This book investigates the persistent role of caste as a structural barrier to economic mobility and equality in contemporary India. Ashwini Deshpande, a prominent economist specializing in development and social inequality, utilizes extensive empirical data and statistical analysis to challenge the assumption that market forces alone will erode traditional social hierarchies. The work argues that caste-based discrimination remains a significant factor in labor market outcomes, access to credit, and overall economic participation, necessitating targeted policy interventions to address systemic disparities.

Experts in development economics and South Asian studies recognize this work as a rigorous, data-driven analysis of caste-based economic exclusion. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a foundational framework for understanding the complexities of social stratification in the Indian economy.