Kohima: The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology launched the Cyber Kushti 2026 hackathon on Saturday. Prof. (Dr.) M. M. Tripathi, the agency's Director General, opened registrations for the national cybersecurity and AI event. It runs in partnership with the ISAC Foundation and the National Security Database, with CERT-In serving as the knowledge partner.
The competition operates as a technical track of the 3rd National Conference on Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Intelligence. This conference takes place October 9 to 10 at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. Organizers aim to test human judgment over simple machine automation. Participants must distinguish actual security threats from bad AI-generated data.
"A student from a college in any part of the country can compete on entirely equal terms with a corporate team," Tripathi said. He noted that the Independence Day launch reflects the need for professionals to analyze tools with skepticism. Teams of three students or independent researchers have until September 10 to sign up for free.
The challenge features three distinct stages. The online Akhada round begins September 15. Only 50 teams advance to the September 24 Dangal round. The final 10 teams travel to New Delhi for the Kesari round on October 9. Winners receive the Gada title of Cyber Kesari 2026, with runners-up earning the titles Rustam and Pahalwan. Rewards include cash prizes, certificates, and National Security Database credits.
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