Denotified Tribe and demand for Separate Column in 2027 Census
Content
- Why in News?
- Who are Denotified Tribes
- Socio-Economic Conditions of DNTs
- Status of DNTs in India
- Scheme for Economic Empowerment
- Why this Demand
- Conclusion
Why in News?
Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) from across India have come together to demand a separate column for their communities in the 2027 Census. The demand stems from long-standing issues of invisibility in official data, lack of targeted welfare delivery, and historical discrimination that continues to affect these communities even decades after Independence.
Who are Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs)?
Denotified Tribes (DNTs) are communities that were once officially labelled as “criminal tribes” under the Criminal Tribes Acts, enforced by the British colonial government between 1871 and 1947.
- Once a community was “notified” as criminal, every individual born into it was presumed to be a criminal by birth.
- Members were required to register with local magistrates, and failure to do so was treated as a criminal offence under the Indian Penal Code.
- This system institutionalised collective punishment, surveillance, and social stigma, leaving a deep psychological and socio-economic impact.
After Independence, the Criminal Tribes Act was repealed in 1952, and these communities were officially “denotified”, giving rise to the term Denotified Tribes.
Many of these denotified communities were also nomadic or semi-nomadic, meaning:
- They traditionally did not own land
- They moved from one place to another in search of livelihood
- Their occupations included pastoralism, artisan work, performing arts, and forest-based livelihoods
Socio-Economic Conditions of DNTs
DNTs are among the most marginalised and economically deprived communities in India.
Key features of their deprivation include:
- Lack of land ownership and housing security, forcing many to live in temporary settlements
- Dependence on forests, grazing lands, and common property resources, which have steadily declined due to development projects and environmental regulations
- Persistent social stigma, as the colonial tag of “criminality” continues informally through police practices and social exclusion
- Low access to education, healthcare, and formal employment, pushing many into informal and insecure livelihoods
As a result, a large section of DNTs continues to live in destitution and extreme vulnerability, often excluded from mainstream welfare schemes due to documentation gaps.
Status of DNTs in India
- Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes constitute around 10% of India’s population, yet they continue to remain among the most socially and economically marginalised communities in the country.
- To address long-standing issues related to identification and welfare, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment constituted the National Commission for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (NCDNT) in 2014, under the chairmanship of Bhiku Ramji Idate, for a period of three years.
- The Commission was mandated to prepare a state-wise list of castes and communities belonging to DNTs, and to suggest suitable policy and welfare measures that could be undertaken by the Central and State Governments.
- The NCDNT submitted its report on 8 January 2018, providing a comprehensive assessment of the status and distribution of DNT communities across India.
- As per the Commission’s report, a total of 1,235 communities were identified as Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes across the country.
- Based on the recommendations of the NCDNT, the government constituted the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNCs) in 2019.
- The Board has been mandated to formulate and implement welfare and development programmes specifically targeted at addressing the socio-economic challenges faced by DNT communities.
- Earlier, the Renke Commission (2008) was constituted to identify and list DNT communities, marking an initial institutional effort to recognise their historical marginalisation.
Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)
To address the multidimensional deprivation faced by DNTs, the government launched the SEED scheme.
- The Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment with the objective of addressing the long-standing socio-economic deprivation of Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes.
- The scheme is being implemented through the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNCs) to ensure targeted outreach and focused implementation.
- SEED has been formulated for DNT families with an annual income of ₹2.50 lakh or less from all sources, provided they are not availing benefits from similar Central or State government schemes.
- The primary aim of the scheme is to provide holistic economic and social support to DNT communities through multiple interventions.
- Key components of the scheme include free coaching for competitive examinations, health insurance coverage, housing assistance, and livelihood initiatives at the community level to promote sustainable income generation.
- The scheme also provides financial assistance for the construction of houses for members of DNT communities, addressing the historical issue of housing insecurity and lack of land ownership.
- A total allocation of ₹200 crore has been made for the scheme, to be spent over a five-year period from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26
Why the Demand for a Separate Census Column?
The demand for a separate column for DNTs in the 2027 Census reflects deeper structural concerns:
- Data invisibility: Many DNTs are currently subsumed under generic categories or left out entirely
- Policy exclusion: Absence of reliable data weakens targeted policy formulation
- Welfare leakages: Without clear identification, benefits under schemes like SEED may not reach intended beneficiaries
- Recognition and dignity: Census recognition is seen as a step towards correcting historical injustice and ensuring social inclusion.
Conclusion
Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes represent a historically wronged yet numerically significant segment of Indian society. While colonial-era laws branded them as criminals, post-Independence India has struggled to fully integrate them into the social justice framework. Institutional mechanisms like the NCDNT, DWBDNCs, and schemes such as SEED mark important progress, but challenges of recognition, enumeration, and delivery remain.
The demand for a separate Census column is not merely administrative, it is a call for visibility, dignity, and justice, essential for transforming policy intent into real social empowerment.
