Latest news with #NalandaUniversity
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: A battle of IPL underdogs today
Two perennial underdogs. One long-overdue trophy. Who will scratch the 18-year itch? On one side, stands draped in jersey No. 18, Virat Kohli, the gladiator who has carried the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on his shoulders through triumph and tears. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, in a deja vu moment, invoked Kohli's name yesterday much like Kohli had once done for Sachin Tendulkar ahead of the 2011 World Cup. 'We will try and win this for him,' he said. Across the pitch will be the Punjab Kings (PBKS), led by Shreyas Iyer, last season's title-winning captain with Kolkata Knight Riders. Whether Iyer gets second-time lucky or not, this tournament could open the door for the national T20 team for him. Whichever way the final tilts, one team will end decades of frustration. On that note, let's get to today's edition. India may be rolling out the red carpet for electric vehicle makers, but Tesla doesn't seem ready to take the wheel. Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy said this week that Elon Musk's electric vehicle giant is only looking to open two showrooms in India and was not interested in setting up manufacturing operations, which may deal a blow to India's ambitions to become a global EV manufacturing hub. Trump factor: Musk's hesitancy may have a Trump-sized shadow all over it. In February, US President Donald Trump criticised Tesla's plan to expand in India, calling it 'unfair' to the US. Musk, who has enjoyed close relations with the President so far, may not want to upset that balance. Trump has made similar objections to Apple's expansion plans in India. Missed date: Musk was due to visit India in March last year. The visit never materialised, but shortly before his expected arrival, New Delhi had tried to sweeten the deal. It notified an electric passenger car manufacturing scheme, which would require EV makers to invest a minimum of Rs 4,150 crore to produce EVs domestically. In turn, they could import a maximum of 8,000 built car units per year at a subsidised customs duty. The final guidelines for this scheme were released on Monday, with online applications set to open soon. Kumaraswamy confirmed that several major global players — Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen-Škoda, Hyundai, and Kia — have expressed interest. The Nalanda University emerged under a special Act of Parliament in 2014. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated its new campus in Bihar's Rajgir town. This state-of-the-art 455-acre campus stands in the foothills of the imposing Vaibhar Giri hill, considered the seat of both Buddhism and Jainism. Barely 12 km from the new campus lie the ruins of the ancient Nalanda University, perhaps the world's first Ivy League university. Today, the university has over 1,200 students. My colleague Santosh Singh brings you the inside view from his recent reconnaissance of Nalanda. In a fix: The Adani Group has come under the lens once again. US prosecutors are investigating whether the firm imported Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) into India through the Adani Group's Mundra port, despite US sanctions on Iran. The Adani Group has denied the charges. Wanted: The Delhi Police are on a lookout for a foreign citizen, who works with the Embassy of a Western European country, for allegedly putting up posters carrying a photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside the word 'Wanted' in the national capital's Chanakyapuri area. Tribute: The Gujarat government is working on a memorial dedicated to Operation Sindoor and the defence forces. The memorial, which will be called Sindoor Van (forest), is set to come up in the Kutch district on the India-Pakistan border. Shukla in space: Four decades after Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel to space, Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer, stands at the precipice to make similar history. He will become the first Indian to step on the International Space Station (ISS), about 400 km from Earth. On June 8, he will pilot a Dragon spacecraft to take him and three others to the ISS. Read why a seat for Shukla, who was originally trained for our own human spaceflight mission, on Axiom-4 is a big moment for India's space programme. The audacious aerial attack: Ukraine's June 1 large-scale drone strikes on Russian air bases are one of a kind. In a Trojan horse-like attack, specialised drones were smuggled into Russia inside mobile wooden cabins. The attack, which was 18 months in the making, has forever changed the contours of modern warfare. Read Anil Sasi's explainer on Operation Spider Web. For more on Ukraine's drone warfare, tune in to today's episode of the '3 Things' podcast. One week ago, chess maestro Magnus Carlsen forced the youngest world champion in chess history, Gukesh Dommaraju, to resign in the opening round of Norway Chess. He then posted a tweet using a reference from the HBO show The Wire: 'You come at the king, you best not miss.' The second time the duo met, Gukesh did just that. The drama that followed has been viewed millions of times in a now-viral video. This may, however, be Carlsen's last tryst with classical chess. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
From 12 students to over 1,200: Inside the new campus of Nalanda University
