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KIIT suicide row | Deeply saddened by the tragic death; safety of international students high priority: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs said it has been in constant touch with the Odisha government since the matter came to light.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressing the media. (PTI Photo)

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday asserted that India accords high priority to safety, security and well-being of all international students in the country.

Addressing a press conference, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of a Nepali student at KIIT University in Bhubaneswar. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the grieving family.”

The Ministry has been in constant touch with the Odisha government and the authorities of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) since the matter came to light. “We have also maintained close contact with the Nepalese authority,” he added.

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The university in Bhubaneswar witnessed protests after 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year computer science student, from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room on February 16. The incident led to a storm on campus after around 500 students from Nepal started protesting and blocked the main road leading to the university.

In response, the university decided to send them back home – a move that only escalated the tempers and forced the administration to eventually backtrack. The university’s U-turn was prompted by the Nepal Embassy getting involved and the country’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli dispatching two officers there.

According to the university website, KIIT offers education to around 40,000 students from across India and 2,000 international students from 65 countries. Around 40 per cent of the international students are from Nepal.

On Tuesday (February 18), the Odisha government formed a three-member fact-finding committee headed by Satyabrata Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, to ascertain the circumstances leading to the alleged suicide. The panel will also look into the alleged highhandedness of the university authorities, reasons for issuing eviction notices to the Nepalese students and other aspects of the incident.

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