Central Tribal University To Get Additional 200-Acres, Decks Cleared for Permanent Campus

 Hyderabad: Hurdles have been cleared for the construction of the long-pending permanent campus of the Central Tribal University in Telangana, as the state government has identified an additional 221-acre land parcel in Mulugu district.

The state Cabinet is expected to approve the handover of the land to the Centre during its meeting on October 26, marking a crucial step forward after a decade-long delay caused by the previous BRS government's failure to transfer the necessary land.

The Centre initially sought over 500 acres for the university, but the state government was able to allocate only 300 acres in December 2023. Now, with the identification of an additional 221-acre land near the previously allotted land, the university project is finally moving ahead.

In December 2023, Parliament passed the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023, facilitating the establishment of the Central Tribal University in Telangana. Since then, the Centre has launched the university’s academic activities from a temporary building in Jakaram village, located seven kilometres from the Mulugu district headquarters. For the current academic year, the university is offering undergraduate courses in English and Economics, overseen by the University of Hyderabad (UoH).

Plans are underway to establish 11 departments and expand the university’s offerings to include undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs. The construction of the permanent campus is expected to accelerate with the state government’s approval of the additional land.

According to official sources, panchayat raj and rural development minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka), who represents the Mulugu Assembly constituency, formed a committee led by the Mulugu district collector to identify suitable land for the university. After identifying the site, the proposals were submitted to Seethakka, who then met with Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. Ponguleti approved the land allotment, which is now awaiting the Cabinet’s formal nod.

The establishment of the Central Tribal University was promised to both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as part of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. While Andhra Pradesh saw its Central Tribal University established in Vizianagaram in 2019, Telangana has faced delays due to issues with land identification and transfer.