Seminar highlights role of technology in sustainable tribal development

As part of the ‘Janjatiya Garima Utsav’ celebrations, the Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (KIRTADS) on Friday (May 15, 2026) organised a one-day seminar on ‘Tech-driven sustainable Scheduled Tribe development in the era of AI’. The sessions focussed on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in strengthening tribal development initiatives and improving livelihoods.

KIRTADS Director S. Bindu, who inaugurated the seminar, stressed the need to integrate AI and other modern technologies into development planning to promote sustainable progress and improve the quality of life of tribal communities. P. Sasikumar, Assistant Director (Sub Plan Cell), Directorate of ST Development, presided over the session.

A series of technical sessions was held under the leadership of a five-member panel. The discussions covered AI-driven mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, socio-economic planning for tribal welfare, inclusive digital technologies for empowerment, cyber security, and preservation of tribal languages through AI.

The programme coordinators said 73 participants, including officials from the ST Development department and representatives of tribespeople, attended the sessions. K.S. Pradeepkumar, Deputy Director (Training), KIRTADS, welcomed the resource persons and participants.