A student who failed to secure admission to IIT Kanpur’s BTech Cyber Security programme allegedly hacked the institute’s website and temporarily brought it down, according to reports.
The selection process for the programme included an assessment of candidates’ skills, where students were expected to demonstrate their abilities through ethical hacking. Admission was offered only to those who met the required standard.
After being rejected, the student reportedly took control of the IIT Kanpur website to showcase his capability and posted a message saying he wanted “only a fair chance.” He also shared a screenshot of the altered page on social media.
IIT Kanpur initially considered filing a police complaint after discovering the breach. However, once it became clear that the act was carried out by a rejected applicant, the institute decided against legal action.
The institute said granting immediate admission could be seen as justifying hacking for an opportunity, while a police case could harm the student’s future. It has decided to engage him at its cyber security centre and advised him to apply again next year.
