Ranchi: Governor Droupadi Murmu has stressed on the higher representation of indigenous people in the teaching fraternity of higher educational institutions. Despite the provision of reservation, the number of faculty from this group is not satisfactory in the temples of higher learning. Educational institutions should guide, persuade and promote indigenous people for opting teaching and research career in universities, Murmu stressed.
She was addressing the International Aadivasi Day celebrations at Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) on Friday (August 9). This Day was started by the United Nations in 1994 for the protection and promotion of indigenous people. The present population of indigenous people in the world is about 370 million and they are living across 90 countries. They speak about 7,000 languages of the world and represent 5,000 different cultures.
The Governor urged the scientists to pay special attention to skill development in the animal husbandry sector because this sector is a major source of employment and income generation for tribes. She said since BAU VC Dr. RS Kureel has been a member of the National Education Policy Draft Committee, the interests of SC-ST communities, she hoped, will be well taken care of in the education sector.
Earlier, she also laid the foundation stone of Tribal Agricultural Art & Culture Museum to be constructed on BAU campus.
BAU Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ram Shankar Kureel said indigenous people constitute 8.6 percent population of India and their number is about 10.5 crore. Nearly 15 percent of land of the country belongs to indigenous people but 52 percent of them live below the poverty line and 54 percent of them don’t have a regular source of income and employment. The Central and state governments have launched a number of welfare and development programmes for them but the desired benefit is not reaching to them due to lacunae in implementation. Gone are the days when they were dependent on forest produce like tendu leaves, resins and gums, now they are part of the mainstream and contributing a lot in the country’s development.
Kanke MLA Dr. Jitu Charan Ram said indigenous people are pioneers in protection and promotion of art, culture and environment. BAU Registrar Dr. Narendra Kudada proposed a vote of thanks.
Fourteen tribal farmers viz Birbal Oraon, Seema Devi, Vijay Singh, Usha Devi (Garhwa), Topan Mai Tudu (Sahebganj), Lagen Murmu (Dhanbad), Somesh Tiggi (Saraikela), Basant Soren (Simdega), Amrita Murmu (East Singhbhum), Vakeel Oraon (Chatra), Bangra Munda and Subodhini Devi (Lohardaga), Tarkeshwar Singh Palamu) and Jhari Munda (Ranchi) were felicitated by the Governor with shawl, memento and mango sapling for their exemplary contribution and innovative practices in farming.