Source: Clashes in New Delhi
Read The Caste System: Introduction, Myths and Reality by Vikas Kamat
or the information about castes here or the pictures here
"The Indian caste system has been in use for many years. Still today the values of the caste system are held strongly. It has kept a sense of order, and peace among the people. There are five different levels of the system: Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, and Harijans. Within each of these categories are the actual "castes" or jatis within which people are born, marry, and die. They all have their own place among each other and accept that it is the way to keep society from disintegrating to chaos. This system has worked well for Indian people and still has a major role in modern India." (from this page).
But of course the system is a bad ancient thing, all people are equal and have the same rights.
But are the student above in favor of the caste system or not?
“Don’t divide us on caste lines”, “One nation, one voice”, the protesters chanted, some wearing black bands and waving the national flag. [Irish Examiner]
The protesters said that the government's proposal does not reward merit and will reduce their chances of gaining a higher education.
Impoverished and underdeveloped India introduced reservations for the lower castes soon after independence from Britain in 1947, but the present bill widens the scope of earlier laws.
In 1990, a similar move to increase quotas in government jobs also led to widespread protests in which dozens of upper-caste students deliberately burnt themselves to death. [alJazeera]