Denotified, Semi-Nomadic, and Nomadic Tribes in India

The Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI), in collaboration with Tribal Research Institutes (TRI), completed a three-year study and for the first time comprehensively categorized 268 denotified, semi-nomadic, and nomadic tribes that were not classified previously.

Brief Background

• After the Criminal Tribes Act of 1924 was repealed in August 1949, certain communities that were labeled as “criminal” were denotified.
• However, successive government commissions (including the Kalelkar Commission, Mandal Commission, Renke Commission, and Idate Commission) struggled to properly classify these tribes.
• The Idate Commission (2017) had already identified 267 unclassified communities but was unable to finalize their categorization.
• The Prime Minister’s Office set up a Special Committee in 2019 to push forward this classification process, which tasked AnSI and TRI with the study, leading to the submission of the final report in August 2023.

Key-details of the Study:

• The AnSI-TRI study found and categorized 268 communities that had never been classified before.
• Recommendations: Of these, 179 communities have been recommended for inclusion in the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) Among them, 85 communities have never been classified before.
• 63 Communities Untraceable: Some communities were not traceable, meaning they had likely merged into other communities, changed their names, or migrated.

What is the need for categorization?

• Unresolved Classification: Over the years, many communities had been incorrectly classified or left unclassified. Early census practices by colonial authorities often confused tribes with castes.
• Government Welfare Schemes: Without proper classification, many communities could not benefit from government schemes meant for SCs, STs, or OBCs, leading to social and economic marginalization.
• Parliamentary Standing Committee: In December 2022, the committee highlighted the delay in classifying these communities and stressed that it exacerbated their suffering, preventing them from accessing welfare schemes.
• Debate on Classification:

• • One View: Some advocate completing the classification process to ensure these tribes benefit from reservations and government schemes under SC, ST, or OBC categories.
  • Alternative View: Others suggest creating a separate classification for denotified tribes, possibly as a new Schedule in the Constitution, instead of categorizing them under SC, ST, or OBC.

Impact:

• If the recommendations are accepted, it will simplify the process of including these communities in state-level welfare schemes.
• This will also aid policy formulation for their upliftment and ensure they are properly integrated into social and economic benefits.