IIT Kanpur launches Hindi online course to train 3 lakh students in cybersecurity

IIT Kanpur's C3iHub, DBRAU Agra and VIF have launched an online Hindi cybersecurity vocational programme. The initiative aims to reach over three lakh students and widen access in semi-urban and rural colleges.

In Short

• C3iHub will create curriculum using IIT Kanpur's cybersecurity research expertise
• VIF will handle administrative and technical systems for large-scale online delivery
• Modules include cyber hygiene, identity theft, dark web and cyber terrorism

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur’s cybersecurity innovation hub, C3iHub, has partnered with Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University (DBRAU), Agra, and Vivekanand Incubation Foundation (VIF) to launch a vocational programme in cybersecurity. The vocational programme aims to reach more than three lakh students across 570-plus affiliated colleges.

The programme, launched through a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will be delivered entirely online and in Hindi. It is designed to make cybersecurity education more accessible to students in semi-urban and rural areas who may face language barriers in accessing technical courses taught in English.

CYBERSECURITY COURSE TO COVER ONLINE SAFETY, CYBERCRIME AND DARK WEB

Under the collaboration, C3iHub will design and deliver the curriculum, drawing on IIT Kanpur's expertise in cybersecurity research and training. VIF will provide the administrative and technical infrastructure needed to deliver the programme at scale.

The course will cover topics including cybercrime and cyber hygiene, social media threats, identity theft, personal data leaks, online safety for women and children, the dark web, cyber terrorism and illegal online activities.

The programme will also include quizzes, workshops and course feedback, along with customised virtual labs to give students practical exposure to cybersecurity concepts and real-world scenarios.

As part of the partnership, DBRAU will also establish a dedicated Cybersecurity Counselling Cell (CCC) to help mitigate cybercrime incidents and provide prevention and support to students.

The MoU was signed by Prof Surendra Baswana, Programme Director, C3iHub, and Head, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur; Prof Sanjay Chaudhary, Director, IQAC and VIF, DBRAU; and Prof Anil Gupta, Director, UCC, DBRAU Agra.

DBRAU Vice Chancellor Prof Ashu Rani said the university's reach across more than 570 colleges brings a responsibility to prepare students for the digital environment they will encounter in their professional and personal lives. She described cybersecurity as a basic life skill rather than a subject limited to engineering students.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by IIT Kanpur Director Prof Manindra Agrawal and other guests, including Prof Ashu Rani, who joined online. Prof Vinay Kumar Pathak, Vice Chancellor of Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University Kanpur (CSJMU) and President of the Association of Indian Universities, was also present.

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