Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University. After being sworn-in as the Prime Minister for the record third term, this is Narendra Modi's first official visit to the state.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said, " I am happy that I got the opportunity to visit Nalanda within 10 days after swearing in as PM for the 3rd time...Nalanda is not just a name, it is an identity and respect. Nalanda is a value and mantra...fire can burn books, but it can't destroy knowledge."
Earlier, he visited the ruins of ancient Nalanda University in Bihar. The ruins were declared a United Nations Heritage site in 2016.
Rekindling India's ties with its past, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of Nalanda University's inauguration, said on Wednesday that the varsity will "go a long way in catering to the educational needs of the youth."
Taking to X, PM Modi said, "It’s a very special day for our education sector. At around 10:30 AM today, the new campus of Nalanda University would be inaugurated at Rajgir. Nalanda has a strong connect with our glorious part."
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and Nalanda University Chancellor Arvind Panagariya attended the inauguration ceremony.
Foreign envoys from a total of 17 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, were also present at the event.
The campus is divided into two academic blocks, each with 40 classrooms and a total seating capacity of around 1900. It includes two auditoriums, each with a seating capacity of 300. It contains a student hostel with a capacity of around 550 people. It also features several additional amenities, such as an international center, an auditorium that can seat up to 2000 people, a faculty club, and a sports complex, among others.
