China Efforts to Reviving Buddha Nalanda University

The Times of India ran a news item, on Nov 16th, about China giving a cheque of $ 1 million in the efforts to revive the Nalanda University. This marked the first donation for the ambitious project to rebuild a university in place of the one that was destroyed several centuries ago. Founded in the fifth century, Nalanda was a renowned centre of learning when Europe was still in its dark ages, drawing scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey. Over 2000 professors instructed around 10,000 students in religious studies, medicine, mathematics, astronomy and politics. It was burnt to the ground by Bakhtiyar Khilji''''''''s troops invading the nation in the 12th century.

Dubbing it as the “Icon of Asian Renaissance”, the Economic Times mentions that its revival would come as India and China lay claim to being the economic superpowers of the future. The revival is taking place under an international initiative by the East Asia Summit, a bloc of which India is a member, with the Ministry of External Affairs being actively involved in the ambitious project. Interestingly, in 2006 a New York Time’s article, referring to this Summit, wrote” It is a topic unlikely to receive much mention in the Western press”. Some more has changed in the economic strength of the countries in the East Asia block, since then.

Truly, the rebuilt Nalanda University can revive Asia region’s underlying cultural heritage, establish stronger peaceful links among peoples and cultures from the past, and take Asia’s soft power of influence and attraction to a new level. The West has claimed a long tradition of its ancient Greek and Roman roots. This project, can give Asia a springboard to develop a claim to an earlier tradition based on global tolerance and coexistence of different thought streams. While focusing on Buddhist studies the university emphasized a thorough understanding of the six earlier darshana schools of thought - the angles to view knowledge from.

In a speech to the Asia Society in September this year, Noble Peace Winning Amartya Sen who is heading the Nalanda University project spoke eloquently about the ethos of the original University. These, when cultivated in a revived University can uniquely differentiate it from any other global institution today — a) an institution devoted to religious reconciliation b) Health care system that considers affordability and c) Balancing economic prosperity with environmental consequences of growth. Will the project succeed in its aim to parallel the success of its previous incarnation? Let us look at the challenges in the next article on the subject.
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Nalanda: The Great University of Buddhist India !!

The Biggest Crime of Islam- A huge Loss

7 Wonders of India: Nalanda Internationa University !!

India's Missile Man APJ Kalam ready to renew Nalanda link

APJ Abdul Kalam, who as President of India had first proposed setting up of the Nalanda International University, today agreed to chief minister Nitish Kumar's request to serve the upcoming centre of excellence as a visiting faculty. Kalam was in the state capital on the invitation of the Assembly secretariat to address members of both Houses of the legislature.

It was during his address to a joint sitting of the legislature in March 2006 that Kalam, then President, had first mooted the idea of Nalanda International University on the lines of the great ancient seat of learning. Kalam on Tuesday played professor to the "class of legislators", imparting them lessons in leadership and tips on how to transform themselves into perfect leaders of the people.

Nitish, who was among the "students", recalled how Kalam was the "first visionary" to envision the Nalanda university, becoming its first visitor. "Kalam's vision has seen the light of day with Parliament enacting the law for the institution,” the chief minister said. "I requested Kalam sahib to continue as its visitor. But he refused."

"It is, however, heartening that Kalam sahib has agreed to my request to teach in the university despite staying away from its governing body," Nitish said. Kalam said he would keep coming to Bihar. "I have agreed to the chief minister's request," he said. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen is the chairman of the mentor group-turned-governing council of the university. The incumbent President of India is the visitor to the university as per the Act.

A controversy had broken out over the university some months ago following Kalam's decision to "disassociate" himself from the university, apparently because the governing council had decided to appoint Gopa Sabharwal, an associate professor of sociology at LSR College, Delhi, as the vice-chancellor-designate without consulting him. A section of academics has questioned the decision to appoint Sabharwal, arguing she was not competent enough to helm such an important project. The charge has been rebutted by Sen, who has given his vote of confidence to the sociologist.

