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One thousand two hundred and thirty-three people have died in road accidents over the last six months of the current fiscal year.

The number of accident casualties has increased compared to the same period last year due to careless driving and not paying attention to the full observance of traffic rules, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Ministry stated that a total of 1,149 people were killed in 12,856 road accidents across the country until January 14, 2024. One thousand two hundred and thirty-three people have died in 11,338 road accidents until January 13, 2025.

Although the number of road accidents has decreased in the six months of this year compared to the six months of last year, the number of deaths has increased, said the Home Ministry Spokesperson Ram Chandra Tiwari.

According to the details provided by the Ministry, the number of deaths due to road accidents has increased despite the decrease in the number of accidents in Gandaki, Kathmandu Valley and Karnali.

With the exception of Madhes Province and Bagmati (Kathmandu Valley), the number of deaths has decreased despite the increase in the number of accidents.

3,134 suicide cases reported in last six months

According to the Ministry, 3,134 people committed suicide in six months of the current fiscal year 2024/25. It was 3,457 during the corresponding period of last fiscal year.

The highest number of people (628) committed suicide from October 17-November 15, 471 from November 16-December 15 and 425 from December 16-Janauary 13, 2025 of the current fiscal year.

10,776 complaints related to cyber crime 

Likewise, 10,776 complaints related to cybercrime have been registered in the six months of the current fiscal year. Telegram has been found most used by those involved in criminal activities misusing social networking sites.

A total of 1,187 complaints about crime using telegrams have been registered. According to the Ministry, 1,098 complaints about crime using Facebook, 731 complaints about crime using Instagram and 153 complaints related to TikTok have been in the six months of the fiscal year 2024/25.

Total 19,730 complaints related to cybercrime were registered in the fiscal year 2023/24 and 9,013 in fiscal year 2022/23.

After a day of protests at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University in Odisha that eventually prompted the Nepal Embassy to intervene, police in Bhubaneswar Monday arrested a third-year student in connection with the suicide of a 20-year-old batchmate.

Police identified the victim as Nepal resident Prakriti Lamsal (20) and the accused as Lucknow resident Advik Srivastava (21).

The incident had led to a storm on campus after around 500 students from Nepal started protests and blocked the main road leading to the varsity. In response, the university decided to send them back home – a move that only escalated the tempers and forced the administration to eventually backtrack, The Indian Express reported.

The university’s U-turn was prompted by the Nepal Embassy getting involved and the country’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli dispatching two officers there.

Police say Lamsal, who was pursuing a B.Tech in computer science from the university, was found dead in her hostel room. The accused was detained from outside the airport on Sunday evening and has been booked under section 108 of the BNS (abetment of suicide).

“On Sunday evening, we received a complaint from one Siddhant Sigdel that his cousin had committed suicide in her hostel room. The police team immediately visited the spot and seized the body. Our scientific team has collected her laptop and phone as demanded by the agitating student,” said Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra.

The woman’s family has landed in Bhubaneswar to collect her body following the post-mortem.

According to the FIR, the complainant suspected the accused was blackmailing his cousin, which led her to take the extreme step.

Late Sunday evening, irate students from Nepal blocked the road near the KIIT campus, alleging that the university authorities took no action when the student reached out to the International Relations Office (IRO) at the university, flagging harassment by her batchmate.

Speaking to The Indian Express, KIIT registrar Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty confirmed that she had lodged a complaint with the IRO over “misbehaviour” by the accused.

“The IRO officials then called both students, counselled them and also warned the accused not to do so in the future,” Mohanty told The Indian Express. He said they have not kept anything in writing from the accused.

Earlier in the day, Mohanty had claimed that the victim took the extreme step because of a “strained relationship” with the accused. The university, in a statement, also claimed that they were in a relationship.

As protests escalated by Monday, the university authorities announced “sine die” for all international students from Nepal and directed them to vacate the campus immediately. Over 500 students from Nepal were asked to board buses and were dropped at various railway stations, from where they were asked to head home.

However, after the Nepal Embassy weighed in on the development and Nepal’s PM expressed concern, the university withdrew its decision and allowed students to remain on campus. Sources said the state government also asked the university to allow the students to remain in the hostel.

"The KIIT administration has taken all-out efforts to restore normalcy in the campus and hostels to resume the academic activities. An appeal is made to all our Nepali students who have or plan to leave the campus to return and resume the classes,” read a statement issued by the university.

The Nepal embassy in New Delhi, in a statement, said they have contacted the university administration and relevant representatives regarding the situation of the students, according to Indian Express.

The embassy urged the academic institution to ensure the safety of students from Nepal residing there, and the institution assured that the students can remain in the hostel.

The Nepal PM, in a post on X, said the embassy has dispatched two officers to counsel students. He also said arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference.

According to the university website, KIIT offers education to around 40,000 students from across India and 2,000 international students from 65 countries.

Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has said that it is deeply saddened by the tragic death of a Nepali student at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The Embassy extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased during this difficult time, the Embassy of India, Kathmandu said in a press release on February 17.

The Embassy has been in touch with the authorities of KIIT as well as the Odisha State Government.

The Embassy has been informed that the local authorities have initiated an investigation into the unfortunate incident.

KIIT has also issued an appeal to the Nepali students to return to the campus, resume their classes, and stay in the hostels.

It has also assured that academic losses of the students will be taken care of by the Institute, according to the press release.

"Nepali students studying in India form an important facet of the enduring people to people links between the two countries. The Government of India will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the well-being of the Nepali students in India," the Embassy has stated.

Effective enforcement of existing law and policy has been underlined for ending child marriage in Nepal.

During a discussion organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on 'Marriage age: Legal provision and implementation status' in the federal capital on Monday, the speakers said in addition to strict implementation of laws and policies, public awareness campaigns should be continued.

Rather than revising laws to lower the marriage age from the current 20 years to 18 years, it needs to be continued as it is. Programs on physical and mental health of adolescent girls and quality enhancement of their education are equally important to ensure their decision making capacity, and self-dependency in future. Present legal provision of at least 20 years for marriage helps reduce child and maternal mortality rate, the speakers argued.

Speaker Indira Rana Magar said the children need to be catered to education on social aspects to reduce child marriages. Gender inequality is one of the reasons behind early child marriage, she said, adding that collective efforts from all sides is required to work for ending this social ill.

NHRC secretary Murari Kharel presented a working paper on present status of child marriage and measures to reduce this social ill.

He informed that the highest number of child marriages were reported in Dhanusha district while the least in Manang district.

During the group discussion organized as part of the program, lawmaker Ranju Jha, however, reminded that the interaction the lawmakers' team including experts held witnessed the demand that current minimum age for marriage, 20, needs to be lowered to 18 years in Sudurpaschim, Madhes and Lumbini provinces.

The parliamentary committee on justice and human rights had held discussions with civil society, people's representatives and legal experts, according to her.

It was shared in the program that the factors behind child marriage were least awareness on punitive measures, weak enforcement of existing law, poverty, low social awareness, prevailing traditional thoughts and customs, gender inequality, etc.

The speakers suggested mobilization of traditional healers and priests against early marriage which have taken a toll, especially on girls. It is also a social blight.

A right advocate, Mina Sharma, informed that 36 percent of Nepali women in the age group of 20 to 24 years are married before 18 years, while it is 11 percent in case of male for the same category.

The program chaired by NHRC Member Lily Thapa was attended by Speaker Rana, chiefs of constitutional commissions, members of the parliament committees, political representatives, legal practitioners, right defenders, social activists and media persons.