowed to marry, the type of job they are permitted to do, and who they may eat or live near. This guide explains how the ranking system works, and this post explains more about the Dalits, the community most impacted by the casteism.
In the literature, “caste discrimination” is mainly used to describe specific unfair acts. “Casteism” is used to describe the attitude and system. Legal and UN documents tend to use “caste discrimination.”
What is caste discrimination?
The UN defines caste discrimination as “discrimination based on work and descent” (International Dalit Solidarity Network, “Discrimination Based on Work and Descent”). It is discrimination based on one’s status, including their occupation and family. It may also include discrimination based on community, name, place of birth, residence, dialect and/or accent. The act must also have the effect of depriving one of his or her human rights (International Dalit Solidarity Network, referring to the UN principles and guidelines).
In 2002, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) also confirmed that the term “descent” in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) includes caste and similar systems (CERD, General Recommendation XXIX, 2002). A UN expert also reported that at least 250 million people around the world face discrimination based on birth and descent (Rita Izsák-Ndiaye, UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, 2016).
Types of Casteism
There are numerous ways in which casteism meaning is expressed. Some of these have been documented by the UN and other bodies.
Untouchability. Untouchability is the fundamental concept of caste discrimination and means that some people are considered polluting (International Dalit Solidarity Network, “Caste Discrimination”). Historically, this has meant that people of lower castes were not allowed to use the same public wells as others, to eat with others, or to worship in the same temples. If members of the lower castes did not abide by the rules of the higher castes, they would be socially boycotted and, at times, attacked (International Dalit Solidarity Network).
Occupation. Members of the lower castes are not allowed to leave occupations which are defined as polluted, including scavenging, street sweeping and removal of dead animals (OHCHR, “Shadow of Caste”, 2016). The UN has also indicated that women and girls of the lower castes are particularly vulnerable (OHCHR).
Marriage Restrictions. Only 5% of Indians report marrying across the caste line in the India Human Development Survey (International Dalit Solidarity Network, on IHDS).
Housing and Social Segregation. Caste discrimination includes social and housing segregation according to UN human rights bodies (International Dalit Solidarity Network, UN compilation, 2022).
Hidden Markers. Caste markers include, but are not limited to, names, dialects, rituals, and even food and color of skin (Ontario Human Rights Commission, as quoted by LawNow Magazine). Because of this, people of all ages can practice caste discrimination and it can happen around the world including in our workplaces and schools.
Digital and AI Forms. Technology hasn’t escaped this either, as caste stereotyping is common in AI and other digital forms. For more information, refer to our other post.
How Prevalent is it?
The data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS-2) conducted in 2011-12 by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), University of Maryland, and other research institutions across more than 42,000 households is the most comprehensive data from an Indian household on untouchability (NCDHR, on IHDS-2). Twenty-seven percent of households said they practice untouchability (Sukhadeo Thorat and Omkar Joshi, EPW, 2020).
Because the survey relies on what households say, the actual figures may be much higher (International Dalit Solidarity Network). It is also more than a decade old. By caste, 33 percent of OBC and 24 percent of non-Brahmin forward-castes said they practiced untouchability (NCDHR, on IHDS-2).
Another perspective is offered by the police data. The Deccan Herald reported in 2023 that India’s National Crime Records Bureau documented 57,789 cases of crimes against Scheduled Castes in 2023, showing a 0.4% increase from the previous year. The bureau also reported that these were only the cases that were registered.
Casteism in the US, UK and Canada
There is also evidence that suggests that casteism is prevalent in the diaspora, especially among people of Indian origin in the US, the UK and Canada. A survey conducted by Equality Labs in the US in 2018, which was self-reported and self-administered, noted that a high number of Dalits faced discrimination. However, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace criticized Equality Labs for administering the self-reported survey (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Social Realities of Indian Americans, 2021). In 2020, Carnegie conducted a survey in which they found that 5% of Indian Americans reported that they had experienced caste discrimination within the previous year (Hindu American Foundation, 2021).
