Nalanda University to launch two more schools

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, the chancellor of Nalanda University, Wednesday said the university will start two more schools from next year.

"There is a plan to start two new schools of health care and economics and management from 2015 academic session," Sen told reporters here.

Sen expressed happiness over the revived Nalanda University, renowned as a centre for learning till it was burnt down 800 years ago by the invading Turkish army. "I am happy that it finally happened...," he said.

Sen said the university will provide more opportunities to the students from the poorest of the poor families to move ahead in life.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the revived Nalanda University last month.

The university will be built in Rajgir, 12 km from where the ancient Nalanda University stood till the 12th century.

Classes at the university started with two schools - School of Ecology and Environment Studies and School of Historical Studies - Sep 1 with 15 students and half-a-dozen faculty members.

The fully residential university, to be completed by 2020, will have seven schools, all for post-graduate and doctoral students, offering courses in science, philosophy, spirituality and social sciences.