The big cities are getting less stricter like Bombay but on the country side and depending on which county it is more conservative but overall its very conservative. As a low caste the worst thing is to get humiliated by the higher caste and looked down upon and as the high caste you shall keep your self high and avoid public humiliations. Its like Hollywood stars, everyone looks up to them but if they do 1 thing wrong, BAAM media all over they're face, but the same principles doesn't come as a low caste but few cares if you humiliate your self, like the tabloids doesn't gossip about a random bum do they? The humiliation is neither just for your self, many often gets dragged into it and you have to honor your family and to spare them from harm and honor the rules of the caste.
Many thing in our society are controlled by the caste and its the way that balance our beliefs with politics. As we believe in reincarnation, from honoring the karma system and doing great deeds will allow you to reborn into a higher cast in the next life, there are 4 castes, easily described are Peasants and servants, businessmen and farmers, police and army, holy men - healers - doctors and politicians. When you've reached the last caste and followed it to the fully you will finally emerge with Brahman in nirvana (our grand god). If you dishonor your ways to a certain degree you become a outcaste (NOTE this is not a caste, they are under all castes, even under peasants and servants). As an outcaste you are considered a burden to the society and everything around, many may spit on your face and mock you and there is nothing you can do cause you choose to be like this, if you call for a cop if you got dishonored by a person from a caste below (Everything is below outcaste) it is your fault and it is you to blame cause the person who dishonored you did nothing wrong as you are just a dog.
But Jay you got a point there, for work is not that appropriate as there is loads here but for a proper education that i can not find here is a legitimate reason