By IANS,
Bhopal : Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh Saturday laid the foundation for the country’s first tribal university in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district.
Singh said the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, coming up in Amarkantak in Shahdol, would bring tribals to the mainstream. Shahdol is around 350 km from state capital Bhopal.
The minister said the aim of the university would be to promote higher education among the Scheduled Tribes.
He said: “All the subjects that are being taught in other universities will be added to the university’s curriculum.”
Terming the moment as “historic”, Singh said the institution would provide an excellent opportunity for tribals to march forward in the field of education.
Besides having affiliated colleges, the university is expected to set up its regional centres in tribal areas. 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 the University Grants Commission and would be a central university.
It 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 expected to attract students from areas in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat that have large tribal populations.