On which date is Vimukta Jati (Denotified Tribes) Day celebrated in Madhya Pradesh?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — A, 31 August. Madhya Pradesh observes Vimukta Jati (Denotified Tribes) Day on 31 August — the date on which the colonial Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, which had branded numerous nomadic and wandering communities as 'born criminals', was repealed in 1952, five years after Independence.

Why the other options are wrong — (b) No recognised Denotified Tribes observance falls on this date; it has no connection to the Criminal Tribes Act repeal.  (c) Not linked to the repeal of the Criminal Tribes Act or to DNT history.  (d) 21 March is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination — a different UN observance, unrelated to India's Denotified Tribes.

Concept: The Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 was a colonial law that formally 'notified' certain communities — nomadic groups, wandering castes, and tribes — as habitually engaged in crime, subjecting them to compulsory registration, restricted movement, and forced settlement. It was repealed on 31 August 1952 and replaced by the Habitual Offenders Act. Communities freed from this stigma are called Denotified Tribes (DNTs), a social-justice category distinct from SC/ST/OBC.

State PCS 2021 Q17 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2021 Q17 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer