The new campus of Nalanda University, an international University, is close to the site of the ancient ruins of Nalanda in Rajgir, Bihar. PM visited the ancient ruins of Nalanda and planted a sapling of Bodhi tree in the campus brought from Bodh Gaya. The ruins of ancient Nalanda University in Bihar was declared as the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 2016. The Parliament of India established the Nalanda University through the Nalanda University Act, 2010.
The Act formed the basis for implementing the decisions arrived at the second East Asia Summit (EAS) (Philippines, 2007) for the establishment of the university as an “international institution for pursuit of intellectual, philosophical, historical and spiritual studies” and at the forth East Asia Summit (Thailand, 2009). It started functioning in 2014 from a makeshift location with 14 students, the construction work started in 2017.
Guests
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and 17 Ambassadors from
participating countries attended the event.(Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.)
These countries have signed MoUs in support of the University
Bihar Governor : Rajendra Arlekar
Chief Minister : Nitish Kumar
Deputy CMs : Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha
Nalanda University Chancellor : Arvind Panagariya § Interim Vice-Chancellor : Abhay Kumar Singh
Founding and early days of Nalanda University
In 2007, following former President APJ Abdul Kalam’s suggestion, the Bihar assembly passed a bill to establish a new university. Operating from a temporary location since September 1, 2014, with 14 students, the university in Rajgir was inaugurated by former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in 2014. In 2016, former President Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone for the permanent campus in Pilkhi village, Rajgir, with construction starting in 2017.
About the New Nalanda Campus
The design and architectural elements of the new 455-acre campus are inspired by the original monasteries and buildings at the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara. The new campus is also a ‘Net Zero Green Campus’ and includes over 100 acres of water bodies (Kamal Sagar ponds), an on-grid solar plant, a domestic and drinking water treatment plant, and a water recycling plant for reusing wastewater as well as over 100 acres of green cover. The University also has a 250-capacity Yoga Center, a state-of -the-art auditorium, library, an archival centre and a fully equipped sports complex.
The University places emphasis on higher education and research, and offers Post Graduate and Doctoral programs in Buddhist studies, philosophy & comparative religions; languages and literature; ecology and environmental studies; sustainable development and environment; and, international relations and peace studies. At present, students from over 20 countries, including India, are enrolled in various courses at the University.
Ancient Nalanda University
Originally founded in 427 CE by Emperor Kumaragupta. The first attack occurred between 455 and 470 AD when the Hunas, a Central Asian tribal group, invaded Nalanda during the reign of Emperor Samudragupta . The second attack transpired in the early 7th century when Goudas Rajvansh, the emperor of Bengal, targeted Nalanda due to political tensions with Emperor Harshavardhana of Kannauj. In 1193 AD, Nalanda University suffered a devastating attack by Bakhtiyar Khilji, a general serving under Qutubuddin Aibak. Aryabhata, the father of Indian mathematics, is speculated to have headed the university in the 6th century CE.
The first residential university in the world was at its zenith, as it boasted an impressive roster of 2,000 teachers and 10,000 students from far-flung regions like China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. The university’s library, a treasure trove of 9 million handwritten palm-leaf manuscripts, was the world’s richest repository of Buddhist knowledge – known as “Dharma Gunj,” or the “Mountain of Truth,”. Nalanda was rediscovered in 1812 by Scottish surveyor Francis Buchanan-Hamilton and later identified as the ancient university by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1861.
Nice 👍