Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Nalanda University campus on June 19, near the ancient ruins of the historically significant educational institution. The university is situated in Rajgir.
The ancient Nalanda University was one of the first residential universities in the world, attracting scholars from various regions, including China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Turkey and Sri Lanka. The revival of the university is seen as a way to honour and continue this legacy.
In 2006, the then-president APJ Abdul Kalam proposed reviving Nalanda University in an address to a joint session of the legislature in Bihar. The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar then came out supporting the project.
The Rajya Sabha passed The Nalanda University Bill on 21 August 2010. The Lok Sabha passed the bill on 26 August 2010. It received presidential assent, thereby becoming an Act. The university was officially established on 25 November 2010 upon implementing the Act.
The first batch of students enrolled in September 2014. The International Convention Centre in Rajgir initially served as its makeshift headquarters. The university is less than 20 kilometres from the Nalanda ruins – which in 2016 was declared a heritage site.
The new Nalanda University is an international institution with a focus on inter-Asian connections and cross-cultural exchange. The university has collaborations with several international institutions. It aims to foster global academic and cultural exchanges.
The sprawling campus is spread across an area of about 450 acres. The university was designed by the late celebrated architect Padam-Vibhushan BV Doshi. The university offers several courses in Hindu & Buddhist Studies, Comparative Religion, and Ecological and Environmental Studies.