Lok Sabha Debates
Need To Establish A Central Tribal University In Nowrangpur, Orissa. on 13 March, 2001
Title: Need to establish a Central Tribal University in Nowrangpur, Orissa.
SHRI PARSURAM MAJHI (NOWRANGPUR): Sir, the Tribal dominated undivided Koraput district, Orissa comprises of Nowrangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts. There is an urgent need for setting up a Central Tribal University. After fifty years of independence, this region is not at par with other districts of India. No other region’s literacy level is as low as that of Nowrangpur.
The literacy level of the people of Nowrangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada stands at 18.62 per cent, 24.64 per cent, 20.04 per cent and 26.01 per cent respectively as per 1991 Census. The literacy level of the tribals is far below than the general castes. The literacy of each and every tribe is below 15 per cent, and the female literacy is less than five per cent.
Therefore, the establishment of a Tribal University for this ‘most backward region of India’ would be the only panacea to combat with the monstrous illiteracy for which land and infrastructure would not be a major problem. Hence, I urge the Government to ponder over the socio-economic dynamics of the poor literacy of this region, and to take effective steps for the establishment of a ‘Central Tribal University’ in Nowrangpur parliamentary constituency.