A workshop organised by the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) in association with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) here on Friday stressed the need for launching science and technology tools for tribal development.
Inaugurating the programme, KSCSTE secretary S. Pradeep Kumar stressed the significance of including science and technology solutions for the comprehensive development of the tribal communities.
One of the major responsibilities of a civilised society is to uplift the marginalised sections to the mainstream, he said.
N. Anil Kumar, former executive director of MSSRF, said sustainable solutions through science and technology would lead to the development of the tribal communities. He pointed out five focus areas for tribal development such as human and natural resource capital, social capital, and physical and financial capital. A holistic approach that integrates both traditional know-how coupled with modern technology was the need of the hour, he added.
Dr. P. Harinarayanan, principal scientist, KSCSTE, spoke on the significance of the convergence of public and private sectors for tribal development.
The workshop discussed five major areas of tribal development such as agriculture, habitat, energy, education, and health. Stakeholders representing government departments, tribal leaders, key knowledge holders, and farmer representatives participated in the discussions.
Officials of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur; Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Kozhikode; and Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University also attended the programme.
