Prime Minister Modi to Inaugurate New Nalanda University Campus with Global Dignitaries in Attendance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar’s Rajgir on Wednesday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and ambassadors of 17 nations are also expected to attend the event. The new campus of the university is close to the site of the ancient ruins of Nalanda. This university was established through the Nalanda University Act, 2010, which was a decision arrived at the second East Asia Summit held in the Philippines in 2007. Nalanda University, established in the fifth century, attracted students from all over the world and flourished for 800 years before being destroyed by invaders in the 12th century. The new university started functioning in 2014 from a makeshift location with 14 students, and construction work on the university began in 2017. In addition to India, 17 other nations, including Australia, Bangladesh, China, and the USA, participate in the university through signed MoUs in support of the university. The university offers 137 scholarships to international students and has enrollment from a variety of countries such as Argentina, Ghana, and the USA. The university has six schools, with programs such as Buddhist Studies, Historical Studies, and Ecology and Environmental Studies.