Nalanda's Revival: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially started the new campus of the reviving University

PM Modi inaugurated the new eco-friendly campus of the revived Nalanda University in Bihar, built at a cost of Rs 1,749 crore, near the ancient university ruins, reviving India's ancient center of learning.

In a path breaking event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of the reestablished Nalanda University on Wednesday which is a global sign of India’s emergence as an education powerhouse. This inauguration was done in front of other dignitaries from India as well as other parts of the world at the new university complex that was developed at the outskirts of the site of Nalanda University. 

Although earlier in the day the Prime Minister was taken for a round tour of the historic ruins of the university, which is a listed UNESCO monument, the Prime Minister was not left out as he was also able to tread on the same grounds as scholars of centuries back. The few remaining architectural monuments are the stupas, shrines and residential monasteries or viharas which give some clue to its glorious past as the monastic and educational hub of Nalanda attracting students and teachers from all the corners of the ancient world. 

With the cost of construction estimated at Rs 1,749 crore, the new ‘Net Zero’ campus envisions the modern manifestation of the ancient university of Nalanda. They include two 40 class academic blocks, which can take 1,900 students; two 300 seat auditoriums; 550 bed hostel; international center; open air 2000 seat theater; faculty club and a sports complex. 

On the occasion, PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of the Kanachur Medical College and also released a book ‘Nalanda Rejuvenation’ and also inaugurated ‘Nalanda International School’. External Affairs Minister S.  Jaishankar and heads of 17 international missions also attended the ceremony. 

New Nalanda University which was conceptualized with Indo- East Asia Summit (EAS) was planned to start from 2014 but could only start from a temporary campus with as many as 14 students. New campus construction began in 2017 and that is a new dawn for the institution that had existed for eight hundred years before it was burned down in twelfth century. 

The prime minister of India, Narendra Modi also blessed the occasion as he said that the reconstruction of Nalanda University is an indication of India’s spirit to regain its lost pride of knowledge and wisdom in the modern world. 

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The new campus of Nalanda University has all the necessary facilities and now with the vision of having global connections for the university it is already on the path of becoming one of the premier educational destinations for international students as was the earlier Nalanda University.