Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], February 21: Shyam Sundar Behura, Additional Registrar of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University, provided an update on the situation concerning the return of Nepali students to the campus. He confirmed that over 100 students had already returned to the university, with more students expected to return soon.
The university had set up a dedicated control room to stay connected with the parents of the students, and video conferencing sessions with parents were being conducted to reassure them. Behura stated that the classes had resumed, and there was no protest within the campus. He emphasized that the university is taking care of the students’ accommodation, food, transport, and academics, ensuring their normal academic routine.
This statement came after a tragic incident on February 16, when a third-year BTech student was found dead in her hostel room. Nepali students staged protests, alleging harassment by a fellow student and accusing the college of failing to act on multiple complaints. Following the protests, the accused student, Advik Srivastava, was arrested on February 17.
Behura clarified that no students from KIIT University were involved in any protest, and while protests might have occurred outside the campus, they were not related to the university’s students. The university administration is complying with the government of Odisha’s guidelines and providing full support to the students and their families.
Further, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reached out to Nepali students, assuring them that justice would be served in the case of the deceased student and called for peace and normalcy to be restored on the KIIT campus. He also urged the Nepali students to return and resume their studies.
The situation at KIIT is now reported to be under control, with academic activities continuing as usual. The university’s priority is to ensure the safe return of all Nepali students to the campus.