Difference between caste and class is central to the understanding of social stratification in India. Caste is an ascriptive system based on birth, while class is an achieved system determined by factors such as education, occupation, income, and wealth. In contemporary India, these two systems do not exist separately; rather, they intersect and influence each other in complex ways, shaping opportunities, social mobility, power, and identity. The caste system has historically divided society into hierarchical groups based on purity and pollution. Membership in a caste is hereditary, and social relations, marriage, occupation, and status have traditionally been regulated by caste norms. Despite constitutional guarantees of equality and the abolition of untouchability, caste continues to influence social life, especially in rural areas. Class, on the other hand, refers to economic differentiation among people based on their control over resources, income, occupation, and educational attainment. Unlike caste, class is relatively open, allowing individuals to improve or decline in status through education, employment, entrepreneurship, or other economic opportunities. Industrialization, urbanization, globalization, and the expansion of education have strengthened class-based differentiation in India. The intersection of caste and class is evident in the unequal distribution of wealth and resources. Historically privileged upper castes generally possessed greater access to land, education, political influence,