Before gaining Royal Assent, the Government amended the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill (now Act) to add “caste” to the definition of the protected characteristic of “race” in the Equality Act 2010, thereby making caste discrimination unlawful. This comes after the House of Lords voted on 22 April 2013 in favour of the amendment for a second time. The existing definition of race in the EA 2010 includes race itself, as well as colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origins, but the Government retains the power under S.9(5) of the EA 2010 to add caste to the definition of race. This move was a reversal of the Government’s previous announcement 1 March 2013 that it would deal with the issue informally through an educational programme, and not via legislation.
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