Feb 21st, 2009:
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Nobel laureate Amartya was in Bihar for a meeting of the mentor group of the proposed Nalanda International University in Nalanda.

This is an effort to bring back the Indian glory of the 5th century, when Nalanda in Bihar was the education hub of the world and was the best international university which until 12th century. The ancient university used to have 10,000 students from all the parts of the world with strength of 1500 faculty member.

This idea of the revival of the NIU was first time proposed by the former President of India and prominent scientist A. P. J. Abdul Kalam while he was on visit to Bihar in 2006.

Sen is the chairman of the Nalanda University Mentor Group. He was today delivering a lecture on "Bihar: past, present and future" jointly organised by the Asian Development Research Institute and NGO Prachiti.

Sen said the initiative for the university came from the 16 founding members of the East Asia Summit, adding that some of them - including Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and Japan, besides China - will be approached for funding.

Some highlights about the proposed university:

- An international, and not just a national university;

- The land has already been given by the state government.

- NIU will be located at the site of the old university;

- Will be fully residential like the ancient Nalanda University.

- Was planned start is year 2010, however there can be little delay in this.

- The fund will flow from all over the world for the University, including Govt. of India and Bihar.

- Will have six schools, one of them in Delhi;

- Will be highly equipped for the study of subject
• Science,
• Philosophy
• Mathematics
• Management
• Spiritualism
• Buddhist subjects and
• Language and Literature

Someone has rightly said Education is the transmission of civilization.