- Balen Shah studied M.Tech in Structural Engineering at NMIT, Bengaluru starting 2016
- He won Jhapa-5 parliamentary seat, defeating former PM KP Sharma Oli in Nepal elections
- Professors recall Shah as disciplined, sincere student with strong academic commitment
A name that is increasingly echoing through Nepal's political corridors is Balen Shah, the rapper-turned-politician who has risen rapidly in the country's political landscape and is now being seen as a potential future Prime Minister.
What many may not know, however, is that Shah once walked the corridors of Bengaluru's NITTE Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT), where he pursued his M.Tech in Structural Engineering (a sub-discipline of civil engineering).
Balendra Shah won the parliamentary election from Jhapa-5, defeating his archrival, former Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the Election Commission announced. With this, Balen has confirmed his Prime Ministership as he makes his way to the lower house of the parliament. With this win, the senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is set to become the next Prime Minister as the party has swept the election, securing a comfortable majority.
In an exclusive chat with NDTV, faculty members at NMIT who taught Shah say they are proud to see one of their former students emerge as a key political figure in Nepal.
Professor Shreyas AV from Civil Engineering Department, who taught him subjects such as Mechanics of Deformable Bodies and Finite Element Methods, recalls Shah as a disciplined and focused student. According to him, Shah joined the institute in 2016 along with two other Nepali students, Sunil Lamsal and Pravin Shrestha, and they were part of the first autonomous batch at the college.
"We are very happy that he has grown to this height. They were very punctual and obedient students. Balendra was a silent student among them," Professor Shreyas said, adding that while Shah had a rapper within him, he rarely showcased that side on campus.
Interestingly, Shah did not display any clear political inclination during his time at the institute. Instead, professors remember him for his academic commitment.
"Mostly he did not express any political inclination when he was a student here. But academically he was very sincere. They used to come with a lot of doubts and get them clarified even during evenings," Professor Shreyas said.
Sandeep Shastri, NMIT Vice-President said the institution considers Shah one of its proud alumni and described his rise as another "jewel in the crown" for the university.
"For an institution like ours, it is a matter of great honor that someone who studied here eight years ago may go on to lead the government of a neighbouring country," he said. "He was a diligent student who completed his work on time, did his internship well and was very disciplined. We had many Nepali students then, and he was someone others could look up to."
Although Shah later became widely known for his Nepali rap music before entering politics, his professors say he never performed or rapped during his time on campus. Most of his music was in Nepali, and with a small class of around 24 students, his artistic side largely remained private.
One academic interest that stood out, however, was earthquake engineering. Shah worked on projects related to the subject and also carried out an internship connected to the field around the time Nepal experienced a major earthquake.
Faculty members say this reflected his desire to contribute to society back home.
As Shah's political trajectory continues to rise from rapper to Mayor of Kathmandu and now a national figure, NMIT says it would be delighted to welcome him back to campus someday.
"If he visits India, we would certainly love to invite him here. It would be an honor for us and an inspiration for our students," the Vice-President Sandeep Shastri said.
