The Accidental Caste: How Identity Became Documentation

By: Sen, Mohit Kumar

Caste shapes destinies in India - but what if your caste is not what you were born into, but what a clerk accidentally typed on a form?In Accidental Caste, MK Sen exposes one of the least-discussed but most impactful realities of modern India: how caste, a system believed to be ancient and immutable, is often determined today by documentation errors, administrative rigidity, and historical misunderstandings. Through deep research, case studies, legal analysis, and powerful narratives, the book reveals how identity can be shaped not by heritage but by accident.Tracing caste from its fluid origins in ancient India to the rigid hierarchies solidified by colonial rule, the book examines how the British census, clerical mistakes, birth certificates, school records, and government forms continue to freeze identities that might have never existed. It highlights shocking real-life cases - students denied admission, officers suspended, families divided, and careers ruined - all because of a single wrong entry on paper.Sen explores the psychological, social, and legal consequences of such misclassifications, showing how society treats people based on "paper caste" rather than lived reality. He analyzes the reservation system's complexities, bureaucratic refusal to correct errors, and the new challenges created by digitisation through Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and unified databases. Each page exposes the paradox of a nation striving for equality while simultaneously being trapped inside administrative categories that determine opportunity, privilege, and stigma.More than a critique, Accidental Caste is a call for reform. It offers practical solutions - from modernising caste verification and creating unified national databases to redefining identity beyond hereditary labels. Ultimately, it envisions a future where justice, dignity, and opportunity are not determined by a birthmark on a certificate, but by human potential.Bold, insightful, and transformative, this book forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about identity, governance, and society - and challenges India to rethink caste for the modern age.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GDN1KVYD
• ISBN13: 9798241922366
• Release Date: December 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 186 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.5"