BELAGAVI: Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, who is a one of the frontrunners to become Nepal’s next Prime Minister owing to the massive support he enjoys among youth in the Himalayan nation, has a Karnataka connection.
The 35-year-old rapper, who also serves as the Mayor of Kathmandu, completed his M.Tech in Structural Engineering from Nitte Institute of Technology, Bengaluru. Balen took over as mayor in 2022, becoming the first Independent candidate to be elected to the post.
Dr Shreyas, a faculty member at Nitte Institute of Technology, said Balen completed his M.Tech successfully, from 2016 to 2018, after getting admission under the PIOquota for overseas students.
At the time, Pravin Shresta and Sunil Lamsal were two other students admitted to the institute, along with Balen, from Nepal. He added that many students who completed BE in Civil Engineering in Nepal, opted for various PG courses in India.