Bhiku Ramji Idate Commission | Social Justice | Social Empowerment

NITI Aayog has backed a proposal by the Ministry of Social justice and Empowerment to set up a permanent commission for Denotified (DNT), Semi Nomadic (SNT), and Nomadic Tribes (NT).
The commission will be set up on the lines of similar commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
2018 - Ministry of Social justice and Empowerment had written to the NITI Aayog, asking for its stand on the report of the Bhiku Ramji Idate Commission on DNT, SNT, and NT communities.
In response to this NITI Aayog has offered to set up a working group to come up with policy suggestions on issues related to the most deprived communities.
It supports the suggestion by Bhiku Ramji Idate Commission to form a dedicated National Finance Development Corporation for DNT, SNT, and NTs.
It also supports the suggestion of lowering tuition fees and relaxing admission conditions for children from the communities, and easy allotment of land and housing for members of the community in which 90% or more are landless.
DNT, NT, SNT communities have been identified as the most marginalized by several commissions set up since Independence.
The community has for long not been enumerated in the Census data.
The Renke Commission report of 2008 had roughly estimated their population to be between 10-12 Cr however none of its recommendations were implemented.

Who are Denotified Tribes?

Denotified tribes are those that were notified under the Criminal Tribes Acts enforced during British Rule, whereby entire populations were branded criminals by birth. In 1952, the Act was repealed and the communities were de-notified.

Who are Nomadic tribes?

Nomadic tribes maintain constant geographical mobility while semi-nomads are those who are on the move but return to fixed habitations once a year, mainly for occupational reasons.

Bhiku Ramji Idate Commission Recommendations:

Idate Commission submitted its report in 2018.
Set up a permanent commission for Denotified, Semi Nomadic, and Nomadic Tribes should have a prominent community leader as its chairperson, and a senior Union government bureaucrat, an anthropologist, and a sociologist as members.
Constitutional protection to these communities under a separate third schedule after Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, making them eligible for reservation
Extend the protective cover of the Prevention of Atrocities Act to them.
Repealing of the Habitual Offenders Act
Make provision of Public Distribution System (PDS) cards
Provide special housing schemes for the largely landless community
Establish a separate academy to preserve their art and culture
Provide special education and health schemes.
Commission noted that post-independence policies for these communities have been mostly symbolic reparations, with post-liberalisation policies alienating them further from their land and occupations.

Current Scenario:

The Ministry had also written to the NITI Aayog, asking whether it would set up a Working Group for framing Vision 2030 for development of these communities as per the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Bhiku Ramji Idate Commission is pending implementation
2019 - Union Government is planning an exercise 2 identify them as the first step.
2008 - Balkrishna Renke Commission report - the government has implemented two schemes implemented in 2014-15