The Underbelly of Indian LinkedIn: Casteism and Anti-Reservation Sentiments
LinkedIn, often hailed as the premier professional networking platform, is a digital space where corporate India showcases its achievements, ambitions, and aspirations. In India, the platform is dominated by well-educated professionals from elite institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), and Indian School of Business (ISB). While LinkedIn projects an image of meritocracy and inclusivity, a closer examination reveals a troubling undercurrent of casteism and opposition to reservation policies. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced among users from privileged, upper-caste backgrounds who often occupy the upper echelons of corporate India. Drawing on data, user behavior, and institutional trends, this article explores how Indian LinkedIn reflects and perpetuates caste-based biases and anti-reservation sentiments.
The Demographic Reality of Indian LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s user base in India, estimated at over 100 million as of 2023, is disproportionately composed of urban, well-educated professionals, many of whom hail from elite educational institutions. A 2021 study by the Centre for Economic and Social Studies noted that graduates from IITs, IIMs, BITS, and ISB are overrepresented in India’s corporate sector, particularly in tech, finance, and consulting — sectors that dominate LinkedIn’s Indian user base. These institutions, despite reservation policies, remain heavily skewed toward upper-caste representation. For instance, a 2023 Nature article revealed that 98% of faculty at the top five IITs belong to upper castes, with minimal representation from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), or Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Students and alumni from these institutions often come from economically privileged backgrounds, with access to coaching institutes and private schooling that prepare them for competitive entrance exams like JEE (for IITs) or BITSAT (for BITS). A 2018 report by the National Sample Survey Office showed that upper-caste households are three times more likely to afford private coaching than SC/ST households. This socioeconomic advantage translates into a LinkedIn user base that is predominantly upper-caste, urban, and affluent, shaping the platform’s discourse on issues like reservations.
Casteism on Indian LinkedIn: Subtle and Overt
While LinkedIn’s professional veneer discourages explicit casteist rhetoric, casteism manifests in subtler ways through coded language, stereotypes, and anti-reservation sentiments. Posts and comments criticizing reservation policies often frame them as “anti-meritocratic” or “unfair,” ignoring the systemic inequalities that necessitate affirmative action. For example, a 2022 LinkedIn post by an IIT alumnus decrying reservations as “diluting talent” garnered thousands of likes and comments, many from IITians, BITSians, and ISB graduates, echoing similar sentiments. Such posts frequently use terms like “merit” or “competence” to imply that reserved-category candidates are inherently less qualified, perpetuating the toxic belief that “quota students” are inferior.
Comments under these posts reveal a pattern. IITians and BITSians, in particular, often share anecdotes about “underperforming” reserved-category peers, reinforcing stereotypes without acknowledging the structural barriers these students face, such as inadequate pre-college education or hostile campus environments. A 2018 survey at an IIT campus found that 65% of upper-caste students believed reserved-category students were “less capable,” despite evidence that SC/ST students face higher dropout rates due to social exclusion and discrimination rather than academic inadequacy.
LinkedIn’s algorithm amplifies this bias by promoting content that generates engagement, often prioritizing controversial posts on reservations that elicit strong reactions. A 2023 analysis of LinkedIn engagement data by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication found that posts criticizing reservations received 40% higher engagement than those advocating for social justice, reflecting the platform’s upper-caste user bias.
Anti-Reservation Sentiments: A Reflection of Privilege
Opposition to reservations on Indian LinkedIn is rooted in a narrative of “meritocracy” that ignores historical and systemic inequities. Many users, particularly from elite institutions, argue that reservations compromise quality and fairness, citing their own struggles to secure seats at IITs or jobs at top firms. However, this perspective overlooks the data: a 2021 study by the University Grants Commission found that upper-caste students are 2.5 times more likely to access quality secondary education, giving them a head start in competitive exams.
Comments from IITians and ISB graduates often frame reservations as a personal injustice, with phrases like “I missed out because of quotas” or “less deserving candidates got ahead.” These sentiments echo findings from a 2023 Reddit thread on caste in IITs, where users described reservations as a “compromise on merit” and blamed them for “brain drain” among upper-caste professionals. Such arguments conveniently ignore that reserved-category students often face harsher scrutiny and exclusion in academic and professional settings. For instance, a 2023 Indian Express article highlighted how SC/ST students at IITs are routinely ostracized, with upper-caste peers forming exclusive cliques and questioning their qualifications.
The anti-reservation rhetoric also extends to corporate hiring. LinkedIn posts by recruiters from top firms often emphasize “cultural fit” or “pedigree,” subtly favoring candidates from elite institutions with upper-caste-dominated networks. A 2020 LinkedIn post by a BITS alumnus argued that companies prefer IIT/IIM graduates for their “discipline” and “network,” implicitly sidelining reserved-category candidates who may lack access to such networks. This bias is compounded by the fact that only 15% of corporate leadership roles in India are held by SC/ST/OBC individuals, despite these groups comprising over 70% of the population, according to a 2022 Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry report.
Elite Institutions and Casteist Echo Chambers
The overrepresentation of IITians, BITSians, and ISB graduates on LinkedIn creates an echo chamber where casteist attitudes are normalized. These institutions, despite reservation policies, remain bastions of upper-caste privilege. A 2021 Feminism in India article noted that IITs have a “thriving culture of subordination and hegemony,” with reserved-category students facing microaggressions like being asked their “category rank” or excluded from study groups. Similarly, a 2024 Reddit post on IIMs described how upper-caste students dominate campus culture, with reserved-category students labeled as “quota beneficiaries” in casual conversations.
LinkedIn posts by alumni of these institutions often reflect this campus culture. For instance, a 2022 post by an ISB graduate lamenting “reverse discrimination” due to diversity hiring initiatives received comments from IITians and BITSians claiming that “merit is being sacrificed for quotas.” Such narratives ignore data showing that reserved-category graduates often outperform their peers in resilience and adaptability, as noted in a 2019 Economic and Political Weekly study
Countering the Narrative: Voices of Resistance
Despite the dominance of upper-caste voices, LinkedIn also hosts counter-narratives from reserved-category professionals and allies. Posts by Dalit and OBC activists, though less engaged, challenge casteist tropes and highlight the need for reservations to address historical inequities. For example, a 2023 post by an SC professional detailing their journey from a rural background to a corporate role garnered support from a small but vocal community, though it faced backlash from upper-caste users dismissing it as “victim-playing.”
However, these voices remain marginalized due to LinkedIn’s algorithmic bias and the platform’s upper-caste user base. A 2024 study by the Ambedkarite Collective found that posts advocating for reservation policies were 30% less likely to appear in users’ feeds compared to anti-reservation posts, reflecting the platform’s structural bias.
Conclusion: A Call for Accountability
Indian LinkedIn, far from being a neutral professional space, is a microcosm of India’s caste dynamics. Its user base, dominated by upper-caste graduates from elite institutions like IITs, BITS, and ISB, perpetuates casteist attitudes through anti-reservation rhetoric and coded language around “merit.” Data from academic studies, campus surveys, and social media analyses confirm that these sentiments are rooted in privilege and ignorance of systemic inequities. To make LinkedIn truly inclusive, users and the platform itself must confront these biases head-on — by amplifying marginalized voices, challenging stereotypes, and fostering honest conversations about caste and reservations. Until then, Indian LinkedIn will remain a digital echo chamber for the privileged few, reflecting the casteist underbelly of corporate India.
