ROURKELA: The National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R) has taken up a series of research studies to identify critical challenges and work out policy solutions for the tribal communities of the state.
The long-term and policy oriented research studies by the humanities and social sciences department of NIT-R are largely focused on key areas including health, education, tribal languages, culture and practices, reasons for low economic growth, livelihood issues and lack of inclusivity of tribal communities.
NIT-R sources informed the institute is working on a project called “Tribal Narratives of Sustainable Development: A Study of Sundargarh District in Odisha” with Prof Ramakrishna Biswal acting as the project director. Sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Sciences Research (ICSSR), the study chiefly focuses on the Paudi Bhuyan, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) concentrated in Bonai sub-division of the district.
Another project led by Prof Koteswara Rao Kodirekkala is studying “Cultural Limits on the Transmission of Traditional Knowledge: A Study among a PVTG of Northern Odisha.”
Earlier, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs had sponsored a project for running a Centre of Excellence for Tribal Studies with Prof Seemita Mohanty as the coordinator. The project had focused mother tongue-based multilingual education, management of minor forest produce for empowerment of women of PVTG in Odisha, health issues of tribal elders, low literacy and dropout in Sundargarh.
Head of the humanities and social sciences department Prof Narayan Sethi said, the research projects aim at betterment of tribal communities not only by identifying the critical challenges they face but also through sustainable solutions.