State support key for DNT welfare, says Social Justice Ministry report

Support from State governments has been lacking in efforts to extend welfare measures to denotified, nomadic, and semi-nomadic tribes (DNTs), the Union government has said, adding that even now only seven States are issuing DNT community certificates. In its latest annual report for 2025-26, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said support from States is awaited despite letters and advisories issued for close to a decade. In the report, the Ministry said that State and Union Territory governments are still considering setting up separate directorates, departments or welfare boards for DNT communities, and have yet to share lists of eligible DNT beneficiaries awaiting housing allotments under the Centre’s PMAY-G. Further, the Ministry said it has requested States to share other details such as population estimates of DNTs and lists of these communities residing in each State, and has urged them to issue DNT certificates and set up grievance redressal mechanisms in letters written since as far back as 2015. Over the last few years, DNT communities across various parts of the country have repeatedly raised the issue of community certificates not being provided, which in turn affects their ability to claim benefits targeted at them. These communities, which were tagged as “criminal” by the colonial administration, about 1,200 in total, were denotified in 1952 when the Criminal Tribes Act was repealed. Since then, a majority have been classified under the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes or the Other Backward Classes lists, though nearly 300 communities are yet to be classified. Community leaders have argued that the lack of community certificates and their “misclassification” into SC, ST and OBC lists has further marginalised them within these respective groupings. Sections of DNT communities have taken this argument further to mobilise for a separate classification for DNTs on a par with SC, ST, and OBC classifications. However, even as the Ministry has maintained that there are no proposals under consideration for creating a new classification for DNTs, government officials have said that the ongoing Census 2027 exercise will count the population of these communities during the enumeration phase. Confusion remains over how this count will be carried out and whether a specific question or column will be added. Amid this, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs last month forwarded a detailed community representation for a separate classification to the Social Justice Ministry. This followed the Supreme Court of India declining to entertain a petition seeking the same and a specific question for their enumeration in the Census 2027 forms. Petitioners told The Hindu that there has been no progress since the representation was forwarded. In a section on the Development Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNC), a separate subhead is devoted to the support required from State governments. The Ministry added that States have also been asked to ensure that land is made available on priority for DNT beneficiaries, noting that the Board is pursuing the Rural Development and Urban Affairs Ministries in this regard. The report added that currently only Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra are issuing DNT certificates, and that other States have been repeatedly asked to do so. It also said that States have been asked to provide detailed estimates of DNT populations and the number of certificates issued. In the annual report, the Ministry said it has been implementing the SEED scheme for the benefit of DNT communities. Through this scheme, over 5,000 self-help groups have been set up in eight States, about 3,000 students have availed free coaching services, and about 50,000 people have received Ayushman Cards for health insurance. Estimates place the population of DNTs at over 10 crore across the country.

Published – April 23, 2026 07:31 pm IST