Let's stop sending students to KIIT, India: NA members

Kathmandu, May 4: Members of the National Assembly (NA) have called for a halt to sending Nepali students to the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India.

They proposed denying Non-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to any student seeking enrollment at the institute.     

During an emergency session of the upper house, lawmakers expressed grave concern over the safety of Nepali students at KIIT, following the recent death of a Nepali student under suspicious circumstances - the second such incident in recent months.     

Tul Prasad Bishwakarma of the Rastriya Janamorcha and Madan Kumari Shah (Garima) of the CPN (Unified Socialist) were among those demanding the cessation of issuing NOC for KIIT. Shah also urged parents and guardians to be aware of the matter related to the safety of children.     

Mohammad Khalid of the Janata Samajbadi Party, Shekhar Kumar Singh of the Democratic Socialist Party, and Krishna Bahadur Rokaya of the Nepali Congress called on the government to ensure a thorough investigation into the death of another female Nepali student and to provide justice to her family.     

Ganga Kumari Belbase of the CPN (Maoist Centre) and Sumitra BC of the CPN (UML) echoed the demand for an impartial investigation into the incident.     

It may be noted that a 20-year-old Nepali student from Sarlahi district allegedly committed suicide on Thursday, May 1, at KIIT. Earlier, on February 16, Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal, 20, from Rupandehi, also died at the same institute from the alleged suicide.     

In response, NA Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal has urged the government to investigate the repeated incidents involving Nepali students at KIIT and ensure the facts are uncovered. Lawmakers also voiced their concern over the suspected suicide of Prinsha Shah and demanded a detailed probe into the matter during a zero hour of the upper house session today.(RSS)