‘Ancient Nalanda was more than Indian’

Q& A

Reviving the spirit and flavour of the ancient Nalanda University might seem an elusive goal, but that’s precisely what a group of intellectuals, political leaders and bureaucrats are seeking to do with international collaboration. N K Singh, member, Nalanda Mentor Group, talks to Narayani Ganesh:

What inspired the move to revive Nalanda University?

Ancient Nalanda, though on Indian soil, was more than Indian. Diverse disciplines including science and philosophy found place here; in a sense it was a more integrated world. Established in the third century, Nalanda was destroyed in the 12th century by the invading Khiljis. Documents carried from Nalanda to China and Tibet have been translated by Indian scholars who learnt the language, adopted Chinese names and settled in China. It took six months for the library to burn down. Since the destruction of Nalanda, we haven’t been able to recreate its international flavour.

    The idea is to set up a centre of educational excellence, an international university based on an international treaty with East Asian countries as partners, approximate to the site of the original Nalanda University. The Bihar government has identified 500 acres of land for this purpose. The framework of the treaty that’s been worked out would give joint ownership to all these countries.

What next?

    A mentor group set up for this is to meet in August to discuss the treaty that is to be adopted in December this year at the East Asia summit. The mentor group has identified the pedagogy. It would be a postgraduate institution, a semi-European model with a rector (instead of vice-chancellor), someone internationally recognised. The project should take off in 2009 when construction begins. The architecture will retain the original flavour.

    What would the medium of instruction be?

    Mainly English. We aim to include the study of Asian languages, especially dormant ones like Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit. Pali is still one of the options in the Indian Administrative Service examination, but few choose it. Nalanda was a confluence of cross-cultural influences between East and South Asia. The idea is to revive the spirit.

    The quota system would not apply here; admission procedures would be governed by an international framework. So, it would not come under the University Grants Commission.

    Would Nalanda have western inputs?

    Yes, in the form of scholars in various disciplines including Buddhism. At the East Asia Summit the funding board will consider this: infrastructure development (electricity, water, roads, airport) by state government with help from national governments, international agencies and private endowments and also help develop the Buddhist tourism potential. The Nalanda project would draw equally from virtual knowledge banks and resident faculty; the idea is to revive the innovative and eclectic spirit of what was a top-class centre for intellectual discourse.

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-culture/‘ancient-nalanda-more-than-indian’/d/240