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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