RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-608
ANSWERED ON- 24/07/2025
CURRENT STATUS OF NALANDA UNIVERSITY
608. SHRI A. D. SINGH
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state : -
(a) the current status of Nalanda University and the extent to which it is functional;
(b) the academic and infrastructural facilities currently operational at the university;
(c) the timeline by which the university is expected to become fully functional;
(d) how much construction and academic development work is still remaining; and
(e) the total funds allocated and spent so far on the development of Nalanda University?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) Nalanda University, established under the Nalanda University Act, 2010, is functional at its campus in Rajgir, Bihar. The new campus was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 19 June 2024. The University offers postgraduate, doctoral, and short-term programmes under six Schools of Studies and four Research Centers. Enrollment and other programme-related details are available on the University website: https://nalandauniv.edu.in. The enrollment of students at the University in the last five years is at Annexure -I
.
(b) to (d) The University campus has two academic blocks, administrative block, student hostels, faculty/staff housing, guest houses, dining hall, amphitheater, medical center, a Yoga center, and a sports complex—all of which are operational. The campus is envisaged as a Net-Zero facility with a 6.5 MW solar power plant, water treatment and recycling systems, Ahar-Pyne based water harvesting, and around 100 acres of green and water zones, which are also operational. Some construction work relating to the library, auditorium, cafeteria, waste-to-energy plant, and landscaping remains.
(e) A 10-year expenditure plan of INR 2,727.10 crore was approved in 2014, which has been further extended (INR 1,749.65 crore for capital expenditure and INR 977.45 crore for recurring expenditure). As of 31 March 2025, INR 2,066.05 crore expenditure has been incurred (INR 1,731.38 crore on capital expenditure and INR 334.67 crore on recurring expenditure).