Centre is not considering any proposal to classify denotified tribes, RS told, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• The Union Government stated on Wednesday that it is not considering reclassification of Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes into Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories.
• This decision comes after the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) completed an ethnographic study in 2023 recommending fresh classification of 85 communities and reclassification of 9 others.
• The exercise was initiated in 2019 following the constitution of the Development Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNC), subsequent to the Idate Commission’s report of 2017.
• Civil society organizations have been advocating for a separate scheduled category for these communities due to the lack of community certificates and access to welfare benefits.

Detailed Insights:

• The Idate Commission's 2017 report highlighted the necessity for proper classification of Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes into SC, ST, or OBC lists, a concern echoed by previous commissions.
• In 2019, the government assigned the task of classifying these communities to a NITI Aayog panel, which then commissioned the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) to conduct a study.
• The AnSI report in 2023 suggested that many communities were only partially classified, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive reevaluation.
• The Social Justice Ministry stated that the Development Welfare Board (DWBDNC) is administering the SEED scheme for these communities, but the scheme's effectiveness is hindered by classification ambiguities.
• The lack of clear classification prevents many states from issuing community certificates, thereby limiting access to benefits for these communities.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Denotified Tribes: Communities that were previously listed as criminal tribes under British rule and were denotified after independence.
• Nomadic/Semi-Nomadic Tribes: Communities that move from place to place for their livelihood, either without a fixed home or with seasonal migration patterns.
• Scheduled Caste (SC): A group of historically disadvantaged communities recognized by the Indian Constitution, requiring special protections.
• Scheduled Tribe (ST): A group of indigenous communities recognized by the Indian Constitution, requiring specific safeguards and rights.
• Other Backward Classes (OBC): A group of communities identified as socially and educationally disadvantaged, eligible for reservations in education and employment.