TV
In the aftermath of a third-year B.Tech student of Bhubaneswar KIIT University from Nepal allegedly taking her own life, some hasty decisions by the university management have compounded the situation. One such move, declared on Monday, was an order for all the KIIT students from Nepal to vacate the campus immediately.
Caught off-guard, many international students were allegedly made to board the university’s buses and taken to the Cuttack railway station, from where they were ordered to leave for their respective homes. While some had to arrange trains and travel in cramped spaces, many were left behind in Bhubaneswar with no clarity on the road ahead.
Speaking to OTV, a KIIT University student from Nepal lamented the entire sequence of events and stated that the sudden announcement by the university officials left them in the lurch and with no means to arrange for proper travel or accommodation.
“Several students from Nepal study at KIIT University and all of them cannot arrange and travel by train on the same day. It is simply not feasible to vacate all of a sudden. The notice not only left us helpless but also added severe mental pressure,” he said.
The same student also expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of proper management by KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta. “He (Samanta) says that we are like his children, but does anyone ask their kid to vacate and move to the roads? Does anyone abandon their own kids?” the student said.
Allegations also stated that the students from Nepal were forced to vacate their hostels without any provisions or accommodations. Further, they also denied posing any risk to the law and order situation on the campus.
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Meanwhile, KIIT University has called back its international students and also issued a notice on Tuesday stating that the "authorities and the entire staff deeply regret the incident." It also stated that two security staff were terminated immediately while two senior hostel officials and one senior administrative officer of the International Relations Office (IRO) were suspended.
Meanwhile, KIIT University has issued an apology. "We are extremely appalled by the untoward incident that took place on our campus on the evening of 16 February 2025. We are also regretful of the way some of us behaved with the agitating students. We love our students and have never done any disservice to them. The comments made by two of our officers are extremely irresponsible."
It further read, "Although the comments are made in their personal capacity on the spur of the moment, we do not support their action. We have removed them from service. They too have apologized for their behavior. We too apologize for all that has happened and hereby tender our love and affection to all the students and people of Nepal. We love them as much as we love the people of India and the people of the world. Additionally, we are again appealing to our Nepali students to join the regular academics with immediate effect."
