Japanese PM, Nalanda and Buddha Land Bihar

Hailing from the land of the Buddha has a distinct advantage. After all, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, during his one-day visit to Delhi, found time to meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The number of Japanese tourists visiting Bodh Gaya has been rising steadily during the past few years. What came as a bonus for the Bihar CM was a promise by Noda to provide support for the Nalanda University and the development of the state's Buddhist circuit. The Bihar chief minister was a happy person as the Japanese leader said he would visit Bihar on his next trip to India.
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Nalanda University and Dr Amartya Sen Vision

Dr. Amartya Sen is spearheading the revival of the world's oldest university in Bihar, one of India's most impoverished states. Grounded in Buddhist teachings, Nalanda University:-

Few Questions and answers from Dr amartya Sen:-

What was the original ethos behind Nalanda University?

Old Nalanda as an educational institution was fully dedicated to the pursuit of learning. It was committed to educational excellence. Indeed, because it was largely successful in achieving and maintaining excellence that Nalanda attracted foreign students — from China, Japan, Korea and elsewhere. The institution was Buddhist in terms of its foundation, but Nalanda’s teaching and research were not confined to Buddhist studies. Indeed, it was well-known also for what it offered in secular subjects such as health care, linguistics and astronomy. Nalanda received patronage from Hindu kings (such as the Guptas) as well as from Buddhist kings (such as the Palas of Bengal). It was not, in any sense, a specifically Buddhist institution, but it was in the general Buddhist tradition of focusing on knowledge and understanding as ways of solving problems that pester humanity. It was also a "modern" institution — modern in relation to its time — in offering education that went well beyond religion, and included science (such as astronomy) and the pursuit of practically useful arts (such as public health care).

What is your vision for its future?

Ever since I saw Nalanda for the first time as a child — I was completely bowled over by the vision it offered to humanity. I dreamt of bringing the great institution back to life, some day. As I continued to visit Nalanda, through my teenage years, the idea of an outstanding center for higher education at the great center of ancient Indian civilization, in Bihar, gripped me more and more. When Chief Minister Nitish Kumar approached me about helping them to build a new institution near the old site, I was impressed to see how close his own vision was to what I had hoped would happen one day. Indeed, I hope to see that dream being realized — at least the initial stages of it — before long. The fact that Bihar also has a lot of economic problems, including persistent poverty, makes it even more necessary for the new Nalanda to offer educational opportunities for the useful arts (such as information technology, environmental studies and management), without undermining the more abstract investigations.

There has been some surprise that the Dalai Lama is not involved with the planning of Nalanda. Can you comment on this?

I can understand that surprise, since the distinction between religious studies and the practice of religion is not well understood. When Oxford or Cambridge deliberates on education in what they call "divinity," they do not ask the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury to do the planning of religious education for them. They look for the best general advice they can get from educationists, and appoint experts in divinity in these academic posts. I do not doubt that when a professor of Buddhist studies is appointed at Nalanda, the occupant of that post would be very interested in the Dalai Lama's views, just as any professor of divinity in Oxford or Cambridge would tend to take note of the views of religious leaders.

It is perhaps a matter of interest that when my friend Bimal Matilal was interviewed for becoming the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics (a post that he held for many years with great distinction), he was asked by the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford whether he thought it was a limitation that he was not religious himself. Bimal told me that the Vice Chancellor very much agreed with him when he answered that this was neither here nor there, since he was supposed to educate people on the nature of – including beliefs and practices in — Eastern religions, rather than performing religious practices in his class.

How was the Vice-Chancellor of the Nalanda University chosen? What qualifications were the Nalanda Mentor Group looking for?

The post of the Vice-Chancellor is meant to be open to any of the member countries of the East Asia Summit, even though for the first Vice-Chancellor, the Nalanda Mentor Group had a preference for an Indian academic, with the practical ability to do things, to get the project moving. The four primary considerations that the selection committee had, on the basis of the deliberations of the Mentor Group, were: (1) academic excellence, (2) administrative ability, (3) interest in — and commitment to — the Nalanda university project, and (4) willingness to be based in the new campus in Nalanda to build an intellectual community there from scratch, and be fully involved with Bihar’s problems and concerns. Members of the selection committee talked with at least 20 people, sought their advice and also checked their own interest in being considered for the position, including living in Nalanda, as and when it becomes a functioning reality. From time to time, reports on these consultations somehow got leaked in the Indian newspapers (even though the consultations and ascertaining of interest in being a resident Vice-Chancellor have sometimes been confused, in these reports, as "offers" having been made to this person or that).

On the basis of all the information it had, the selection committee decided that the best feasible appointment would be Dr. Gopa Sabharwal, but it was willing to accept the possibility of appointing some other person from a list of three it gave to the Government of India. Dr. Sabharwal’s academic qualifications are excellent (one of our advisors on the academic side was Professor Andre Beteille, a world-renowned sociologist); her administrative ability is well established; she is totally committed to the Nalanda project; and her involvement with Bihar and willingness to be based in Nalanda contrasted sharply with some others who could have been considered for the position. The Nalanda Mentor Group, which was authorized to make the selection, listed three names, including that of Dr. Sabharwal, but the Government could have appointed anyone of the three. The Government offered Dr. Sabharwal the position of being Vice-Chancellor Designate, to be followed by being Vice-Chancellor as the legal formalities of the University are sorted out. The Mentor Group was very happy that she agreed to take on this job when she was approached. I understand in some parts of the media, questions have been raised about whether someone who was not a "full professor" should have been chosen to be the Vice-Chancellor.

I suppose an obsession with rank and status in our stratified society makes some people inclined to judge a person not by his or her qualities — and particular qualifications for a very specific job — but by the person’s position in the social hierarchy. I was amused to see the report that an economics professor, to whom no offer of a job has (to the best of my knowledge) been made, had declared that he would not serve under a Vice-Chancellor who came from a position "below" that of a professor. I take it that this economics professor would not have agreed to work in an institution led even by the great John Maynard Keynes, who too was not a professor at Cambridge University where he lectured. While no comparison is possible or intended, the issue here is the suitability of the person for a particular position, rather than going by antecedent rank.

Has the Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gopa Sabharwal started functioning, and what steps is she taking to get this big project off the ground?

