A Separate Classification for Denotified Tribes: Reclaiming Identity and Justice

Source: The Hindu

Introduction 

Recently, the Union Government assured community leaders from Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) that the Census Commissioner had agreed to enumerate these communities in the upcoming Census due in 2027. However, with no clarity on how enumeration would be conducted, community leaders are now organising to push for a separate column for DNTs in the Census form — a demand backed by academics, successive Commissions, and decades of grassroots mobilisation.

Who Are the DNTs and What Is Their History?

• DNT communities were classified as "criminal" under the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA), 1871, which described them as a "tribe, gang, or class of persons" addicted to committing non-bailable offences.  
• Though the CTA was repealed in 1952 — officially "denotifying" these communities — the stigma endured. States simultaneously introduced Habitual Offender laws, which continued targeting the same communities under a different legal label. 
• Post-independence, most DNT communities were absorbed into SC, ST, or OBC lists, with the Ayangar Commission (1949) coining the term Vimukta Jatis (liberated castes) for them.  
• However, community leaders argue these classifications are insufficient, as the specific stigma of criminality and its socio-economic consequences are not addressed by policies designed for broader backward class categories.

What Have the Commissions Recommended? 

• In 1998, author Mahasweta Devi and scholar G.N. Devy constituted the DNT-Rights Action Group (DNT-RAG), which eventually led to the first National Commission for DNTs headed by B.S. Renke, whose 2008 report recommended uplift measures that were largely not implemented. 
• The Bhiku Ramji Idate Commission (report: 2017) identified nearly 1,200 DNT communities, all absorbed into SC/ST/OBC lists, and approximately 268 additional communities not classified under any category.  
• A NITI Aayog-commissioned Anthropological Survey study on these 268 communities recommended their classification — but that report was shelved.

What Is the SEED Scheme and Why Has It Failed? 

• The Social Justice Ministry rolled out the SEED scheme for livelihoods, education, housing, and health interventions for DNTs.  
• But the government has managed to spend only a fraction of its intended ₹200 crore over five years.  
• The core problem: the scheme required beneficiaries to possess a DNT certificate, yet government data shows only select districts in about half a dozen States actually issue these certificates — making the scheme inaccessible to most of its intended beneficiaries.

What Do Communities Demand Now? 

• Community leaders and bodies like the All India Denotified Nomadic Tribes Development Council are demanding a separate Constitutional classification for DNTs on par with SC, ST, and OBC categories, along with sub-classification within the DNT list to address uneven backwardness.  
• Above all, they want a specific column in the Census as the foundational step toward any meaningful policy. 
• They argue the colonial "criminal" label was imposed precisely because these communities resisted foreign rule — and that this history justifies distinct recognition by the State. However, as of February 2026, the Union Government has not indicated it will consider a separate classification for DNTs. 

What is the Status of Tribes in India? 

• In India, most of the tribes are collectively identified under Article 342 as “Scheduled Tribes”. 
• Since independence, the share of tribal population in the country has continuously been increasing census by census. 
• In the current time, the tribal population of India is approaching around 9% of the total population of the country. 

What are the Basic Safeguards Provided by Indian Constitution for Scheduled Tribes? 

• The Constitution of India does not endeavour to define the term 'tribe', however, the term Scheduled Tribe' was inserted in the Constitution through Article 342 (i). 
• It lays down that 'the President may, by public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within the tribes or tribal communities or parts which shall, for the purposes of this Constitution, be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes. 
• The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution provides for the setting up a Tribes’ Advisory Council in each of the States having Scheduled Areas.

Educational & Cultural Safeguards: 

• Article 15(4): Special provisions for advancement of other backward classes (it includes STs) 
• Article 29: Protection of Interests of Minorities (it includes STs) 
• Article 46: The State shall promote, with special care, the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and in particular, of the Scheduled Castes, and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation. 
• Article 350: Right to conserve distinct Language, Script or Culture. 

Political Safeguards: 

• Article 330: Reservation of seats for STs in Lok Sabha.  
• Article 332: Reservation of seats for STs in State Legislatures.  
• Article 243: Reservation of seats in Panchayats.

Administrative Safeguard: 

• Article 275: It provides for the grant of special funds by the Union Government to the State Government for promoting the welfare of Scheduled Tribes and providing them with a better administration. 

Conclusion 

The DNT question exposes a fundamental gap in India's framework of protective discrimination: communities can be formally included in existing categories while remaining practically excluded from the benefits those categories provide. A dedicated Census column is not merely symbolic — it is the prerequisite for accurate data, targeted policy, and substantive justice. The challenge lies in converting political assurances into institutional action before another Census cycle passes these communities by.