The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked central government departments concerned to furnish their response on a petition seeking that constitutional and legal rights be provided to de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes.
A division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar sought the reply of the Ministry of Social Justice, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Department of School Education and Literacy.
The court was hearing a petition, which submitted that the de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes were the most backward tribes in India and they did not have the right to vote.
The plea, filed by Salek Chand Jain through his advocate JK Gupta, said these tribal people also did not possess ration cards or get access to other basic facilities.
It sought a direction for the framing of proper schemes to allow every member of the de-notified nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes to enjoy the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution and become part of the mainstream in the country.
The petition said the tribal people should be grouped as special categories under the Scheduled Tribe category and provided Aadhaar cards, basic education, medical and permanent housing facilities.
These backward people should be rehabilitated and a separate academy set up for preserving their art, culture, sports, indigenous knowledge, handicraft and handlooms, it added.