Nepal May Stop NOC To Odisha-Bound Students If KIIT Row Not Resolved

New Delhi: The Nepal government has reportedly said that it may stop issuing no objection certificates to students who wish to study in Odisha if the situation arising from the death of a student at a Bhubaneswar university is not resolved in a “justifiable and legal way”.

As tension erupted on KIIT campus following the death of the BTech girl student, authorities of the university had allegedly evicted several Nepali students from the hostel and dropped them at Cuttack railway station without making any arrangements for their travel.

However, the intervention of Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli offered some relief to the distressed students.

On Monday, Oli posted on Facebook in Nepali, “It has come to our attention through media and social media that a Nepali student has died in a hostel of KIIT University in Odisha and that Nepali students have been forcibly evicted. The government is working on this matter through diplomatic channels and is in contact with the relevant authorities.”

In a post on X later in the day, Oli said, “Our Embassy in New Delhi has dispatched two officers to counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha. Additionally, arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference.”

Subsequently, Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in a statement on Tuesday said that it may suspend issuance of no objection certificates (NOC) in the future to students wishing to study in any university or educational institution in Odisha, TOI reported.

The ministry also appealed to the people concerned, including the guardians and students of the university, for observing patience and said it has formed a help desk to facilitate effective resolution of the problems arising from the incident.

“The ministry is continuously making diplomatic efforts through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure a conducive environment for resuming the studies of Nepalese students,” TOI quoted the statement as saying.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep sorrow over the death of the Nepalese female student and expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

A ministry statement said it was regularly monitoring the situation arising from the “unimaginable incident” and it is continuously in touch with the Nepalese embassy in New Delhi, Odisha government and the concerned educational institution for resolving the issue.

“The KIIT has apologised for the mistreatment done to the Nepalese students in the college, taken necessary action against those responsible and asked the Nepalese students to return to the hostels and resume their studies,” the ministry was quoted as saying.

“It is learnt that a person linked to the death of the Nepalese student has been arrested and the local police is investigating. We are confident that legal action will be taken against the culprit after conducting impartial investigation into the incident,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Extending thanks to the Government of India, the state government of Odisha, and concerned bodies for extending cooperation in resolving the issue, the ministry has called the affected students, family members and all concerned to show patience.

Issuing a statement, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said the Government of India will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the wellbeing of Nepali students in India.

Separately, Members of Parliament, including Shishir Khanal, Bina Lama, Sita Mijar, Sher Bahadur Kunwar and Shanti Bika, raised the issue related to the KIIT incident in the House of Representatives during zero hour on Tuesday.

They asked Nepal government to initiate diplomatic efforts to ensure a serious inquiry of the mysterious death of the girl student and resolve the problems related to other Nepalese students studying in the KIIT.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba said that “two senior police officers from Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi have reached the college on Tuesday morning to learn about the situation and to ensure safety of Nepalese students”.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Police handed over the body of the Nepali girl student to her father after post mortem at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.