Caste also plays a large determining role in the legitimacy of the politicians. Almost instinctively the lower caste peoples hold a respect for the upper castes. Which, unsurprisingly, hold a very large majority of the public offices. .
India's caste system is very complex. Although it is entwined in Hindu beliefs, it encompasses non-Hindus as well. Traditionally, Hindu law states that all castes are loosely grouped into four varnas, or classes. The hierarchy is the Brahmans, the priests and scholars, Kshatriyas, the warriors and rulers, Vaisyas, the merchants, farmers and traders, and the Sudras, the labors, artists, servants, and serfs. Although, the varnas do not longer adhere to the traditional professions anymore. For instance, a Brahman could now be a chef, farmer, banker, or lawyer. Finally, ranked below all the castes are the .
people that do not have a caste, the Harijans or Untouchables. Untouchables traditionally performed tasks that were polluting, such as leather working or killing animals. Physical contact with these people was considered defiling. Even though discrimination towards the Untouchables has been outlawed by the constitution, they still have problems getting housing and work. Some states have even been dismembered and others birthed to make them more compact from a caste point of view. Since independence, faster ways of travel and general modernization has helped the importance of the caste system decline somewhat, but it is no where near extinction. .
The Indian government provides many of the same social services that the US provides, it's only in the quality that it varies. India's central government has focused on improving the welfare of the Indian people since Independence. The focus has been on transforming the health of the population and providing benefits for the weakest members of society. Health-care facilities have been extended to all parts of the country.