Dr. Sabharwal has made an excellent beginning in setting up the campus, with the help of the Bihar government (who have been impeccably cooperative), and also in planning about the legal, administrative and academic arrangements. The first two faculties to be started will be environmental studies and historical studies, to be followed by others such as information technology and international relations. The work in setting up these faculties is very much on the way.

Nalanda University, under Dr. Sabharwal’s leadership, has also established reciprocal relations with Nalanda-Srivijaya Centre in Singapore and the Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, and at an informal level with the Peking University in China, through Professor Wang Bangwei of that University who, as an active member of the Mentor Group, has been involved in the planning of Nalanda. There will be a partnership with Korean and Japanese universities as also with leading American universities. These possibilities are now being explored.

The making of the architectural plans for the campus and the buildings is in high gear right now, along with securing and looking after the land that the Bihar government has given to the University. Unfortunately, Dr. Sabharwal still remains "Vice-Chancellor Designate" rather than being the actual Vice-Chancellor, because of administrative delays at the level of the Government of India, and this does hamper Dr. Sabharwal’s ability to discharge her duties even more efficiently. The Board of the Nalanda University very much hopes that these delays would soon come to an end, which would help her to do her job with even greater speed. The Nalanda University Act was passed in the Indian Parliament last November (in line with the recommendations of the Mentor Group), and it is anticipated that the administrative delays at the governmental level would soon cease.

How will the University be financially viable?

At the moment the bulk of the expenses are being met by the Government of India, through the Planning Commission, which is also helping in sorting out the administrative hurdles. There have been promises of contributions from abroad, both from governmental and non-governmental sources (from China, Singapore, Australia, Laos and elsewhere). But there is a long way to go in firming up the financial base of the University. Dr. Sabharwal recently visited Japan and explored Japanese interest in its long-standing connections with Nalanda. The next meeting of the Board will be held in Beijing in October. Mr. George Yeo, the former Foreign Minister of Singapore, is chairing the International Advisory Panel, and their work will also contribute to making Nalanda University known in the world.

What impact could Nalanda have on Asia’s influence on the world and on global higher education?

Old Nalanda was a remarkable example of pan-Asian cooperation in education and intellectual pursuits. Teaching and research in Nalanda was not confined to religious studies only, and it was very much linked with practical knowledge and applied sciences. And it was a reflection of the state of the art at that time. The new Nalanda University will be contemporary in the same sense, but today’s contemporary concerns include such subjects as information technology and recent hazards faced by the environment. There is a real need for pan-Asian cooperation in these fields, and as the University gets going and expands, it would be able to make an increasingly larger contribution to addressing these concerns. Global intellectual pursuits are often seen as a West-led phenomenon, and indeed the Western universities have done very impressive work in creating a global academia. But it is worth remembering that when the oldest European university, the University of Bologna, was born, Nalanda as an educational establishment was already seven hundred years old. It attracted students from all over Asia, and one hopes a similar network will gradually emerge as the new Nalanda University establishes its academic excellence in global standards.

Why is Nalanda University important for Bihar?

Bihar was the center of Indian civilization for over a thousand years. It was from Pataliputra, or Patna, that the first all-India empire was established. It was in Bihar that the first Buddhist councils met, and established a remarkable model of taking decisions through public discussion, which is central to the practice of democracy. It is in Bihar that the earliest public health care systems in India were established, on which Faxian reported in the early years of the fifth century, and on which Yi Jing wrote in the seventh century, after completing his education in Nalanda. It was in Kusumpur, in Pataliputra, where early Indian mathematicians congregated. Bihar may have become a backward state in the modern world, but it has had a glorious history, which can inspire educational work in contemporary — and rapidly regenerating — Bihar.

This was certainly part of the consideration in the mind of the Bihar government when they initiated the Nalanda project. The new Nalanda University is fully committed to contribute to this grand revival. Nalanda will not, however, be concerned only with purely academic education. The focus on such practical subjects as information technology and environmental studies will have tangible consequences on the lives and earnings of the people of Bihar. As the University expands, with more secure funding, the opportunity of having a local impact will increase, along with the enhancement of all-India benefits and pan-Asian cooperation. Bihar has been very supportive of Nalanda, and we want to make sure that Nalanda, in its turn, will be equally supportive of Bihar.
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Dr. Amartya Sen on Reviving Nalanda University !!

As an Indian Nobel Prize winning economist, philosopher and humanitarian, Amartya Sen is an intellectual force who needs little introduction. As a young boy, he was influenced by the suffering he witnessed during the 1943 Bengal Famine and the India-Pakistan partition. Sen has influenced the creation of the United Nations' Human Development Index and he has deepened and expanded discourse in fields ranging from social choice and welfare economics to human rights and justice. Sen sounded the alarm about Asia’s more than 100 million missing women and his highly influential books, including Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation, changed the way countries understand and prevent famine.

Now, Sen is spearheading the revival of the world's oldest university in Bihar, one of India's most impoverished states. Grounded in Buddhist teachings, Nalanda University offered subjects including astronomy, politics, medicine and fine arts. Nalanda housed more than 10,000 students from around the world before it was destroyed by Turkish Muslim invaders in 1197.

Nalanda and Sunanda K Datta-Ray: China: A suitable suitor?

In the West they say China is taking over the world. But, no, it’s only bankrupt Europe that faces the prospect of being taken over while monks and nuns come to a fiery end in Tibet, the Dalai Lama continues to mark time, and the Karmapa Lama’s millions of followers wait for India to adopt a rational policy towards a young incarnate monk who could be the face of Buddhism’s future.

The West is understandably impervious to these nuances because of its own priorities. Europe needs money and China, the world’s biggest creditor with foreign exchange reserves of around $3.2 trillion, has it. “If the Chinese, who have 60 per cent of the world’s reserves, decide to invest in the euro instead of the dollar, why refuse?” asks Nicolas Sarkozy archly, hoping to distract attention from Europe’s persistently extended begging bowl.

Klaus Regling, chief executive of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), which was set up last year and has already provide financial aid to Portugal, Ireland and Greece, expects the Chinese to chip in so that the bailout fund that was agreed on at a recent summit in Brussels can be increased from ¤440 billion to ¤1 trillion. He told the media in Beijing that Asian investors had already snapped up 40 per cent of the bonds that the EFSF issued, but didn’t disclose China’s share of the purchase.

