Educating India's Largest Tribal Population Belt In Chhattisgarh Is A Mission
Dr Vinay Agrawal, Founder and chancellor, ISBM University
India is a colorful country comprising a staggering variety of cultures and communities. Each section has its own needs and requirements and among all, we tend to forget the most sidelined community-- the Tribals. India has the world's largest tribal population and it is also the most economically underprivileged in our country. One of the first steps to developing any community is education.
Highest Tribal Population in India in the State of Chhattisgarh:
Chhattisgarh is a state formed in India in the year 2000. When it comes to education, the quality of education is quite poor as it lacks all the basic amenities and sufficient resources. Improper infrastructure is also one of the causes of this. The aboriginal tribes of India are the oldest inhabitants of the country. For millennia, tribal societies have been subjugated by more recently arrived groups; their land was taken away, they were pushed further into the hilly gorges and wilds, and they were forced to work for their oppressors often without payment. Today tribal groups, which number more than 40 million, require special attention from the government and private sector, even though they live largely isolated from the national culture.
The state of Chhattisgarh faces a lot of Naxalite activities every now and then which is why there are no proper resources to gain a formal education.
Initiatives that are being taken in tribal education, to overcome the various issues:
Partnering with satellite video conferencing system
The objective of the initiative must be to provide a robust infrastructure platform to relay educational videos in addition to reaching far-flung and remotely located student community including all other learning stakeholders of the University through virtual technology in subjects like Science, Arts and Humanities, Commerce and Management, Library and Information Science, Journalism and Mass Communication among other faculties, from centrally located studios. The aim is to improve the teaching quality in colleges in remote areas. Being able to watch a lecture online means that students who can't be physically present in a lecture still feel part of a learning community and can see and hear their tutors speaking about a topic.
"Tribal groups, which number more than 40 million, require special attention from the government and private sector, even though they live largely isolated from the national culture".
Tribal Development Centre:
While laying a major focus on the development and upliftment of the tribal community, Universities must establish their own tribal development centers at their campuses. The tribal development centers can be centers of excellence for conducting Government research and projects.
Partnership with many Corporates to Train and Recruit students:
Educational Institutions must establish tie-ups with various national, international organizations, institutes and bodies to offer synergies that would help the students gain international perspectives in their chosen field of study. The courses enable students to enhance their career opportunities. Such collaborations generate lots of synergies for students and companies.
How education can help tribal people and why Education fraternity is in this area: Education is an indispensable tool for helping tribal peoples cope with national integration. Education will also determine their prosperity, success,and security in life. The tribes which remain either deprived of or negligent toward education will suffer the consequence. Education is the only primary agent which can help individuals overcome income barriers, and expand the horizon of the community when it comes to making career choices, personal growth, build confidence, and sustained development in well-being. It is the most supreme and vital parameter for a better tomorrow of the tribal population.
Literacy rate among the tribal population:
Compared with the literacy rates of 29.34% for the general population, literacy among tribal peoples in India is at most 6%.Most parts of the state include varied tribes which are why the educational institutions in this area should come up with a wide range of skill development career-oriented study programs to enhance the capabilities of the tribal population thereby giving them a number of chances to fulfill their dreams.
Highest Tribal Population in India in the State of Chhattisgarh:
Chhattisgarh is a state formed in India in the year 2000. When it comes to education, the quality of education is quite poor as it lacks all the basic amenities and sufficient resources. Improper infrastructure is also one of the causes of this. The aboriginal tribes of India are the oldest inhabitants of the country. For millennia, tribal societies have been subjugated by more recently arrived groups; their land was taken away, they were pushed further into the hilly gorges and wilds, and they were forced to work for their oppressors often without payment. Today tribal groups, which number more than 40 million, require special attention from the government and private sector, even though they live largely isolated from the national culture.
The state of Chhattisgarh faces a lot of Naxalite activities every now and then which is why there are no proper resources to gain a formal education.
Initiatives that are being taken in tribal education, to overcome the various issues:
Partnering with satellite video conferencing system
The objective of the initiative must be to provide a robust infrastructure platform to relay educational videos in addition to reaching far-flung and remotely located student community including all other learning stakeholders of the University through virtual technology in subjects like Science, Arts and Humanities, Commerce and Management, Library and Information Science, Journalism and Mass Communication among other faculties, from centrally located studios. The aim is to improve the teaching quality in colleges in remote areas. Being able to watch a lecture online means that students who can't be physically present in a lecture still feel part of a learning community and can see and hear their tutors speaking about a topic.
"Tribal groups, which number more than 40 million, require special attention from the government and private sector, even though they live largely isolated from the national culture".
Tribal Development Centre:
While laying a major focus on the development and upliftment of the tribal community, Universities must establish their own tribal development centers at their campuses. The tribal development centers can be centers of excellence for conducting Government research and projects.
Partnership with many Corporates to Train and Recruit students:
Educational Institutions must establish tie-ups with various national, international organizations, institutes and bodies to offer synergies that would help the students gain international perspectives in their chosen field of study. The courses enable students to enhance their career opportunities. Such collaborations generate lots of synergies for students and companies.
How education can help tribal people and why Education fraternity is in this area: Education is an indispensable tool for helping tribal peoples cope with national integration. Education will also determine their prosperity, success,and security in life. The tribes which remain either deprived of or negligent toward education will suffer the consequence. Education is the only primary agent which can help individuals overcome income barriers, and expand the horizon of the community when it comes to making career choices, personal growth, build confidence, and sustained development in well-being. It is the most supreme and vital parameter for a better tomorrow of the tribal population.
Literacy rate among the tribal population:
Compared with the literacy rates of 29.34% for the general population, literacy among tribal peoples in India is at most 6%.Most parts of the state include varied tribes which are why the educational institutions in this area should come up with a wide range of skill development career-oriented study programs to enhance the capabilities of the tribal population thereby giving them a number of chances to fulfill their dreams.
