Department of Tribal Studies :

The tribes and their tracts constitute very significant parts of India, comprising about 8.13 per cent and 18.70 per cent of the population and the area of the country, respectively. Beginning with anthropological interest of studying tribes, frontiers of knowledge in the subject has expanded across disciplines and beyond with a wide range of academic engagements over the years. However, time has come, when it is essential that Tribal Studies evolve as a subject of its own critically dealing with theoretical, conceptual and empirical issues of tribes and their development with a strong theory, policy and practice perspective. The Department of Tribal Studies in this University came up in 2015 and offers Post Graduate Degree in Tribal Studies, PG Diploma in Museology and Conservation and Doctoral Degree. The Department also undertakes policy oriented programmes and projects on environmental and developmental problems of the tribes across India and try evolve packages and delivery systems for sustainable development of the tribes in harmony with their ecology, economy and culture. The Department is developing a Pan-Indian Tribal Museum; till to date, over 1000 items of immense cultural value of tribal communities across the country are collected and displayed in the museum. Conducting conferences, seminars, workshops on regular basis is another activity of the Department.

The major academic objectives of the Department are as follows:

• To become a premier centre for tribal education, training, research, consultancy and extension activities, documentation and preservation of tribal cultures. • To disseminate advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in tribal art, tradition, culture, language, customs related to the tribal communities; to collaborate with national and international universities and organizations, especially for undertaking socio-cultural studies and research on tribal communities.