As coy as Sarkozy, he hopes to tempt the Chinese to invest $100 billion in the fund, saying “We all know China has a particular need to invest surpluses,” and that China is “interested in finding attractive, solid and safe investment opportunities.” The inscrutable Chinese haven’t said so. That doesn’t daunt Regling’s salesmanship. “I think the EFSF can offer a good product that is commercially interesting,” he says, adding that the bonds are guaranteed by the 17 euro zone member states. If those 17 governments are so creditworthy, the Chinese might wonder, why come cap in hand to them?

But China’s Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao didn’t dash Regling’s hopes though he didn’t exactly bubble over with enthusiasm. Zhu welcomed the Brussels consensus in tones that were both patronising and lecturing. “Europe needs to listen to opinions in designing the instrument, and it will take some time for a technical framework to form.” China is playing hard to get.

According to a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, Beijing is willing to make joint efforts with the international community to stabilise the global financial market and expand cooperation with Europe in the investment, trade, finance and technology sectors. According to another report, China would prefer to buy European factories and railways instead of wobbly government bonds. The commerce minister has promised to send a delegation to Europe next year. “Traditionally, Chinese involvement in overseas infrastructure projects has been as a contractor only. Now, Chinese investors also see a need to invest in, develop and operate projects.” That could be the beginning of the takeover Europe hopes for.

But China is also anxious to project a humane image in keeping with its superpower-in-waiting image. Hence the agreement with UNIDO, the UN’s industrial-development organisation, to invest $3 billion in Lumbini, the Buddha’s birthplace. Hence also the reported pledge of $1 billion for the Nalanda project that Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun made to Amartya Sen, leader of a delegation of the Nalanda University Mentor Group, in October. According to Chinese reports, the “two sides exchanged opinions on the rebuilding of Nalanda University and China-India cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation… Nalanda University was known in ancient times as Nalanda Temple where Monk Xuanzang of Tang dynasty fetched Buddhist scriptures.”

But such gestures don’t stand alone. They must be assessed in the context of the whole. Australia’s Gareth Evans, international crusader for human rights who threatened to cancel a trip to China unless he was allowed to visit Tibet, once told an interviewer, “What they (the Chinese) need to appreciate is that the Dalai Lama is the best thing they are ever likely to have going for them, in terms of someone that is not arguing for independence, is only arguing for cultural autonomy, is capable of carrying the Tibetan people with him both inside and outside the country.” Today, Evans, who will address the first-ever Australia-India Institute conference in Kolkata on Monday, could add that with the Dalai Lama getting on in years, and with little prospect of a credible and uncontested reincarnation, Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, the 17th Karmapa Lama, is the world’s best bet.
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Nalanda University : To know more, experts want to dig more

As a new university is being established in Nalanda to revive the glory of ancient India’s most famous centre of learning, experts have asked the government to carry out more excavations at the site of the original university to dig out those parts of the institution that still remain undiscovered.


Some members of the governing board of the new Nalanda University, including chairperson Amartya Sen, last week held a meeting with top officials of the Culture Ministry to explore the possibility of further excavation at the site where the ruins of the world-famous ancient Nalanda University stand.


“There has been a long-felt demand that there should be much more excavation at the ancient Nalanda site. There is so much that we have read about Nalanda and there is a lot of indication that there was much more to the ancient university than what is reflected in the ruins today,” said Gopa Sabharwal, vice-chancellor of the new Nalanda University that is supposed to open by 2013.

