IIT Kanpur launches India’s first UG course for hackers
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New Delhi: In a major move aimed at strengthening India’s digital defences, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) has announced the country’s first dedicated undergraduate programme in cybersecurity. The new Bachelor of Cybersecurity programme will be launched from the 2026–27 academic year with an intake of 60 students.
The programme will be offered by the Wadhwani School of AI and Intelligent Systems and is designed to identify and train a new generation of cybersecurity professionals capable of protecting critical national infrastructure from emerging digital threats.
Departing from the conventional admission model followed by most IIT programmes, entry to the course will not rely solely on JEE Advanced ranks. Instead, candidates will be shortlisted through JEE Main screening, assessment of prior cybersecurity work, and a specialised hackathon to be conducted on the IIT Kanpur campus. The unique admission process is intended to identify talented ethical hackers and cybersecurity enthusiasts whose abilities may not be fully reflected in traditional competitive examinations.
Authorities said detailed information about the programme and admissions process will be released through a dedicated webpage in the coming weeks, while the admission hackathon is expected to be held in early July.
The four-year programme will combine rigorous academic training with extensive practical exposure. Students will spend the first two years in theory and laboratory-based learning at IIT Kanpur, followed by two years of internships with government security agencies. The structure is aimed at preparing graduates to tackle real-world cyber threats and security challenges.
IIT Kanpur Director Professor Manindra Agrawal said future conflicts and security challenges would increasingly unfold in the digital domain, making advanced cybersecurity expertise essential for the country. He noted that many young Indians possess exceptional coding and cybersecurity skills but often remain outside conventional academic pathways.
The initiative follows IIT Kanpur’s recent appointment of ethical hacker Nisarga Adhikary to its C3iHub as an Open-Source Intelligence and Threat Intelligence Engineer, highlighting the institute’s growing focus on identifying and nurturing unconventional cybersecurity talent.