About Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs):
- Denotified Tribes (DNTs) are those communities which were once notified under the Criminal Tribes Acts, enforced by the British Raj between l871 and I947.
- Once a tribe becomes “Notified” as criminal, all its members were required to register with the local magistrates, failing which they would be charged with a ‘crime’ under the Indian Penal Code.
- After Independence, this Act was repealed in 1952, and the communities were “denotified”, hence the name.
- The DNTs are among the most neglected, marginalised, and economically deprived communities, with most living a life of destitution.
- Historically, these communities never had access to private land or home ownership and used forests and grazing lands for their livelihood and residential use.
Status of DNTs in India:
- In India, roughly 10 percent of the population are DNTs.
- In 2014, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment constituted a National Commission for De-notified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (NCDNT) for a period of three years-
- to prepare a state-wise list of castes belonging to DNTs
- to suggest appropriate measures in respect of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes that may be undertaken by the Central Government or the State Government.
- The Ministry 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 for these communities.
- The Renke Commission (2008) was earlier commissioned to identify and list the DNT communities.
Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED):
- It was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the welfare of DNT communities.
- It is being implemented by DWBDNCs.
- Aim: To provide free competitive exam coaching, health insurance, housing assistance, and livelihood initiatives at the community level, and financial assistance for construction of houses will be provided to the members of DNTs Communities.