JD(U) legislator Irshad Ahmed on Tuesday raised the issue again and asked Kalam if Sabharwal was the right choice for the job. The former President sidestepped the query. "The President of India is the new visitor to the institution and it is for the visitor to decide on issues related to such positions," Kalam said.
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Chinese Ambassador Presents One Million US Dollar Donation to Nalanda University, Bihar

on behalf of the Government of the People's Republic of China, H.E. Zhang Yan, Chinese Ambassador to India, presented a donation of one million US dollars to the proposed Nalanda University at the Indian International Centre. Dr. Gopa Sabharwal, Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University received the donation. Mr. Wang Xuefeng, Minister of the Chinese Embassy in India, Dr. J.N. Mishira, Joint Secretary (Nalanda) and Mr. Gautam Bambawale, Joint Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and other representatives from the university attended the donation ceremony.

In his remarks, Ambassador Zhang Yan said that H.E. Mr. Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of China, made the announcement of the donation during his visit to India in December, 2010, as a friendly gesture from Chinese people to Indian people. It marked a substantial step by the Chinese side to take an active part in this important and meaningful project. Through friendly discussion, it was agreed that the donation would be used for building a Chinese-style library in the future university. Ambassador Zhang hoped the Nalanda University project would further promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges as well as mutual understanding and friendly relations between the two countries and two peoples.

Dr. Gopa Sabharwal expressed her gratitude to the Chinese Government for this very first official donation the Nalanda University had received. She hoped that both sides could further promote exchanges and cooperation. At this ceremony, the new logo of the university was unveiled which also showed the importance the university attached to this event.

Nalanda University was named Nalanda Temple in ancient times, when some Chinese monks, one of them the famous Xuan Zang (Hsüan Tsang) from the Chinese Tang Dynasty, once studied and teached Buddhism there. It was destroyed at wartime.
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Revival of ancient Asian university hits trouble !

Plans to revive Nalanda university in India, one of the world's oldest seats of learning, as a totem of Asia's renaissance are facing trouble as supporters admit to little progress in fund-raising.

The Indian parliament passed a bill in August 2010 approving plans to rebuild the university, which was founded in the fifth century, close to its ancient ruins in the impoverished eastern state of Bihar.

Backers hope the proposed new campus will one day attract thousands of the finest teachers and students from around the globe, just as the university did centuries ago.

But money has been slow in coming to turn the $1 billion dream into reality, despite the support of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Indian government.

"It took 200 years for the first Nalanda university to be built," Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, who is piloting the project, lamented at a recent conference in New Delhi.

"I hope it won't take as long for this new campus to be built."

In its first incarnation, when Europe was in the Dark Ages, Nalanda was a renowned Buddhist centre of learning, drawing scholars from as far afield as China and modern-day Turkey.

The university, known as an architectural masterpiece with temples and parks, instructed students in medicine, mathematics, astronomy and politics, but was burnt to the ground by Muslim invaders in the late 12th century.

In reviving Nalanda, "we want to create a world-class institution bringing in the best of talent from all countries", said Sen, head of the project's "mentor" group which also includes Singapore's former foreign minister George Yeo.

Its revival would come as India and China lay claim to being the economic superpowers of the future and for Yeo, the project is "the icon of Asian renaissance".

The planned new Nalanda university has been granted 500 acres (200 hectares) of land close to the huge red-brick ruins which, along with some marble carvings, are all that remain of the original campus.

The Indian government bill pegs the cost of the university at 10 billion rupees ($200 million), but project officials admit that figure is unrealistic.

"The target is to create an endowment of $1 billion," said S.D. Muni, professor at Singapore's Institute of South Asia Studies.

The Indian government has committed $10 million as an endowment fund to get the project going in the form of a special grant.

China last week gave $1 million to build a Chinese studies library, while Singapore says Buddhist organisations have promised up to $5 million for another library. A private donor has also pledged $1 million.

ASEAN, which includes Singapore and mainly Buddhist Thailand, has strongly backed the project as a chance to "strengthen regional educational cooperation" but it says funding must be on a voluntary basis.

Singapore has "been very supportive, China is very interested but Japan is going through a bad time", Sen said. Buddhist groups worldwide are also being targeted for financial support.

"There is a long way to go in firming up the financial base of the university," he conceded, but he rejects suggestions by critics that the project is doomed to remain a pipe-dream.

"I am sure the money will come," said Sen, who has been giving lectures about the university in the United States and in Asia to drum up support.

Another challenge is Nalanda's location in one of the most isolated parts of Bihar.

