Jual Oram Reassumes Role As Tribal Affairs Minister, Prioritizes Education And Health

Veteran BJP leader Jual Oram, known as the country's first Tribal Affairs Minister, reassumed this role on Friday and emphasized that tribal education and health will be top priorities for the Modi government.

At 63, Oram secured his fifth term in the Lok Sabha by defeating BJD candidate and former Indian hockey captain Dilip Tirkey by 138,808 votes in Sundargarh, Odisha.

"This is my third time leading the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry. I thank Lord Jagannath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for entrusting me with this responsibility," Oram stated after taking charge.

Oram highlighted that tribal education and health will be the government's main focus areas.

"The major challenge in tribal areas is education. I appreciate PM Modi's efforts on this front. When I first met him during his initial term, he asked what was most important for tribals, and I said education," he recalled.

"We have established a strong education infrastructure with Eklavya Model Residential Schools, comparable to Kendriya Vidyalayas, and we aim to surpass them," he added.

"Health is the second priority in tribal areas. In Modi's third term, we will enhance the road, communication, and irrigation networks in tribal regions," the minister affirmed.