Denotified Tribes (DNTs) & Constitutional Recognition
Context:
Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) are demanding a "separate column" in the upcoming Census 2027 and a dedicated schedule in the Constitution, similar to SCs and STs.
Who are DNTs?
These communities were originally labelled as "criminal tribes" under the colonial Criminal Tribes Act, 1871.
This was often a punishment for their role in confronting British rule.
The Act was repealed in 1952, and these communities were "denotified" (removed from the criminal list), but social stigma and marginalization persist.
Commissions & Reports:
Renke Commission, 2008 is an earlier commission set up to study the condition of these tribes.
Idate Commission (2017):
Identified over 1,200 DNT communities in India.
Noted that while many were assimilated into SC, ST, or OBC lists, 267 communities remain unclassified and outside any reservation category.
Even those classified as SC/ST/OBC struggle to avail benefits because they cannot compete with more settled groups within those categories.
Government Schemes & Issues:
The Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) aims to provide welfare support.
Utilization is low (only ₹69.3 crore spent out of ₹200 crore planned) because State governments are not issuing valid "DNT certificates" to applicants.
Legal Provisions & Demands:
The Problem:
Currently, there is no specific "list" or "schedule" in the Constitution for DNTs.
They are scattered across SC, ST, and OBC lists.
The Demand:
Constitutional Schedule:
They want a dedicated list (like the Schedule for Tribes) so they are recognized as a distinct group with specific rights.
Census Column:
A specific box in the census form to count their actual population, which is estimated to be significant (e.g., up to 7 crore in UP alone).
Sub-classification:
Creating sub-groups to ensure the most backward among them get priority.