"There are no hospitals or schools... academics don't like living in the wilderness," Sen said. Creating the infrastructure "is an enormously uphill task".

Still, Nalanda officials insist the university will one day again be alive with busy students attending top-class lectures.
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Influential Chinese monks set to visit Bodh Gaya amid Nalanda University work

A group of 30 monks linked to the Buddhist Association of China is going on a visit to Bodh Gaya and other Indian towns and cities as part of a move to strengthen people-to-people relations between the two countries. The highlight of the visit will be a ritual during which new monks will be ordained at the Chinese Buddhist temple at Bodh Gaya.

The visit is seen as a significant political move because the association is closely linked to the Communist Party of China, and plays an important role in helping the government enhance its relationship with countries with significant Buddhist presence. It played a key role in sending and displaying relics from the body of Lord Buddha, in Myanmar recently.

The group led by association president Chuan Yin is expected to meet Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, experts involved in the establishment of the Nalanda International University and the officials of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations in New Delhi. The monks are expected to visit different Buddhist sites in India, and hold discussions with monks of the order besides meeting officials at the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, sources said.

The move comes at a time when work on establishing the Nalanda International University is in full steam. China along with Japan and Vietnam is one of the major participating countries while the Peking University is a collaborator. The monks are expected to leave for India on Friday.

The Indian government is expected to take a keen interest in the activities of the association because of its close links with the Chinese government. It plays a key role in persuading rebel monks in Tibet to accept Beijing's views. It is facing an uphill task in weaning rebel monks away from their loyalty towards the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing regards as a politician set to split China to create a free Tibet.
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APJ Kalam wishes to teach at upcoming Nalanda university

Former President A P J Abdul Kalam on Tuesday expressed his desire to teach at the upcoming Nalanda University.

"I disassociated myself from the project as the visitor to the university because I want to teach there after the university becomes functional," Kalam said as he conducted a class at a free residential English school, Shoshit Seva Sangh (SSS), at Khajpura in the state capital. About 250 students belonging to underprivileged sections attended the class.

Kalam earlier visited the dormitory, classrooms and cafeteria of the three-storey school building and expressed happiness to know that most of the schoolchildren were able to speak English. Kalam conducted the class in English.

"I was just like you one day, living in a dormitory and working hard, like you, to acquire knowledge," he said.

The former president also recited a poem to inspire the children: You are born to fly, you are born to fly; You are born with potential, you are born with goodness; You are born with ideas, you are born with dreams; Work hard to live up to those dreams.

Hailing retired IPS officer J K Sinha, who has been running the school for the last six years, Kalam said the idea of SSS was conceived against the backdrop of poverty.

"It is an inspirational effort to prevent the underprivileged children from meeting the same fate as their parents. It will change lives; create new dreams and empower the innocent children to realize their dreams," he said.

During his 45-minute talk to the children at the school's rooftop, the former President profusely used poems to drive home his point. He also made the children recite these poems after him.

"Don't be scared of problems; take them with horns and defeat them. Work hard. Time is important. We have no control over time. So when the time flies, fly with it to acquire knowledge," Kalam told the students.

Kalam concluded his talk by administering an oath to the students: I will win, I will have my goal; I will work hard to achieve the goal; I will work with integrity, I will succeed; I will be a good member of the family, I will be a good member of the society; I will be a good member of the nation and I will be a good member of the world.

The former President donated 100 books to the library of the SSS which was founded in 2005, the year Sinha retired from the IPS.

The school has 247 students in its Class I to X and a faculty of 13 teachers "to help them evolve as educated, responsible citizens of the country".

Later, Kalam had an interactive session with over 10,000 students on the campus of DAV School in BSEB Colony. Questions like how to curb corruption were also raised. The former President inaugurated a club, "What Can I Give", at the school. The club will ensure ideation among its student-members on changing the society and making India a developed nation.
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President to look into complaint against Nalanda University VC :Kalam

President Pratibha Patil in her capacity as the Visitor of the Nalanda International University would look into any complaint about competence of its Vice-Chancellor Dr Gopa Sabharwal, former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said today. "The Visitor will look into any complaint against Sabharwal," Kalam, who recently dissociated himself from the Nalanda university project as its Visitor, said in reply to a question by ruling JD(U) MLA Irshad Ahmed during an interactive session in the state assembly premises.