The laws and policies that govern each country are different. Our guide to the US covers city ordinances and the vetoed state bill. Our UK guide covers the statutory duty and our Canada guide covers Ontario’s policy and a B.C. tribunal ruling.
What the law says
The laws of each country are also different. Our world wide report covers India, Nepal, the US, UK, Canada and Australia in the same report.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission has said that discrimination based on caste is internationally recognised as a human rights violation (Ontario Human Rights Commission). There are laws, but the problem is enforcement. Rules alone have not stopped crimes against the Scheduled Castes.
Identifying casteism
Casteism may not always be overt. Researchers say this may include carrying out activities of daily life (such as eating or praying) separately on the basis of caste; assigning jobs to people on the basis of caste; having an inferior or superior attitude to people based on caste, etc. According to the UN definition, caste discrimination may also include assigned names, birth place and family background (International Dalit Solidarity Network).
One should know that forms and mechanisms for addressing this may differ from country to country and that caste-based laws are being developed and reformed in many countries. This article is not legal advice and residents of the US, UK, and Canada may want to consult local resources.
Why writing your own record matters
Dalit voices have long been missing from records, textbooks and now AI training data. Communities respond by publishing their own history and research. (The Ambedkarite Educational Program teaches AI tools, blogging and website building so communities can do exactly this.)
Conclusion
Casteism meaning essentially refers to treating people as lower or higher based on birth. According to the UN, at least 250 million people may be suffering because of this. Some practices related to untouchability, restrictions to employment and marriages, may not always be visible. During the last major survey, 27% of the households in India admitted to untouchability, and in 2023, the police recorded 57,789 crimes against Scheduled Castes. In the Western world, while there is a call to provide more evidence of casteism meaning, there is also a debate on the need to name caste in legislation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is casteism meaning?
Casteism meaning is the belief and practice of treating people as higher or lower because of their birth caste. It can lead to social and economic exclusion for people said to belong to “lower” castes.
What is the difference between casteism and caste discrimination?
People often use the two terms as near-synonyms. Casteism meaning usually means the belief and system, while caste discrimination means specific unfair acts, which is the term the UN and legal texts use.
What are examples of caste discrimination?
Examples include untouchability practices such as separate water sources or shared meals, limits to certain jobs, marriage restrictions, and bias based on surnames or community markers.
How many people face caste discrimination?
A UN expert report in 2016 said at least 250 million people worldwide face discrimination based on birth and inherited status.
Is caste discrimination illegal?
It depends on the country. India bans untouchability in its Constitution, and Nepal has a dedicated criminal law. Western countries rely on existing grounds such as race or ethnic origin. Our worldwide guide compares them.
Understanding caste is step one. Building digital independence is step two.
Ambedkarite communities around the world are using AI tools, blogging and email marketing to document their experiences, challenge discrimination and build platforms that cannot be silenced.
The Ambedkarite Educational Program teaches exactly these skills: AI tools, website building, email marketing, blogging and Google AI. Lifetime access is ₹297 (~$4 USD). All future courses are included free.
Or join the Movement free to start learning today.
SOURCES
- Ontario Human Rights Commission, policy position on caste-based discrimination
- International Dalit Solidarity Network, “Discrimination Based on Work and Descent”
- International Dalit Solidarity Network, “Caste Discrimination”
- International Dalit Solidarity Network, UN compilation, 2022
- OHCHR, “Shadow of caste and its stigma continue to violate all aspects of human rights,” 2016
- University of Maryland, Thorat and Joshi, Economic and Political Weekly, 2020
- International Dalit Solidarity Network, on IHDS findings
- NCDHR, on IHDS-2
- Deccan Herald, on NCRB Crime in India 2023
- CERD General Recommendation XXIX, 2002
- LawNow Magazine, December 2025
- Carnegie Endowment, 2025
- Hindu American Foundation, summary of the 2020 Carnegie survey
- Constitution of India, Article 17 (link: legislative.gov.in)
