Central University of Odisha bags ICSSR research projects on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups

The Central University of Odisha (CUO), Koraput, has secured four major research projects from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi, under a special call for multidisciplinary studies on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of India.

Eight faculty members from the University are part of the research teams, and CUO will collectively receive funding of over ₹60 lakh for the projects.

Advertisement

Dr. Prasant Kumar Behera, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, is the Project Director of a study titled “From Sacred Walls to Producers’ Doors: Livelihood Dynamics, Cultural Heritage, and Sustainability through GI-Tagged Idital Art of the Lanjia Saura Community of Odisha.”

Another project, “Documenting and Translating the Cultural Heritage of the Lanjia Saora PVTG: Art, Folktales, and Folksongs from Rayagada District, Odisha,” is being led by Dr. Nirjhariny Tripathy, Associate Professor, Department of English, as Project Director, with Dr. Nesha Sabar, Assistant Professor, Department of English, serving as Co-Project Director.

The project titled “Indigenous Family Wisdom and Social Resilience: A Comparative Ethnographic Study of Kutia Kondh, Chuktia Bhunjia, and Didayi Communities in KBK Odisha” has been awarded to Dr. Avijit Pandit, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, as Project Director. The Co-Project Directors are Dr. Gurjeet Singh Walia, Associate Professor, and Dr. Rahil Chauhan, Assistant Professor, both from the Department of Education.

In addition, Dr. Sourav Gupta, Associate Professor, Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, is leading the project “Digital Inclusion and Socio-Cultural Transformation among the Didayi Tribe of Odisha: An Empirical Assessment of ICT Interventions,” with Dr. Minati Sahoo, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, as Co-Project Director.

Vice-Chancellor )in-charge) of the University Prof. N.C. Panda congratulated the faculty members on what he described as an unprecedented achievement. “CUO was established in the tribal heartland of Koraput with a mandate to foster research in tribal studies. I am grateful to the Ministry of Education and ICSSR for providing our researchers an opportunity to serve the cause of tribal communities in Odisha,” he said.

The University established in 2009 currently runs 20 departments and attracts students and scholars from across the country to its scenic campus in Koraput.