Irshad Ahmed alleged that Sabharwal, earlier a Reader of New Delhi's Lady Sriram College, lacked adequate experience to lead this ambitious project. Sabharwal's appointment as the VC was opposed by a group of academicians recently. "The Visitor is the competent authority to appoint vice-chancellor and other teachers for the university. I have full confidence that she will take a decision in this respect with due consideration of related subjects," Kalam said. Kalam, one of the key players behind the revival of Nalanda University, has opted out of the project apparently realising that he has no crucial role to play. He has distanced himself from the multi-nation project, citing conferment of Central University status to the institution wherein critical powers like appointment of vice chancellor would be with the incumbent President. Despite the law, the Centre and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had requested Kalam to continue as Visitor but he refused to reconsider his decision.
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Nalanda Farmers sell land to cultivate knowledge

Villagers and Farmers of Nalanda district, Bihar are a happy a lot. Reason is they have sold their cultivable land for a greater cause. Their land will no longer yield grain but will certainly become fountain of knowledge from where the light of education will spread across the world.

Bisheswar Prasad, whose six bighas of agriculture land was acquired early this year, said his land has been blessed by goddess Saraswati. "What I want to see is that the dream project comes up during my life time,"' said the 80-year-old farmer of Bilkhi village under Chhabilapur police station.

The land of almost all farmers, big and marginal, in these two villages comprising a total of 500 acres have been acquired by the state government for the proposed Nalanda International University for which all basic formalities have been completed.

"No project could be as big as this and we are all waiting for the day when the dream will be realised," said Nanhu Singh, a youth at Khaira while praising chief minister Nitish Kumar for the revival of the areas ancient glory.

Nitish, at an election meeting in Nalanda, said: "We are all for the revival of the glory of Nalanda and want to make it a centre of knowledge once again. For this purpose, I took personal initiative to bring APJ Abdul Kalam. I had taken a pledge in the light of Kalam's Vision-2020 to make Bihar a developed state by 2015. I am committed to my pledge."

The University of Nalanda is proposed to be re-established under the aegis of the East Asia Summit as a regional initiative. As many as 16 countries in East Asia are partnering in the re-establishment of the university.

At the East Asia Summit held in Thailand a year ago, the member countries issued a joint declaration which inter-alia supported the establishment of the Nalanda University as a non-state, non-profit, secular and self-governing international institution with a continental focus that will bring together the brightest and the most dedicated students from all countries of Asia.

The Nalanda University Bill, 2010, which seeks to resurrect the ancient seat of Buddhist learning at its original site, was passed by the two Houses of the Parliament in August.

This proposed university will come in the near the ruins of the ancient seat of learning which still attract tourists. It was founded in 427 AD and survived till 1197 AD. It was one of the first great universities in recorded history which was devoted to Buddhist studies and attracted students and scholors from Japan, China, Tibet, Korea, Persia and Turkey.

The villagers also expressed the hope with the university coming into existence, the area will witness tremendous development.

"Visitors from across the world come here and this will boost economy of this region," said Ramesh Kumar who owns general store at Rajgir.

"Our children will get better education," said farmer Prahlad Singh.

The old seat of learning, which existed some 25 km away from the proposed site of the new university, died a slow death in the 12th century. It was around the same time when some of great European universities, including Oxford in England and Bologna in Italy, were just getting started.

The proposed university will have collaborations with other prominent universities, including the Al-Azhar ( Egypt), Oxford and Cambridge (UK) and Harvard (US). It will also have collaboration with China.

The new university will offer courses in Buddhist studies, philosophy and comparative religions, historical studies, international relations and peace studies, business management, languages and literature and ecology and environmental studies.
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Dr. Amartya Sen Said Bureaucratic hurdles delaying Nalanda University !

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on Friday blamed “bureaucratic barrier” as a major hurdle for the delay in starting of the Nalanda University, which is being established in Bihar, close to the ancient historic institution of learning.

“The reason for delay is the bureaucratic control. We are having some problem in getting the sanctioned funds released but we should be able to deal with it,” Professor Sen, who also chairs the Governing Board of the University, said.

Explanations for bureaucratic queries take a lot of time, he said, while speaking at an open session on “Nalanda University: A 21{+s}{+t} Century University: (Re) Calling the Past'' here.

