The Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) of KISS Deemed to be University was constituted on 19th July 2021. It comprises persons of eminence from various tribal communities who advise the University leadership on matters pertaining to the welfare and advancement of the students in KISS-DU and for overall institutional development. Dr Kanhu Charan Mahali, a former IPS officer, is the Chairperson of the TAC. The members come from various walks of life such as academics, public service and social work. They have all been deeply associated with the Tribal people and have in-depth knowledge of the Tribal communities of Odisha, their unique cultures and their challenges.
The TAC has conducted four quarterly meetings, passing 61- resolutions. They have all been approved by the Board of Management of KISS Deemed to be University. Several recommendations of the Council have already been implemented. The most innovative among these is the engagement of 14 Professors of Practice, who happen to be masters in their respective fields/domains of indigenous knowledge without any or little formal education. Three Research Chairs have been instituted in KISS-DU. Those are Birsa Munda, Sahid Laxman Naik and Pandit Raghunath Murmu. A working committee has been constituted for the promotion, protection and preservation of tribal cultural diversity and heritage.
Recommendations lined up for implementation include the installation of a statue of Pandit Raghunath Murmu on the KISS-DU campus, the introduction of M.A. in Santali language, the establishment of a herbal/ medicinal garden, strengthening the Mother tongue-based multilingual pedagogy lab with more equipment and personnel and the launch of a multidisciplinary Agro Polytechnic degree/ Diploma course covering Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Pisciculture.
