India is home for diverse tribal groups, out of which 10% are nomadic and de-notified tribes (DNTs). The DNTs are the ex- criminal tribes, who faced major atrocities and stigmatization at the hands of the British colonial government. The socio-economic status of the DNTs remains very poor in contemporary India. Indian State took some initiatives for the upliftment of the DNTs. Two National Commissions were set up to review their status and recommend some policies for their social inclusion. NITI Aayog, a policy think tank of the government, took up the task of safeguarding the interests of DNTs.
The Central government and different State governments have suggested various protective and preventive measures for the DNTs from time to time. They involve different schemes and policies designed for the betterment of the marginalized section of the society, which need to be analyzed to uncover the loopholes in the existing welfare structure.
Such an analysis of government policies and government welfare schemes is attempted in the present study through empirical study of Singhiwala tribe residing in Delhi NCR region. For this purpose, the study will attempt to assess Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED), with the objective of providing quality education for children from the DNTs, providing health insurance, facilitating livelihood at community level, financial assistance for construction of concrete houses. Two other schemes related to educational inclusion of the DNTs and Nomadic Tribes will also be assessed in this paper. These schemes are Dr. Ambedkar Free Matric and Post Matric Scholarship for DNTs, and Nanaji Deshmukh Scheme for Construction of Hostels, which are major schemes launched by the Government of India. The paper will draw conclusion from the primary data collected by the researcher and the results will be generalized through qualitative methods.
