Nalanda varsity bill in Monsoon Session
With Bihar elections approaching, the Centre on Thursday set the ball rolling for the setting up of Nalanda University in the state by giving its nod for the presentation of a bill relating to this in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
According to an official release, the Union Cabinet gave its approval for the presentation of the Nalanda University Bill 2010 in the Parliament Session, which is scheduled to begin on July 26. It further added that the university would be set up in the vicinity of the ancient Nalanda University in Bihar at an approximate cost of Rs 1,005 crores.
The bill has, interestingly, been prepared by ministry of external affairs, as a consensus could be arrived at the East Asia Summit held in Thailand in October 2009. The proposed university will have schools like Buddhist studies, philosophy and comparative literature, historical studies and ecology and environmental studies among others.
Even the Bihar government led by Nitish Kumar had demanded that the Centre should consider setting up of such university. The area in the state, where the university will come up, is considered to be Mr Kumar pocket borough.
According to the bill, the University shall function as part of a public-private partnership (PPP) venture. However, the governments of the member countries will provide funds for the proposed university.
India as the host country will make significant contribution in the initial stage, with the Planning Commission already having allocated Rs 50 crores as endowment fund in the form of a special grant.
The Nalanda Mentor Group constituted by the Centre in June 2007, shall exercise powers as the interim governing board of the university for a period of one year or till the members of the governing board have been nominated. The Bihar government has already acquired about 500 acres of land in Rajgir (in the vicinity of the original university) while another 500 acres is scheduled to be acquired.
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