The government has agreed in principle to set up a National Research Centre on tribal issues in Odisha. All national level research studies and seminars on the subject are to be organised at the proposed centre.

In a written answer, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Mansukhbhai Vasava informed the Lok Sabha today that his Ministry has declared the Odia Department of Visva-Bharati at Santiniketan in West Bengal as a Centre of Excellence in the field of tribal literature and language. About three crore rupees has been sanctioned for the Centre to focus on compiling tribal literature.