ROURKELA: The long-pending demand for a central tribal university (CTU) in Sundagarh district has been renewed with a Sambalpur-based voluntary organisation drawing attention of the central and state governments in this regard.
Vivekananda Palli Agragami Seva Pratisthan (VPASP) director YK Mahakud shot off a letter to President Draupadi Murmu with copies marked to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on February 3.
Mahakud said Sundargarh holds significance in western Odisha and mooted setting up of a CTU and skill development centre at Rourkela for educational, social and economic empowerment of tribal girl students.
A host of organisations including the CITU and voluntary outfit Sachetan Nagarik Manch for long have been demanding a CTU at Rourkela to benefit the connected tribal belts of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Noted educationist and former director of the National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R) Prof Sunil Kumar Sarangi said the Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh (CTUAP) is the only in the country which was created in 2019 after amending act of the Central University of AP with special characterisation.
Pointing to the distribution of Central Universities (CUs), he said there is no precedence of states (except Delhi) having more than one CU. Since Koraput has one CU, he said, it is highly unlikely the central government would allot second CU to Odisha in Sundargarh as a Central Tribal University.