New Delhi: The revived Nalanda University, an international centre of learning coming up in Bihar, is taking a small but positive step towards launching operations from later this year.

The first batch of students, faculty and staff are to move by February-end to Rajgir, about 100 km from Patna, adjacent to where the sprawling international university is set to come up.

"By the end of February we are moving to Rajgir. We are taking hotels nearby, exploring all options," an official source told IANS.

Nalanda University at present has 40 students or Nalanda fellows. Along with the faculty and staff, they would operate out of the temporary campus till the actual structure comes up.

"The Bihar government has offered us use of its health department office. The Bihar chief minister (Nitish Kumar) is personally monitoring the project," the source added.

The university, an initiative of the Indian government and the 18 East Asia Summit (EAS) countries, is coming up around 12 km from the ruins of its ancient namesake that was flocked by thousands of scholars and thinkers from across the world till the 12th century. It was then destroyed by an invading Turkish army of Bakhtiyar Khilji, a general of Qutbuddin Aibak. It was set on fire by the invaders and the blaze in the huge library is believed to have raged for several days.
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