Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates National Tribal Research Institute

The institute will collaborate and network with reputed research institutes, universities, and organisations as well as academic bodies and resource centres.

After inaugurating NTRI, Amit Shah said the Narendra Modi government has brought the number of districts affected by Left-wing extremism in the country down by 70 per cent and the government has also lifted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from more than 66 per cent area in the Northeast and brought peace in the region.

Shah said the Northeast and the Left-wing extremism-affected areas in the country are tribal-dominated regions and security is a precursor to development there. “A secured northeast and a secured central India will pave the way for the development of tribals,” he added.

Shah said 8,700 untoward incidents took place in the Northeast between 2006 and 2014 when the Congress party was in power. This number has reduced to 1,700 under the Modi government, comparing eight years of both the dispensations. “Only 87 security personnel have lost their lives in the northeast under the Modi government as against 304 during the Congress rule. The number of civilian deaths has come down from 1,990 to 217,” he said.

Shah further said PM Modi has accorded top priority to research and education since he came to power. “Under the Congress government, in 2014, an amount of Rs.7 crore was set aside for this purpose. In 2022, we have kept Rs.150 crore for it. The Modi government has increased the budget for Eklavya residential schools from Rs.278 crore to Rs.1,418 crore in the current financial year,” he added.

He said tribal children can even bring Olympic medals as sports is a part of their traditions. “They are natural sportspersons and only need guidance, coaching, practice and a platform to showcase their talent. The Centre spends Rs.1.09 lakh on each tribal student studying in the Eklavya schools as against Rs.42,000 earlier,” he added.

Shah highlighted that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number of tribal MPs and ministers.