New Delhi [India]: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal to set up Central Tribal University in poll-bound Telangana by amending the Central Universities Act, 2009.
Briefing the media after a meeting of the union cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said after the formation of Telangana, there was a provision in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, that one Tribal University each would be established in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
"It was established in Andhra Pradesh in 2019, (but) it took a very long time to get land in Telangana. But now that land has been allotted, the Central government under the chairmanship of PM Modi has decided to open Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University in Telangana," Thakur said.
The government will introduce the Central Universities (Amendment), Bill, 2023 in Parliament to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009 for setting up of Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University at Mulugu district in Telangana.
There would be provision of funds of Rs. 889.07 crore to establish the university.
Officials said the new university will not only increase access and improve the quality of higher education in the state but also promote avenues of higher education and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in tribal art, culture and traditional knowledge system for the benefit of the tribal population in the state.
They said the new university will also create additional capacity and will strive to remove regional imbalances.
Answering queries, Thakur said there had been a delay in the allotment of land for the university.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who unveiled developmental projects worth over Rs 13,500 crore in Telangana's Mahabubnagar on Sunday, had said the Central government has decided to establish a Central Tribal University at a cost of about Rs 900 crore in the Mulugu district of the state
He took a dig at the BRS government in Telangana over the delay in allotment of land for the university.
"It would be named after the tribal goddesses Sammakka and Sarakka. This university could have been built years ago if the corrupt government here had shown interest in it. The state government kept postponing the work of giving land to the university for five years. This shows that the Telangana government does not care about tribal interests," the Prime Minister had said.
Telangana and four other states will go to the polls later this year.
—ANI