Which one of the following was NOT a feature of Criminal Tribes Act,

Which one of the following was NOT a feature of Criminal Tribes Act, 1871?

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Communities of craftsmen, traders and pastoralists were classified as criminal tribes

The tribes were declared criminal on the basis of their profession

The notified criminal tribes were expected to live only in the notified village settlements

The criminal tribes were not allowed to move out without a permit

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC Geoscientist – 2020

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The correct answer is B) The tribes were declared criminal on the basis of their profession. This was NOT a feature of the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871.

– The Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, classified specific communities as ‘criminal tribes’ based on the colonial perception of their hereditary involvement in crime, not their profession. The Act assumed that criminality was hereditary.
– Features of the Act included: registration of members, strict surveillance, restrictions on movement (requiring permits), and compulsory settlement in designated areas or reformatory settlements (as mentioned in C and D). Option A is partially misleading; while some individuals in these communities might have been craftsmen etc., the classification was based on the ‘criminal tribe’ label itself, not their occupation.

The Act was widely criticized as a discriminatory and oppressive piece of legislation that stigmatized entire communities based on birth rather than individual actions. It was repealed in 1949 after India’s independence, and these communities were ‘denotified’, but they continue to face social stigma and challenges.

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