Dismissing a growing perception that the University was in trouble and that the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, had disassociated himself from it as the first Visitor, Professor Sen said the delay was only because of bureaucratic hurdles, which could be partly due to ignorance, and Mr. Kalam had disassociated himself only because he had stepped down as the President, in which capacity he held the position of the Visitor also.

“We wanted him to continue as the Visitor but he wrote to us saying that would be inappropriate since the new President had taken over,” he explained.

Describing Nalanda as the university of “Bihar, India, Asia and the globe,” the Nobel laureate said admissions would start as soon as the funds were released to enable appointment of the faculty.

Quoting Mr. Kalam, whom he met earlier in the day, Professor Sen said he (Mr. Kalam) felt that research in India was difficult because of bureaucratic control, though some of the institutions like the Indian Institutes of technology (IITs) were very good basic training centres.

“There should be no bureaucratic control over education and the institutions should get freedom and autonomy as in the American universities,” Professor Sen said. He said a lot of money was being spent on higher education in India, which should have been spent on school education, but not much was being achieved.

He expressed unhappiness that India was not represented in the top 200 institutes of the world, though several Asian institutes had found place in the survey conducted by the Times group. “The important thing to recognise is the standard of education and the relevance of what is being taught,” he said, adding this would be followed strictly in Nalanda.

Professor Saugata Sen, member of the Governing Board, said even though the Indian institutions did not seem to be doing well at a global level, there was enormous individual talent. “So something was missing which failed to translate individual talent to administrative ability,” he said, adding that most good researchers were in institutes and hence unable to benefit the young students. There is a need to strike a balance between research and teaching.
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Stress on developing more tourist site Near Nalanda

A power-point presentation was made on Nav Nalanda Maha Vihara on Thursday emphasised on developing more tourist sites and preserving the heritage. It also emphasised on linking 200 villages with the proposed Nalanda International University. Chief minister Nitish Kumar was present on the occasion

Art and culture secretary Vivek Kumar Singh said if all the sites in Nalanda were developed as tourist spots, the visting tourists would extend their stay.

The CM stressed on linking tourism with village economy and said 200 villages should be integrated with Nav Nalanda Maha Vihara.

Nitish asked for documentation of heritage site and reorientation of Venu Van in Nalanda. A coordination committee headed by Singh has been constituted with the representatives of ASI and KP Jaiswal Institute and other related bodies.
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Nalanda University Bill !

The University of Nalanda is proposed to be established under the aegis of the East Asia Summit (EAS), as a regional initiative. Government of India constituted a Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) in 2007, under the Chairmanship of Prof. Amartya Sen to examine the framework of international cooperation, and proposed structure of partnership, which would govern the establishment of this University as an international centre of education. The NMG also has representatives from Singapore, China, Japan and Thailand. The NMG has met six times. The last meeting was held in New Delhi on 2-3 August 2010.

India has initiated steps to introduce the Nalanda University Bill 2010 in the Parliament. An endowment Fund has been allocated by India in the form of a special grant for the commencement of activities and till such time the Nalanda University becomes sustainable on its own.

The Government of Bihar has acquired about 500 acres of land at Rajgir (in the vicinity of the original Nalanda University of the yore) and transferred the same to the Centre for the establishment of the Nalanda University.

The University shall have the following schools of education upon its establishment:

1. Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions

2. Historical Studies

3. International Relations & Peace Studies

4. Business Management in relation to Public Policy and Development Studies

5. Languages and Literature; and

6. Ecology and Environmental Studies



The University shall have any other school or schools as may be prescribed by the Statute.

The Government of India is prepared to provide funds for the smooth establishment and maintenance of the University. Private donations, international contributions from other foreign governments and member countries of EAS are expected on voluntary basis.

The Nalanda University is planned to be as in times past, a great seat of learning, scholarship, philosophy and statecraft. As such it will make contribution to the development and progress of the entire region in the vicinity of the University.

