Sundargarh MP and former Chief Minister Hemanand Biswal has initiated a process of establishing a regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), a Central university for tribals, in the tribal district of Sundargarh.
The IGNTU is located at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and its only regional campus so far is established in Imphal in Manipur.
Biswal, Chairman of Parliament Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, has taken up the issue with much interest and vigour. He has met Union HRD Minister Dr MM Pallam Raju and discussed with him setting up of a regional centre of the IGNTU at Sundargarh. He handed over a letter to Raju citing the urgency and necessity of establishing this regional centre.
The tribal population constitutes more than 22 per cent of Odisha’s population, but the tribals are the most backward in higher education, he has stated in the letter. Basic facilities in higher education should be provided in the tribal region, he has argued. Once a regional centre of the IGNTU is established, all courses of the parent university will be introduced at the regional centre that will benefit the tribal students of the whole State, he has stated.
Biswal has also sent letters to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi urging them for their help in this regard.
A coordination committee for the purpose has also been formed to accelerate the process with political activist and Utkal Bikash Yuba Parisad president Debi Prasad Prusti as its convenor.