Nalanda University

The Prime Minister recently inaugurated the campus of Nalanda University in Rajgir, Bihar, aimed at reviving the legacy of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara.

About the Nalanda University:

• The new Nalanda University serves as a center for inter-civilizational dialogue and is located near the ruins of ancient Nalanda.
• It was established under the Nalanda University Act 2010, following a decision made at the 2nd East Asia Summit (EAS) in the Philippines in 2007.
• The campus is designed as a ‘Net Zero’ Green Campus.

About ancient Nalanda Mahavihara:

• The ancient Nalanda Mahavihara, founded in the 5th century CE by Kumargupta I of the Gupta Dynasty, was the world’s first residential university, attracting scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, and Southeast Asia.
• It enjoyed the patronage of the Pala dynasty and remained a renowned Buddhist educational institution until its destruction during the Turko-Afghan conquest in the 12th century CE.
• It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2016.