The university is being established as a regional initiative under the aegis of EAS. At the EAS Summit held in Thailand on 24-25 October 2009, the EAS member countries issued a Joint Press Statement which, inter-alia supported the establishment of the Nalanda University as a non-state, non-profit, secular and self-governing international institution with a continental focus that will bring together the brightest and the most dedicated students from all countries of Asia. As regards funding, positive indications have been received from countries like Singapore, Thailand and Australia in the project. The Singapore Foreign Minister during his recent visit to India from August 1-4, 2010 announced that the Buddhist organizations in Singapore have offered funds amounting to around US$4-5 million for building a library at the proposed Nalanda University.
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Taxila a glow, but Nalanda in shadow

A few years ago, a regional conference in Islamabad gave some of us Indian scientists an opportunity of a visit across the border. I was keen to take advantage of this occasion to see the site of the ancient university of Takshashila (Taxila). It turned out that there were many of us with the same desire and our hosts obliged by arranging a bus tour. Presumably, they had sorted out the technical problem of our visas being limited to Lahore and Islamabad only. Visas limited to specific cities are issued to Pakistanis by India as well.

There are several sites distributed over a few kilometres pertaining to this ancient university. The relics are exhibited in a small but elegant museum. Such records as are available, including references in the Ramayana, tell us that the town of Takshashila was founded by King Bharata in the name of his son Taksha. Records also show that the university itself was functioning well around 800 BC. By the time Alexander visited India, the university had developed an international reputation as the prime seat of learning for Hinduism in all its aspects, like religion, culture and philosophy. On his way back, Alexander took several scholars from here back to his native land. Although we call it a university, Takshashila was patterned differently from today’s recognised structure of a university. It had distinguished scholars from all over the subcontinent and each one operated a school under their own jurisdiction. Students would decide as per their interests whom to choose as their teacher. Thus Dhaumya Muni, Nagarjuna and Atreya were part of this system. It was here that Chanakya taught Chandragupta, who later went on to found the mammoth Maurya Empire.

Although Takshashila did not operate a specified syllabus for its subjects but left the contents of a course to its guru, the institution was like a university in the sense that it had on its menu a wide variety of fields ranging from the arts, literature, music, architecture and sculpture to chemistry, biology, medicine, astronomy and mathematics. There were courses even on witchcraft and sorcery, snake handling, omens etc. Students came from as faraway places as Babylon, Persia, Syria, Phoenicia and China. There was no caste bar here, although there was an evident disparity in living standards of the students depending on their family incomes. Being on the north-western border of India, Takshashila was vulnerable to attacks from Persians, Greeks, Parthians, Shakas and Kushanas. When the celebrated Chinese traveller Huien T’sang visited India in the seventh century, he found Takshashila a shadow of its former self, having been attacked and razed by the Huns circa 450 AD.
Huien T’sang, however, found another Indian university flourishing and at its prime. Situated near Rajgir (Rajagriha) in today’s Bihar, Nalanda had an international reputation. I had the opportunity of visiting the Nalanda site also. Although tourists of today carry back their own impressions of Nalanda, nothing can replicate the glowing descriptions of that observant traveller.

Huien T’sang visited the Indian subcontinent between 630 and 645 AD, and it is entirely because of his meticulously written records that we are able to get details of Nalanda’s golden age. In fact, Nalanda flourished at the time when Takshashila was tottering in the aftermath of the Hun invasion.

Structured more along the lines of a residential university today, Nalanda had a large campus surrounded by a protective wall. The campus itself had a pleasing appearance, with gardens and multi-storeyed buildings, bathing pools, playing fields and streams for boating. The head of the institution was kulapati, or a vice-chancellor, who was assisted by the management council and the academic council. About 30 kilometres away, there was another institution, called Vikramasheela, which had close links with Nalanda, with some scholars having joint appointments in the two places. Huien T’sang describes Nalanda as having 10,000 students on the campus with the student to teacher ratio as low as seven to one. The student selection process was through a tough entrance test conducted by “scholars at the door” who would pass only 20 to 30 per cent of the aspirants.

The Nalanda library was in three sections housed in three buildings. The one called Ratnodadhi (ocean of pearls) was, reportedly, nine storeys high. The other two, called Ratnasagar (sea of pearls) and Ratnaranjak (pearls of recreation), were six storeys each. The libraries published new works while providing storage for old manuscripts. This description only provides glimpses into what Huien T’sang wrote in detail. History, however, as usual has the last word. This marvellous institution fell victim to the invasion of Bakhtiyar Khilji in the 13th century AD when humans, manuscripts and buildings were all mercilessly annihilated.

