KATHMANDU, Feb 18: The government of Nepal announced on Tuesday that it may halt the issuance of no objection certificates to students seeking admission in educational institutions in India’s Odisha, contingent upon the resolution of the situation following the death of a student at a university in Bhubaneswar in a “justifiable and legal manner”.
Prakriti Lamsal (20), a third-year B Tech (computer science) student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), reportedly died by suicide in her hostel room on Sunday afternoon, sparking unrest on campus.
Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology stated that it may suspend the issuance of no objection certificates (NOC) in the future for students aspiring to attend universities or educational institutions in Odisha.
The ministry urged affected parties, including students and guardians at the university, to remain patient and confirmed the establishment of a help desk aimed at effectively addressing issues stemming from this incident.
“The ministry is actively pursuing diplomatic measures through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create a favorable atmosphere for the continuation of studies for Nepali students,” the statement indicated.
In the meantime, various members of Parliament, such as Shishir Khanal, Bina Lama, Sita Mijar, Sher Bahadur Kunwar, and Shanti Bika, brought up the KIIT incident during the House of Representatives’ zero hour on Tuesday.
They expressed their condolences to the grieving family of Prakriti Lamsal, the Nepali student who passed away at KIIT, and urged the government to conduct necessary diplomatic efforts for a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and to resolve the concerns of other Nepali students enrolled at KIIT.
Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba stated that the ministry is persistently monitoring the situation surrounding the death of the Nepali student at KIIT and the subsequent developments.
“Two senior police officers from the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi visited the college on Tuesday morning to assess the situation and ensure the safety of Nepali students,” Foreign Minister Deuba shared on X.
“I have contacted security officials to provide the required assistance to Nepali students studying at KIIT and to guarantee their safe return to the hostel through coordination with Indian security forces and the college administration,” she added.
“The Foreign Ministry and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi are taking appropriate actions by coordinating with the college administration and the Indian security authorities in this matter,” she further elaborated.
On Tuesday, Odisha Police delivered the body of the Nepali student to her father following a post-mortem at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, this occurrence has incited a statewide uproar, with the issue being discussed in the Assembly.
Sunil Lamsal, the father of the deceased, arrived with friends and was present during the post-mortem. Sunil stated that they intended to repatriate the body to Nepal. (PTI)
