KATHMANDU, July 23: A University Grants Commission (UGC) fact-finding committee has held Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) directly responsible for the suicides of two Nepali students, raising serious questions over the institute’s internal governance, handling of sexual harassment complaints, and overall treatment of foreign students.
The scathing report, submitted on July 20 by a panel chaired by former IGNOU Vice Chancellor Prof. Nageshwar Rao, accuses KIIT of “illegal and unlawful activity” that contributed to the deaths and says the university’s conduct “amounts to criminal liability.” The UGC is currently deliberating on strict punitive actions, including halting KIIT’s expansion and initiating criminal proceedings against officials implicated in the cover-up.
The first of the two tragic deaths occurred on February 16 when Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old third-year BTech student from Nepal, was found hanging in her hostel room. Prakriti had filed repeated complaints of sexual harassment against a fellow student, Advik Srivastava. The UGC committee found that instead of taking legal action, KIIT authorities pursued an “illegal compromise,” ignoring due process and thereby enabling the abuse to continue unchecked.
Prisha Shah death case at KIIT: UGC forms committee to submit r...
“This suicide case could have been averted,” the report bluntly states. “The university had the authority to take action from the beginning. Instead, it chose to shield the accused and silence the victim.”
Barely three months later on May 2 another Nepali student, Prisha Shah, took her own life in her hostel room. Her father has since lodged a police complaint naming five individuals, including fellow student Ayush Ranjan, accusing them of harassing his daughter and abetting her suicide. Though the second case is under police investigation, the UGC panel says it reveals a systemic failure within KIIT to protect vulnerable students.
Beyond the specific cases, the report paints a disturbing picture of administrative callousness and a culture of impunity. The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which is mandated to handle sexual harassment cases within KIIT, failed to follow legal protocols and displayed a clear bias in favor of the accused. The committee has recommended disciplinary action against ICC members and senior university officials involved.
The report further highlights structural issues such as overcrowded hostel rooms—“three students crammed into small rooms”—and a lack of cultural sensitivity in accommodating international students. Worse still, the panel reports that Nepali students were forcibly evicted from hostels without support, with some allegedly manhandled by campus security guards.
Perhaps most damning is the observation that KIIT appeared more concerned with its public image than with the safety and rights of its students. “The university prioritized its reputation over regulations, the law of the land and even international relations,” states the report.
This is not merely a case of administrative oversight—it is a matter of institutional accountability, and possibly criminal neglect. If UGC acts on the recommendations, KIIT could face not only regulatory curbs but also criminal prosecution of its senior staff.
As two grieving families in Nepal await justice, the ball is now in UGC’s court. The question remains: Will the commission set a precedent for accountability or will KIIT be allowed to bury another scandal under its sprawling campus grounds?
