Patna, Sept. 20: The Nalanda University administration is making all possible efforts to start classes at its interim campus from the first week of October.
The varsity was formally inaugurated on Friday.
The month-long rent period of the Rajgir International Conventional Centre given to Nalanda University to hold its classes is also scheduled to expire by September 30.
The option with the varsity is to either shift to the interim campus or extend their occupancy in the convention centre.
Nalanda University vice-chancellor (VC) Gopa Sabharwal claimed that the classes are expected to start from the interim campus on any day after October 6.
“We would hopefully start the classes from the interim campus from the first week of October as the construction work at the classrooms are expected to be completed by then. There are a few holidays in between because of Durga Puja but we are trying to avoid any halt in the ongoing work owing to the festivities,” Gopa told The Telegraph today.
Deliberating on the commencement of classes on the new campus, Gopa said: “There are several holidays in the first week of October, including Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) and Id-ul-Zoha on October 6. Besides, classes would not be held on October 4 and 5, as they fall on Saturday and Sunday (Nalanda University classes are not held on weekends). Thus, we might actually start the classes at the makeshift site from any day after October 6.”
The temporary seat of learning on the premises of a primary health centre and field research centre near the Rajgir bus stand is almost equidistant from the designated university campus, the makeshift hostel at Hotel Tathagat Vihar and Rajgir International Convention Centre — around 2.5km.
Sources claimed that the varsity authorities had to initially opt for the convention centre to conduct the classes because of a slight delay in giving finishing touches to the classroom and lecture halls on the varsity’s interim campus.
The university authorities zeroed down on the convention centre to ensure students could concentrate on studies without any disturbance right from the beginning.
With regard to construction of the interim campus, sources said the contract for the project was awarded to a private construction company in June and it was given six months’ time to complete all work. (See Graphic)
“The work on the right wing of the administrative/academic building has already been completed and it has been handed over by the contractor. The work on the central wing would also be completed by the first week of October. The furniture and air-conditioners for the classrooms have also been procured. Moreover, four faculty quarters are ready, work on another four would be completed in 10 days and the remaining quarters are also expected to be over by October 25,” said a source at Nalanda University.
The orientation programme for the first batch was held on August 29 at the convention centre, around 110km southeast of Patna.
Classes commenced from September 1.
The new university made a humble start with six teachers — four at the School of Historical Studies and two at the School of Ecology and Environment Studies.
Yin Ker, Samuel Wright, Sharman Mukherjee and Kashshaf Ghani are the faculty members of School of Historical Studies.
The two teachers of School of Ecology and Environment Studies are Mihir Deb and Somnath Bandyopadhya.
Yesterday, when external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj formally inaugurated Nalanda University, three students from the School of Historical Studies and eight students from School of Ecology and Environment Studies were present at the inaugural event.
The Indian government has already sanctioned Rs 2,727.1 crore to the university for the construction of its campus during its establishment phase from 2010-11 to 2021-22.
Sources claimed that the construction work on the 452-acre sprawling campus would start in the first quarter of the next financial year, after the selection of a project management consultant.
infrastructure stats
Nalanda University makeshift campus at a glance
Total rooms: 14
Total classrooms: 2
Number of seminar-cum- conference hall- cum classroom: 1
Total built-up area of campus: 2500-2600sqft
Number of residential quarters for faculty members: 15
Architecture of administrative/academic building: U-shaped
Central wing: Administrative block with 11 rooms in two floors
Right wing: Kitchen, lunch room, one classroom and two faculty rooms on
ground floor; one multi-purpose hall and cafeteria on first floor
Left wing: One classroom on the ground floor and VC’s chamber on
first floor