DIMAPUR: National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, launched Cyber Kushti 2026- National Cybersecurity and AI Hackathon on Independence Day, with registrations formally opened by Prof. (Dr.) M.M. Tripathi, director general and vice chancellor, NIELIT.
Organised in collaboration with the Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC Foundation) under the National Security Database (NSD), with CERT-In as Knowledge Partner, the hackathon will form a parallel technical track of the 3rd National Conference on Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Intelligence (NCCDFI 2026), scheduled for October 9-10, 2026 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
The launch of Cyber Kushti 2026 builds on the journey that began when NIELIT Kohima initiated the first NCCDFI in Kohima in 2024.
With the conference now entering its third edition, Cyber Kushti further expands the platform by providing students and independent researchers from across the country an opportunity to demonstrate their cybersecurity skills.
Speaking at the launch, Prof. Tripathi highlighted the changing nature of cybersecurity in the age of Artificial Intelligence, stressing that while machines can generate findings faster, human judgment remains critical in validating and prioritising what matters most. He said independence in the AI era means the confidence to examine, disagree and reason with machine-generated results.
NIELIT Nagaland and Assam director, Er. L. Lanuwabang, explained that Cyber Kushti is designed to assess participants on their ability to reason, validate and defend technical decisions, distinguishing genuine findings from false or incomplete AI-generated results.
The competition will be conducted in three rounds: Round 1- Akhada: Online, September 15, 2026; Round 2-Dangal: Online, September 24, 2026 (50 teams advance) and Kesari Round: Physical round, October 9, 2026 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, as part of NCCDFI 2026 (10 teams, 30 finalists).
The winning team will be crowned “Cyber Kesari 2026” and presented with the Gada, while runners-up will receive the titles Rustam and Pahalwan. Cash prizes, certificates, scorecards and NSD recognition credits will also be awarded.
Registration is free and open to students and independent researchers in teams of three. Registrations close on September 10, 2026.
Details: http://nccdfi.nielitkohima.in/cyber-kushti
Sunday, August 16, 2026