National Commission for De-Notified and Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (NCDNT)

• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment had constituted the National Commission for De-Notified and Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (NCDNT) for the period of 3 years.
• A Development and Welfare Board for De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNCs) has been constituted in february 2019.
• A Committee has also been set up by the NITI Aayog to complete the process of identification of the De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DNCs).

• The survey work of identification of DNT Communities and placing Them in a category of SC/ST/OBC is also under process in NITI Ayog and Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI).
• Government has so far launched following welfare schemes for the benefits to DNTs:

• Dr. Ambedkar Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship for DNTs Boys and Girls.
• Nanaji Deshmukh Scheme of construction of Hostels for DNTs Boys and Girls.

• Also, the Department has approved a special scheme namely ""Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNT Communities (SEED)"" for welfare of this community

De-notified, 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• These Acts were repealed by the Independent lndian Government in l952, and these communities were ""De-Notified"".
• A few of these communities which were listed as de-notified were also nomadic.
• While most DNTs are spread across the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories, some DNTs are not covered in any of the SC. ST or OBC categories.
• Nomadic and semi-nomadic are 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 is comparatively less than others.
• On the other hand, Semi-nomadic groups tend to have a fixed abode for a part of the year and are itinerant in the rest of the year

Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNT Communities (SEED):

• The objective is to provide financial assistance for health insurance, coaching of good quality, livelihoods initiative and construction of houses for DNT, NT & SNTs.
• A total of 1.82 lakh DNT, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic communities would be benefited under this.

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.
• The income ceiling for eligibility is Rs. 2.00 lakh per annum.
• The rate of Scholarship for Pre-Matric is:

• Class I to VIII Rs. 1000 per student for 10 months
• Class IX to X Rs. 1500 per student for 10 months

• The rate of Scholarship for Post-Matric is:

• Hostellers Rs. 380 to Rs. 1000 per student for 10 months
• Day Scholars Rs. 230 to Rs. 550 per student for 10 months

• The scheme is implemented through State Governments/UT Administrations.
• The expenditure is shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25.

Nanaji Deshmukh Scheme of Construction of Hostels for DNT Boys and Girls:

• This 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.
• The income ceiling for eligibility is Rs. 2.00 lakh per annum.
• The Central Government provides a maximum of 500 seats per annum throughout the country. The cost norm is Rs. 3.00 lakh per seat plus Rs. 5000/-per seat for furniture.
• The expenditure is shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25.