State’s first tribal university to be set up in Nashik
Currently, only two tribal universities are operative in India. They are the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University and the Central Tribal University
Mumbai: Maharashtra’s first university catering entirely to students from tribal communities will come up in Nashik district, according to a comprehensive roadmap prepared by the higher and technical education department. The roadmap was presented to the higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil during a meeting earlier this week.

Currently, only two tribal universities are operative in India. They are the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Madhya Pradesh and the Central Tribal University in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in Odisha operates as a tribal university. All the three institutes admit non-tribal students alongside students from tribal communities owing to lack of sufficient demand.
Keeping this in mind, the roadmap for Maharashtra’s first dedicated tribal university emphasises inclusivity and a tailored approach to tribal education. It says the university will require approximately 35,000 square meters of land and funds worth over ₹240 crore for campus construction, infrastructure development and operational expenses. It will employ 160 teaching and non-teaching staff and offer multidisciplinary academic and research opportunities, including undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programmes.
The university will host a wide array of academic departments and centers, said sources. They include engineering and environmental sciences, information and communication technology, ayurvedic sciences and public health, pharmacy, tribal studies, development studies, history, culture, gender studies, tribal languages and literature, performing arts, fine arts, cultural heritage, and agricultural sciences.
“By offering these diverse courses, the institution will become a hub for tribal education and research, enhancing opportunities for the tribal community to thrive academically and economically,” said an officer from the higher and technical education department.
Plans for the university are at a formative stage now and they will be firmed up based on feedback from a committee that is studying the feasibility of the proposal, the official added.
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