[Jai]

India, Japan set up mentors group to revive Nalanda varsity

New Delhi, May 15: Taking a significant step toward cementing cultural ties, India and Japan yesterday set up a "mentors group" to revive the glorious past of Nalanda University, the centre of Buddhist learning.

The mentors group will comprise leading academicians from the international fora who will work towards restoring its standing as an institute of excellence.

"We know Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that he wanted Nalanda University to become an institution of excellence," Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters while briefing on a meeting between Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon yesterday.

The two sides also agreed to promote people-to-people contact in terms of students' exchange between the two countries.

In a joint statement issued during Singh's Japan visit in December last year, the two sides had agreed to "explore the idea of re-development of Nalanda as a major centre of learning with the establishment of an international university on the basis of regional cooperation."

The two sides recalled "the important role of Nalanda in the ancient period as a leading international university" contributing to Buddhist and secular studies.

Japan, primarily a Buddhist nation, is a major investor in development of infrastructure at Buddhist sites in India - which include Ajanta and Elora caves and Nalanda University - with more than 3.7 million dollars at stake.