A lot of change has taken place in the caste system. The rules of inter-dining and inter-marriage have changed during the last two decades or so. The traditional boundaries ,of exogamy and endogamy have been overridden. Likewise the commensal rules and regulations have changed and people have become catholic and tolerant of the breakage of traditional commensal rules. Occupations are determined by birth in caste society, but these days one evinces free selection or choice of occupations. The stigma of profanity traditionally associated with certain occupations has been eschewed.
In the choice of occupations profit, satisfaction, dignity and convenience matter these days. There are examples of Brahmans undertaking shoe and leather trade which was totally unthinkable few decades back. In the past, whenever someone ventured to transgress caste prescriptions faced the punishment of social ostracism. Therefore, no one dared to transgress the normative code of caste system. The democratic polity has bestowed absolute freedom from the citizens of India as regards connubium, commensality and selection of occupations. Social change has become faster during the last three or four decades because of revolution in the audio-visual information technology.
In the mobilisation of change the role of electronic media has become very crucial and vital. After independence, caste system has weakened, but, the flow of politics, particularly ballot politics has been responsible for revitalizing the caste system. The policy of protective discrimination is desirable for ensuring development of all sections of Indian society uniformly, but if it becomes a vile and pushes the Indian society backward, it should be debated whether to retain it or to reject it. Protective discrimination per se is not a retrograde step in Indian situation. Social policies must be forwarded looking and progressive, so that the social fabric becomes healthy and strong.
In contra-distinction to caste society tribal societies in India are neither non- hierarchic, nor heterogeneous, but homogeneous and segmentary in character. For centuries due to geo-historical reasons most of the tribal communities remain confined to forest, hilly and mountainous habitats. Having been segregated from the plains people as well as from other tribal communities each such little communities in course of time developed a distinctive simple culture.
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Members of a tribe inhabit the contiguous geographical territory, pursue certain simple economic activities, speak a common language, have a political system of their own and lead a kind of primitive or backward lifestyle. It is needless to say that members of a given tribe or sub-tribe remain away from peasants living in villages and sophisticated people living in towns and cities. Members of tribal communities have been interacting with members of peasant communities particularly in rural weekly markets in order to exchange their surplus produces for purchase of salt, kerosine, utensils and textile products.