India's first tribal varsity to come up in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal: Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh will lay the foundation for the country's first tribal university in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. Called the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, it would be located at Amarkantak in Shahdol district. The Union Cabinet decided this on June 15 2007.

Besides having affiliated colleges, the university is expected to set up its regional centres in tribal areas. Sources in the Tribal Development Department said that 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. (IANS)

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