Days after Nepalese student’s death, Odisha launches International Student Facilitation at vasitie

The Facilitation Cell will provide guidance, assistance, smooth academic and cultural experience besides redressing their grievance, it added

SNS | Bhubaneswar | March 6, 2025 : Close on the heels of an alleged suicide by a Nepalese girl student and reported manhandling and eviction of students of the Himalayan nation from Bhubaneswar-based Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University, the Odisha government, on Thursday, announced the launch of a dedicated International Student Facilitation Cell to support and assist international students across the Public, private and deemed universities in the state.

“The Higher Education Department has launched a dedicated International Student Facilitation Cell to support and assist international students across (Public/Private/Deemed) universities in the State. It will foster a conducive and inclusive environment for International Students pursuing or interested in pursuing their studies in Odisha in colleges & universities”, the department stated in the ‘X’ handle.

The Facilitation Cell will provide guidance, assistance, smooth academic and cultural experience besides redressing their grievance, it added.

It may be recalled here that a 20-year-old engineering girl student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room on 16 February, triggering widespread student unrest.

The visuals of students of Nepal being forcibly evicted from the university hostel and manhandled later went viral on social media platforms, drawing outrage from several quarters including Nepal PM and diplomats of the neighbouring country. The Ministry of External Affairs had expressed deep regret over the incident.

A visibly embarrassed Odisha government later constituted a high-level inquiry fact-finding committee to probe the incident, which the Government described as ‘most unfortunate’. The governmental inquiry into the KIIT episode is still in progress and its findings are yet to be made public.

Meanwhile the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which has deputed a team of officers from the Investigation Division and Law Division, arrived here in Bhubaneswar on Thursday to conduct an on-spot inquiry at KIIT University.