Nalanda University Prelude to an Asian awakening

AT the 98th Indian Science Congress held at SRM University in Kattankulathur near Chennai in the first week of this month, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, head of the Nalanda Mentor Group, assured the nation that although restoring Bihar’s Nalanda University was a stupendous task given the hype generated over its revival and the huge expectation from the international community, the proposed university — a reincarnation of the world famous seat of learning in ancient India — was “being re-started right now”.
Although the new Nalanda International University was scheduled to be launched in 2009, issues like its basic structure and financial aspects have delayed its second coming. As creating an endowment of at least $1 billion for its re-establishment is badly needed, India’s dithering is understandable.
However, the Indian Parliament already passed the Nalanda University Bill with the Planning Commission following it up by earmarking Rs 50 crore “as endowment fund in the form of a special grant for the commencement of activities and till such time the Nalanda University becomes sustainable on its own.”
It deserves mention that former President APJ Abdul Kalam, during his official visit to Singapore in 2006, first floated the idea of the restoration of Nalanda University with all its pristine glory and excellence in a modern makeover. He then expounded his vision while addressing the Bihar Assembly. The Bihar government lost no time in taking up the matter in right earnest. It passed a bill in 2007 to establish Nalanda University and acquired about 500 acres of land in Rajgir, near the hallowed site of the ruined Nalanda University; acquisition of another 500 acres is also underway. It also succeeded in persuading the Centre to get involved in this massive project and take it over from the cash-strapped state.
The Centre agreed to shore up the state government move with financial support considering the international interest in the proposed university. The role of Singapore has been very commendable. Its sustained effort to spread the idea of the revival of the renowned seat of learning in course of “Nalanda Symposium” in November 2006 caught the fancy of East Asian countries, especially China, Japan and Korea. It also worked in tandem with Japan to raise resources to give a concrete shape to the plan. The move received a further fillip with the Japanese diplomat Noro Motoyasu’s announcement on 28 May 2007 that Japan would fund the university substantially.
The East Asia Summit, a conglomeration of Asean plus six countries ie China, Japan, India, Korea, Australia and New Zealand provided further boost to the project in 2007. Again in 2009, at its fourth summit, it made a fervent plea to its members to make “appropriate funding arrangements on a voluntary basis from government and other sources including public-private partnership” for this “non-state, non-profit, secular and self-governing international institution.”
The conglomeration decided to raise $500 million to build the proposed university and another $500 million to develop infrastructural facilities. A joint communiqué issued by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, who was on a state visit to India from 15-17 December last, also stated that China “welcomed India’s efforts to revive the Nalanda University. Both sides appreciated the work of the Nalanda Mentor Group and the progress made so far. India welcomed China’s contribution of $1 million for the university.”
The new university is likely to embrace the same seal of the ancient Buddhist University as its emblem in deference to its historic legacy.
The announcement of Professor Sen who has “the difficult task of chairing its interim governing body” comes as a fresh breath of air at a time when we do not care to respect the contributions of our centuries-old institutions of higher learning to the advancement of learning and dissemination of knowledge across the globe. The globe-trotting Nobel laureate is quite alive to the problems of re-establishing the university “after a 800-year hiatus”. His task is all the more unenviable in view of the complete faith reposed by his countrymen in his leadership, educational ideals and vision.
One, however, reasonably hopes that the university “aimed at advancing the concept of an Asian community... and rediscovering old relationships” will soon resurrect as an academic melting pot for students and teachers of the whole world as paucity of funds and bureaucratic red tape have not so far been a bottleneck to its restoration.
It is unfortunate that this ancient centre of higher learning, known as “one of the first great universities in recorded history” that served the international academic community for more than 700 years since its establishment in the fifth century ceased to exist after Afghan conqueror Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed it in 1193. Otherwise, it would have been placed on the same pedestal as Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Nalanda could also be compared with the oldest European university at Bologna which, according to Professor Sen, came up when “Nalanda was more than 600 years old… Had it not been destroyed and had it managed to survive to our time, Nalanda would be, by a long margin, the oldest university in the world.” Nalanda was established some 500 years before the Al-Azhar University in Cairo (970 AD.)
It has been decided that the new university would have facilities “including the teaching of and research in humanities such as history, languages and linguistics and comparative religion, as well as the social sciences and the world of practice such as international relations, management and development and information technology”. It would have a School of Buddhist studies, philosophy and comparative religion; School of Historical Studies; School of International Relations and Peace; School of Business Management and Development; School of Languages and Literature; and School of Ecology and Environmental Studies. The visitor of the university would either be the President of India or any other person appointed by him. The university would function as a public-private partnership with funds to be provided voluntarily by the respective governments of the member states. The Mea is expected to relax visa procedures for foreign faculty and students visiting India in this connection.
Professor Sen must be aware that Bihar is now desperately trying to shed its age-old image as a lawless state. The state is registering exponential growth in economy under the dynamic leadership of Nitish Kumar. It has made tremendous headway in education as well with the math wizard and Super 30 founder Anand Kumar winning international accolades. So any effort to delay or dilute the project or shift any of its locations elsewhere would be counterproductive.
The project is expected be the lifeline of Bihar’s economy. It would revive Buddhist cultures, attract scholars from all over the world, promote tourism and develop the economic conditions of people living in the 200-odd villages near the site. The success of this academic venture will strengthen cooperation among the Asian countries and promote mutual understanding. To quote Singapore foreign minister George Yeo, also an NMG member, Nalanda International University would be the “icon of Asian Renaissance… as Asia re-emerges on the world stage this century, its civilisational origins will become a subject of intense study and debate. Asians will look back to their own past and derive inspiration from it for the future”.
Most importantly, it will “emphasise the importance of eastern intellectual endeavour and ensure that human cultural understanding is not dominated by the Western civilisational model.”
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India, Japan reaffirm support for Nalanda EAS as a forum for dialogue

Acknowledging the significant role that the East Asia Summit (EAS) can play as a forum for building an open, inclusive and transparent architecture of regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, India and Japan today reaffirmed their support for the EAS as a forum for dialogue on broad strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in East Asia.

"They (Indian Prime Minister and Japanese Prime Minister) acknowledged the significant role the EAS can play as a forum for building an open, inclusive and transparent architecture of regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. They welcomed the participation of the United States of America and the Russian Federation in the EAS," said a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after the meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda here today.


"They expressed support for the EAS as a Leaders-led forum with ASEAN as the driving force. In the context of the Declaration of the East Asia Summit on the Principles for Mutually Beneficial Relations and the Declaration on ASEAN Connectivity adopted at the 6th EAS, the two Prime Ministers reiterated their commitment to the promotion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia (CEPEA) as a step towards attaining economic integration in East Asia," the statement adds.


The two leaders welcomed the progress to establish ASEAN Plus Working Groups and decided to cooperate in the Groups.They also expressed their support for ASEAN Connectivity and considered the possibility of having a "Connectivity Master Plan Plus" which would develop further linkages between ASEAN and its partners, with appropriate reference to the "Comprehensive Asia Development Plan", and welcomed support and inputs from Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) for attaining economic integration in East Asia," the statement said.


"They noted with satisfaction that CEPA between India and Japan is an important step for regional integration," the statement adds.The two Prime Ministers reaffirmed the commitment of India and Japan, as two maritime nations in Asia, to the universally agreed principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other relevant international maritime law.


They affirmed expansion of cooperation in maritime security including safety and freedom of navigation and anti-piracy activities, by promoting bilateral and multilateral exercises, and through information sharing, as well as dialogues. In this context, they also welcomed the joint exercise between the Indian Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard to be held in January 2012.The two leaders appreciated the progress made with regard to the establishment of the Nalanda University and reiterated their support to its revival as an icon of Asian renaissance and as an international institute of excellence.


"India welcomed Japan's intention to provide tangible contribution to this initiative including through measures to enhance academic exchange and human resource development," the statement said.The two Prime Ministers noted with satisfaction that three rounds of India-Japan Dialogue on Africa have been concluded.
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Karmapa Lama keen to Join Nalanda International University project !

Buddhist Kagyud Lineage 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorjee has expressed his willingness to get associated with Nalanda International University Project if he gets an official invitation. "Nalanda International University project is an important attempt to revive Buddhist knowledge and culture. I am ready to associate with the project provided I get an official invitation," Dorjee said while talking to reporters here last evening. He, however, clarified that he had not received any formal invitation as yet but he was aware of the project.