His back against the whiteboard, Associate Professor Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedi tells his 34 students, pursuing their master's degree from Nalanda University's School of International Relations and Peace Studies (IPRS), why India was well within its rights to put in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. 'Its provisions clearly describe that the pact can be put in abeyance in case of disturbance of internal peace,' he tells the class. The students, including 11 international ones, agree with the professor, who heads the school. Introduced by the university in 2024-25, IRPS is a huge draw for scholars and one of its six schools offering master's courses. From just 12 students after it was established in 2014 under a special Act of Parliament, Nalanda University now has 1,270 students, within a year of Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating its new campus in June 2024 in Bihar's Rajgir town. The university's state-of-the-art 455-acre campus stands in the foothills of the imposing Vaibhar Giri hill, considered the seat of both Buddhism and Jainism. Barely 12 km from the new campus — and over 70 km from Bodh Gaya, considered the site of Gautam Buddha's enlightenment — lie the ruins of the ancient Nalanda University, perhaps the world's first Ivy League university. Conceived as an international institute of excellence where the old and new knowledge systems coexist, the new Nalanda University was established under the Nalanda University Act, 2010, by the Ministry of External Affairs. Then President A P J Abdul Kalam was its first Visitor, while economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen was its first Chancellor. Sixteen countries had come together to support its establishment. Before moving to its new zero-carbon campus, the university functioned out of 'borrowed' buildings at the Rajgir Convention Centre and had just two international students. At the new 'car-free' campus, a pathway flanked by canna lilies and street lights leads one inside the university. With a built area of just 8%, the campus, designed by renowned architect B V Doshi's Vastu Shilpa Consultants, attempts to 'match the architectural and geographical setting the ancient Nalanda University would have provided'. Its exposed brick buildings — similar to the signature image of the Nalanda ruins — and elevated staircases are surrounded by 15 water bodies, christened 'Kamal Sagars' and spread over 100 acres. University officials say the area's water table has gone up 'substantially' since the new campus came up. The ancient Nalanda University is believed to have been established in the 5th century CE and faded out around the 13th century due to a combination of factors, including the rise of Hinduism, the decline of Buddhism and invasions by foreign invaders. Post-doctoral fellow Azad Hind Gulshan Nanda, who quit his job at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Trombay and the Indian Institute of Management in Kolkata to research Nalanda at the university, says, 'It is believed that the ancient university was destroyed by fire, though its ecological degradation over the years cannot be ruled out.' The fire theory was referenced by PM Modi in his campus inauguration speech, 'Aag ki lapton mein pustaken bhale hi jal jayein, lekin aag ki laptein gyan ko kabhi mita nahi sakti (Fire can destroy books but not knowledge).' Today, the university's regular courses are being pursued by 402 students, including 224 international scholars from 21 countries, while many others have enrolled in its 37 regular and short-term courses, including online diplomas and certificate languages courses, or its master's degree in eight disciplines at its six schools. At full capacity, the campus can accommodate around 7,500 students and teachers. Besides using only harvested rainwater for all its needs, the campus also has a drinking water treatment plant, a water recycling plant, a yoga centre, auditorium, an archival centre and a fully equipped sports complex. Then there is the Bodhi tree — the PM had planted the sapling during the inauguration — which is now over six feet tall. Officials said the Prime Minister's Office keeps tabs on the tree. In the hostels, two scholars share one 12 x 12 room, and two rooms one common washroom. A few hundred metres from hostels are the libraries, housed in two big halls. The construction of a dome-shaped library, modelled on the Sanchi Stupa, a Buddhist monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Madhya Pradesh, is in its final stage. As the sun sets and the campus lights up, the students gather in the common dining hall, which has flags of the university's 16 member nations on a wall and can easily seat 1,500 people at a time. Instead of the guru-shishya parampara (teacher-disciple tradition) at the ancient university, Patna-based Fahad Zeya, a student at IRPS, says the new campus follows the 'cafeteria model' of education. 'There is free interaction with teachers here beyond classroom hours,' he says, before walking towards the cafeteria for lunch. Claiming that 'we are perhaps the first university in the world to teach both international relations and peace studies as one subject', Prof Chaturvedi says, 'IRPS was conceived as a subject based on India's age-old approach of looking for peace in its international relations.' While Samriddhi Khandelwal from Rajasthan, Xaysin Pongxaiyavonh from Laos and Soy Kimhong from Cambodia decided to pursue IRPS since it 'talks about relations, conflict and peace from BCE till present time', their classmate Aman Kumar, a graduate in computer sciences, tells The Indian Express that he enrolled in the course to prepare for the civil services examinations. Cambodia's Va Souvann says, 'Studying international relations of various countries from ancient times gives us great clarity when it comes to getting to the crux of the problem in connection with international ties.' Like its ancient counterpart, Nalanda University too has a teacher-student ratio of 1:5, thanks to visiting faculty. Though the university has 67 teachers, including 26 regular teachers, the number of visiting faculty members can rise to 100, say officials. When it comes to other popular subjects, Abhay Kumar Singh, the university's former Vice-Chancellor and the dean of the School of Historical Studies, listed environment and Buddhist studies. 