PM Modi inaugurates new campus of Nalanda University

New Delhi, June 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing his traditional spotless white Kurta donned with grey coloured Modi Jacket, inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University, an international institution near the ancient ruins of Nalanda in Rajgir, Bihar.

After inaugurating the new campus of Nalanda University, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked, “This is a significant step in India’s developmental journey. Nalanda is more than just a name; it is an identity and a source of pride. The closure of the ancient university pushed India into darkness.”

PM Modi expressed his delight at visiting Nalanda within ten days of being sworn in for his third term as Prime Minister. “Nalanda represents identity and respect. It proclaims a timeless truth: while books may burn in flames, the flames cannot destroy knowledge,” he said.

In his address, PM Modi emphasised that Nalanda symbolises India’s rich academic heritage and vibrant cultural exchange. He called for the revival of Nalanda’s ancient tradition. He highlighted that Nalanda is poised to become a centre for cultural exchange, with leading global institutions from ASEAN-India present, students from several countries enrolled, and representation from over 20 countries.

“The rebuilding of Nalanda will mark the beginning of a golden era for India,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This new campus and Nalanda’s reawakening will showcase India’s capabilities to the world.”

In his speech, PM Modi praised the educational institutions established during his previous two terms. “In the last 10 years, on average, one university has been built every week, and one ITI has been established every day in India. Additionally, two new colleges have been built every day on average. Today, there are 23 IITs in the country. There were only 13 IIMs, but now this number has increased to 21,” he highlighted.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also spoke, praising the university’s historical significance. Expressing his happiness at PM Modi’s visit, Kumar praised the new campus for its vast and scenic buildings and thanked the Prime Minister for his visit.

“Prime Minister Modi, you must have seen the vastness of the old Nalanda University campus. It had a glorious history, being identified as a centre of education in ancient times with around 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers,” he said.

Kumar noted the rich flora and fauna of Rajgir, an ancient site, and highlighted the planting of numerous trees in the area. He also mentioned Rajgir’s historical significance as a confluence of five religions: Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Islam, through the presence of the Sufi saint Muqdoom Sahib.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited the ancient ruins located less than 20 km from the campus ahead of inaugurating the campus. In a tweet message, the Prime Minister said, “Visiting the excavated remains of Nalanda was exemplary. It was an opportunity to be at one of the greatest seats of learning in the ancient world. The site offers a profound glimpse into the scholarly past that once thrived here. Nalanda has created an intellectual spirit that continues to thrive in our nation.”

The Prime Minister also planted a tree near the inaugural site where Bihar governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, chief minister Nitish Kumar and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar were also present along with the Prime Minister.

This is the Prime Minister’s first visit to Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s home turf after taking over as Prime Minister. Nitish’s political party is most important in the present NDA coalition government and the visit becomes more important as later in the year Bihar State will go to the polls.

The establishment of Nalanda University was initiated by the Parliament of India through the Nalanda University Act, 2010. This act was a result of the agreements made during the 2nd East Asia Summit (EAS) in the Philippines in 2007 and the 4th EAS in Thailand in 2009, aiming to create a global centre for intellectual, philosophical, historical, and spiritual studies. The site is also announced as a UN heritage site.

Just ahead of the inauguration, Prithe me Minister in a message on X said, “It is a very special day for our education sector. At around 10.30 Am today, the new campus of Nalanda University will be inaugurated at Rajgir. The university will surely go a long way in catering to the educational needs of the youth.”

The ancient university, one of the first great universities in recorded history flourished for 800 years before it was burnt down by invaders in the 12th century and there is a story that goes that Nalanda burnt for more than a month destroying approximately nine million books and manuscripts. Efforts are concentrated on preserving the cultural and architectural ethos of Nalanda Mahavihara, the renowned university from the 5th to 12th centuries AD, revered as one of the greatest centres of learning in ancient India.

The inauguration event was attended by the External Affairs Minister and 17 ambassadors from participating countries. Although the decision to establish the university was made in 2010, significant progress was made under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in 2014, reinforcing the vision of reviving the historical prominence of the ancient Nalanda University, which was originally established in the 5th century and attracted students worldwide before being destroyed in the 12th century.

Nalanda University began its operations in 2014 with 14 students at a temporary location, and construction of the new campus commenced in 2017. The university now includes participation from 17 other nations: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, all of which have signed MoUs in support of the institution.

The university offers 137 scholarships to international students, funded by the ASEAN-India Fund, BIMSTEC scholarships, and the Bhutan Scholarship by the Ministry of External Affairs. The university provides postgraduate and doctoral research courses, as well as short-term certificate courses.

The international students come from diverse countries, including Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, USA, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

Nalanda University comprises six schools:

l School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy & Comparative Religions

l School of Historical Studies

l School of Ecology and Environmental Studies

l School of Sustainable Development and Management

l School of Languages and Literature

l School of International Relations and Peace Studies (upcoming)

Additionally, the university has four centres:

l Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies

l Centre for Indo-Persian Studies

Centre for Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies

l Common Archival Resource Centre

The campus features two academic blocks with 40 classrooms seating a total of 1,890 students, two administrative blocks, two auditoriums seating over 300, student hostels for 550 students, and 197 academic residential units. Other facilities include a guest house, an international centre, a central dining hall for 1,000 individuals, an amphitheatre for 2,000 people, a 250-capacity Yoga centre, a sports complex, a medical centre, a commercial centre, and a faculty club.

Nalanda University is a ‘Net Zero’ green campus, equipped with a 6.5 MW DC on-grid solar plant, a 500 KLD water treatment plant, a 400 KLD wastewater recycling plant, and 100 acres of water bodies. A 1.2 MW AC biogas-based waste-to-energy plant is nearing completion. A library with a capacity of 300,000 books, serving up to 3,000 users, is scheduled for completion by September 2024.