National Monuments Authority Chairman requests President Murmu to establish NITD in Rairangpur

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: During a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan today National Monuments Authority Chairman Prof. Kishor Basa urged her to facilitate the establishment of a National Institute of Tribal Development (NITD) in Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj district.

Prof. Basa said Rairangpur’s strategic location and its proximity to tribal-dominated regions of Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal make it an ideal site for such an institute, which could function under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. He suggested that the proposed NITD be modelled on the National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad.

During the meeting, Prof. Basa, accompanied by his twin brother Ashok Basa, Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO),  also drew the President’s attention to the need for preserving the Jhumar song and dance tradition. He said Jhumar represents cultural integration across major regions of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Assam, and proposed the establishment of a National Centre for Jhumar at Baripada under the Ministry of Culture.

Prof. Basa further requested the Archaeological Museum at Khiching, currently under the Odisha government, be brought under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to ensure better preservation, display, and promotion of its heritage collections.

Water scarcity issue highlighted

During the discussion, Ashok Basa briefed the President about the growing global water scarcity crisis and highlighted the United Nations’ ongoing ‘Water Action Decade 2018–2028’. He cautioned India is facing an unprecedented water crisis, which could lead to a 6% loss in GDP by 2050. With India’s water demand projected to double the available supply by 2030, he stressed the urgency of effective governance and water resource management.

He urged the President to consider initiating a pilot project on water resource management in Odisha, proposing the creation of a State Water Management Authority responsible for restructuring water policy. He added a successful model in Odisha could be replicated across other states. A detailed memorandum addressed to the President was submitted in this regard.