The iconic Patna University in Bihar, the seventh oldest university in the country, is set for infrastructure makeover when chief minister Nitish Kumar lays the foundation stone for two 10-floor buildings later this month, a promise he made six years ago after his request before Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convert the varsity into a central university was turned down in 2017.
The two towers, to be built at an estimated cost of ₹147.29 crore, will come up on the vacant land adjacent to the existing structures, said a senior official in the department of education.
Patna University vice chancellor Girish Choudhary, who is himself an engineering professor having worked earlier at the NIT, Patna, said the new modern buildings were the need of the hour due to growing requirements.
Of the two buildings, one will be a G+9 academic block, while the second will be a G+9 administrative block, having an auditorium of a seating capacity for 700 people. The work order has already been awarded and the foundation stone laying function has been tentatively scheduled for March 25, said the VC.
Apart from the two buildings, the proposed plan also has provision for G+7 Science block, G+9 PG girls’ hostel and G+9 UG girls’ hostel, to come up later at an estimated cost of ₹151 crore. “In principle, projects of Science block and PG, UG girls’ hostel have already been approved and hopefully work will start from July 2023,” said the VC.
These are in addition to the ongoing work for the construction of examination block (Patna College campus), international hostel (east of PU Guest House), research centre (Science College Campus) and Dolphin Research Centre (Near Patna Law College Campus). The international hostel, research Centre and Dolphin research centre buildings have been almost completed, while the proposal of Population Research Centre building has also been approved and the work will start in soon.
The VC said that while infrastructure was the pressing need, PU was also striving for quality research. “There are 18 research proposals sanctioned by the different central research funding organizations in the last two years. PU also plans to fund minor research projects of its teachers. This arrangement has been done for promoting the research activities,” the VC said, adding the university was also working on implementation of the new education policy with the launch of four-year honours undergraduate degree course.
PU will also celebrate its alumni meet on March 12.
PU, the first university in Bihar to implement choice-based credit system (CBCS) and semester system for all courses of UG & PG, has been the state’s premier institution. Set up in 1917 through the Patna University Act passed by the Imperial Legislative Council, It celebrated its centenary year in 2017 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi graced the occasion amid huge hope that it would get the long-awaited central university status.
CM Kumar, himself an alumnus of PU, as are RJD chief Lalu Prasad, BJP leaders Sushil Kumar Modi, Ashwini Choubey, Ravishankar Prasad, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and many others, had strongly batted for Central university status before the PM, but it did not happen.
Once known for its academic excellence, PU was modelled on the lines of University of London after separation of Bihar and Orissa from Bengal.
