Kokrajhar, March 17: A UGC-sponsored national seminar stressed the need for education to lift the socio-economic condition of the indigenous communities of the state.

The seminar, organised by and held today at Kokrajhar Commerce College on the topic, transition in education and its impact on the socio-economic development in the tribal community”, was conducted by Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) education director Rabi Sangkar Borgoyary.

Shudakar Panda, chairman of Orissa Finance Commission, attended the seminar as the chief resource person.

He said education was a significant input for the socio-economic development of the indigenous community and the higher educational institutions are the key bodies in promoting the process of national development through their programmes of teaching and research.

Panda said education involved transference of knowledge and values accumulated by mankind to others.

“Indigenous communities are, from all points of view, are at a disadvantage in terms of income, education and social development. If the government takes a comprehensive approach to these problems, beginning with education and health and subsequently takes care of training component, empower and extend facilities to these groups, definitely there will be a positive impact on the development of the indigenous communities,” Panda said.

He said in order to survive the present and future challenges, the community must find new ways to extend modern education, health and sanitation to the upcoming students and generations.

Panda urged the ministry concerned to provide higher education and encourage the students to cope with the present day education system.

“Training facilities for their skill formation in areas which are in demand, particularly in service sectors, manufacturing sectors and real estate sectors needs to be provided,” Panda said.

Panda said the problem on the transition of education is because the schools, colleges and universities are commercialised and the government schools, too, have deteriorated in the present days. This is why students belonging to the indigenous communities cannot afford to take up higher education.

Ratneswar Devnath, principal of Kokrajhar Commerce College, chaired the seminar.

Borgoyary, inaugurating the seminar, said education was the main weapon of social changes in the modern age.

Among others who attended the seminar included professor Dilip Baruah of Gauhati University, retired principal of Kokrajhar District Institute of Education And Training, Chanakya Brahma, R.N. Sinha, principal of Kokrajhar Science College, and Rupam Kumar Brahma, principal of Kokrajhar Girls College.