'Several of our students have got very good jobs in monasteries in South-East Asia. Instead of offering general courses, our focus is on in-depth research and knowledge creation, just like our ancient namesake,' Prof Singh says, while sitting in his office. Onanna Aklero from Bangladesh agrees with Prof Singh, as do Lesha Piumi Dilhara from Sri Lanka and Thi Thun Tha from Vietnam. While Onanna and Thi Thun Tha are master's students at the School of Historical Studies, Lesha Piumi Dilhara is pursuing a PhD from the same school. Toshabanta Padhan, who heads the Department of Archaeology, says archaeology is evolving fast as an independent subject for master's courses at the university. Calling it a 'very engaging subject', Patna's Shreya Anand, who is pursuing her master's in archaeology, says, 'Archaeology is linked to history, politics and economics. I want to be a researcher. Working at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is my dream job.' A professor says Nalanda University has also entered into memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with 23 institutions for 'knowledge exchange programmes', including the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), Asiatic Society, ASI, Syiah Kuala University in Indonesia, Dongguk University in Korea, Otani University in Japan and Bronx Community College in the US. However, Prof Singh says references to the university as 'Brand Nalanda' sadden him. He adds, 'The world discusses tomorrow what Nalanda discusses today. Nalanda is the chaste spirit of knowledge, a light, pure and unadulterated.'
Hans India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
PM Modi to inaugurate Patna's new international airport terminal on May 29
Patna: The long-awaited new terminal of Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna is finally ready and set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 29. Built at Rs 1,400 crore, the state-of-the-art facility spans 65,155 square meters, several times the size of the existing terminal. The new terminal boasts 54 check-in counters, five aerobridges, eight X-ray baggage scanners, five baggage conveyor belts, multi-level car parking, a VIP lounge, cafeterias, and commercial spaces. Designed to accommodate 4,500 passengers daily, the terminal will increase annual capacity from 25 lakh to 1 crore. Daily flight operations are expected to rise from 34 to 75. The architectural design draws inspiration from Madhubani art and Nalanda University, with beautiful depictions of Chhath Puja, Lord Buddha, Mahavira, and Patna Sahib Gurudwara, giving the terminal a uniquely Bihari soul. A striking 100-foot-tall tricolour now graces the airport premises, while a dedicated area pays tribute to Jayaprakash Narayan. On the same day, PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the upcoming Bihta Airport, located 35 km from Patna. Designed for larger aircraft, the new airport will span 68,000 square meters over 116 acres, with the capacity to handle 3,000 passengers per hour and 50 lakh annually. Prime Minister will also launch and lay the foundation and inauguration for over 16 mega projects worth Rs 50,000 crore. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation of Nabinagar Thermal Power Plant, Aurangabad – Rs 29,947.91 crore. It will generate 1,500 MW, becoming NTPC's second-largest power plant in Bihar. He will also inaugurate the Patna-Gaya-Dobhi four-lane highway (Rs 5519 crore), NH-27 Gopalganj grade improvement (249 crore), Sasaram–Anugrah Narayan Road automatic rail signalling (Rs 43 crore), third railway line between Son Nagar–Muhammadganj (65 km) worth Rs 1,338 crore, hostel and staff quarters at JNV Jehanabad (Rs 8 crore). This will be PM Modi's first visit to Bihar post "Operation Sindoor", and his fourth visit to the state in just five months. PM Modi will arrive at Patna airport at 5 PM. After the inauguration of the terminal building, a massive roadshow of approximately one hour is scheduled from Patna Airport to the BJP State Headquarters via Sheikhpura Mor, Hartali Mor, and Income Tax roundabout. Later in the evening, the Prime Minister will interact with BJP workers, giving them 'Mantra' ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, welcoming the visit, said: 'The double-engine government led by PM Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar guarantees fast-paced development and employment. His fourth visit in five months shows his trust in Bihar and in Nitish Kumar's leadership.' Choudhary added that the Central government's support for Bihar's road and bridge infrastructure across 20 districts will help improve connectivity, generate employment, and facilitate access to education and healthcare in rural areas. Bihar Industry Minister Nitish Mishra said, 'It is our great fortune that the Prime Minister is visiting Bihar. His presence is especially significant as it marks his first trip after Operation Sindoor. These projects reflect his unwavering commitment to the state's progress.'
