Page 11 - Nepal

1,000 students from Nepal returned to campus amid NHRC probe: KIIT

Amid the probe by the NHRC and Odisha Police into the alleged suicidal death of a B Tech girl student, KIIT University has claimed that 1,000 of the 1,100 Nepalese students who left the campus in the wake of the February 16 unrest have returned to the institute in Bhubaneswar. The private university made this claim on Friday after Odisha's Higher Education Minister, Suryabanshi Suraj, informed the Assembly that the state government formed a professor committee to ensure a proper academic environment on the KIIT campus. "As many as 1,000 Nepalese students out of 1,100 have returned to KIIT-DU to resume their academic pursuits after temporarily leaving the campus in the wake of the February 16 incident. The remaining 100 students are on their way and will be arriving soon," the KIIT said in a statement, adding that the students' return demonstrates the strong ties between the institute and its international student community, particularly from Nepal. The Nepalese students were alleged

KIIT University suicide case: NHRC orders probe, seeks report by March 10

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered an on-spot inquiry into the death of a Nepalese girl student at KIIT University in Odisha and asked its officials to submit a report by March 10. The NHRC issued the order while acting on a complaint that 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal died allegedly by suicide in her hostel room on February 16. The commission said that the investigation should be held in accordance with the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the commission directs the Registrar (Law) to proceed for an inquiry in KIIT University, Bhubaneswar to conduct an on-spot inquiry along with a team consisting of two officers from the investigation division, one not below the rank of SSP and one officer/official from Law Division, and submit its inquiry report to the Commission by 10th March, 2025, the NHRC order said. Complainant Ashutosh B, in his petition, alleged that Lamsal, a Nepalese student at Kalinga .

Nepal's Rhino census becomes uncertain with suspension of USAID funding

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, which has been carrying out the census in collaboration with various agencies working with the park

Nepal's inclusion in FATF grey list sparks Oppn's call for Oli resignation

Nepal has two years to address these deficiencies and remove itself from the grey list; otherwise, it will face more international transaction hurdles and sanctions

Odisha govt vows to take action against those involved in KIIT case

The Odisha government on Saturday said all those responsible for the death of a Nepalese student of a private engineering institute KIIT and the alleged assault on the pupils from the Himalayan country would not be spared. Congress activists also held a demonstration, demanding the immediate arrest of KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta. A large number of youth and student activists of Congress staged the protest before the main gate of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and burnt effigy of Samanta. A scuffle broke out between the security personnel and the agitators when Congress workers attempted to barge into the KIIT campus. The Congress activists held the demonstration a day after the party MLAs in the assembly demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of a 20-year-old Nepalese student and subsequently, the alleged attack on pupils from the neighbouring country. Odisha's Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, however, said that the state government was ...

159 students of Odisha univ return to Nepal, claim were treated 'inhumanly'

Days after a Nepalese female student allegedly died by suicide at an Odisha university and the college administration ordered Nepali students to vacate the hostel, 159 students have returned to the country via Raxaul border, an official has said. Assistant Chief District Officer, Parsa, Suman Kumar Karki said that 159 Nepali students arrived home from the Raxaul border point till Thursday evening. Prakriti Lamsal, 20, a third-year B Tech (Computer Science) student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, allegedly died by suicide at her hostel room on February 16, leading to unrest on the campus. There are around 1,000 Nepalese students studying in KIIT, Odisha. Speaking to media at Reporters' Club in Kathmandu, a group of students who returned to Nepal said that they were subjected to inhuman treatment at the KIIT after the death of the Nepalese female student in the college hostel. After the mysterious death of Prakriti Lamsal, we were abused and got inhum

Nepali students have started returning to campus: KIIT additional registrar

Odisha government's Director of Higher Education said that the High-Level Committee has decided to conduct an inquiry into the alleged suicide of a student

Could US aid cuts open opportunities for China to expand global influence?

Experts argue that freezing foreign aid weakens USA's soft power, allowing China to strengthen its influence, especially in Southeast Asian countries

KIIT suicide: Nepal's FM Deuba speaks with Odisha's education minister

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has on Wednesday requested Odisha Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj to make arrangements for impartial investigation into the death of a Nepalese student and take legal action against the culprit. During a telephone call, she also asked the Indian minister to ensure that classes resume for other Nepalese students in the university in his state in a safe environment, according to a statement from the secretariat of the Foreign Minister. Prakriti Lamsal, 20, a third-year B Tech (Computer Science) student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, allegedly died by suicide at her hostel room on February 16, leading to unrest on the campus. During the conversation, Suryabanshi informed that the Odisha government has taken the matter seriously and a high-level probe committee has been formed to provide justice to Lamsal and punish the culprit. He also assured that arrangements have been made for the safety of Nepalese students in

Nepal's US-backed infra plan in jeopardy as Trump freezes foreign aid

The $500 million grant was earmarked for critical infra projects, including a 320 km electricity transmission line to facilitate energy exports to India and improvements to Nepal's road network

KIIT University suicide case: Nepali student's death sparks diplomatic row

KIIT suicide row: The Nepali student, a third-year BTech Computer Science major, died allegedly by suicide following alleged physical and verbal abuse by her 21-year-old batchmate

KIIT suicide: Staffers apologise over viral remark against Nepali students

Two staff members were recorded making remarks that drew comparisons between the university's budget and Nepal's national budget, sparking widespread criticism

KIIT suicide row: Nepal PM steps in; accused held - what we know so far

A third-year BTech student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room, with allegations surfacing that she was harassed and blackmailed by her 21-year-old batchmate from Lucknow, Advik Srivastava