What do we have there today? I had visited Nalanda in the late 1990s on a Sunday and the site was almost deserted. The government shop was closed. It is debatable if it could have provided any informative literature, maps, etc. Who would tell us about the relics around us? Our anxious enquiry brought the information that a guide was around but at the time with another tourist group. We waited patiently when he at last joined us. And he did give very useful information. The rooms distributed around a square courtyard were for housing the students, their meals, baths etc and for storage. There was a fireplace in the courtyard. The fire was used for three purposes: to keep warm in winters, to cook food and for scientific experiments. The guide also told that the site is potentially much bigger and needs to be excavated further.

Looking back on my two visits to the two ancient universities, I strongly feel that Nalanda deserves to be noticed for what it once was. Surely it deserves an elegant and informative museum and a tourist centre near the site. As a people we like to speak in glowing terms of our great past, but where do we stand when it comes to preserving its relics for posterity? In the case of Nalanda, at least cross-border rivalry should inspire us to create an attractive and informative tourist facility
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Amartya Sen: Bureacratic delays in Nalanda

Noted economist and Nobel laureate Prof. Amartya Sen has blamed bureaucratic delays for the money sanctioned for the proposed Nalanda University not being made available for use to get the university going. He also

took a gentle swipe at Indian bureaucracy, saying that India is quite famous for bureaucratic control.
Without mincing words, the Nobel laureate told a large gathering at the capital’s Teen Murti House auditorium that while the funds had been sanctioned, it was “difficult to get it out of the kitty”. Asked how much money was needed, he responded by saying, “As much as we can get.”
The university being set up under an international initiative by the East Asia Summit with the ministry of external affairs involved in its setting up.
Prof. Sen, who is the chairman of the governing board of the proposed Nalanda University, was giving a presentation on it here on Friday evening. Asked when the first two of the seven schools that are planned for this university will come up, Prof. Sen said, “We will take charge of the students when we can take charge of the students.”
To another question on when teaching at the first two schools the university will set up will begin, Prof. Sen said, “As soon as we are in a position to move forward. While land for the proposed university has been provided by the Bihar government, it is learnt that those in charge of setting up this institution faced great difficulty in even getting the money to build a boundary wall around it.”
Prof. Sen also denied reports that former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who had been taking keen interest in the proposed university, has dissociated himself from the project as its first visitor. He said the decision was that the former President would be the first visitor and thereafter it was to be whoever might be the country’s President, the proposed university being a Central varsity.
However, he said: “Dr Kalam was not approached for six months and then requested to be visitor).” So Dr Kalam wrote to Prof. Sen saying that he felt that the work was intended for the President and had “moved some distance from being President”.
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Nalanda International University updates

Nalanda International University was dreamt of by former President Kalam together with Prof Sen- two tallest Indians. Prof Sen then put together an eminent group of persons from Asia who represent their respective governments. These Asian governments will also contribute significantly to establishing the university that is being set up through an enabling legislation passed by the Indian Parliament. So it is not just India's university but an International University. The university is expected to become self sustaining and will not needs oodles of tax payers cash as most Indian university after ot has been set-up.


We in India seem to have become so bureaucratic in our approach that we do not realise that to establish an International Institution of higher education there is a need for a young and dynamic leader who is not constrainted by the self-defeating and uninspiring UGC. Infact you may be aware that UGC (and AICTE) will soon shut down and the end of its archaic processes including on recruitment and promotion will result in the commencement of the Golden Era for Higher Education in India. This will enable bright young academicians to become tenured professors in their late 20s and inspire thousands of Indian students to learn through modern and research oriented education practices. It will also break the stranglehold of fuddy-duddy professors who cant teach but still draw salaries.

And lastly, are we ashamed of the fact, that an educated young Indian academician has been selected by a very eminent international group persons to be its founder director. It seems that Bihar Times would have been happier on the selection of an expat or a fuddy-duddy Indian professor who cant even communicate properly with his students let alone manage the complexities of establishing an international university. Bihar Times has no pride in the fact that an Indian woman academician has been selected by such an eminent group.

An international university would require international salary scales, anything wrong with it. It seems that Bihar Times would have no issues if an expat would have recieved an internationally benchmarked salary but because an Indian is recieving it they have an issue with it.