This story is from February 22, 2019

Nitish Kumar opens new campuses of AKU, IGNOU

Nitish Kumar opens new campuses of AKU, IGNOU
CM Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and state education minister Krishnanandan Prasad Verma during the inauguration of AKU's new campus
PATNA: Chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar on Thursday inaugurated the new buildings of Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and 402 government schools and colleges across the state at two different functions held here.
While the CM opened the new buildings of AKU and IGNOU from their campuses at Mithapur, he inaugurated the buildings of the 402 government schools through remote control at AKU.

The CM said the AKU would soon have research centres for various streams, such as astronomy, economy, geography, philosophy, journalism, nanoscience, stem cell and river studies.
The CM also called for establishment of three more centres in AKU for philosophy, astronomy and stem cell, respectively. Altogether 106 colleges across the state are already functioning under the university.
The CM said Mithapur, where the new AKU campus has come up, would soon have campuses of Pataliputra University and Maulana Mazharul Haq Arabic and Persian University. These campuses will be inaugurated on February 25, he said.
“Apart from nanoscience and nanotechnology, the AKU should also focus on establishment of centre for astronomy. Aryabhatta, the 6th century AD astronomer and mathematician, had conducted numerous researches at Khagaul and Taregana over 1,500 years ago,” the CM added.

“AKU is not an ordinary university. Like Nalanda University, AKU has been given a unique identity so that it is acknowledged and remembered even in next centuries,” Nitish said. He suggested AKU VC Ajay Kumar Agarwal and pro-VC S M Karim to work for opening centres for economics, geography, river studies and mass communication.
The foundation for the new AKU campus was laid on August 13, 2015.
“The concept of the AKU is not just imparting education but to conduct scientific research with a target to study, achieve and spread knowledge,” the CM said, adding people’s participation in this endeavour was much needed.
He also mentioned the financial help Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh provided to the AKU from his MPLADS funds.
“Within 15 years, the Mithapur area will be developed as an educational hub. Several campuses, including Chandragupta Institute of Management-Patna, Chanakya National Law University and National Institute of Fashion Technology are already functioning in this area,” the CM said.
With regard to new building of IGNOU, Jagatvir Chaudhary, regional manager of National Projects Construction Corporation Limited, said it has been constructed with an expenditure of Rs 15.30 crore.
The state government has also planned to develop several hangout places and libraries for students at Mithapur.
Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said the government has allocated Rs 34,800 crore for education sector this year from the state’s Rs 2 lakh crore budget.
“The allocation is 17.5% for education sector, including Rs 5,253 for higher studies and Rs 23,828 for primary education. Bihar is one of the few states in the country to extend the benefits of the 7th pay commission to the teachers,” he said.
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About the Author
Faryal Rumi

She is working with the Times of India as a Senior Digital Content Creator on the Patna desk.

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