Govt pushes Nepal for speedy completion of projects funded by New Delhi

Ahead of Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal Khattar's visit to Nepal, India on Friday pushed for speedy completion of projects funded by New Delhi in the Himalayan nation. During a meeting between Indian envoy to Nepal Naveen Srivastava and Nepal's Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka at the latter's office, they also discussed about early completion of the detailed project report (DPR) of the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, sources in the ministry said. The two also discussed Khattar's forthcoming visit to Nepal. Ambassador Srivastava urged Minister Khadka to facilitate the speedy progress of the projects run under Indian investment as he discussed various aspects of energy cooperation between Nepal and India, the sources added. Khadka extended thanks to Ambassador Srivastava for India's cooperation in power trade, construction of additional transmission lines, and progress made by hydro-power projects having Indian investment. Srivastava assured

Nepal puts an end to solo expeditions on Mt Everest, other 8000m peaks

The Nepal government has formally ended solo expeditions on Mt Everest and other mountain peaks above 8,000 metres by making one mountain guide mandatory for two climbers, according to revised mountaineering regulations. The sixth amendment to the Mountaineering Regulation came into force on Tuesday after it was published in the Nepal Gazette, the government's official publication. The revised regulations require a high-altitude support staff or mountain guide to be assigned for every two climbers for peaks above 8,000 metres, including the 8,849 metres tall Mt Everest. For other mountains, the rule requires at least one guide per group, according to a notice published in the Nepal Gazette. Under the previous rule, one mountain guide was sufficient for a group of climbers scaling mountains above 8,000 metres. The government has made guides mandatory to ensure the climbers' safety on the mountain, said Arati Neupane, Director at the Department of Tourism. The amendment was made to

India tops Nepal's tourist list in Jan despite decline in visitor numbers

India remains Nepal's largest source of foreign tourists in January, but the number of visitors from the country saw a slight decline in the month, according to official data released on Monday. Of nearly 80,000 foreign tourists who visited Nepal last month, 20,485 were Indians, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said. This marks a 15.1 per cent decrease compared to January 2024, when 24,139 Indians arrived in the country by air. Indian tourists primarily enter Nepal through border points, using road and vehicle routes, but NTB's records only account for those arriving by air. China, Nepal's second-largest tourism market, saw a contrasting trend. In January, 8,191 Chinese tourists visited Nepal, reflecting a 12.7 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. The US ranks third among Nepal's top tourist sources. In January, 8,063 Americans visited the Himalayan nation, marking a 14.9 per cent increase from the previous year. Other key sources of tourists included Bangladesh

Permit to climb Mount Everest to cost nearly Rs 13 lakhs after price hike

Nepal has increased the permit price after nearly a decade by 36 per cent from $11000 (about Rs 9L) to $15000 (about Rs 13L). Nepal issues around 300 permits every year

Nepal hikes Everest climbing fee to $15,000, brings new pollution measures

Nepal has sharply increased permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by 36 per cent and also introduced a slew of measures aimed at controlling garbage pollution on the world's tallest peak, officials said. Under the revised mountaineering regulations, the royalty fee for foreigners climbing Everest from the normal south route in the spring season (March-May) has been raised to USD 15,000 from the current USD 11,000 per person. The autumn season (September-November) climbing fee has increased from USD 5,500 to USD 7,500. At the same time, the permit cost per individual for the winter (December-February) and monsoon (June-August) seasons has risen from USD 2,750 to USD 3,750. A Cabinet decision to this effect has already been made, though the official announcement is yet to come, said Arati Neupane, Director of the Tourism Board. The new fees for climbing the 8848.86-metre peak will come into effect from September 1, 2025, she added. The revised regulations, approved by the Cabinet w

Nepal's roadmap aims to generate 28,500 MW of electricity by 2035: PM Oli

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Friday said the government has prepared a roadmap for generating 28,500 MW of electricity by 2035. Nepal currently generates around 2,500 MW of hydro power. Addressing a programme organised by Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal (IPPAN) to commemorate its silver jubilee in Kathmandu, Oli said there was no need to worry about the sale of energy as the energy producers would find sufficient market for the energy produced by them. There is no need to worry about energy consumption as heavy industries like iron and steel and fertilizer plants are in the process of being established in the country and preparations are being made to operate the closed industries in a new modality, Oli said. The prime minister said that the government is also conducting research into producing green hydrogen energy within the country. Oli also invited the private sector as well as foreign investors to invest in hydropower sector saying that the government

Ireda finalises JV with SJVN, GMR, and NEP for hydropower project in Nepal

State-owned IREDA has finalised a joint venture agreement with SJVN, GMR Energy and the Nepal Electricity Authority to set up a 900 megawatt hydropower project in Nepal. The agreement for the 900 MW Upper Karnali hydro-electric project was formalised in New Delhi on Thursday, in the presence of senior officials from IREDA, SJVN, and GMR Energy. In a statement on Thursday, IREDA said, "It has finalised a joint venture agreement with SJVN Ltd, GMR Energy Ltd, and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for the development of the 900 MW Upper Karnali hydro-electric project in Nepal. This strategic initiative aims to strengthen regional energy security and accelerate renewable energy growth." The joint venture agreement lays out a comprehensive framework for project development, construction, operation, and maintenance under a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, with a 25-year project term from the Commercial Operation Date (CoD). IREDA CMD Pradip Kumar Das said, "This agreement marks a