BJP State spokesperson Satyabrata Panda and State committee member Murali Sharma handed over a memorandum to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at his New Delhi residence.
They urged Minister Pradhan to consider setting up a Central tribal university in Keonjhar, one of the tribal populous districts in the country.
In their memorandum, they told that Odishsa is the third highest tribal populous State of the country where Adivasis constitute 22.8 per cent of the total population of the State, but it is yet to have a Central tribal university where as States like Madhya Pradesh , Maharashtra and Telengana have one Central University for tribals each. Former HRD Minister Arjun Singh had established the first Centra Tribal University at Amarkantak of Madhya Pradesh to which Singh belongs. It is noteworthy that although MP is the highest Adivasi populous State in the country but Adivasis constitute 21.1 percent of the total population of that State which is less than that of Odisha. Similarly , in Telengana, Adivasis are just 9.3 percent of total population of the State. Even Maharashtra which has many Central Universities and very less Adivasi people has also got a Central tribal university, they said. The memorandum further said that considering all angles , Odishsa is most deserving to have a Central tribal University by now and Keonjhar is the most deserving district for being most backward from education point of view. It is alleged that it was then a very historical mistake to keep Keonjhar under the North Odisha University which is situated at Baripada of Mayurbhanj.
It is complained that education situation in the district is very neglected as extension campus of the North Odisha University is not able to focus much on education development of the district.
Under the above circumstances, there is an urgent need of a Central tribal university in Keonjhar district, they urged. Sources revealed that Central Minister Pradhan has given a positive nod to the proposal.