Denotified, Nomadic Tribes have always been ignored. Census can fix that, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• The Registrar General of India has not confirmed the inclusion of Denotified Tribes, Nomadic Tribes, and Semi-nomadic communities (DNT/NT) in the upcoming Census 2027.
• The Supreme Court dismissed a petition by activists to include DNT/NT in the caste census.
• The Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, branded some of these communities as "criminal tribes," leading to their denotification in 1952.
• Estimates suggest the DNT/NT population is between 8 and 14 crore.

Detailed Insights:

• DNT/NT communities face issues like lack of education, employment, discrimination, and marginalization, similar to those faced by the poor, Dalits, Adivasis, and LGBTQ individuals.
• These communities possess traditional knowledge of medicinal plants, animal husbandry, and handicrafts, but this knowledge has been devalued by modern systems.
• The Renke Commission Report (2008) estimated the DNT/NT population at 10.74 crore.
• The Idate Commission Report (2017) identified 1,200 such communities from existing lists of SC, ST, and OBCs, and listed 269 unclassified communities.
• DNT/NT organizations demand recognition, categorization, and enumeration in the Census, advocating for a separate constitutional schedule.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Denotified Tribes (DNT): Communities formerly labeled as "criminal tribes" under the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, and denotified in 1952.
• Nomadic Tribes (NT): Communities that move from place to place in search of livelihood.
• Census: A periodic count of the population and their characteristics.
• Scheduled Castes (SC): Socially disadvantaged groups recognized by the Indian Constitution needing protection.