Rajgir: Nalanda University will move to its new and permanent campus by December.
Construction on the new campus, spread over 455 acres at Rajgir, is on and by the end of this year, work on five buildings will be completed, said Nalanda University vice-chancellor Sunaina Singh, who joined the varsity a year ago.
"Construction work is being carried out on a war-footing. By year-end, five buildings will be completed and we will shift to the new campus," she said.
The buildings are earmarked for an academic block, administrative block, hostels, auditoriums and a library. The campus, which is coming up in Rajgir, 110km southeast of Patna, will have another 12 buildings by 2020.
At present, the university is running from its transit campus, which was earlier a health centre near the Rajgir bus stand.
Singh also informed that one more school - Languages & Literature/Humanities - will commence from the next academic session, which begins in August-September this year. The new school aims to equip students with the ability to access rich resources in the language of their specialisation.
"The university at present has three schools - School of Historical Studies; School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions and School of Environmental Studies. From the next academic session, we are launching a new school," said VC Singh.
"Unlike the three other courses, which are two years' masters, the new school will offer a one year diploma course," added Singh.
Sources said that primarily Korean, Sanskrit and Japanese languages will be taught in the new school.
The university administration has also decided to introduce an entrance examination for admission is all four schools.
"There will be an entrance test for Indian students while for foreign students, admission will be based on interview and academic records. However, for foreign students an English-language certificate as proof of their proficiency in English is required. The entrance examination for Indian students will be held on June 17. Students who have applied for the entrance test can download their hall ticket from the university website," Singh said.
