PM Modi’s dream to revive ancient Vikramshila University still a distant dream

In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to establish a Central University in Bhagalpur as an attempt to revive the seventh-century university which was one of the three most important Buddhist centres of learning in ancient India.

The Central Governments’ plan to revive the ancient Vikramshila University in Bihar's Bhagalpur district is turning into a distant dream, as even after six years of its announcement, the site to establish it has not been finalized.

The Modi government during its first term allocated Rs 500 crore to establish the university and Bihar government had to identify land in and around Bhagalpur to establish the university. However, even after six years of its announcement, though the Bihar government has identified few sites, the centre is yet to finalize it.

While replying to a question in Lok Sabha, on measures taken by the Government for the revival of Vikramshila University Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the PM package for Bihar, 2015 inter-alia provides for the establishment of a new central university near Bhagalpur at the historic site of Vikramshila University.

“The Government of Bihar has offered the sites for the proposed University and the Site Selection Committee of this Ministry is to visit the site to finalize the suitability of one site,” Pradhan said.

Dr R.K Singh, a former faculty member of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU), also known as Bhagalpur University talking about the delay in the establishment of a new central university in the region said: “Right now Bhagalpur University caters to the need of not just Bhagalpur district which is one of the largest and populous districts of Bihar but also of the neighbouring districts of Banka, Dumka, Munger, etc. Having a central university here would give a big boost to education here and would also improve the quality of education.”

The establishment of Vikramshila University after the legislation for its establishment will be passed by the Parliament. The Government has already established four central universities in Bihar, which are Nalanda University; Central University of South Bihar; Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari and Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University.

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