Rajgir: Nalanda University students have taken part in a large-scale tree plantation drive on campus, planting around 300 saplings near the university library in Rajgir on November 30 as part of a wider sustainability effort.
The initiative, which aims to plant 2,000 saplings around the expansive library complex, brought together students from India and overseas, alongside faculty and staff. Participants from a range of academic programmes joined the activity, reflecting what the university described as its commitment to ecological responsibility and its ethos of living in harmony with nature.
Fruit-bearing trees including mango, guava and chikoo were planted, as well as medicinal, shade-giving and native drought-resistant species intended to support long-term environmental resilience. The university is also developing an orchard, along with a pond and an ahar—a traditional water reservoir—at the north-east corner of the library grounds to improve biodiversity and landscape sustainability.
Speaking at the event, the vice-chancellor, Prof Sachin Chaturvedi, praised the students’ involvement and said the project carried broader significance beyond campus beautification.
“Such efforts strengthen our campus ecosystem and nurture in our learners a profound environmental ethic – one of the foundational pillars of Nalanda’s academic philosophy,” he said. “Each tree symbolises hope for cleaner air, a sustainable environment and a future where nature and humanity coexist in harmony.”
The plantation drive forms part of the university’s goal to operate as a “living laboratory” for sustainability, demonstrating net-zero energy, water, waste and carbon management systems. Once completed, the area surrounding the library is expected to become a major green space, inspired by the legacy of the ancient Nalanda Library.
