California Assembly passes anti-caste discrimination bill

The California state senate had earlier given its nod to this legislation, making California poised to become the first US state to incorporate caste as a safeguarded category in its anti-discrimination laws.

The bill's sponsor, California State Senator Aisha Wahab, emphasized the importance of preventing discrimination linked to caste within organizations and companies. She stated earlier this year, "We want to ensure organisations and companies do not entrench caste discrimination in their practices or policies, and in order to do that we need to make it plainly clear that discrimination based on caste is against the law."

If passed, California will set a precedent by becoming the first state in the US to address caste discrimination through such legislation. The bill has gained traction with support from groups advocating for equality and fairness.