"Is is a good effot to revive the historic Nalanda University. I thank all those who have joined the project at present. It will not only benefit the followers of Budhdhism but also enrich the people with Buddhist tradition, culture and religion," Dorjee said. Karmapa further said Nalanda and Vikramshila are two centres of knowledge and efforts must be made for their revival. Born in Tibet, Karmapa said the Himalayan country lives in his heart. To another question on ED action at a monastery in Himachal Pradesh, Dorjee said it had affected the freedom of movement of Agyen Trinley Dorjee, another Karmapa.
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NIU and Educacation Experts for better higher education in Bihar

A two-day international conference on 'Quality in Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunity in India', organized jointly by the state HRD department and Institute of Public Enterprises (IPE), Hyderabad, for preparing a road map for higher education in Bihar commenced here with state HRD minister P K Shahi appealing to the academics to find out solutions to meet the challenges of higher education in the state.

He stressed on improving the academic environment and imparting quality higher education of international standard in the universities in Bihar. The 64-year-old practice of governor being the chancellor of universities had to be reassessed, he said.

"Efforts are on to develop 50 colleges in the state as centres of excellence," Shahi said, adding that migration of Bihari students to other states for higher education can be checked only by improving the higher education scene in the state. He said that non-availability of competent faculties was a hindering factor which had to be addressed properly. Expressing serious concern over the decreasing number of students taking up studies of languages and literature, he said the talented new generation had to be motivated to study these subjects to create a base of good and talented teachers for higher education.

Pleading for increased outlay on higher education, he said that with mere Rs 12,000-crore budget, including for plan and non-plan schemes for human resources development in Bihar, a judicious use of the resources was needed for positive outcome. This could be achieved only with sound planning, he said. The state alone cannot bear the huge cost of quality higher education and so the opening of autonomous institutions should also be worked out, he said.

Principal secretary, HRD, Anjani Kumar Singh, said that in last 6-7 years, the government was able to revive primary education by reducing the dropout rate from 25% to 3%. Steps had been taken to improve secondary education and now effort is on to better higher education, including technical education. He said that a mismatch in demand and supply of faculties for higher education had to be solved for creation of centres of excellence in higher education. For this, the Aryabhat Knowledge University and Nalanda International University had been established.

IPE academic Mridula Sahay said that the theme of the international conference is "Passion for Higher Education" to bring qualitative and quantitative development in the field of higher education. In his inaugural address, the head, School of Economics and Statistics, Bond University, Australia, Kuldeep Kumar, said that awards should be given for innovation in teaching technology, teaching excellence, research supervision, outstanding service award. There should also be a review of teachers' commitment towards the profession, he said.
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Buddist Pilgrims flocking to Nalanda University

Thousands of Buddhist pilgrims from Thailand and worldwide are flocking to the holy sites in northern India and Nepal in what is becoming one of the travel industry's biggest growth sectors: religious tourism.

The numbers are growing in line with significant improvements being made in infrastructure as well as the quality of supporting travel and transport arrangements. Roads, airports and railway services are being upgraded. Dozens of hotels have emerged. One of them in Bodhgaya is appropriately named "Thai International".

The circuit incorporates various holy sites in Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Rajgir, Varanasi, Nalanda, Lumbini, Kushinagar and Sravasti, all associated with places where the Buddha was born, preached, attained enlightenment and died.

Known as "Following the Footsteps of the Buddha", the sites attract several hundred people a day. Most appear to be Sri Lankans who also come in the low-season summer months to enjoy lower hotel rates and airfares.

In the winter, from October-March, the regular traffic includes Thais and visitors from industrialised countries, both regulars and new Buddhist devotees. Last week, my group alone included people from Mexico, Mauritius, Italy, Hong Kong, the UK, Canada and India.

Separately, two other large all-Thai groups were also travelling on the Mahaparinirvan Express, a special rail journey organised by the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation, a division within the massive Indian railway system that caters to foreign visitors.


The rolling stock is leased from the railway enterprise and the price of US$150 to $160 per person per night is affordable to a middle-class market, preventing it from becoming too elitist.

Leading one of the groups was Narierut Pantong, managing director of Nisco Travel, which specialises in Buddhist tours. She says that everything is getting better by the year: the roads, quality of hotels, food and the tour arrangements.

"When I started these tours several years ago, the toilets on the train were always in a mess, and the hotel food was terrible. Now the Indian Railways people have evaluated the feedback and taken positive steps," she says.

Nalanda, site of what is claimed to be the world's oldest university, has been cleaned up extensively, with security guards posted to stop graffiti scrawling, one of the biggest problems at the sites.

Thais are coming in droves, to the extent where the young urchins in one village near a holy spot can even now count in Thai. The entire area is dotted with numerous Thai temples and monasteries that are well-maintained, thanks to the huge funds coming in via donations as well as purchases of souvenirs, amulets and Buddha images.

At one stop just before crossing the border to Nepal, a temple that functions as a rest and refreshment stop is manned entirely by Thai monks.

In Sravasti, Uttar Pradesh, where the Buddha spent 25 monsoon seasons, a huge Buddha image and a 110-metre stupa now under construction are under the aegis of the World Peacefulness Foundation, whose chairman and patron is Maha Upasika Sitthipol Bankot.

The entire area of several thousand square metres began with the planting of 9,999 banyan trees, creating a natural forest and a fresh-water reservoir. A huge meditation centre houses six large halls of 3,000 capacity each.

The area boasts several more temples and monasteries of various Buddhist denominations from Sri Lanka, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Tibet. Some are supported by governments but many are self-funded via donations.

But there is a considerable way to go. Some hardship is a necessary part of being on a pilgrimage. The Buddha sought to keep the focus on human suffering, and there is plenty of that in India, both in the villages as well as all along the roads and pathways.

Signage and waste disposal facilities are still poor. Civic sense remains a challenge. Garbage is strewn in many places, with plastic bottles even floating in the ponds at some sites. Beggars and vendors wait outside the holy spots, ready to swarm over pilgrims.

Carrying capacity will soon become an issue. The temple at Bodhgaya, the site of Buddha's enlightenment, can barely cope with the numbers and will soon face more pressure as the hundreds of daily visitors soon become thousands.

Indeed, Bodhgaya should see much improvement following a change of government in Bihar, long impoverished by the corrupt former administration.

Navigating this itinerary requires a good tour-management system so that devotees can remain focused on their primary purpose for being there.
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Reviving Ancient India Glory : Nalanda University !

Students and scholars from all over the world will soon be converging again at ancient capital of Magadha kings - Rajgir, Bihar to study at the new Nalanda International University.

