A Separate Classification for Denotified Tribes

Syllabus: GS2/Governance/Social Justice 

In News

• The Union government assured leaders of Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) that they will be enumerated in the second phase of the 2027 Census, but details of the process remain unclear. 

Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs)

• Denotified, nomadic, and semi-nomadic tribes were once labeled “criminal” by colonial authorities under the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) of 1871, which described certain communities as inherently predisposed to crime due to caste-based heredity.
  • This act allowed for registration, surveillance, and control of these so-called criminal tribes.
• The CTA was repealed in 1952, officially denotifying these communities and creating the category of denotified, nomadic, and semi-nomadic tribes (DNTs).
• However, the same year, states enacted habitual offender laws, which, while removing hereditary criminality, continued to target these communities as “habitual offenders,” perpetuating discrimination in a new form.

Enumeration 

• These tribes were enumerated in 1911–1931 Censuses. After the CTA repeal, denotified communities were largely included in SC, ST, or OBC lists. National Commissions later emphasized the need for a dedicated Census to properly classify DNTs.
• The Renke Commission (2008) was the first national body to list DNT communities, followed by the Idate Commission (2014-2017), which identified about 1,200 communities absorbed into SC/ST/OBC categories and 268 unclassified ones. 
• The Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) studied these 268 groups, recommending their inclusion in existing scheduled lists, but implementation lags.

Issues and Concerns 

• Social stigma: Denotified Tribes (DNTs) in India, though included in SC, ST, and OBC lists in many states, continue to face social, economic, and political marginalization, partly due to lingering stigma and laws like the Habitual Offenders Act. 
• Lack of documentation: Many remain outside caste-based reservations due to unclear classification.
• Economic vulnerability: Traditional livelihoods (performing arts, pastoralism, itinerant trades) have declined, leaving them impoverished.
• Education gap: High illiteracy and low access to formal schooling.
• Political invisibility: Absence of reliable census data and weak representation in policymaking.

Government Steps

• National Commission for DNTs (2014) Identified communities and recommended welfare measures.
• Development and Welfare Board for DNTs (2019) was established to oversee schemes and welfare programs. 
• The Department of Social Justice has formulated a Scheme namely, Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) for the Development and Welfare of DNT/NT/SNT.
  • It supports DNT communities through education (coaching), health (Ayushman Cards), livelihoods (SHGs), and housing (PMAY and other schemes).
• Other programs are Dr. Ambedkar Pre/Post-Matric Scholarships for DNTs (since 2014-15) and the Nanaji Deshmukh Hostel Scheme for DNT students.

Source :TH