HOW CASTE-BASED IDENTITIES SHAPE ECONOMIC ASPIRATIONS AND POLITICAL ALIGNMENT IN INDIA

Caste remains one of the most enduring axes of social organization in South Asia. While India has experienced rapid growth and major political realignments, a growing body of research shows that caste identities continue to influence both economic trajectories and political behavior. This This paper synthesizes the best available evidence on three linked questions: (1) how caste-based identities structure economic aspirations (education, occupation, migration, wealth goals); (2) how they shape political alignment (party choice, candidate evaluation, turnout and issue salience); and (3) how state policy especially reservations/quotas and welfare delivery mediates these relationships.