Can you explain the caste system to me, also do the different castes look different like brahmins are white and sheduled castes are black etc. or do they look similar etc. and tell me what makes sheduled castes "untouchables" etc. and how they live, does untouchable mean you are not allowed to have any contact with them like touching their hand or like that. and would roma be perceived as untouchables. some genetic study showed them to be descend of untouchables.
European Roma descended from Indian 'untouchables', genetic study shows - Telegraph
Caste system is/was one of the evils of Indian society which is going away slowly. Now in India we have laws against such discrimination and in cities you would not find much of these discrimination.
Coming to the point whether it has harmed India or not. Yup it has indeed done so. Caste system had limited our workorce in the ancient times by specifying the occupation of the Indian people. Previously due to this caste system a Brahmin would only have to become a scholar. A kshatriya could only become a soldier. The worst was for shudras or the untouchables. In the Vedas there is a mention of a shudra boy`s tongue being cut off after he had recited a Vedic hymn. To be said precisely this was the punishment recommended for any non Brahmin who dared to learn the Vedas. Also women were also considered as low born. That was one of the reasons for upnayana or paite(in Bengail) thread ceremony. Fortunately we have now cast out our age old caste prejudices and now look upon everyone as our brothers and sisters. Even the Indian govt does its bit by reservations and oher protections.
On the wee bit caste discrimination that is still seen today(mostly in villages. Well the truth is that these caste discrimination is actually being
created by political parties. They are nurturing such hostile and nation breaking ideas to further their own cause. For eg in UP, both Mayawati and the great Netaji Mulayalam(sorry Mully lovers) have created caste tensions so as to consolidate their vote banks. What India needs asap is to get rid of these leaders and create an equal,casteless society. I think that is one of the first steps that India can take towards becoming a superpower. It needs to put its own house in order before looking outside.