Rising Anger Among Denotified Tribes: Stagnating Schemes and Classification Hurdles

  • January 12, 2025
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Rising Anger Among Denotified Tribes: Stagnating Schemes and Classification Hurdles

Sub: Schemes

Sec: Tribes

Context: –

  • Denotified, Semi-Nomadic, and Nomadic Tribes face growing frustration as the SEED scheme struggles to take off, caste certificates are denied in 29 states, and the 2017 Idate Commission’s recommendations remain unimplemented.

About DNTs/NTs/SNTs

  • During British colonial rule in India, around 200 tribal communities across India were notified as “criminal tribes” under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. Members of these “notified tribes” were said to be “addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offences”. The men were required to report regularly to police stations, and police restricted the movement of the communities. “Criminal Tribes” were held responsible for any crime in the vicinity where they were. This stigma and the attendant discrimination and oppression they faced exacerbated the social and economic marginalisation that they experienced. Independent India repealed the law in 1949. But it was only on 31st August 1952 that the “criminal tribes” were “de-notified”.
  • In recent years this day has been celebrated as “Vimukti Diwas” or Liberation Day. This year it will be 71 years from liberation, but nomadic tribes and de-notified tribes (NTDNT) continue to face marginalisation and stigma.
  • Denotified Tribes (DNTs): Communities that were labeled as ‘criminal tribes’ under the British colonial rule through the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. This act was repealed in 1952, ‘de-notifying’ these tribes. Eg. Bijoria, and Nayak of Rajasthan.
  • Nomadic Tribes (NTs): Groups that traditionally move from place to place in search of livelihood, without a fixed habitation. Eg. Van Gujjars, Lambadis, and Gujjar-Bakarwals
  • Semi-Nomadic Tribes (SNTs): Communities that are partially settled but still engage in periodic migration. Eg. Raikas and Banjaras

Collectively, these groups comprise over 10 crore (100 million) individuals across more than 1,400 communities in India. Many remain unclassified under the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), or Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories, limiting their access to affirmative action and welfare schemes.

Summary: Committees for Empowerment of DNTs

  1. Ayyangar Committee (1949-1950)
    • Objective: Address the Criminal Tribes Act and recommend its repeal.
    • Key Recommendations:
      • Repeal the Criminal Tribes Act as it was inconsistent with the dignity of free India.
      • Allocate adequate funds for the welfare and rehabilitation of affected communities.
    • Outcome:
      • Recommendations partially accepted; the Act was repealed on 31st August 1952 by the Criminal Tribes (Repeal) Act, 1952 (Act No. XXIV of 1952).
  1. Kalelkar Committee (1953)
    • Objective: Part of the First Backward Class Commission, focusing on social inclusion of marginalized groups.
    • Key Recommendations:
      • Discontinue terms like “Tribes,” “Criminal,” or “Ex-Criminal” for these groups; rename them “Denotified Communities”.
      • Encourage assimilation by redistributing these communities in smaller groups within towns and villages to foster interaction and integration into society.
    • Outcome:
      • Provided a framework for renaming and societal inclusion but did not directly lead to widespread policy action.
  1. Idate Commission (2014)
    • Objective: Address the socio-economic challenges of Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNT/NT/SNT).
    • Key Actions and Recommendations:
      • Identified and prepared draft lists of DNT/NT/SNT communities across states.
      • Evaluated their development progress and suggested systematic approaches for their upliftment.
    • Outcome:
      • Report submitted in December 2017, providing a detailed blueprint for policy action and community development.

Idate Commission Report

  • The National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, chaired by Shri Bhiku Ramji Idate, submitted its report in December 2017.
  • The commission identified 1,526 DNT,SNT and NT communities across the country,of which 269 were not yet categorized as either SC,ST or OBC.
  •  It recommended to include a caste-census column in the 2021 census to expedite the final classification of these communities.
  • It also highlighted inconsistencies, such as the same community being listed under different categories in various states or districts.
  • The commission recommended the establishment of a permanent commission for Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes and the repeal of the Habitual Offenders Act, 1952, which continues to stigmatize them.

SEED Scheme

The Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) was launched by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in February 2022, with a budget allocation of ₹200 crore over five years (FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26). The scheme comprises four components:

  • Free Coaching: Providing quality coaching to enable candidates to appear in competitive examinations.
  • Health Insurance: Offering a health insurance cover of ₹5 lakhs per family per year under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
  • Livelihood Initiatives: Supporting community-level livelihood initiatives through the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
  • Housing Assistance: Providing financial assistance for the construction of houses for eligible families.

Various Schemes for the benefit of DNTs, SNTs and NTs:

  1. Nanaji Deshmukh scheme of Construction of Hostels for DNT Boys and Girls

 This is a centrally sponsored scheme launched w.e.f 2014-15 being implemented through State Governments/UT Administrations/ Central Universities. The Scheme aims at providing hostel facilities to students belonging to those DNT students who are not covered under SC, ST or OBC, to enable them to pursue secondary and higher education. The income ceiling for eligibility is Rs. 2.00 lakh per annum. The Central Government will provide a maximum of 500 seats per annum throughout the country. The cost norm under the scheme is Rs.3.00 lakh per seat for the hostel (which is said between Centre and State in 75:25 ratio) and Rs. 5,000/- per seat for furniture.

  1. Ambedkar Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship for DNTs

A scheme of Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships for the benefit of children belonging to DNTs is being implemented. While benefits of reservations, scholarships etc. were available to SCs/STs/OBCs, no such welfare schemes are available for the welfare of these DNTs i.e. those who are not covered under SC, ST or OBC. The Scheme is for bringing about a focused intervention on these classes so that they are empowered socially and economically and their lives are also improved. This scheme is continuous and permanent in nature. The scholarship schemes are for individual beneficiaries not covered under any scheme. The financial assistance would be released to the State Governments/UT Administrations/ Universities/Colleges which would cater to the requirements of the students belonging to DNT communities.

Rising Anger Among Denotified Tribes: Stagnating Schemes and Classification Hurdles Schemes