Dr PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India addressing the students at the third convocation of Nalanda University.
Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar : Nalanda University today celebrated its Third Convocation (Snatakotsava) at the newly built 2000-seater Visvamitaralay Auditorium in the University campus, marking another significant milestone in the revival of the ancient seat of learning as a contemporary global university.
Dr PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The event also witnessed the special and dignified presence of Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.), Hon’ble Governor of Bihar, while Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, attended the ceremony as the Guest of Honour. On this occasion, Archana Nair, Joint Secretary, Nalanda Division, Ministry of External Affairs, along with Vice Chancellors of various universities, academicians, and other distinguished dignitaries, were also present.
A total of 219 graduating students from the batch of 2024–26 representing 14 nationalities were conferred degrees during the ceremony. The graduating cohort included students from Vietnam, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and several other countries, reflecting the truly international character of Nalanda University.
Eight students were awarded Gold Medals for academic excellence, among whom seven were female students, highlighting the remarkable achievements of women scholars at the University.
Following the Convocation ceremony, the Kautilya Centre for Capacity Building was inaugurated at Nalanda University by the Chief Guest.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. P.K. Mishra described Nalanda as “not merely a university, but a civilizational symbol,” and emphasized the importance of “Responsible Knowledge in the 21st Century.” He stated that while humanity possesses unprecedented technological capabilities, the larger challenge before the world is to ensure that “knowledge remains connected to wisdom, ethics, compassion and human responsibility.”
Reflecting on the relevance of Nalanda’s intellectual traditions in the contemporary world, Dr. Mishra observed, “The story of Nalanda is not merely a story about the past. It is also a story about the future.” He further underlined that the revival of Nalanda reflects India’s belief in openness, pluralism, dialogue and inquiry as essential values for humanity’s future.
In his address, Hon’ble Governor of Bihar Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) described Nalanda as “a civilizational ecosystem” that historically connected India with Asia through ideas, learning and spiritual inquiry rather than conquest or coercion. He remarked that the revival of Nalanda represents “the recovery of a civilizational idea” and highlighted the emergence of a “Nalanda Corridor” connecting Nalanda, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Vaishali and Vikramshila as a living geography of knowledge, ethics and spiritual heritage.
The Governor also noted that institutions like Nalanda can offer platforms for dialogue, ethical reflection and sustainable thinking in a world facing conflict, polarization and environmental stress. “While the ancient Nalanda represented humanity’s search for knowledge, the new Nalanda must represent humanity’s search for wisdom,” he said.
Welcoming the dignitaries and participants, Vice Chancellor Professor Sachin Chaturvedi reflected upon Nalanda’s continuing journey of revival and transformation. He noted that the University has now entered a phase of “greater consolidation and acceleration,” focused on sharper academic engagement, global partnerships and intellectual innovation.
Prof. Chaturvedi announced that Nalanda University will launch new academic programmes in Science, Technology and Policy Studies, along with Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence from the upcoming academic session. He also shared that the University will introduce a new course titled “Nalanda Spirit” from August 2026.
Emphasizing Nalanda’s role in shaping alternative intellectual frameworks, the Vice Chancellor stated, “Nalanda is not just a university, but a spirit.” He added that the University seeks to emerge as a leading center for non-Western intellectual traditions, comparative civilizational studies, ecological thought and global dialogue rooted in Asian knowledge systems.
The Convocation ceremony concluded with a renewed commitment towards building Nalanda University as a global centre of learning, dialogue, sustainability and responsible knowledge for the 21st century.
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