Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University today. The event was attended by several dignitaries including Bihar Governor Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Bihar Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of State for External Affairs Shri Pabitra Margherita and also Chancellor of the University Prof. Arvind Panagariya.
Nalanda University is located near Rajgir in Bihar. During the inauguration, The Prime Minister also planted a Bodhi tree on the campus, symbolizing enduring Buddhist heritage and Indian spirituality.
Nalanda University (NU) was established by an Act of the Parliament of India.
Nalanda University Act
The Act provides the basis for implementing the decisions taken at the Second East Asia Summit (EAS) (Philippines, 2007) and the Fourth East Asia Summit (Thailand, 2009) to establish NU.
While the Nalanda University Act was pass by Parliament in 2010, the real impetus for the project’s construction came under the direction of PM Shri Narendra Modi, when the current project began in 2017. The University embodies India’s ‘Act East’ policy.
New campus of Nalanda University Objective
To revive the ancient glory of historic Nalanda as an international institution for intellectual, philosophical, historical and also spiritual studies.
Nalanda University emphasizes higher education and research and offers postgraduate and doctoral programs in Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religion; Language and Literature; Ecology and Environmental Studies; Sustainable Development and Environment; and, International Relations and Peace Studies.
The design and architectural elements of the new 455-acre campus are inspire by the original monasteries and buildings of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara. The new campus is also a ‘Net Zero Green Campus’ and comprises over 100 acres of green space along with a water body (Kamal Sagar Pond), an on-grid solar plant, a domestic and drinking water treatment plant, and a water recycling plant for reuse of wastewater. The university also has a 250-capacity yoga centre, a state-of-the-art auditorium, a library, an archival centre, and a fully equipped sports complex.
Currently, students from more than 20 countries, including India, are enroll in various courses at the university. Apart from India, there are 17 partner countries in this effort – Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Ambassadors of these countries visited Nalanda to attend the inaugural ceremony.