State support key for tribal welfare, says Social Justice Ministry report, Pg14

Key Highlights:

• Only seven states are currently issuing DNT community certificates, hindering welfare access.
• The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry reports a lack of support from state governments in extending welfare to DNTs.
• State and UT governments have not shared lists of eligible DNT beneficiaries for housing allotments under PMAY-G.
• The ministry has been requesting states since 2015 to issue DNT certificates, share population data, and establish grievance redressal mechanisms.
• Approximately 300 DNT communities are yet to be classified under SC, ST, or OBC lists.
• The Census 2027 will enumerate the population of DNT communities.

Detailed Insights:

• DNT communities were labeled as "criminal" by the colonial administration and denotified in 1952 after the Criminal Tribes Act repeal.
• The lack of community certificates and misclassification into SC, ST, and OBC lists has marginalized DNTs within these categories.
• Some DNT communities are mobilizing for a separate classification on par with SC, ST, and OBC.
• The ministry maintains that there are no proposals under consideration for creating a new classification for DNTs.
• The ministry has issued letters and advisories for nearly a decade, but state support is still lacking.
• PMAY-G is a central scheme, and the lack of state data sharing hinders its effective implementation for DNTs.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs): Communities historically subject to the Criminal Tribes Act and facing socio-economic challenges.
• PMAY-G (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin): A central government scheme providing affordable housing in rural areas.
• Community Certificate: An official document identifying a person as belonging to a specific community, enabling access to targeted benefits.