SYLLABUS

GS-2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Context: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to advance inclusive development and social justice for historically marginalized communities. 

More on the News

• The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Development and Welfare Board for De Notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Communities (DWBDNC), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE), and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY NRLM), the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).

Key Features of the MoU

• Integration into DAY-NRLM Ecosystem: The MoU facilitates the incorporation of DNT Self-Help Groups (SHGs) into NRLM structures such as Village Organizations (VOs), Cluster-Level Federations (CLFs), and livelihood value chains.

• Comprehensive Support Package: DNT SHGs will access capacity-building programs, credit linkages, and diversified livelihood opportunities under the partnership.

• Coordination for Sustained Support: DWBDNC will collaborate with State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) to ensure continuous and effective support for DNT communities.

• Dedicated Community Cadre: The initiative introduces a “DNT Sakhi” cadre from within the community, with each Sakhi responsible for supporting about 30 families organized into three SHGs through facilitation and monitoring.

• Large-Scale Assimilation Plan: Over the next three years, more than 5,000 DNT SHGs formed under DWBDNC will be assimilated into the DAY‑NRLM framework, gaining access to its full range of services.

Significance of the MoU

• Social Justice & Inclusion: DNT communities have long suffered social exclusion, limited formal credit access, and unstable livelihoods. The MoU affirms a commitment to uphold their dignity, inclusion, and empowerment.

• Institutional Integration: By integrating DNT SHGs into DAY-NRLM’s institutions like VOs, CLFs, and value chains, the MoU ensures DNTs are part of a sustainable rural livelihood framework, not just isolated beneficiaries, promoting long-term stability.

• Access to Credit & Livelihood Diversification: The MoU provides DNT families with credit linkages and structured livelihood support, enabling diversification beyond insecure livelihoods, improving income stability and economic resilience.

• Community-Led Approach: The introduction of the DNT Sakhi cadre encourages self-help, peer support, and leadership from within, fostering trust, ownership, and better outreach.

• Convergence & Holistic Development: The MoU aligns DWBDNC’s social justice mandate with DAY-NRLM’s livelihood model, promoting integrated social equity and economic empowerment for DNT communities.

About Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes

• DNTs, SNTs and NTs represent some of the most remote, marginalised, and historically oppressed communities in India.

• There is no official data on their population, but the Renke Commission (2008) put their population at 10.74 crores based on census 2001. Current estimates give a figure of 25 crore. 

• De-notified Tribes (DNTs): 

• DNTs were once ‘notified’ as ‘born criminals’ by the British under a series of laws beginning with the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871.
• These discriminatory Acts, which criminalised entire communities based on hereditary occupation, were repealed by the Indian Government in 1952 after Independence.
• Consequently, such communities were “De-notified”, meaning they were no longer classified as criminal by law.
• Some of these de-notified communities were also nomadic in nature.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) 

• The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, with State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) responsible for implementation at the state level. 

• It aims to reduce rural poverty by empowering poor households to access self-employment and wage employment opportunities. 

• The program focuses on building strong institutions for the poor, especially women, and enabling them to access financial services, skills, and markets to improve their livelihoods.

Sources:
PIB
Indian Masterminds