RAJGIR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar's Rajgir on June 19. PM Modi unveiled a plaque at the new campus and also planted a sapling.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha and other delegates.
Moreover, ambassadors from 17 countries were also present in this high-profile event.
Prior to this, the Prime Minister also paid a visit to the ruins of ancient Nalanda, a UNESCO world heritage site, in Rajgir on June 19.
The ruins of ancient Nalanda comprises of the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution. It includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important artworks in stucco, stone and metal.
PM Modi expressed his delight on the occasion via a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
"It’s a very special day for our education sector. At around 10:30 AM today, the new campus of the Nalanda University would be inaugurated at Rajgir. Nalanda has a strong connect with our glorious past. This university will surely go a long way in catering to the educational needs of the youth," PM Modi's X post read.
India and East Asia Summit (EAS) countries have collaborated to establish the new campus of Nalanda University.
Notably, the ancient Nalanda University was founded approximately 1600 years ago and is recognized as one of the world's oldest residential universities which thrived for centuries before being destroyed in the 12th century.
The new campus will comprise of two academic blocks with 40 classrooms, accommodating around 1900 students, two auditoriums with a capacity of 300 seats each, and a student hostel which can house approximately 550 students.
Additionally, the new campus boasts an international center, an amphitheater for up to 2000 individuals, a faculty club, a sports complex, and various other facilities.
It is also worth mentioning that the state-of-the-art campus is designed as a 'Net Zero' Green Campus, equipped with solar plants, water treatment and recycling plants, 100 acres of water bodies, and numerous other eco-friendly amenities.
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