Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes are demanding a separate column in the 2027 Census and constitutional recognition in a dedicated Schedule to ensure proper identification, policy support and targeted welfare measures.
About Denotified Tribes (DNT), Nomadic tribes (NT) and Semi-nomadic tribes (SNT)
- Denotified Tribes: Several communities were labelled as hereditary criminals under the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, by the British administration.
- The Act was repealed in 1952, and these communities were denotified, though many later came under the Habitual Offenders Act, which critics say continued their social stigma.
- Nomadic Tribes: Communities without permanent settlement patterns who migrate for traditional occupations such as pastoralism, craft work, or trade.
- Semi-nomadic Tribes: Groups that are partially settled but migrate periodically during the year for livelihood activities.
- Examples: Banjara, Behrupia, Birhor, Fakir, Kalbelia, Sapera, Van Gujjar, Gadiya Lohar, Nat.
- Unscheduled Languages: Many DNT, NT and SNT communities speak languages not included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, leading to limited cultural and policy recognition.
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Current Context- Data and Legal Challenges
- Renke Commission (2008): The Renke Commission was the first official effort to document the conditions of Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes.
- It estimated their population at about 10.74 crore, nearly 8 to 10 per cent of India’s population.
- The commission highlighted their severe socio-economic exclusion and marginalisation.
- Idate Commission (2017): The Idate Commission identified around 1200 DNT, NT and SNT communities across India.
- It noted that 269 communities remain unclassified, meaning they are not included in SC, ST or OBC categories.
- The commission recommended their enumeration in the Census for better policy formulation.
- Anthropological Survey of India Study (2023): The Anthropological Survey of India filled the remaining data gaps regarding DNT and NT communities.
- Recent Legal Setback: A federation representing DNT and NT communities approached the Supreme Court of India seeking recognition and rights for these groups.
- The Court dismissed the petition, reportedly describing it as not serious, which has reignited concerns regarding the institutionalised invisibility of these communities.
Societal Marginalisation, Invisibility of DNT Communities and Victims of Modernity
- Institutionalised Invisibility: Unlike Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the social struggles of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes remain largely invisible in mainstream discourse, with many community identities and surnames absent from administrative and social systems.
- Colonial Modernity: The persistence of colonial administrative attitudes that view mobile populations with suspicion, reflecting the legacy of policies such as the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871.
- Benign Hostility: A state approach that appears supportive through welfare measures but remains structurally hostile to the traditional lifestyles and mobility of nomadic communities.
- Intersectional Marginalisation: Their condition reflects multiple forms of exclusion similar to the social discrimination faced by Dalits, the isolation experienced by Adivasis, and the social stigma seen in other marginalised communities, resulting in compounded vulnerability.
- Epistemicide: The destruction or devaluation of the traditional knowledge systems, skills, and cultural practices of communities, often due to social marginalisation and the dominance of modern institutions.
- Categorisation Inconsistency: The same community may be classified as Scheduled Caste in one state, Scheduled Tribe in another, and Other Backward Class elsewhere, while about 269 communities remain completely unclassified, leaving them outside the scope of welfare benefits.
The “Three Cs” Framework for DNT and NT Communities
- Cognisance: The State should formally acknowledge the existence of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes and recognise them as a distinct and vulnerable social group requiring targeted policy attention.
- Counting: A separate column for DNT and NT communities in the 2027 Census is necessary, as accurate enumeration forms the basis for evidence based policy making and welfare delivery.
- Categorisation: Creation of a separate Constitutional Schedule similar to the provisions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to ensure clear classification and direct access to welfare schemes.
Conclusion
Ensuring recognition, proper enumeration and constitutional categorisation of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes is essential to end their historical invisibility and enable effective social justice policies.
1 Apr 2026
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