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The two-day National Tribal Literary Festival, organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in New Delhi, concluded on 13 November 2026 under the theme From Oral Tradition to Contemporary Tribal Literature, with 27 languages represented.
Why in news
- PIB (14 November 2026) reported that the festival concluded on 13 November 2026 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, as part of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations.
- Sessions covered oral epics, oral traditions in multilingual education, and readings by emerging tribal writers and poets.
- The Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, spoke of sustainable platforms for tribal literature and authors writing in indigenous languages.
Fact table
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Organiser | Ministry of Tribal Affairs |
| Venue | India Habitat Centre, New Delhi |
| Concluded | 13 November 2026 |
| Theme | From Oral Tradition to Contemporary Tribal Literature |
| Languages | 27, including 23 tribal languages |
| Oral epics discussed | Gond Ramayana, Bhil Mahabharata, Khamba-Thoibi |
| Storytelling tradition | Wari Leeba (Manipur) |
| Initiative named | Living Roots Originals, with IPRS |
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- Oral epics such as the Gond Ramayana and Bhil Mahabharata preserve collective memory and identity of tribal communities.
- The speakers stressed documentation through audio-visual recording and community storytellers as custodians of heritage.
- Mother-tongue learning and indigenous knowledge in early childhood education were highlighted.
- The release names the Ministry guiding themes as Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and Vikas bhi, Virasat bhi, linked to the Viksit Bharat@2047 goal.
- The Secretary also spoke of a dedicated tribal literature section at the National Book Trust book fair at Pragati Maidan, to help tribal authors reach publishers and readers.
Uttar Pradesh angle
The supplied release does not mention Uttar Pradesh. For GS-V, the link is the oral and folk traditions of UP's tribal groups and the state's cultural heritage; no UP-specific figure or scheme is stated because the source gives none. Use the topic as a model for documenting local oral traditions and indigenous languages in the state. UPPSC aspirants should treat this as a current affairs topic for the Uttar Pradesh papers.
Likely confusions
- Living Roots Originals protects creative rights of tribal musicians and performers; it is not a literary prize.
- The festival is a Ministry event; it is not a Sahitya Akademi festival, though a former Sahitya Akademi Secretary moderated a session.
- Gond Ramayana and Bhil Mahabharata are community versions, not translations of the classical epics.
Key Terms
- Oral tradition
- Knowledge, stories and songs passed on by speech across generations.
- Living Roots Originals
- Initiative with IPRS to recognise and protect rights of tribal musicians and performers.
- IPRS
- Indian Performing Right Society.
- Wari Leeba
- Storytelling tradition of Manipur named in the release.
UPPSC syllabus: GS-I, GS-V
FAQs
What was the theme of the festival?
The theme was From Oral Tradition to Contemporary Tribal Literature.
Sources: PIB: National Tribal Literary Festival Concludes with Emphasis on Preserving Oral Traditions
Last verified: 2026-11-15
