For the first time after the Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Bihar to inaugurate the new campus of the Nalanda University on June 19. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will also be present at the event with the Nalanda district being his home turf.
The university is conceived as a joint collaboration between India and East Asia Summit (EAS) countries. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by several eminent personalities, including Head of Missions of 17 countries, a press release said.
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The university is steeped in history as the original Nalanda University, established around 1,600 years ago, was considered to be amongst the first residential universities of the world. In 2016, the ruins of Nalanda were declared as a UN Heritage Site.
According to information received from Bihar officials, Mr. Modi will fly to Gaya airport in the State from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and from Gaya, he will fly to Nalanda district. He will reach the venue, Sushma Swaraj Auditorium, by road to formally inaugurate the function. He will participate in an one-and-half-hour programme during which he will interact with students from India and abroad.
The campus has two academic blocks with 40 classrooms boasting a total seating capacity of around 1,900. It has two auditoriums having a capacity of 300 seats each and a student hostel to house around 550 students. Other facilities include the International Centre, amphitheatre that can accommodate up to 2,000 individuals, Faculty Club and Sports Complex.
It is also a “Net Zero” green campus which is self-sustainable with solar plant, domestic and drinking water treatment plant, water recycling plant for reusing wastewater, 100 acres of waterbodies, and many other environment-friendly facilities.
Mr. Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) is a crucial member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre after the Bharatiya Janata Party fell short of the majority. JD(U) leaders are excited about the PM’s visit and expect the PM to make crucial announcements for Bihar.
One of the long-pending demands of Bihar is to be accorded with Special Category status.
