Protect, improve traditional knowledge of northeast India: Patil

AGARTALA - President Pratibha Patil here Saturday made a fervent appeal for everyone to properly document, conserve and perfect the traditional knowledge of the northeast region of India.

“The northeastern states are known for their reservoirs of traditional knowledge in many areas. Efforts should be made to identify this knowledge, document it, conserve it and improve it,” Patil said here at the eighth convocation of the Tripura University.

Appreciating the best traditional techniques in northeast handicrafts, she said: “The universities and others (concerned) across the region can think of new manufacturing methods, design, product development to help artisans.”

The president was the chief guest at the convocation, which was attended by Tripura governor, chief minister and University Grants Commission chairman, among others.

Patil said: “The (Indian) government has launched a National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) to create 500 million skilled people by the year 2022.”

“This will help in training, establishing of standards and quality assurance and development of technology platforms,” she added.

To fulfill the objectives of the NSDM, the National Skill Development Corporation India (NSDC), a public-private partnership in India, was constituted during last financial year by the union Finance Ministry.

The president said: “Despite different cultural heritage of different communities and tribes in Tripura, through multifaceted interface they have mingled into a single whole, giving birth to a unique cultural genre, helping to forge a strong nation.”

Tripura University vice chancellor Arunoday Saha said that the varsity had proposed to confer Honoris Causa (honorary D.Litt degree) to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who could not attend the function due to assignments.

“We would hold a special convocation for awarding the D.Litt degree to Hasina in the future,” Saha said.

The Tripura University, which turned into a central university in July 2007, was set up in 1987.