IIT Kanpur Hires Nisarga Adhikary, Student Who Exposed CBSE OSM System Issues

Young cybersecurity researcher Nisarga Adhikary has reached a major career milestone after being appointed as an OSINT and Threat Intelligence Engineer at C3iHub, the cybersecurity and cyber defence research centre at IIT Kanpur. Adhikary first came into the spotlight after identifying security vulnerabilities in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s On-Screen Marking portal. His appointment highlights not only his personal achievement but also the growing recognition of ethical hacking and responsible vulnerability disclosure in India’s cybersecurity ecosystem.Read the article to know details.

From Student Researcher to Cybersecurity Professional

Adhikary’s journey from a student researcher to a cybersecurity professional has drawn attention across both the education and technology sectors. His work gained prominence after he flagged serious issues in CBSE’s OSM portal a digital platform used by CBSE affiliated schools across India to upload and manage students’ examination marks. The portal plays a central role in the board examination system, helping schools submit marks online for compilation and result preparation.

His appointment at C3iHub is being seen as a strong endorsement of young talent in cybersecurity. It also reflects how institutions are increasingly valuing individuals who can identify digital risks at an early age and contribute to national cyber defence and threat intelligence efforts.

Security Findings in CBSE’s OSM Portal Brought National Attention

As per the reports Adhikary had discovered multiple weaknesses in CBSE OSM portal that could have potentially exposed sensitive student and school related information if exploited by malicious actors.The reported issues were linked to access control gaps and broader data security concerns raising questions about the safety of information handled through such educational technology platforms.

What made the development especially noteworthy was Adhikary’s ethical approach.Rather than misusing the flaws he followed the principles of responsible disclosure and informed the relevant authorities about the risks. His action brought wider attention to the need for stronger cybersecurity practices in education systems that manage high volumes of sensitive data.The disclosure also sparked appreciation from cybersecurity experts and members of the education sector, many of whom praised him for acting responsibly.

IIT Kanpur Backs Young Cyber Talent

IIT Kanpur Director Prof. Manindra Agrawal said that Nisarga Adhikary is a talented young engineer who has shown notable technical capability at a young age. He added that IIT Kanpur’s C3iHub would offer him the right environment to further build his skills while contributing to cybersecurity and threat intelligence initiatives and wished him success in his journey ahead.

Adhikary’s selection by one of India’s leading cybersecurity research centres underlines the increasing demand for skilled professionals in threat intelligence, OSINT and cyber defence. More importantly it sends a strong message that ethical hacking, timely reporting, and responsible action are being recognised as valuable contributions to India’s digital security future.