India reassures Nepali students after suicide sparked protest

18/2/2025 12:24

India has assured students from Nepal of its efforts to ensure their well-being, following protests triggered by the suicide of a Nepali woman studying in the eastern state of Odisha.



Police have taken into custody a male student as they investigate Sunday's death at a women's hostel, said officials of the university in the state's capital of Bhubaneswar attended by more than 400 Nepali students.



"Nepali students studying in India form an important facet of enduring people-to-people links," the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, the capital of the neighbouring majority-Hindu nation, said on Monday.



It added in its statement, "The government of India will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the well-being of Nepali students in India."



The assurance followed Monday's protests by students who had blocked a road for hours, which the university said had caused "inconvenience and escalating tensions".



Students shouted slogans and pushed through the gates of buildings in images on domestic media.