The name “Nalanda” in Sanskrit means “giver of knowledge”: a combination of “nalam” (lotus, representing knowledge) and “da” (“to give”). Nalanda University of yore was founded according to historians in the fifth century (427 A.D.) as a place of learning for Buddhist monks and is known to have been one of the first great residential universities in recorded history. Today Nalanda is a World Heritage site. The ruins of the monastery are located about 55 miles south east of the modern Indian city of Patna.

The University taught a wide range of subjects besides Buddhism including fine arts, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, war tactics, and politics. Over ten thousand students were taught by a faculty of 2000 in the idyllic forested green surroundings. The ruins at Nalanda even today attracts a large number of tourists.

As part of an international effort the world renowned ancient Nalanda university is now being revived with the setting up of a modern university as an international centre of excellence.

The Nalanda International University is scheduled to begin academic activities from the 2013-14 session from rented premises with two subjects - Historical studies and Environment and Ecological studies - till the construction of its own campus is completed work on which is continuing.

Way back in 2006 former President APJ Abdul Kalam while addressing the Bihar Legislature on March 28,2006 stressed the need for establishing a new Nalanda University that would be a place for meeting of minds from the national and international arenas, to carry out research that would link philosophy to science, to technology, economy and spirituality and integrate both ancient and modern thinking.

As Bihar Government was also toying with the idea it unanimously passed the University of Nalanda Bill in March 2007. In the mid-March 2006 Singapore showed interest in the development of Nalanda as part of Buddhist circuit for the growth of tourism and as a site for a twenty first century learning institution linking South and East Asia.

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It was in the East Asia Summit held in Thailand in Oct 2009 that a decision was finally taken by the member countries which included the ten ASEAN countries and Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand, to set up the university. Later several other countries including the US too has given its support to the move.

The Nalanda University Bill was cleared by the Indian Parliament in 2010 to set up the University with a cost of Rs.1005 crore.

The University is initially going to have schools for Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions; Historical Studies; International Relations and Peace Studies; Business Management in relation to Public Policy and Development Studies; Languages and Literature; Ecology and Environmental Studies. There are also plans to add one on Information Technology.

Initially the Planning Commission has allocated Rs. 50 crore as endowment fund in the form of a special grant for the commencement of activities and till such time the Nalanda University becomes sustainable on its own.

Both the External Affairs Ministry which is acting as the nodal Ministry for this project and Bihar government are closely monitoring the development of this prestigious international project. The government . of Bihar has already acquired about 500 acres of land in Rajgir close to the original Nalanda. An international architecture competition is to be held to finalise the design of Nalanda International University.

It is envisaged that the revival of the University will lead to the growth of Buddhist circuit giving a boost to the tourism industry.

Harking back to the time when Nalanda University was the biggest centre of learning in the Magadha empire the modern university too would like to associate and build linkages with the people living in the 200 odd villages surrounding Nalanda since ancient times. Setting up cottage industries and teaching students of the villages is being undertaken.

The University shall function as a public-private partnership and the funds shall be provided on voluntary basis by the Government of Member States of East Asia Summit.

The Nalanda International University planned to be a seat of learning, scholarship, philosophy and statecraft will be a non-state, non-profit, secular and self-governing international institution with a focus to attract the brightest and the most dedicated students from all countries of Asia. The objective of the university is “aimed at advancing the concept of an Asian community...and rediscovering old relationships.”

Several countries like Thailand, Australia, Singapore, Japan ,China, have shown interest in funding the University. Singapore has pledged US$4-5 million for building a library at Nalanda University. The huge library of ancient Nalanda University had been burned down. On December 16, 2010, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao contributed US$ 1 million dollars for the Nalanda University during his visit to India.

Eminent Sociologist Gopa Sabharwal has been appointed the first Vice Chancellor of Nalanda International University. Professor of Sociology at Lady Shri Ram College, Dr Gopa Sabharwal is an alumnus of Delhi School of Economics and had set up the Department of Sociology in Lady Shri Ram College of Delhi University in 1993.

The Nobel laureate Amartya Sen who is the Chairman of the Governing Board says, “Excellence and fairness in educating people in courses which are intellectually challenging and practically useful would be the guiding principles of the university.”
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Nalanda International University - the Buddha factor and India

The 17th Karmapa's monastery in Himachal Pradesh is among the highest seats of Tibetan Buddhism in the world. There is an air of unease here after the state police filed charges against the Karmapa for possessing unaccounted foreign currency. But commentators say the case will have little impact on the strategic nature of India's hospitality for Tibetan monks.

After the Dalai Lama fled Chinese-controlled Tibet to India in 1959, several key monks of Tibet have followed suit. “The presence of all the religious heads of Tibet on Indian soil gives India a kind of power that China cannot match... India hosts the emotional and cultural core of a vast part of Chinese territory,” said Tsering Phuntsok of Norbulingka Institute for preservation of Tibetan culture.

Sources in the Tibetan Government in Exile say China is faced with a unique security concern, as it fears that the Tibetan followers of the India-based lamas can unsettle Tibet any moment. About 30 per cent of the Tibetan refugee population in India constitutes lamas or monastic students. In Tibet, the students are initiated into the schools of the four top India-based lamas. The Chinese media claims that the network among the lamas leads to sedition in Tibet. A spate of self-immolation by Tibetan monks in China in recent months has affirmed this fear in the state-backed Chinese media.

The Chinese have been wooing Tibetan refugees to reduce the Indian influence. “The Chinese embassy in New Delhi will issue a fresh Chinese passport to any Tibetan who wants to return to Tibet or visit relatives for a short while,” said Phuntsok. However, the Embassy of China did not comment on this. Refugees in India complain they cannot speak to relatives in Tibet frequently, as the Chinese agencies regularly hack international calls. Last month, India-China border talks were postponed after China objected to the Dalai Lama speaking at a function on Buddhist philosophy in Delhi.

India's stand can be seen as a means to utilise historic ties with Buddhism to re-warm its Greater Asia policy, according to Ravni Thakur, associate professor at Delhi University. As part of South Block's Buddha-intensive policy, India is reviving the Nalanda University with Buddhist nations in East and Southeast Asia. Communist China is also playing the Buddha card by offering to develop Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha, in Nepal and donating $1 million for the Nalanda University project.

