(a) whether the Government has reopened the Nalanda University;
(b) if so, the details thereof, amount allocated for re-establishing the University, its salient features, courses offered, etc. and the steps taken to maintain its sanctity;
(c) whether it is proposed to bring the University at par with international standards; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the concrete steps taken/proposed to be taken in this direction?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) Nalanda University (established under the Nalanda University Act, 2010) was inaugurated by the External Affairs Minister on 19 September, 2014 in Rajgir.
(b) Teaching in the School of Historical Studies and the School of Ecology and Environment Studies has commenced on 1 September, 2014 from a temporary campus. Construction of University`s campus on the 455 acres land provided by the Government of Bihar in Rajgir will begin soon. Schools on Linguistics and Literature; Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions; Economics and Management; International Relations and Peace Studies; and Information Sciences and Technology will be started in phased manner. The Government of India has allocated a sum of Rs. 2727.10 crore to meet University`s capital and recurring expenditure during its establishment phase from 2010-11 to 2021-22. The Regulations, Statutes and Annual Accounts of the University are laid in Parliament.
(c) The Nalanda University Act, 2010 was enacted to implement the decisions arrived at the 2nd and 4th East Asia Summits (held in the Philippines and Thailand respectively) for the establishment of Nalanda University in the State of Bihar as an international institution and declared it to be an institution of national importance.
(d) The University`s Governing Board includes educationists from various countries. A number of foreign dignitaries are members of its International Advisory Panel. Ten participating countries of the East Asia Summit and two other countries are signatories to the inter-governmental Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Nalanda University, at present. China, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Australia and Japan have offered contributions towards the development of Nalanda University. The University has academic cooperation with institutions from USA, Thailand, China, Japan, Singapore and France. The Ministry of External Affairs has offered scholarships to students from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. The University has attracted foreign students and faculty members. Linkages with foreign countries and their educational institutions are part of University`s constant endeavour to bring it at par with international standards.