Central University of Odisha launches medicinal plant initiative to promote tribal livelihoods

Koraput, Nov. 12: A medicinal plant garden featuring more than 300 varieties was inaugurated at the Central University of Odisha (CUO), Koraput on Thursday to conserve indigenous bioresources and promote traditional tribal healing practices.

Named ‘Parashar Tribal Medicinal Plant Garden’, the facility was inaugurated during the launch of a two-day initiative titled ‘Integrated Conservation, Agro-technology & Bioresource Enterprise Development for Sustainable Tribal Livelihoods’.

Supported by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the project is being implemented by the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow. It aims to conserve medicinal plant biodiversity, document indigenous knowledge and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for tribal communities.

An exhibition showcasing rare medicinal plants and traditional healing practices of Koraput was organised alongside the inauguration. Local tribal healers demonstrated their knowledge and expertise, while around 25 traditional healers from the district attended the programme and were felicitated.

16 tribal hotspots identified

Manish Thakur, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, who attended the event as chief guest, said 16 tribal hotspots had been identified across the country, including three in Odisha — Koraput, Kandhamal and Balangir.

The initiative seeks to conserve rare medicinal plants, document traditional healing practices and develop sustainable livelihood opportunities through cultivation and bioresource-based enterprises. Officials expressed hope that tribal communities would gradually evolve into self-sustaining institutions.

Scientific documentation stressed

CUO Vice-Chancellor Ajit Kumar Shasany emphasised the need to scientifically document the knowledge of tribal healers and conserve endangered medicinal plants for future generations. He called for institutional, technical and financial support to promote medicinal plant nurseries and large-scale cultivation.

CSIR-NBRI principal investigator Sharad Srivastava said the media could play an important role in communicating the project's objectives to potential beneficiaries.
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The broader three-year initiative envisages community nurseries, seed banks, scientific propagation of threatened medicinal species and capacity-building for tribal farmers, women and rural youth.

The programme was organised as part of the Janajatiya Gaurav Divas Pakhwada, commemorating the birth anniversary of tribal icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

The two-day event will include awareness sessions, field visits to medicinal plant sites and interactions with tribal communities, with a focus on linking traditional knowledge with conservation and livelihood development.