Swanky Buildings and ‘Net Zero’ Academics is Modi’s Model for Nalanda University
Murari Kumar Jha | 22 June 2024 | The Wire
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University campus this week. He gave a speech and peppered his X account with a series of posts. The media, without ever asking how much taxpayers’ money was being spent on this uncertain project, began to flash images of the buildings, the artificial ponds and the so-called net-zero campus. It is well known that all the construction costs are being borne by the Indian treasury.
In 2016, after the Modi government undermined Nalanda’s autonomy, former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo resigned as its chancellor. Soon after, international faculty began to leave or were kicked out. International collaboration was envisioned at the East Asian Summit to revive Nalanda University in 2007 and again 2009. However, after 2016 contributions by the participating countries became “Net Zero”. A parliamentary committee report found this out in 2019…