Which of the following are features of capitalism as a social system?

The correct options/answers are:
Commodification of labour power, Surplus Value, and Rising inequalities.

Let us break down the features of capitalism as a social and economic system to understand why these three options are correct while "Caste based networks of trading" is not:

1. Commodification of labour power:
In a capitalist system, individuals do not own the means of production (like factories, tools, or land). To survive, they must sell their capacity to work (labour power) to capitalists in exchange for wages. This turns human labor into a commodity that can be bought and sold on the market, which is a foundational characteristic of capitalism.

2. Surplus Value:
Surplus value is a central concept in the analysis of capitalism (most famously detailed by Karl Marx). It refers to the value generated by workers in excess of their own labor-cost (wages), which is then appropriated by the capitalist class as profit. The drive to generate and accumulate surplus value is the primary engine of capitalist production.

3. Rising inequalities:
Because capitalism is driven by private ownership and the pursuit of profit/surplus value, wealth tends to accumulate in the hands of the owners of capital. This structure inherently produces and reinforces socioeconomic disparities, leading to rising inequalities between the capitalist class (bourgeoisie) and the working class (proletariat).

Why "Caste based networks of trading" is incorrect:
Caste-based networks of trading are pre-capitalist, traditional, or localized social structures. While they may coexist with modern capitalism in certain regions, they are not a defining, universal, or structural feature of capitalism as a global social system. Capitalism operates on market principles and wage labor rather than hereditary caste hierarchies.