Patna University

Patna University, the first university in Bihar, was established in 1917 during the British Raj, and is the seventh oldest university of the Indian subcontinent. At that time, the jurisdiction of the university extended to Bihar, Odisha, and the Kingdom of Nepal. The university oversaw examinations for educational institutions ranging from school finals to the postgraduate levels. This continued almost for four decades, until the establishment of the Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, and the Utkal University, Bhubaneshwar.

Colleges

The university has colleges and institutions that cover areas of study including law, teacher training, science, arts, commerce, medicine and engineering. Since 1974, the university has a Directorate of Distance Education.

Some scholars who contributed to the growth of the University include the Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar', Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Ram Avatar Sharma, Pandit Nalin Vilochan Sharma, Pandit Devendranath Sharma, Dr. R. K. Sinha and Sir Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh.

Patna

Patna ⁱ/ˈpætnə, ˈpʌt-/ is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. Patna is the second largest city in eastern India after Kolkata. It had an estimated population of 1.68 million in 2011, making it the 19th largest city in India. With over 2 million people, its urban agglomeration is the 18th largest in India. Patna also serves as the seat of Patna High Court.

One of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. Patna was founded in 490 BCE by the king of Magadha. Ancient Patna, known as Pataliputra, was the capital of the Magadha Empire under the Haryanka, Nanda, Mauryan, Shunga, Gupta and Pala empires. Pataliputra was a seat of learning and fine arts. Its population during the Maurya period (around 300 BCE) was about 400,000.

The modern city of Patna is situated on the southern bank of river Ganges. The city also straddles the rivers Sone, Gandak and Punpun. The city is approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) in length and 16 to 18 kilometres (9.9 to 11.2 mi) wide. In June 2009, the World Bank ranked Patna second in India (after Delhi) for ease of starting a business. As of 2011-12, Patna had the highest per capita gross district domestic product in Bihar, at ₹63,063. Using figures for assumed average annual growth, Patna is the 21st fastest growing city in the world and 5th fastest growing city in India according to a study by the City Mayors' Foundation. Patna registered an average annual growth of 3.72% during 2006-2010.