As of 7 July 2026, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, with the Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi‑Nomadic Communities (DWBDNC), implements the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) to promote education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and livelihood generation.
Core features
- Purpose: Support Denotified, Nomadic and Semi‑Nomadic communities (DNT/NT/SNT) across education, health, entrepreneurship, livelihoods and housing needs.
- Launch date: 16 February 2022.
- Scope: Multiple components including Educational Empowerment, livelihood support, healthcare interventions and enterprise development.
Coverage & finances (2025‑26)
- Beneficiaries: Over 1.10 lakh persons covered under SEED components in FY 2025‑26.
- Expenditure (2025‑26): Rs. 53.06 Crores released for implementation across components.
- Five‑year outlay: Approximately Rs. 200 Crores allocated from 2021‑22 for a five‑year period.
Educational Empowerment (updated 1 July 2026)
- Coaching: Free quality coaching for DNT candidates for competitive examinations.
- Stipend: Monthly support of Rs. 1,500–3,000 per beneficiary.
- Disability provision: Special allowances for students with disabilities.
Implementation & accountability
- Institutional partner: SEED implemented in collaboration with DWBDNC under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
- Fund tracking: Use of PFMS (Public Financial Management System) for last‑mile tracking.
- Payment modality: Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) mandated for grantee disbursements (from 29 June 2026).
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Abbreviations: DNT = Denotified, Nomadic and Semi‑Nomadic communities; NT = Nomadic Tribes; SNT = Semi‑Nomadic Tribes.
- PFMS & AEPS: PFMS is centralised public financial management; AEPS enables Aadhaar‑based beneficiary payments.
- Component linkage: SEED merges education, livelihood and health supports within a single scheme framework.