TribeX to offer UGC-recognised courses on tribal life, art, traditional knowledge
The tribal ministry plans to expand the catalogue to more than 100 certificate courses in the coming years
TribeX, a digital learning platform aimed at preserving, promoting and disseminating India’s tribal arts, languages, culture and traditional knowledge was launched on Tuesday.
The comprehensive digital learning ecosystem also offers free certificate courses as well as University Grants Commission (UGC)-recognised postgraduate diploma programmes focused on tribal languages, art forms, crafts and indigenous knowledge systems.
The platform was unveiled by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who said the first-of-its-kind initiative reflected the government’s commitment to preserving India’s tribal heritage while making authentic tribal knowledge accessible to learners across the world.
“The step is part of a broader push to harness technology for tribal empowerment. Digital technology could bridge geographical barriers, empower tribal communities and ensure that centuries-old knowledge systems continue to thrive in the modern era,” he said.
The minister also urged Tribal Research Institutes and Tribal Welfare Departments across states/Union territories to popularise the platform among universities, higher educational institutions, faculty members and students so that more learners could benefit from its courses.
A tribal ministry official said the initiative is designed to connect learners directly with tribal knowledge holders and master artisans while creating a digital archive of India’s diverse tribal traditions.
The platform currently hosts 20 free certificate courses covering subjects such as tribal paintings, handicrafts, handloom traditions, artefacts and musical instruments. The ministry plans to expand the catalogue to more than 100 certificate courses in the coming years.
TribeX offers five UGC-recognised one-year hybrid diploma programmes namely, Tribal Language: Santali (Ol Chiki); Sustainable Tribal Culture Based Livelihood Practices; Museology and Tribal Museum Management; Tribal Arts and Crafts of India; and Tribal Textiles.
“TribeX also features a heritage archive containing more than 5,000 multimedia resources, including audio recordings, videos and literature documenting tribal festivals, oral traditions and socio-cultural practices — with plans to expand the repository to over 10,000 resources,” the official added.
The ministry said TribeX is intended to serve as a one-stop digital platform for learning, documentation and preservation of tribal knowledge, with the long-term objective of positioning India’s indigenous heritage before a global audience while ensuring its transmission to future generations.
