Student who hacked IIT Kanpur website after admission denial may get second chance

A student who allegedly hacked the websites of IIT-Kanpur and IIT Madras after being denied admission to IIT-Kanpur's new Bachelor of Cyber Security programme may get another chance to join the institute, with the premier institution considering assessing his technical skills instead of pursuing legal action.

The student allegedly left a message on the IIT-Kanpur website saying, "Site is hacked. All I need is just a fair chance."

The incident came to light earlier this week after the student claimed on social media that he had breached the websites following his rejection from IIT-Kanpur's undergraduate cybersecurity programme. He later shared screenshots of the alleged intrusion on X and Reddit, saying he intended to demonstrate his cybersecurity skills rather than cause harm.

According to his posts, the student had completed the application process, paid the required fee, submitted all documents and provided proof of his cybersecurity work. However, he claimed he was not shortlisted and was denied an opportunity to participate in the hackathon that was part of the admission process.

IIT-Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal said the student was not shortlisted because he lacked prior cybersecurity experience.

"The admission process for this academic session has already concluded, so admission is not possible now. However, we will invite the student to the institute, assess his technical skills through a proper test and, if he proves his competence, give him an opportunity in the next admission cycle," Agrawal told PTI.

He confirmed that the student had gained access to certain sections of the official websites of IIT-Kanpur and IIT Madras.

Agrawal said senior faculty members and engineers would interact with the student and counsel him that unauthorised access to computer systems is illegal and should not be repeated.

An IIT-Kanpur official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the institute had initially considered filing an FIR but decided to first verify the student's claims and assess his technical abilities.

The official said IIT-Kanpur had previously encouraged young cybersecurity talent. Earlier this year, the institute offered a position at its C3iHub to a youth who had identified vulnerabilities in the CBSE's online screen-marking portal.