University to bring tribes in mainstream

Bhopal, Apr 19: Union Minister for Human Resources and Development Arjun Singh said that the tribal University being set up at Amarkantak would connect tribes with mainstream of the society. Laying the foundation stone of the country's first tribal university named, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, at Amarkantak in Shahdol district, Singh was addressing a gathering on Saturday.

He said that the University is being set up to promote higher education among the Scheduled Tribes. He informed that all the subjects that are being taught in other Universities will be added to the University's Curriculum. He stated that the University has been named after late Indira Gandhi in recognition of the deep empathy and concern for the problems of tribals she had throughout her life and the very meaningful initiatives taken by her for the welfare of the tribals. Singh said the University would provide an excellent opportunity for tribals to march forward but the state government is yet to allot the land required to set up the university.

Besides having affiliated colleges, the university is expected to set up its regional centres in tribal areas and there would be at least one school in every regional centre to serve as a model for the region. Tribal students from these schools would go to affiliated colleges or the university. It would be funded by University Grants Commission and would be a central university. The university would be customised to cater to tribal education needs and aim at promoting studies and research in tribal art, culture, tradition, language, medicinal systems and forest-based economic activity. The institution is likely to attract students from tribal areas in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.