Count the Uncounted: Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Communities in India

Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) are among the most marginalized social groups in India, yet they remain statistically invisible within the country’s data architecture. Despite the repeal of the Criminal Tribes Act in 1952, the absence of a distinct category for DNTs in the Census of India 2011 has reinforced their exclusion from welfare planning, monitoring, and evaluation. The lack of reliable, disaggregated demographic data produces persistent misrecognition, resulting in inconsistent classification under Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, or Other Backward Classes, or omission from records altogether. Successive commissions, including the Renke Commission (2008) and the Idate Commission (2018), have emphasized the need for an enumeration framework that captures the unique socio-economic and cultural realities of these communities. Evidence from state initiatives such as mobile ration systems in Karnataka tandas and Ashramshalas for Pardhis in Maharashtra illustrates how responsive interventions become effective when informed by data. This paper argues for the integration of DNTs into future census exercises and proposes the creation of a dedicated Ministry for Denotified and Nomadic Tribes to enable identification, data-driven policymaking, and the protection of cultural identities, thereby advancing inclusive development and social justice for DNT communities.