Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren inaugurates Azim Premji University in Ranchi

NEW DELHI: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren inaugurated the Azim Premji University in Ranchi. As per reports, the university will be built on 146 acres at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore. It will be the largest campus of the Azim Premji foundation, surpassing the 110-acre campus in Bengaluru.

The chief minister in his address said that the state government was taking steps to shift from mining-focused development to prioritising education, with 80 schools of excellence already developed, the Town Post reported.

The chief minister added that 500 more such schools are planned in the state that will offer education on par with private institutions. Soren also highlighted the need for education for social development, which is a departure from the state’s dependency on minerals and mines.

The Town Post also reported that Wipro founder chairman Azim Premji joined the inauguration event of the university virtually. He thanked the Jharkhand government for the assistance and said that the university will be one of India’s largest.

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The university is scheduled to start functioning from 2026. It will have a medical college with a 500-bed hospital, a school and other health-related institutions. The school at the university campus will be built on four acres and will provide free-of-cost education up to Class 12 to students from nearby villages. The school will have facilities such as mid-day meals and health check-ups.

The project to set up the Azim Premji University was proposed in 2021. The Jharakhand government offered land in Ranchi’s Itki area for its construction.