The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs is set to bring together policymakers, researchers, academic institutions and technology experts in Bhubaneswar for a two-day national workshop beginning Tuesday, with a focus on strengthening Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) across the country.
The workshop, scheduled for July 7 and 8, will serve as a platform to assess the current functioning of TRIs and prepare a national roadmap aimed at developing them into centres of excellence for research, policy support and the preservation of India's tribal heritage, as per a press release.
A major highlight of the inaugural session will be the launch of TribeX, a new digital learning platform dedicated to tribal arts, culture, languages and traditional knowledge.
TribeX to focus on preserving and sharing tribal heritage
According to the ministry, TribeX has been designed as a comprehensive digital learning ecosystem that will help preserve, document and disseminate India's tribal heritage. The platform will feature structured learning courses, digital repositories and technology-enabled knowledge-sharing tools.
{{/usCountry}}According to the ministry, TribeX has been designed as a comprehensive digital learning ecosystem that will help preserve, document and disseminate India's tribal heritage. The platform will feature structured learning courses, digital repositories and technology-enabled knowledge-sharing tools.
{{/usCountry}}The ministry also expects the platform to encourage research, facilitate cultural exchange and create livelihood opportunities for tribal communities.
Senior ministers and officials to attend inaugural session
The workshop will be inaugurated by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram. Minister of State Durgadas Uikey, R. Balasubramaniam, Odisha Minister Nityananda Gond and Tribal Affairs Secretary Ranjana Chopra will also be present, along with senior officials from the Centre and state governments.
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During the inaugural session, the ministry will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya.
Around 200 participants are expected to attend the workshop, including representatives from Tribal Research Institutes, state tribal welfare departments, academic institutions, technology organisations, non-governmental organisations and industry experts.
The discussions will centre on strengthening TRIs as knowledge and cultural resource centres while improving research and documentation. Participants will also deliberate on the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and GIS, besides exploring ways to improve institutional capacity and governance.
Roadmap and declaration
The second day of the workshop will focus on preparing a National TRI Strengthening Roadmap by consolidating recommendations from various sessions.
Experts from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Wadhwani AI, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Deloitte and Sarvam AI will present ideas on using technology to strengthen tribal research and governance.
The workshop is expected to conclude with the adoption of the Bhubaneswar Declaration, which will outline a shared vision for institutional reforms, research excellence, technology integration and capacity building aimed at making Tribal Research Institutes future-ready institutions supporting evidence-based tribal development.