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The ancient university of Nalanda, once the intellectual heart of Asia, was at the centre of attention as poet-diplomat Abhay K unveiled his latest book, 'Nalanda: How It Changed the World', on Wednesday at the Vivekananda International Foundation in the national capital.
The event drew academics, students, and literature-lovers eager to revisit the enduring legacy of one of the history's greatest centres of learning. Abhay K., known for his poetry and diplomacy, takes readers on a journey from Nalanda's rise as a 5th-century Buddhist Mahavihara to its catastrophic destruction in the 12th century. Yet the book looks far beyond ruins and relics. It asks a pointed contemporary question: What would it mean to revive the spirit of Nalanda today? Abhay K highlights six core principles that made Nalanda exceptional: a world-class knowledge infrastructure and immersive residential learning; a cosmopolitan student body drawn from China, Korea, Sri Lanka, Tibet and Persia; merit-based access regardless of wealth or caste; robust patronage from emperors and local communities; and a vision of education aimed at human flourishing, not just employability. These pillars, the author argues, resonate strongly with the goals of India's National Education Policy 2020: critical thinking, interdisciplinary research, and global academic collaboration. Academics attending the launch praised the book for bridging historical scholarship with present-day challenges. The evening concluded with a call to action, to see education not just as a path to jobs, but as a public good and a moral endeavour. As the audience left clutching signed copies, the message was clear: Nalanda's legacy is not locked in the past. (ANI)
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