Gandhinagar: Gujarat Assembly today passed a bill for setting up Birsa Munda Tribal University at Rajpipla in Narmada district of Central Gujarat.

Tribal development minister Ganpat Vasava while moving this bill for 90 lakh tribal population of State said the new university will offer graduation, post graduation, diploma and certificate courses covering the subjects of Arts, Commerce, Science, traditional art, skill, herbal medicine knowledge, Sanskrit and more.

Vasava said when Shri Narendra Modi became Chief Minister of Gujarat, the State had only 15 universities. Today Birsa Munda Tribal University is going to become 62nd university of Gujarat. He said BJP government has started 292 educational institutes in Gujarat. World’s tallest statue is also coming up in tribal area near which the new university will be set up.

He said the state government has already allocated land for new university at Rajpipla. In present financial year, initial allocation of Rs 2 crore has been made while in upcoming financial year Rs 22 crore budget has been allocated for this university. Distant learning center, research center, career counseling, job placement, extension education, marketing-management training center for forest produce, global level library, laboratory etc facilities will be created in the new university which will be headed by State Governor as Chancellor. The bill has provision that if found suitable, the Schedule Tribe person will be made Vice Chancellor of proposed university in priority.

He said Gujarat has 90 lakh tribal population. In year 2001 literacy rate in Gujarat was 69.10% while in Schedule Tribes it was 47.70%. In 2011 the figures have gone up to 76% and 62.50% respectively.

DeshGujarat