Caste plays a role at every stage of an Indian's economic life, in school, university, the labor market, and into old age. The influence of caste extends beyond private economic activity into the public sphere, where caste politics determine access to public resources. The aggregate evidence indicates that there has been convergence in education, occupations, income, and access to public resources across caste groups in the decades after independence. Some of this convergence is likely due to affirmative action, but caste-based networks could also have played an equalizing role by exploiting the opportunities that became available in a globalizing economy. Ethnic networks were once active in many advanced economies but ceased to be salient once markets developed. With economic development, it is possible that caste networks will cease to be salient in India. The affirmative action programs may also be rolled back, and (statistical) discrimination in urban labor markets may come to an end if and when there is convergence across caste groups. In the interim period, however, it is important to understand the positive and negative consequences of caste involvement across a variety of spheres in the Indian economy.

中文翻译：

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种姓与印度经济

在印度的经济生活的各个阶段，无论是在学校，大学，劳动力市场还是到老年，种姓都扮演着重要角色。种姓的影响力已从私人经济活动扩展到公共领域，在这种领域中，种姓政治决定了对公共资源的获取。总体证据表明，独立后的几十年中，种姓群体的教育，职业，收入和获得公共资源的途径已经趋于一致。这种趋同的某些可能是由于平权行动，但基于种姓的网络也可以通过利用全球化经济中提供的机会发挥均衡作用。族裔网络曾经在许多发达经济体中活跃，但是一旦市场发展，它就不再重要。随着经济的发展，种姓网络有可能在印度不再突出。如果种姓群体之间趋于一致，则平权行动计划也可能会被撤消，城市劳动力市场中的（统计）歧视可能会结束。然而，在过渡时期，了解种姓参与印度经济各个领域的积极和消极后果非常重要。