Newly appointed Nalanda University chancellor Vijay P. Bhatkar on Wednesday inaugurated the construction work of non-residential buildings on the varsity's main campus in Rajgir, around 100km southeast of Patna, on his first visit to the university.

The foundation stone was laid for the first phase of the campus, which will include academic blocks, the administrative block, auditorium, library, two schools, a communication centre and amenities such as international centre, campus inn, amphitheatre, dinning hall, faculty club, school medical centre and arcade. February 2020 is the completion deadline.

All the buildings will be along a network of water bodies. A pond with lotuses, Kamal Sagar, will come up next to the academic and residential blocks. The campus is also being planned to be net zero - self-reliant in energy, water and other natural resources.

The Andhra Pradesh-based Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC) is building the structures on the new campus, 2.5km from the temporary campus near the Rajgir bus stand and around 10km from the ruins of the ancient Nalanda University.

Nalanda University in-charge vice-chancellor Pankaj Mohan, architect of the new campus Rajeev Kathpalia, Nagarjuna vice-president G. Ramakrishna Reddy and Rana Chakravarty, general manager of MECON (consultants for the project) also attended the ceremony, as did Nalanda district magistrate Thiyagarajan S.M. and superintendent of police Kumar Ashish.

Bhatkar said he considered himself "extremely privileged" to be part of "this historic day and this sacred ceremony".

"I have seen the design of the building and I am confident that when it comes up you will see a resurrection of the old Nalanda in terms of the design," the chancellor said. "I am hoping that... we will see a structure emerge within one year.

"We wish to make Nalanda University an institution which does not merely give degrees to students but inspires them to fulfil expectations of society and community by working for them."

Mohan said the significance of Nalanda "lies not only in its role as a seat of knowledge but also in its tradition of global humanism that focuses on mutually empowering and enriching relationship amongst civilisations. The biggest challenge before us is to realise these ideals that underpinned the ancient Nalanda University. We envision an institution which will nurture students to fulfil their community ambition over and above the pursuit of a university degree.

"The master plan of the varsity has been made to provide state-of-the-art facilities and encourage future developments of the university while containing the echo of the history and culture of the ancient Nalanda," he added.

Phase two of the campus - construction of residential buildings and hostels - are covered under a separate tender, which will be published by end-March and is expected to be awarded by May.