Source: PIB and Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
For all-round development of Nomadic tribes a Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNCs) has been constituted in 2019 for a period of three years extendable up to 5 years
Terms of reference
- To formulate and Implement Welfare and Development programme as required, for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities.
- To identify the locations/areas where these communities are densely populated.
- To assess and identify gaps in accessing existing programmes and entitlements and to collaborate with Ministries/Implementing agencies to ensure that ongoing programmes meet the special requirements of De-notified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities.
- To monitor and evaluate the progress of the schemes of the Government of India and the States/UTs with reference to De-notified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities.
- To redress the grievances of DNTs communities and fulfill their expectations.
Who are De-notified Tribes, Nomads and semi-nomad?
- The Nomadic Tribes have been identified by the survey done by erstwhile National Commission for De-Notified and Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes.
- The term ‘De-notified Tribes’ stands for all those communities which were once notified under the Criminal Tribes Acts, enforced by the British Raj between l87l and I947. These Acts were repealed by the Independent Indian Government in l952, and these communities were “De-Notified”. A few of these communities which were listed as de-notified were also nomadic.
- Terms such as nomads and semi-nomads are applied to social groups who undertook a fairly frequent, usually seasonal physical movement as part of their livelihood strategy in the recent past.
- The term semi-nomad is mostly used to describe those sections of nomads whose duration, distance and frequency of movement are comparatively less than others.
- The distinction between nomads and semi-nomads do not involve distinguishable ethnic categories or social groups, it rather describes the degree of mobility practised by them.
Schemes for De-notified Tribes
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing the following schemes for the welfare of the DNTs.
- Dr. Ambedkar Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship for DNTs: This Centrally Sponsored Scheme was launched w.e.f. 2014-15 for the welfare of those DNT students who are not covered under SC, ST or OBC
- Nanaji Deshmukh Scheme of Construction of Hostels for DNT Boys and Girls: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched w.e.f. 2014-15 is implemented through State Governments/ UT Administrations/ Central Universities. The aim of the scheme is to provide hostel facilities to those DNT students; who are not covered under SC, ST or OBC; to enable them to pursue higher education.
- From the year 2017-18, the scheme Assistance to Voluntary Organization working for the Welfare of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) has been extended for DNTs and EBCs as Central Sector Scheme of Assistance for Skill Development of Backward Classes (OBCs)/ De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs)/ Economic Backward Classes (EBCs).