India.com
28-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
PM Modi To Inaugurate Patna's New International Airport Terminal On May 29
Patna: The long-awaited new terminal of Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna is finally ready and set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 29. Built at Rs 1,400 crore, the state-of-the-art facility spans 65,155 square meters, several times the size of the existing terminal. The new terminal boasts 54 check-in counters, five aerobridges, eight X-ray baggage scanners, five baggage conveyor belts, multi-level car parking, a VIP lounge, cafeterias, and commercial spaces. Designed to accommodate 4,500 passengers daily, the terminal will increase annual capacity from 25 lakh to 1 crore. Daily flight operations are expected to rise from 34 to 75. The architectural design draws inspiration from Madhubani art and Nalanda University, with beautiful depictions of Chhath Puja, Lord Buddha, Mahavira, and Patna Sahib Gurudwara, giving the terminal a uniquely Bihari soul. A striking 100-foot-tall tricolour now graces the airport premises, while a dedicated area pays tribute to Jayaprakash Narayan. On the same day, PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the upcoming Bihta Airport, located 35 km from Patna. Designed for larger aircraft, the new airport will span 68,000 square meters over 116 acres, with the capacity to handle 3,000 passengers per hour and 50 lakh annually. Prime Minister will also launch and lay the foundation and inauguration for over 16 mega projects worth Rs 50,000 crore. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation of Nabinagar Thermal Power Plant, Aurangabad – Rs 29,947.91 crore. It will generate 1,500 MW, becoming NTPC's second-largest power plant in Bihar. He will also inaugurate the Patna-Gaya-Dobhi four-lane highway (Rs 5519 crore), NH-27 Gopalganj grade improvement (249 crore), Sasaram–Anugrah Narayan Road automatic rail signalling (Rs 43 crore), third railway line between Son Nagar–Muhammadganj (65 km) worth Rs 1,338 crore, hostel and staff quarters at JNV Jehanabad (Rs 8 crore).
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Who will replace Chaturvedi in RIS?
After a two-year pause, Nalanda University finally has a full-time vice-chancellor. Economist Sachin Chaturvedi has taken charge, succeeding Sunaina Singh, who served a notably extended six-year term. As he steps into his new academic role, Chaturvedi has also been asked to continue as Director General of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), a New Delhi-based government think tank. RIS, supported by a Governing Council that includes the ministries of external affairs, economic affairs, finance, science and technology, and commerce, is a multi-country platform that advises developing nations on regional and global economic issues. With Chaturvedi juggling both hats, the Ministry of External Affairs has begun looking for a full-time replacement at RIS. The brief? A candidate with at least 15 years of experience in research and teaching in economics or a related field—including five years as a professor. Unsurprisingly, this has piqued the interest of many former bureaucrats and policy veterans keen to throw their hats into the ring. Traditionally, the RIS has maintained a balance of scholarly and diplomatic heft: its president is a former Indian Foreign Service officer, while the DG is typically an economist—a mix that keeps the numbers and the nuance in check. 'Go far and wide with Op Sindoor' BJP MPs, senior leaders, and other NDA allies are understood to have been asked to promote the success of Operation Sindoor as widely as possible through their social media platforms, including X. 'Every detail which showcases the abilities of our armed forces must be amplified globally and within the country to make their bravery public,' remarked a BJP functionary. He added that Union cabinet ministers have also been mobilised to popularise government achievements under Prime Minister Modi and highlight the success of Operation Sindoor's success. A source remarked that the suggestion appears to have spurred a competition of sorts, with 'everyone in the cabinet and in organisational roles engaged in a global digital race to ensure Modi's reach extends across the world.'
