Odisha to set up academic centre, language lab for promotion of tribal languages, culture

The Odisha government-run Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture (ATLC) has decided to set up an academic centre and language laboratory dedicated to the development of tribal languages and culture.

Nityananda Gond, Minister of ST and SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department, has directed the setting up of the new academic centre and language laboratory as part of the department's 100-day plan, an official statement on Friday said.

According to the minister, the centre and language laboratory will come up at Gothapatna on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, near the proposed Adivasi Bhawan. 

The centre will serve as a multipurpose venue for meetings, conferences, shows, and exhibitions of tribal art and culture, the statement added.

ATLC, a premier autonomous institution under the ST, SC Development Department, was previously known as the Academy of Tribal Dialects and Culture (ATDC). 

Established in 1979, it was later rechristened as ATLC during 2007-2008 and currently operates from the Adivasi Exhibition Ground in Bhubaneswar.