Serving at the National Tribal Research Institute with a focus on evidence-based research, policy support, and capacity building to advance inclusive and sustainable tribal development across India. Core work spans research coordination with State TRIs, capacity development for officials and community leaders, cultural documentation, and knowledge dissemination to inform governance and welfare int
erventions for Scheduled Tribes. Key Themes
Decentralization and tribal self‑governance, including PESA and governance in Fifth Schedule areas to strengthen local institutions and rights-based administration.
Sustainable tribal development and livelihoods, with emphasis on entrepreneurship, minor forest produce value addition, and participatory village development planning.
Women’s empowerment and social protection, integrating legal literacy on FRA, PoA Act, and access to welfare and market opportunities.
Language and culture preservation, including documentation, archives, and programmes that showcase and sustain living heritage and oral traditions.
Research excellence and policy translation, through guidelines-driven studies, CoEs, and a national portal that tracks sanctioned projects and progress
Projects and Platforms
National Tribal Research Portal: A unified dashboard enabling TRIs, CoEs, and recognized institutes to manage research proposals, sanctioned projects, and quarterly progress for transparency and coordination.
Research and Documentation: Studies aligned to ministerial guidelines covering socio‑economic baselines, cultural repositories, and program evaluations that feed into evidence‑based planning and legislation at state and national levels.
Cultural and Knowledge Repositories: Concurrent documentation of performances, exhibitions of films and documentaries, and outreach enabling cultural continuity and livelihoods for artists and artisans
Leadership Note
Under the strategic guidance of the Special Director, Prof. Nupur Tiwary, the portfolio emphasizes high-impact research translation, capacity development, and stakeholder convergence to advance equitable, culturally grounded tribal development outcomes.
Institutional Role
NTRI operates as the national link institution with 27+ State TRIs, universities, line departments, and civil society partners to mainstream tribal perspectives in policy, legislation, and implementation while strengthening institutional ecosystems at all levels.
Focus in Role
Programme stewardship across research, training, and cultural initiatives; partnership development with TRIs/CoEs; and knowledge-to-policy workflows that elevate community voices and protect linguistic and cultural diversity while enabling sustainable livelihoods.
