The Hon’ble Governor of Chhattisgarh, Shri Ramen Deka, launched the Centre for Culture
Language, and Traditions (CCLT) at Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai in the presence of
Prof Rajiv Prakash, Director IIT Bhilai on Monday, 9 December 2024. The programme was
held at the Nalanda Hall in the institute campus from 11 am to 12.30 pm. This Centre has
been established to incubate research on cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge, endangered
languages, and sustainable development. The Centre will work to foreground the linguistic
diversity, cultural pluralism, ecological wisdom, and collective memory of Chhattisgarh in
particular and India at large.
The Hon’ble Governor unveiled the logo of the Centre in the launch event. This unique logo
incorporates the heritage of the peoples of Chhattisgarh, honouring the artistic traditions and
craftsmanship of janjatiya communities. Two project reports, titled Heritage Appreciation of
Barsur: Perspectives on History, Architecture, and Tourism and Augmenting Livelihoods
through GI: A Case Study on Chhattisgarh, were also released by the Hon’ble Governor in
the programme. Shri Vivek Acharya, IFS, Managing Director, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board,
and Shri Manivasagan S., IFS, Executive Director, Chhattisgarh Minor Forest Produce
Federation, also graced the occasion for the launch of the reports. Hon’ble Governor also
visited an exhibition of the janjatiya handicrafts of Chhattisgarh which was also organised as
part of the programme.
Speaking in his address at the occasion, Prof Rajiv Prakash, Director, IIT Bhilai informed
that the Centre is envisaged as an interdisciplinary centre of excellence to accelerate socially
impactful, action-oriented research. He said that the state of Chhattisgarh offers a dynamic
field full of possibilities for the Centre to explore in the domains of heritage and indigenous
knowledge systems, and acknowledged and appreciated the support which IIT Bhilai has
consistently received from the Government of Chhattisgarh in conducting socially relevant
research. Hon’ble Governor in his address observed that India is fortunate to be amongst the
oldest continuing civilisations in the world, and that the roots of Indian philosophy, art, and
architecture go back millennia. He noted that it is a matter of satisfaction that IIT Bhilai is
working closely with the Government of Chhattisgarh in undertaking research on issues of
socio-economic importance, and expressed confidence that this synergy between IIT Bhilai
and the Government of Chhattisgarh will increase manifold in the future.
The establishment of the Centre for Culture, Language, and Traditions at IIT Bhilai is a
significant milestone in the development of not only the institute but the research and policy
ecosystem in the state of Chhattisgarh. The Centre will work to position IIT Bhilai as a
leading global centre for excellence in research on issues of topical relevance to society at
large keeping in mind the shared and collective vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.