UGC panel blames KIIT University's 'illegal activities' for student death, cites substandard hostel conditions

The fact-finding committee set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC) has reportedly held KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, responsible for the death of one of the students earlier this year.

The UGC committee stated that "illegal and unlawful activity by the university" led to one of the deaths and that the administration's actions "amount to criminal liability."

Additionally, the UGC panel has issued a set of strong recommendations, based on which the commission is considering a freeze on the university's expansion, in addition to departmental action against erring officials. 

According to The Times of India, the committee, chaired by Professor Nageshwar Rao, submitted its report on May 20, 2025, after a detailed analysis.

The UGC committee further stated that the KIIT University failed to act lawfully on sexual harassment complaints, there are inadequate hostel facilities in the university and the varsity used force on students.

The panel further claimed serious lapses in infrastructure and governance. 

'Substandard Hostel Facility in KIIT University'

The UGC panel further found that KIIT University's hostel facilities were "substandard" with "three students put in a small room" and female international students accommodated without cultural considerations. 

It also noted that complaints of sexual harassment were ignored or illegally compromised, that the administration forcibly removed Nepalese students without support, and that security personnel used physical aggression against students, The Times of India reported. 

As per the committee, KIIT prioritised "reputation of university over regulations, law of land and international relations of the country."

"... The University's internal complaints committee (ICC) failed to take lawful action in reported sexual harassment cases. There was no transparency that protocols for investigation were followed. The girl had made complaints to the administration twice much before this tragic incident. In both the complaints, they decided to go for illegal compromise... The university has the power to punish the boy even when the first complaint was lodged. Instead of punishment, they favoured the boy by pushing forced illegal compromise with the girl. Later on, this has led to suicide. This suicide case could have been averted," the report stated.

Meanwhile, the KIIT University is yet to respond to the observations and allegations of the UGC panel.

KIIT University: Two Deaths in Three Months

On February 16, Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year BTech student of KIIT University from Nepal, was found dead in her hostel room. Preliminary reports linked the death to relationship issues. 

Later, on May 1, Prisha Shah, a first-year Computer Science student, was found hanging in her hostel room. She was also from Nepal.

The deaths raised serious questions about mental health care, institutional response, and alleged discrimination on private campuses.

However, the aftermath turned turbulent when several Nepali students accused the university administration of mishandling the crisis and even physically assaulting protesting students. Allegations included being forced to vacate hostels and threats by security staff, leading to widespread condemnation and student unrest.