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Nalanda is regaining its lost glory as a centre of excellence in education

- ABHINAV SINGH

It is a sweltering monsoon morning at Rajgir in Bihar’s Nalanda district. The overnight rain has made the air even more humid. THE WEEK’s Deputy Photo Editor Salil Bera and I are in a taxicab, dripping with sweat as we travel through the town. Our destination: the new, 455-acre campus of Nalanda University, a modern incarnation of India’s oldest university that now lies in ruins.

The new university is located a few kilometres away from the town—on a rocky, barren terrain overlooked by the Rajgir hills. Construction started in May 2017; work has been progressing steadily since.

We exit the cab near an imposing red building reminiscent of the old university. It is the main administrative block, which houses the office of the vice-chancellor. Construction is complete; a tricolour flutters in the wind.

Inside, the air is comfortably cool. The building uses an innovative cooling technology called DEVAP, or desiccant-enhanced evaporative air-conditioning. DEVAP uses evaporative coolers and a drying agent (silica gel that comes in packets labelled “Do not eat”, for instance) to cool interiors. It is an eco-friendly and energy-efficient technology. Prof Sunaina Singh, the vice chancellor, says DEVAP has helped university buildings reduce energy consumption by 20 per cent.

Singh’s office is both grand and modern, with the university logo and idols of the Buddha prominently displayed. The floor space is dominated by a large workstation and conference table.