PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University

NALANDA (BIHAR): On June 19, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar. He unveiled a plaque at the new campus and planted a sapling. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were also present at the moment. Apart from them, ambassadors from 17 countries also attended the event.

The inauguration happened with a high security arrangement. PM Modi walked through the historical campus and tried to view the ancient Indian historical building minutely. He was briefed about the ancient ruins by Gautami Bhattacharya, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI Patna Circle.

PM Modi wrote in a post on X before to his visit to Nalanda today, “It’s a very special day for our education sector. 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”.

Nalanda University is located in Nalanda district’s Rajgir, in the state of Bihar. This was established to emulate the ancient university of Nalanda, which functioned between the 5th and 13th centuries. The concept for the rebirth of Nalanda University was put forward by Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam in a speech to the Joint Session of the Bihar Vidhan Mandal in 2006. A bill to establish a new university was passed by the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 2007. The Rajya Sabha passed the Nalanda University Bill, 2010 on August 21, 2010, while the Loksabha passed it on August 26, 2010. On September 21, 2010, the law obtained presidential assent, becoming an act. The Act’s implementation on November 25, 2010, marked the university’s official founding date.