Nalanda and New Varsities Give Impetus to Higher Education in Bihar !

With as many as four new universities in the offing, the total number of universities in Bihar is likely to reach 24, thereby paving the way for enhancement of gross enrolment ratio in higher education.
Bills pertaining to creation of Patliputra University, Purnia University and Bihar Animal Sciences University were passed by the state legislature in August last year and official gazettes for the same were also published subsequently.

Furthermore, the state cabinet recently gave its nod for Munger University. All these new universities are expected to lighten the burden of the existing overcrowded parent universities and ensure smooth conduct of academic activities in colleges and university departments.

Carved out of Magadh University, the largest one in the state, the new Patliputra University with its headquarters in Patna, will have the colleges located in Patna and Nalanda districts. For the time being, the new university is expected to function from the MU's existing branch office at Kankarbagh. The university is likely to start functioning with the appointment of its vice-chancellor.


The Purnia University would be set up at Purnia with the colleges of B N Mandal University, Madhepura, located in four districts - Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar. Similarly, Munger University would be established after its bifurcation from Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University. All the colleges located in Munger, Lakhisarai, Jamui, Shekhpura, Khagaria and Begusarai districts would be brought under the jurisdiction of the new university.

Ever since the state got its first modern university in 1917 in the name of Patna University (PU), it has witnessed a sluggish growth of higher education. PU managed the growth and development of higher education in the state till January 1952 when it was bifurcated into two - PU and B R A Bihar University. Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur and Ranchi University were created out of Bihar University in 1960. Two more universities - Magadh University and Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University - were set up in 1961.
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Nalanda University Gets a New Vice Chancellor !

With the post lying vacant for the past four months following the end of the tenure of Gopa Sabharwal, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday announced his decision to appoint Sunaina Singh, the sitting Vice Chancellor (VC) of Hyderabad English and Foreign Language University, as the new VC of Nalanda University in Bihar.
Sabharwal, whose five-year term ended in 2015, was given an extension of one year but that was revoked by President Mukherjee who, instead appointed Pankaj Mohan, a senior professor at the Nalanda University, as the interim Vice Chancellor of the university.

Sunaina Singh was chosen from an initial list of 125 applications. She made the first short list of six candidates and later an even shorter list of three candidates, former Rajya Sabha MP and a member of the Nalanda University governing body, N K Singh said.

Since its revival, Nalanda University has been marred with one controversies or other involving bruised egos of office holders and general administrative failure. Earlier last November, its Chancellor and former Singapore politician George Yeo resigned from his post accusing lack of autonomy in the university.

As if that was not enough, two days ago on March 29, acting Vice Chancellor Pankaj Mohan resigned from his post on 'moral grounds' after a girl student accused her classmate of sexual harassment. The accusation led to a massive protest within the campus forcing the Nalanda SP to intervene to stop students from going on a rampage.

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