Nālandā University (informally NU; ISO: Nālandā Vishwavidyalaya) is a central research university situated in the ancient city of Rajgir, Bihar. Designated by the Government of India as an Institute of National Importance, it is the flagship university of the Ministry of External Affairs and was founded in 2010 as a successor to the Nalanda Mahavihara of medieval Magadha. The name is drawn from the Sanskrit words Na-Alam-Da, interpreted as "the giver of lotus-stalks."
The university was established by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 2010, with the President of India serving as the Visitor. It functions as a postgraduate research institute, offering only Master's and PhD degrees. As an international university, it is supported by 18 member countries of the East Asia Summit, with the initial proposal having been put forward by the former President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The first Chancellor was Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, followed by Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo.
Built at an initial cost of approximately US$210 million and spread over 485 acres, the campus is among the largest in India and is described as the first in the country to implement a 'Net Zero' eco-recycling strategy. The new campus in Rajgir was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
Nālandā University offers programmes through the School of Historical Studies (SHS), the School of Ecology and Environment Studies (SEES), the School of Buddhist Studies (SBS), the School of Philosophy and Comparative Religions (SPCR), the School of Languages and Literature/Humanities (SLLH), and the School of Management Studies (SMS). It additionally offers degrees in the study of Sanātana Dharma, along with diploma courses in languages such as Sanskrit, Pāli, Tibetan, Japanese and Korean. Traditionally regarded as a symbol of India's historical and intellectual legacy, the institution retains a celebrated status as a contemporary successor to the renowned ancient seat of learning.
Adapted from the English