Indira Gandhi National Tribal University

File:The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Arjun Singh at the foundation laying ceremony of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University at Amarkantak, in Anupur District, Madhya Pradesh on April 19, 2008

An Act was passed in Indian parliament which was published in the Gazette of India, Part II, section I, on 20 December 2007 by the virtue of which Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Act, 52, 2007. The then M.H.R.D. minister, Shri Arjun Singh laid the foundation stone on 19 April 2008 at Amarkantak. The government of India 7 July 2008, circulated the order of appointment of the founder vice-chancellor of the university. In compliance of this order, Prof. Chandra Deo Singh took the post on 08.07.2008. It is fully granted by the government of India, through University Grant Commission. Different from other universities, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak will have its regional campuses in tribal-dominated states. These campuses will be in tribal areas so that tribal students can have easy access to higher education and promote themselves and their interests so that they can occupy a remarkable place in the mainstream of society. The regional campuses will preserve the tribal art, culture, and traditional medicinal knowledge of the tribes and have been entrusted with the task of using it for the benefit of all. The tribal people are rich in cultural heritage and skill of art and craft, but they are marginalised in respect to higher education as well as in other walks of life. Now in the present age of globalisation the world has shrunk into a village as the society has advanced in technology. But the tribes, who are the custodians of Indian culture in a real sense, are far behind in this race of advancement. To rescue them from the present plight, the university has put before itself the following aims and objectives: To provide avenues of education, especially higher education and research facilities primarily for the tribal population of India. To disseminate and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in tribal art, tradition, culture, language, medicinal systems, customs, forest based economic activities, flora, fauna and advancement in technologies relating to the natural resources of the tribal areas. To collaborate with national and international universities and organisations, especially for undertaking cultural studies and research on tribal communities. To formulate tribal centric development models, publish reports and monographs and to organised conferences and seminars on issues relating to tribes and to provide inputs to policy matters in different spheres. To take appropriate measures for promoting the members of tribal communities capable of managing, administering and looking after their own needs by access to higher education through a university of their own. To disseminate and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in such other branches of learning as it may deem fit. To take appropriate measures for promoting innovations in teaching learning process in inter-disciplinary studies and researches and to pay special attention to the improvement of social, educational and economic conditions and welfare of the scheduled tribes within the Union of India. In view of the aims and objectives the major thrust will be on providing more opportunity for the tribes. However, the university is open to all.

The Regional Campus of the University is at Manipur. As the jurisdiction of the university extends to the whole country, it has a plan to open centres in tribal dominated states for which proposals are under way according to the Act of the University. Acting accordingly, the opened the first regional campus of University at Manipur on 09.09.2009. The University is going to impart Post Graduate courses Political Science and Human Right, Sociology and Social Anthropology, Social Work, Tribal Studies and Physical Education at its Manipur Regional Campus.

• Central University

• Indira Gandhi National Tribal University - Official website