DENOTIFIED TRIBES SEEK CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION

NEWS: Denotified Tribes (DNTs), Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes are demanding formal constitutional recognition and a separate column in Census 2027

Historical background

• In 1871, the British enacted the Criminal Tribes Act, branding several communities as “criminal by birth”.
• The law enabled registration, surveillance, restrictions on movement, and stigma.
• The Act was repealed in 1952; these communities were then “denotified” → hence the term Denotified Tribes (DNTs).

Misclassification & invisibility

• Most DNTs are clubbed under SC, ST, or OBC lists.
• Many remain outside all three lists.
• They cannot compete within larger SC/ST/OBC groups due to: Extreme marginalisation, nomadic lifestyles, lack of documents & caste certificates
• Their actual numbers are unknown → policy blind spot

Key data

• Previous National Commission identified ~1,200 DNT communities
• 267 communities still outside SC/ST/OBC lists
• Estimates suggest up to 7 crore DNTs in Uttar Pradesh alone

Why a separate Census column in 2027?

• Census 2027 will be India’s first caste census since 1931.
• DNT leaders demand a separate column/code for: Denotified, nomadic, semi-nomadic tribes

Demand for Constitutional recognition

• A separate Constitutional Schedule (like SC/ST)
• Formal identity independent of SC/ST/OBC
• Sub-classification to reflect graded backwardness

Need for sub-classification

• DNTs are not a homogenous group
• Some are far more deprived than others
• Without internal differentiation, the most marginalised remain excluded

Supreme Court judgment (Aug 2024)

• Leaders cite an August 2024 judgment of the Supreme Court of India
• The Court opened the door for sub-classification within SCs and STs
• This strengthens the argument that:
  • Graded backwardness is constitutionally valid
  • Similar logic should apply to DNTs

National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes

• Headed by Bhiku Ramji Idate
• Identified 1,200 communities
• Found that most were wrongly assimilated into SC/ST/OBC lists over decades

Documentation gap

SEED Scheme (for DNTs)

• Implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
• Expenditure (last 5 years): ₹69.3 crore
• Planned outlay: ₹200 crore

Poor outcomes: Reasons

• No caste certificates issued to DNTs by States
• Without certificates: No access to schemes, No scholarships, housing, or livelihoods