Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee is hosting a National Conference on the Advancement of Tribes in India.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee will be organizing the ‘National Conference on Tribal Development in India: Prospect and Retrospect’ on February 3 and 4, 2023. This event is sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research and is part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav of the Government of India. It will be a platform to analyse and discuss the issues and questions related to tribal development in India.

This two-day forum will focus on topics such as constitutional rights and security, governance and regulations, the part of the state, learning, health and income, ethnicity and tribes, tribal women and progress, local development and tribes, and tribes and the environment.

The two-day event was honored by the presence of Professor K K Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, and was addressed by Professor Virginius Xaxa, a Visiting Professor at the Institute for Human Development (IHD) in New Delhi. Significant people from the tribal community in India shared their views on the current state of affairs. These included Dr. Bipasha Rosy Lakra, Professor V Bijukumar, Dr. Shreya Jessica Dhan, Dr. Jadhav Prathap Singh, Shivangi Baruah, Ramengmawia Bawitlung, Mrinalini Raj, Dr. Thanggoulen Kipgen, Dr. Pratap C Mohanty, Dr. Kumari Vibhuti Nayak, Manasmita Khilar, Manta Wangsu, C Zonunmawia, Dr. Deepali Aparajita, Thangsiandong Guite, Dr. Debdulal Saha, Kh Pavei, Neelam Kerketta, Jasodhara Borthakur, P Lalpekhlui, Dr. Aashish Xaxa.

Virginius Xaxa, a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Human Development, pointed out that the levels of tribal development vary greatly due to the diverse nature and large geographical area where tribal communities are located. For example, Mizoram and Nagaland in the Northeast have achieved very high literacy rates of 91.51% and 80.04% respectively (2011 Census).

Professor K K Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, noted that 8.6% of the people in India are from various tribes and there are special laws in place to protect their cultural and political rights, including access to resources, affirmative action, and representation in politics.

Since the establishment of India as an independent nation, the issue of tribal progress has been a major worry. Numerous policies and schemes have been launched in order to better the lives of the tribal population, looking at health, education, occupation, sustenance, means of living, and revenue production.