Tibetans question this when China denies religious freedom in Tibet. Commentators point out that Buddhist ties have been a key factor in India-Sri Lanka relations and now Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Japan are also on the same page with India's Buddhist focus. “Our silent hosting of the Tibetan spiritual leaders has boosted India's image and indicates our willingness to play the cultural card actively to forge durable partnership with other neighbours of China,” said Shashank, former foreign secretary and a veteran of India's Look East policy.
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Let's build on Mauryan inspiration, says APJ Kalam

That modern India has been inspired by the Mauryan concepts of statecraft and governance is one of the significant insights provided in “The Dancing Girl: A History of Early India,” by Balaji Sadasivan (1955-2010), a neurosurgeon and Singapore's former Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Capturing this facet of the author's findings, the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who launched the book at a function organised by The Hindu and SRM University here on Wednesday, said Chandragupta Maurya had built an empire based on a strong central government and a large, powerful army. “This model is virtually akin to the model being followed after our Independence.”

Another contribution of the Mauryas during the reign of Asoka, the former President noted, was the provision of moral and ethical dimension. “He defined that the primary purpose of the government was to provide peace, prosperity and welfare to all the citizens. The author rightly brings out that modern India looks to the Mauryan Empire for inspiration and has taken Mauryan Lion as the state emblem.”

Attributing the attainment of Independence to the phase of the freedom struggle which was led by Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Kalam said people had to cherish and nurture Independence with the ethics and value system of the era of Chandragupta Maurya.

Quoting the author, Mr. Kalam said the Bhakti movement in India developed from Tamil-speaking south to Sanskrit-speaking north. The spiritual development of Hinduism was based on devotional songs, expressing ecstatic love for God. The compositions were mainly in Tamil, though the numbers of popular hymns were in Sanskrit. The Bhakti movement, encompassing Saivites and Vaishnavites, made Hinduism accessible to Indians of all States in both Sanskrit and regional languages, the former President pointed out.

S.R. Nathan, former President of Singapore, who presented copies of the book to donors, said it was labour of love written by an author who was captivated by the history of his ancestral homeland.

Pointing out that the rise of South Asia, like East Asia, was a civilisational one — though attention has been focussed on the economic potential — and the history of civilisations provided profound insights into their contemporary standing and the possible road ahead, Mr. Nathan said that from this perspective, the book offers much not only for the Diaspora but also for those who are in India itself.

Ma Swan Hoo, wife of Balaji Sadasivan, who accompanied him on numerous visits to historic sites across India, provided the rationale for naming the book ‘The Dancing Girl', which refers to a bronze statuette excavated from Mohenjodaro and a showpiece in the National Museum in Delhi. This 10.8-cm statue, a symbol of an advanced civilisation that existed about 4,500 years ago, was important to the history of India, she said.

Balaji Sadasivan, whose roots were in Arcot of Tamil Nadu, was a great lover of the history and civilisation of many countries. He chose to write on the history of India, a country he was so much in love with. He had originally planned to cover the history from ancient times to the present period over five volumes. This book is a combination of the first two volumes of 30 chapters and covers the ancient period up to the start of the decline of the Mughal reign in the 17 century.

Addressing the gathering, N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, praised Balaji Sadasivan's approach to history, and said the author regarded himself as an amateur but he was a gifted amateur. He instinctively realised that history was not an “unending catalogue of dull facts.”

By reading “The Dancing Girl,” one could learn a good deal about the mind and interests of the neurosurgeon and professional politician-turned historian. “He selects; draws out facts of significance, ignoring the dross and the trivial, and invests them with meaning. He provides interpretation. All interpretation is disputable but the historian must venture out to recreate, even trans-create, the historical picture. This is what this gifted amateur does in an engaging, accessible, enjoyable manner,” Mr. Ram added.

He appealed to Mr. Kalam to provide a push and use his moral influence for the Nalanda University revival project as there were reports of slow release of funds by the Union government to the project although the Bihar government had been very supportive.
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Dr. Amartya Sen on Nalanda's Critics-NIU

NIU Nalanda-The Ancient Buddhist University

The most famous International Buddhist center, Nalanda university campus of Ancient times, is present in Bihar state,India.It is about 120 Kilometers away from state capital-Patna.Archeological evidences have proved that it belongs to 5th century A.D.The place is well linked both by road and rail.Nalanda is the name given to the district also, in respect of the great center of Buddhist learning.

Visit this place, to know the grandeur of ancient Education system that prevailed in India.
How was Nalanda?

In its hay days,Nalanda was one of the five topmost universities teaching Buddhism. Though all the six philosophies of India were taught there, Buddhism was the main subject.The campus was spread over 14 hectares area. Of this only 10% has been excavated so far. if this small area sxposes so much, imagine how much must be still hidden!

Nalanda unversity had 10,000 learners then. Learners came from different countries like-present Afghanistan(that was not under Muslim influence then),China, Burma, SriLanka,Indochina, Nepal etc, let alone different states in india.

Hiuen-Tsang -the famous Chinese traveler stayed here for 10 long years,first as astudent, and later as a teacher

Courses of study.

At Nalanda, both Mahayana and Hinayana Schools of Buddhism were taught.Along with these, Logic(Hetu Vidya),Grammar(Shabda Vidya),Medicine(Vaidya) etc were also taught.
Residential University

Nalanda was a residential university. It was monastic tye of education.Monks were the teachers.The ruins show us the rooms meant for monks and students, with diffeent arrangements.
The ruins

The present ruins show us-teaching halls, prayer halls, dormitories, open parks,cemetries, kitchen and dining halls, water canal system, etc.

Visiting Nalanda is a wonderful experience.Well informed guides are available there to help tourists. Guide charge is also not much. Presently they are taking Rs100/-only per batch of about 50.

Near this campus there is a well built museum that houses so many important materials. That should also be seen.

Buddha visited this place many times before and after his enlightenment.That's this place got the prominence and this center of higher learning was started here.
Decline

Muslim invasion to India was the cause of decline of this famous center of higher learning.That started after 12the century.those invaders burnt many monks alive. They burnt the libraries here.But even after that, Nalanda had its breath.But by 16th century, it was attacked again by muslim army. And the remaining students and teachers were forced to flee.
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Dr. Amartya Sen: Nalanda stood for the passion of propagating knowledge and understanding !!

