A Nepalese student’s suicide at the prestigious Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha has escalated into a diplomatic dispute between India and Nepal. Prakriti Lamsal, an engineering student from Nepal, allegedly took her own life due to repeated physical and mental harassment by fellow student Advik Srivastava. Following her suicide in the hostel room, protests erupted at KIIT. Amidst the unrest, around 800 Nepalese students left the university, alleging that the management forced them to leave.

The university administration was accused of behaving harshly towards the protesting students. Reports surfaced that security personnel assaulted the students, leading to further outrage. News of Nepalese students being mistreated sparked protests in Nepal as well. Nepal’s Prime Minister Oli raised the issue in parliament, intensifying the dispute. The Nepalese government strongly condemned the university’s actions, especially after reports emerged that the tuition fees paid by 40,000 university students equaled Nepal’s national budget.

Following the backlash, KIIT management issued an apology, expressing deep sorrow over Prakriti Lamsal’s tragic death and pledging justice. They suspended two security personnel, two hostel officials, a senior administrator, and placed three senior staff members on leave. Nepalese students claimed that Prakriti had repeatedly reported the harassment to the university authorities, but no action was taken. The accused, Advik, has been arrested, along with six university staff members involved in misconduct. The Nepalese government has warned that if the Odisha government fails to take proper action, they might ban Nepalese students from studying in the state.