Parl panel asks Tribal Affairs Ministry to examine proposal to set up tribal university

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment has asked the Tribal Affairs Ministry to approach the Ministry Human Resource Development and examine the proposal of setting up a full-fledged tribal university.

"The committee has been informed that at present, there is no tribal university under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. There is a regional campus of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Manipur with just five departments. Moreover, it is located at the border line of tribal area," the panel said in a report tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

"The committee believes that the establishment of a full-fledged tribal university in a tribal area would encourage more ST students to take up higher education. With the improvement in the education sector, the tribal students can pursue what they want to and secure jobs in their field of interest," it said.

Overall, this would improve the condition of tribal families and uplift them financially, it said.

"Universities come under the purview of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Hence, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs should approach and pursue with them the proposal of establishment of a full-fledged Tribal University in a tribal areas viz. Tripura, Meghalaya, Odisha etc," it said.