The Nalanda University site

New Delhi, June 28: The Union cabinet has paved the way for hiring international faculty for the Nalanda University and paying them at global standards, clearing the proposal for a headquarters agreement between the external affairs ministry and the varsity.

The agreement would confer on the university and members of its academic staff privileges and immunities considered necessary to provide an overall framework for the efficient functioning of the varsity, and allow it to obtain talent from across the globe, said sources. The pact would come into force immediately after it is signed and notified.

Gopa Sabharwal, the vice-chancellor of the university, told The Telegraph: “This is an extremely significant step towards building up of the university as we had not initiated the process of hiring teachers and were waiting for the green signal by the Centre. Now after the approval has come, things will start rolling. We expect that by July-end international advertisements for hiring faculty and other necessary employees would be published.”

According to sources, the agreement would facilitate hiring of the best academicians from across the world. Recruitment of the university’s faculty cannot take place without fixing their terms and conditions, for which the conclusion of the headquarters agreement is essential.

For the university, proposed to serve as an international centre of excellence in higher learning, the detailed project report prepared by EdCIL in July last year had estimated funding requirements of approximately Rs 3,532.62 crore between 2010-11 and 2021-22. Sources said the Centre would meet the university’s expenditure to the extent required.

As part of the agreement, the university, its assets, its income and other property would be exempt from all direct taxes. Customs duties, prohibitions and restrictions on imports and exports would not be applicable to articles for the varsity’s official use.

The vice-chancellor and the academicians of the university, who are not from the country, would be granted exemption from taxation in respect of their salaries, honoraria, allowances and other emoluments. It would also give them the right to get the appropriate visa, the freedom to maintain moveable and immoveable property in the host country while working in the university and the right to import free of customs duties, taxes and other levies.

After an international committee on behalf of the university selected a design prepared by Gujarat-based architecture firm Vastu Shilpa, tenders would now be floated to invite bidders to start constructions from December this year.

Two study centres — schools of historical studies and environment and ecology — would come up in the first phase at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore. The two schools are expected to be functional from 2014.