"Science has to fight parochialism, and Nalanda was committed to doing that”

Science has to fight parochialism, and Nalanda University (which existed in Bihar during the early fifth century and the 12th century) was firmly committed to doing just that, according to Amartya Sen, Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University in the U.S. and chairman of the Interim Governing Board of Nalanda University.

Recalling that the university was “violently destroyed” in an Afghan attack led by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193, Prof. Sen, who addressed the Indian Science Congress at SRM University in Kattankulathur near here on Tuesday, said it was being re-established through an Asian initiative, involving India, China, Singapore, Japan and Thailand.

Delivering a talk on Nalanda and the pursuit of science, Prof. Sen, the recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics, said Nalanda stood for the passion of propagating knowledge and understanding. This was one reason for its keenness to accept students from abroad. “If the seeking of evidence and vindication by critical arguments is part of the tradition of science, so is the commitment to move knowledge and understanding beyond the boundaries of locality.”

Noting that Nalanda had attracted students from many countries, particularly China, Korea and Japan, he said there were students from Turkey too. It was a residential university and at its peak, it had 10,000 students, studying various subjects. “Incidentally, Nalanda is the only non-Chinese institution in which any Chinese scholar received higher education in the history of ancient China.”

Citing the accounts of Chinese chroniclers such as Xuangzang and Yi Jing, Prof. Sen said that among the subjects taught in Nalanda were medicine, public health, architecture and sculpture, in addition to religion, history, law and linguistics. Going by Indian accounts, logic was a subject taught and “my guess is that eventually, evidence would emerge on this part of the curriculum in Nalanda as well.”

Noting that the mixture of religion and science was by no means unique to Nalanda, he said the Buddhist foundation made much room for the pursuit of analytical and scientific subjects within the campus of Nalanda University.

The faculty and students in Nalanda loved to argue and very often, they held argumentative encounters. “There were plenty of organised argumentative matches going on in Nalanda and this too fits, in a very general way, into the scientific spirit that was present in Nalanda,” he added.
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Nalanda International University Funding

Japan and Singapore are financing the construction work, with contributions totalling around US$100 million. Gopa Sabharwal has been appointed the first Vice Chancellor of this university in February 2011.

It has been estimated that US$500m will be required to build the new facility, with a further US$500m needed to sufficiently improve the surrounding infrastructure. The group is looking for donations from governments, private individuals and religious groups.

The State Government of Bihar handed over 443 acres of sprawling land acquired from local people, to the University, where construction work has begun. It is a dream project of the former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam.

Nalanda University orphaned: Governing Board term expires

A constitutional crisis threatens the Nalanda University as the one year term of its Governing Board came to an end on November 25. But thanks to the lethargy of the authorities, no new governing board is not in sight.

As per Section 8 (2) of the Nalanda University Act, the Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) was authorized to exercise and discharge the functions of the Governing Board for a period of one year or till such times when a new governing board came into existence, whichever was earlier. But whereas the Governing Board (earlier Nalanda Mentor Group) met thrice for board meetings during 2011 – New Delhi (February 22), Patna (July 6-7) and Beijing (October 14-15) it neither framed the statutes expected from it under Clause 28 (1) of the Act within six months nor worked on any succession plan.

The composition and tenure of the regular Governing Board is described in Clause 7 of the Nalanda University Act. It will include an officer from the MEA not below the rank of Secretary; two members representing Government of Bihar; one member not below the rank of Additional Secretary from the Ministry of Human Resource Development; three educationists or academicians to be nominated by the central government.

The Nalanda University was aware of the approaching deadline. But it was interested in scouting for types that will fill a particular slot. Five members from amongst the ‘member states’ (of the East Asia Summit) that would provide maximum financial assistance will get their places in the new Governing Board. Nalanda University publicized only the last type on their website. The obvious reasons were two a) to emphasize ‘international’ character of the University though the institution is being built with Indian taxpayers money b) second to get donations from aboard. It seems except for China no ‘member state’ has actually donated anything. And even China’s donation of $1 million can not be used immediately, but kept in reserve for building a ‘Chinese style University’ at Nalanda University campus. But China might end up getting five seats for three years for this peanut.

But as of date there is no Nalanda University Governing Board. Any further exercise of power by Amartya Sen-led group will be ultra vires to the Nalanda University Act, 2010. The Nalanda Mentor Group turned Governing Board has exercised power without authority, responsibility and accountability. First, the Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) was ‘appointed’ merely through a D.O. letter dtd June 27, 2007 by then Minister of External Affairs without any office order, gazette notification and press release. Its nine month life-span was extended to three year plus without any officer order or Gazette notification. Its recommended candidate was appointed as ‘Vice Chancellor-designate’ though the terms of conditions did not authorize them to search and select any person for the post.

Then NMG, on being converted in the Governing Board, co-opted Prof. Prapod Assavavirulhakarn, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand though it never had co-option powers. They also kept both George Yeo, former foreign Minister, Singapore and Prof. Wang Gugwu, National University, Singapore in the Boardwhereas the later was only a replacement candidate for the former in the NMG.

The Governing Board could not identity the Visitor of the University during the whole year. Whether it is the President of India or Prof. APJ Abdul Kalam? Both the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor are to be appointed by the Visitor as per Clause 15 of the Act. The new Governing Board must have Visitor, Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor. At present there are none of them (Dr. Gopa Sabharwal is Vice Chancellor-designate though she claimed herself as Vice Chancellor until challenged).


But the most difficult legacy for the new Governing Board would be legal vacuum. There are no statutes- framed and approved- from which a new Governing Board can derive its powers.

The latest crisis is another example of inept handling of the project. The Governing Board was more interested in travelling abroad, delivering flowery speeches and recruiting cronies but did no spadework for the University.

Naturally it would now look towards the government (of India) to salvage the project. Under Clause 41 (1) the government has the power to remove difficulty the project might run into. But the government’s action as per the clause must be consistent with the provisions of the Act, and must be published in the gazette of India. Any such order, however, must be placed before Parliament as soon as it is passed. Extending the term of the older Governing Board would entail an amendment of the Act.
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