Odia students from Kalahandi, studying in Delhi and other parts of the country, have sought intervention from MP Sujeet Kumar for the construction of a regional centre of Amarkantak (MP)-based Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) in the district. Following reports of a tribal university being proposed in Mayurbhanj, the students have submitted a letter regarding their demand to the MP, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Although the regional centre for Odisha was sanctioned for Kalahandi way back in 2010, the institution has not yet materialised. Earlier, the Ministry of Education favoured Kalahandi as the site for the centre considering the availability of resources including 300-acre land in Benda Jhola and Kumudabahal villages under Thuamul-Rampur.
However, after receiving the land details from the district administration, the Higher Education department allegedly did not initiate follow-up action. Moreover, recently, the Central Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MTA) announced its plans to set up a tribal university in the Mayurbhanj district, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
A seven-member team from Indira Gandhi National Tribal University led by the Union Minister of State (MoS) for Tribal Affairs Bishweswar Tudu visited several places in the district and verified the available infrastructure for the proposed varsity. Although it is not clear if IGNTU regional centre or a separate tribal university would be set up in Mayurbhanj, the students said there is no problem in shifting the IGNTU centre to Mayurbhanj but Kalahandi should also get one as it will be of immense help to tribal students of Western and Southern Odisha.
