21st century should be a period of intellectual decolonisation: P.K. Mishra

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P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. File

P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The 21st period should beryllium the play of “intellectual decolonisation” that volition assistance successful the betterment of civilisational aforesaid confidence, said P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India. Speaking astatine the 3rd convocation of Nalanda University connected Tuesday (May 19, 2026), Mr. Mishra said the satellite was facing geopolitical conflicts and uncertainties contempt making tremendous advances successful connection technology.

“There are universities that are institutions. And past determination are universities that are civilisational symbols. Nalanda belongs to the second category. The revival of Nalanda University reflects India’s content that openness, pluralism, dialogue, and enquiry stay indispensable to the aboriginal of humanity,” said Mr. Mishra. Nalanda University, located successful Rajgir, Bihar, is an planetary assemblage of ‘National Importance’ that is supported by 18 spouse countries of East Asia Summit.

‘Work without walls’

Mr. Mishra congratulated the graduating students of the assemblage and urged them to “work without walls”, calling them to travel the existent acquisition of past Nalanda’s contented of openness and code planetary challenges specified arsenic clime change.

“The cardinal question earlier humanity is not simply whether we tin make much accusation oregon technology, but whether cognition volition stay connected to wisdom, ethics, compassion, and quality responsibility,” said Mr. Mishra. He highlighted the traditions of Ayurveda, Buddhist cognition systems and past texts specified arsenic Arthashastra and said the 21st period would beryllium a “period of intelligence decolonisation”. Pointing astatine Nalanda University’s potentials, Mr. Mishra argued that Asia was astatine a “critical planetary inflection point” that would bring accelerated economical maturation for the region’s nations.

The modern Nalanda University is inspired by the past Nalanda University that was noted arsenic the centre of learning and assistance that attracted scholars and visitors from antithetic parts of the world, particularly Southeast, and East Asia. The modern assemblage carries guardant the imaginativeness of the past traditions of scholarship.

“Nalanda is astatine erstwhile futuristic, for the ideals and standards of the past spot of learning person proven to beryllium cosmopolitan successful their relevance arsenic the feasible solutions to a shared and sustainable aboriginal for all, not conscionable Asia,” says the assemblage connected its website. Tuesday’s convocation ceremonial was besides attended by Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain, Governor of Bihar; Sachin Chaturvedi, Vice-Chancellor, Nalanda University; and Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, and envoys and representatives of the spouse nations.

Published - May 20, 2026 12:05 americium IST

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