In one of the largest ethnographic studies of its kind, the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) and Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) across the country have, for the first time, comprehensively categorised 268 denotified, semi-nomadic, and nomadic tribes that previous commissions believed had never been classified.
The three-year-long study commissioned by a NITI Aayog panel has recommended the inclusion of 179 of these communities in Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (Central) lists of 26 States and union territories, at least 85 of which are being recommended as fresh additions to these lists.
Among the fresh additions, 46 communities have been recommended for OBC status, 29 for SC status, and 10 for Scheduled Tribe status. The greatest number of fresh additions were recommended for Uttar Pradesh (19), followed by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan at eight each.
Apart from the fresh additions, the study recommended correcting the categorisation of nine communities; and found that many of the 268 communities had already been categorised, albeit partially, i.e. either in State lists or mentioned in Central lists but only of some States.
The study also concluded that 63 communities (over 20%) studied were “not traceable” anymore, which multiple researchers associated with the study explained was a classification for communities that had likely assimilated into larger communities, changed their names, or migrated to other States/union territories.
Top officials of the Social Justice Ministry told The Hindu that the report was “pending” with the NITI Aayog panel, which was “scrutinising” the AnSI and TRIs’ findings. But the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs revealed in a Parliament reply last year that the Social Justice Ministry had received this report in August 2023.
Uncertainty over Census
This report’s recommendations to add entries to the SC, ST, OBC lists, which will consequently swell their populations, comes as uncertainty grows over the next Census and whether caste will be enumerated in it, with the clamour for increasing quota percentages to match with latest proportions only growing in the absence of a population count.
Significantly, modalities for inclusion and exclusion set down by the Government of India mandate that any such proposal must originate with the concerned State/union territory governments, only after which can approvals be sought from the Office of the Registrar General of India and the National Commissions for SC, ST, or OBC respectively, before the government can think of bringing legislation for it.
While the Social Justice Ministry waits for the “finalised” report from the NITI Aayog panel, sources told The Hindu that voices have now emerged within the Development and Welfare Board for DNT, NT, SNT communities (DWBDNC) that are calling into question the premise of classifying DNTs, NTs and SNTs as SC, ST, and OBC. Their argument is that being a DNT, NT or SNT, adds a layer of discrimination to their lives, because of which the only fair classification would be to create a quota category just for these communities — either a separate vertical or a sub-quota for them within each category.
The ethnographic study was started by the Anthropological Survey of India in February 2020, according to replies to Right to Information Act requests, which added that the last and fourth phase of the study was completed in August of 2022. In addition to the AnSI, Tribal Research Institutes in Odisha, Gujarat, and Arunachal Pradesh were roped in to study the communities in their respective States.
The study was commissioned by a special panel constituted by the Prime Minister’s Office in February 2019. This panel is headed by the Vice-Chairman of the NITI Aayog and includes former chief of the National Commission for DNTs, NTs, SNTs Bhiku Ram Idate, Dr. J.K. Bajaj of the Centre for Policy Studies and the Director-General of the AnSI.
The panel had been constituted to continue the work of the National Commission under Mr. Idate, which had concluded in December 2017 that there were as many as 269 DNT, NT, and SNT communities that were yet to be classified into SC, ST, OBC.
Researchers who worked on different parts of the study told The Hindu that studying each of the communities took as long as three months. This involved starting with literature search of the community, identifying community resources in concerned areas, field trips to these districts and innumerable meetings with local officials and community representatives.
One of the researchers who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “Even then, we were not able to find many communities that we were each assigned to study.” Apart from the 63 communities that were marked as “not traceable”, the AnSI and TRIs have also assigned no reservation to some DNT, NT, SNT communities, after an assessment of their socio-economic conditions, another researcher said.
Published - January 20, 2025 10:32 pm IST
