A student could not get admission to the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur), one of India’s premier technology institutions. Out of frustration, he broke into and hacked the websites of two IITs. Rather than take legal action over the incident, IIT-Kanpur is considering testing his technical skills and offering him a chance at admission.
Indian media reported that the student had applied to IIT-Kanpur’s newly launched Bachelor of Cyber Security (B-Cyber) course. After failing to make the initial shortlist, he allegedly broke into the websites of IIT-Kanpur and IIT-Madras. On the website he had written: “I just want a fair chance.”
IIT-Kanpur director Manindra Agarwal said it was not possible to admit the student in the current academic year as the admission process was already over. But he would be called to the campus and his technical skills assessed. If he could prove his ability, granting him a chance in the next admission cycle would be considered. At the same time, offering him an internship at the institute’s cyber-security innovation centre, C3iHub, was also being considered.
The institute said that while the student’s technical skill was praiseworthy, breaking into any organisation’s digital systems without permission was unacceptable. IIT-Kanpur called for cyber-security skills always to be used in ethical and lawful ways.
IIT-Kanpur launched the Bachelor of Cyber Security (B-Cyber) course for the first time this year. Alongside conventional admission methods, the course also gives weight to skill in cyber security.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report