Denotified, nomadic and semi- nomadic tribes

Published on 20 Mar 2025

• Recently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) stressed on the need to implement the Bhiku Ramji Idate Commission report (2018).

• Idate commission recommended setting up a permanent commission for Nomadic, Semi Nomadic, and De-Notified Tribes (NTs, SNTs, and DNTs).

• They are the most neglected, marginalized and economically and socially deprived communities in the country.

• DNTs are those communities that were ‘notified’ as being ‘born criminals’ during the British regime under a series of laws including the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871.

• These Acts were repealed by the government in l952, and these communities were “De- Notified”.

• A few of these communities which were listed as de-notified were also nomadic.

• Nomadic and semi-nomadic communities are defined as those who move from one place to another rather than living in one place all the time.

• Historically, Nomadic Tribes and De-notified Tribes never had access to private land or home ownership.

Keywords:

Denotified tribes nomadic tribes semi nomadic tribes tribe tribals Bhiku Ramji Idate Commission