Why in News?

• Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities.
• The Union Cabinet has given its approval for constitution of Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Communities (DNCs).

Highlights:

• These communities once branded as criminals under the colonial Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, the communities were ‘denotified’ in 1952.
• They continue to face stigma till this day.
• To this end, the condition of the denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic communities merits special attention.
• The communities which have not been categorised as SC/ST/OBC do not get access to any welfare schemes.
• The earlier commissions — Renke and Idate — had tried to identify and list these communities but their major recommendations have not been implemented till date.

Welfare Board for DNTs:

• The Government has decided to set up a Development and Welfare Board under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 under the aegis of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• While most DNTs are spread across the SC, ST and OBC categories, some DNTs are not covered in any of these.
• These communities are hard to reach, less visible, and therefore frequently left out.
• It has, therefore, approved the setting up of a Committee under the Chairpersonship of Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog.
• It will complete the process of identification of the Denotified, Nomadic and Semi- Nomadic Communities (DNCs) that have not yet been formally classified.

National Commission for DNTs:

• The Government in July 2014 had constituted National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (NCDNT) for a period of three years to prepare a State-wise list of castes belonging to DNTs.
• The Commission recommended for the setting of up a Permanent Commission for these communities.
• Since most of the DNTs are covered in SC, ST or OBC, constitution of a Permanent Commission will not be very effective in implementing development programmes.
• Rather it will look at grievance redressal and will therefore be in conflict with mandate of existing commissions for SCs, STs and OBCs.