UNESCO urged to declare Nalanda as world heritage site

Patna, Jul 23 (UNI) Nalanda Mentor group, headed by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, today urged the UNESCO to declare Nalanda as a world heritage site.

Bihar Planning Board Vice-Chairman N K Singh, also a member of the group, told mediapersons here that in its first meeting at Singapore on July 13 and 14, the Group had requested UNESCO to initiate action for declaring Nalanda as a world heritage site.

He said the mentor group decided in the meeting that it would appoint an ''Advisory Council'' of scholars for consultation on matters related to the curriculum and academic structure of the university.

It had been suggested that the university should have departments with specialisation in Philosophy and Buddhist studies, Regional History (focusing cultural and trade relations among Asian countries), Business and Management studies, International Relations and Peace Studies and study of languages, including Asian languages, both classical and modern, as well as linguistics, he added.

The mentor group also discussed ways and means of expanding the curriculum to include subjects on scientific research.

The team, with Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, Member of the House of Lords of Britain, Lord Meghnad Desai, and several prominent personalities of Buddhist nations as its members, discussed the ways and means for establishing international university in Nalanda.

The group also welcomed the support of East Asia summit for establishment of Nalanda University and appealed to other nations of the region in this endeavour.

He said Nalanda was a historical centre for intellectual activity in Buddhist philosophy as well as other disciplines, including Mathematics and Medicine.

''Nalanda has the potential of becoming a beacon of global understanding and world peace in the period of re-emergance of Asia as an economic hub,'' he added.

The mentor group also opined that Nalanda should focus on becoming a centre of excellence for research and teaching along with postgraduate studies, he added.

They also advocated that the Nalanda University should benefit the local people and encourage local participation.

He said the next meeting of the group would be held at Tokyo in Japan, followed by a meeting at Beijing in China. The final round of the meeting is scheduled in New Delhi and the group would submit its report to the government within six months.

UNI