The Ministry of Tribal Affairs inaugurated a two-day National Workshop on Strengthening Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, attended by nearly 200 participants including representatives from Tribal Research Institutes, State Tribal Welfare Departments, academia, research institutions, technology organizations, industry, development partners, and civil society. The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Government of Odisha and featured the launch of TribeX, a first-of-its-kind digital learning platform developed by the Ministry to preserve and promote India's tribal arts, culture, languages, and traditional knowledge through a Digital Academy offering free certificate and UGC-aligned diploma courses in tribal art forms and a Heritage Archive of tribal literature, oral traditions, and cultural practices.
During the inaugural session, the Ministry signed two memoranda of understanding: first with Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi, to jointly develop UGC-recognized diploma programs under TribeX focusing on tribal languages, traditional knowledge, arts, textiles, and museology; and second with KIIT Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Bhubaneswar, to identify, incubate, and mentor tribal entrepreneurs through capacity building, market linkages, and access to funding.
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri Jual Oram emphasized the urgent need for systematic documentation of tribal languages and dialects, many of which survive primarily through oral tradition, and stressed TRIs' crucial responsibility to engage with communities and share best practices across states. Minister of State Shri Durgadas Uikey highlighted that tribal development has become integral to India's journey towards Viksit Bharat@2047 through initiatives such as PM JANMAN, Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, and Eklavya Model Residential Schools, and called for research on emerging priorities including tribal livelihoods, women's empowerment, education, health, nutrition, climate resilience, digital inclusion, and Forest Rights Act implementation.
Dr. R. Balasubramaniam from NITI Aayog advocated for TRIs to evolve beyond conventional research bodies into policy think tanks and centers of excellence that capture tribal communities' voices and traditional wisdom, while emphasizing the importance of humanizing data despite AI's transformation of governance. Odisha Minister Shri Nityananda Gond recommended promoting modern research tools including digital documentation, GIS-based mapping, and AI-enabled analytics while ensuring tribal communities become active research partners.
Secretary Smt. Ranjana Chopra noted that while tribal development has traditionally focused on health, education, and infrastructure, there is equal need to strengthen institutions preserving tribal heritage and generating evidence for policymaking, acknowledging that many TRIs face challenges of human resources, institutional capacity, and domain expertise. The workshop included technical sessions with presentations by TRIs on their achievements and challenges, followed by four thematic breakout groups focusing on TRIs as Knowledge and Cultural Resource Centres; Research, Documentation and Evidence Generation for Tribal Development; Technology Integration, GIS, AI and Innovation; and Institutional Strengthening, Human Resources, Governance and Partnerships.
The workshop conclusions will include expert panel discussions on research ecosystems, institutional reforms, and digital transformation, culminating in the adoption of the Bhubaneswar Declaration and a shared roadmap for strengthening Tribal Research Institutes across India.