Members of the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNC) have written to Prime Minister seeking statutory backing, financial powers, permanent Commission status, and recognition of all identified communities.
Demands by Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNC) Members
- Statutory Recognition: Urged legal recognition of the full list through Gazette notifications as SC/DNT, ST/DNT, OBC/DNT, or General/DNT.
- Permanent Commission: Called for upgrading the Board into a permanent Commission with statutory powers, as originally recommended by the Idate Commission.
- Financial Support: Sought dedicated Budget allocations at Central and State levels and greater financial authority for the Board.
- Administrative Strengthening: Requested appointment of Deputy Secretaries, Undersecretaries, a financial adviser, and parity of pay scales with Joint Secretary rank.
- Scheme Reforms: Proposed modifications to the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) to include:
- Assistance for housing and land purchase.
- NOCs for families residing in kutcha homes for over 20 years.
- Educational benefits at par with SC/ST students.
- Standardised Certificates: Nationwide directive to standardise community certificates, currently issued in only seven States.
- Research Centres: Called for research and capacity-building centres in every State and UT due to lack of region-specific data.
About Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities
- Legal Status: A society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- Constitution: Established in 2019.
- Headquarters: Located in New Delhi.
- Composition:
- Chairperson – Appointed by the Government of India.
- Member Secretary / Chief Executive Officer – In the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India.
- Ex-Officio Members:
- Joint Secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment.
- One representative from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
- One representative from the Department of School Education.
- Nominated Members – Five eminent persons working for these communities, nominated by the Government of India.
- Terms of Reference:
- Formulate and implement welfare and development programmes for these communities.
- Identify locations where these communities are concentrated and assess gaps in access to existing schemes.
- Collaborate with ministries and implementing agencies to adapt programmes to community needs.
- Monitor and evaluate the progress of central and state/UT schemes concerning these groups.
- Perform any other tasks assigned by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
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Background of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (NTDNTs)
Historical Background
- Criminal Tribes Act, 1871: During British rule, around 200 communities were notified as “criminal tribes” and subjected to surveillance, restrictions, and stigma.
- Denotification (1952): After Independence, the Act was repealed and these groups were officially “denotified,” but the social stigma persisted.
- Post-Denotification: Many denotified groups remained outside mainstream caste categories (SC, ST, OBC), leading to exclusion from welfare benefits.
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- Idate Commission Report (2017): Identified about 1,200 Denotified (DNT), Nomadic (NT), and Semi-Nomadic (SNT) communities already included in SC, ST, or OBC lists, and 269 communities yet to be classified.
- Anthropological Survey of India: Studied and recommended categorisation of these communities; the Social Justice Ministry has not acted on these recommendations.
- Vulnerability: These groups remain among the most deprived, lacking recognition, social security, and access to welfare schemes.
Current Status
- Population: Estimated at around 10 crore people (Acc to Renke Commission 2008) across 1,200 communities in India.
- Categorisation: Many NTDNTs are spread across SC, ST, and OBC categories; about 269 communities remain unclassified.
- Vulnerability: They face poverty, landlessness, lack of political representation, and difficulties in accessing government schemes due to absence of reliable identity documents.
Major Challenges
- Stigma: Continued perception of being “criminal tribes” leads to discrimination in jobs, housing, and education.
- Identity Documentation: Only a few States issue community certificates, limiting access to reservations and welfare.
- Policy Neglect: Despite commissions (Idate Commission, Renke Commission), there is no comprehensive national policy for NTDNTs.
- Lack of Data: Scarcity of region-specific and community-level data hampers evidence-based policymaking.
- Socio-economic Deprivation: Low literacy, high child labour, lack of settled livelihood, and frequent displacement due to nomadic lifestyle.
Welfare Measures and Initiatives
- Renke Commission (2008): Highlighted extreme marginalisation and recommended targeted welfare measures.
- Idate Commission (2017): Identified 1,200 communities and called for a Permanent Commission for DNTs.
- DWBDNC (2019): Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Communities was set up under the Ministry of Social Justice, but lacks statutory backing.
- SEED Scheme (2022): Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs aims at housing, livelihood, education, and health interventions.
18 Sep 2025
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