SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has constituted an inter-departmental Working Group for the establishment of Tribal Research Institute, a premier institute of excellence in the field of tribal research and development to be funded by the Government of India. An order to constitute the Working Group has been issued by the General Administration Department based on the proposal moved by the Tribal Affairs Department.
The Working Group is headed by Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department who has also been designated as Director, Tribal Research Institute. The members of Working Group include Director, Archives, Archeology and Museums, J&K, Director, Libraries and Research, J&K, Director, Tribal Affairs Department, Representative HoDs from Kashmir University, Jammu University and BGSBU, to be nominated by the Chairman and Non-Official Experts to be nominated by the Chairman with the approval of Advisor.
The working group has been assigned to formulate broader coordination with stakeholder Organizations like Departments, Universities, NGOs and domain experts; devising a broader structure of roles and activities to be taken up by the Tribal Research Institute (T.R.I). It will also include the establishment of various Research and Development departments aimed at action research and advising on policy issues for the welfare of tribal communities.
Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department and Chairman, Working Group for the establishment of TRI, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary informed that Government envisages establishing a premier institute of excellence in research and development which will lay special focus on outcome evaluation and action research apart from active involvement in the planning process for the welfare of tribal communities in Jammu and Kashmir. He termed research and analysis as the bedrock of the planning and development process, which is mandatory to ensure the socio-economic and welfare of the tribal population through inter-departmental interventions and sectoral convergence.
The Tribal Research Institute is envisaged to be established as a Deemed University in due course of time, which will also offer specialised courses in various spheres of tribal life apart from the key focus on research studies, planning process, outcome analysis and evaluation studies. This year in the first phase of establishing the TRI will focus on quality education in tribal schools, modernisation of hostels, partnership linkages with national and international organisations.
The action research and evaluation studies approved by the Tribal Affairs Department for the current year also include development of a centralised portal for nomadic communities, mapping of highland pastures viz viz tribal camping and facilities assessment therein, socio-economic survey, documentation of nomadic tribes, tribal village development studies, Impact Assessment and Evaluation of SCA to TSS, Art 275 and Sectoral Outlays – Model Villages, Education, Healthcare, Livelihood, Rural Infrastructure etc and Other documentation, reports and surveys.
The Tribal Research Institute main complex is coming up in Srinagar while campuses of TRI are proposed to be established at Rajouri, Poonch and Jammu. Tribal research chairs are also proposed to be established at GDCT Jammu, Central University, Jammu and BGSB University Rajouri. TRI will also collaborate with SKUAST-J/K for farm and livestock husbandry research aimed at improving tribal farmers income through input interventions. It also aims to have robust coordination on various research aspects with Universities and research institutes in J&K and other states.
The annual awards for exceptional performance in the welfare and development of tribal communities will also be anchored with TRI. These awards are being instituted in the current year for recognising the contribution in the implementation of schemes of tribal welfare, administration, research, art, culture and other fields of excellence.
