New Delhi: The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has launched CYBER KUSHTI 2026, a national cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence hackathon designed to test a skill that increasingly matters in security work: human judgment.
Launched on August 15, 2026, the competition will be organised as the parallel technical track of the 3rd National Conference on Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Intelligence (NCCDFI 2026). NIELIT is conducting it in collaboration with the Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) Foundation, with CERT-In as the Knowledge Partner.
Cybersecurity Hackathon Will Test Judgment Over Detection
Unlike conventional cybersecurity competitions that focus largely on vulnerability discovery and Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges, CYBER KUSHTI will ask teams to determine which security findings are genuine, which are false and which issues should be prioritised.
Participants will receive an identical Security Assessment Package containing a mix of:
- AI-generated security findings
- Static analysis results
- Dependency and secrets scans
- Architecture documentation
- Source code
- Application logs
The material will deliberately contain genuine, false and duplicate findings, while some actual vulnerabilities will be omitted. Teams will have to produce a corrected and prioritised assessment and explain the reasoning behind their decisions.
Three Rounds: Akhada, Dangal and Kesari
The competition will progress through three stages:
- The Akhada: Online round on September 15, with 50 teams advancing.
- The Dangal: Online round on September 24, from which 10 finalist teams will be selected.
- The Kesari: In-person final on October 9 at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, where finalists will present and defend their assessments.
During the final, automated analysis of the same assessment material will also be displayed alongside the teams’ presentations, allowing delegates to compare machine-generated findings with human assessment.
Students and Researchers Can Participate
Registration opened on August 15 and will remain open until September 10, 2026.
Participation is:
- Free
- Open to students and independent researchers
- Conducted in teams of three
Participants can use AI tools of their choice, while all teams will receive the same tool-generated assessment material.
NIELIT to Recognise Cybersecurity Skills
An expert jury jointly constituted by NIELIT and ISAC will evaluate the finalists. The jury will include cybersecurity professionals and experts from government, industry and academia, including National Cyber Security Scholars recognised under the National Security Database.
The winning team will receive the title “Cyber Kesari 2026” and the traditional Gada. The runners-up will receive the titles “Rustam” and “Pahalwan.”
Participants will also receive recognition based on their performance:
- Round 1 participants will receive a Certificate of Participation and individual scorecard.
- Teams advancing beyond Round 1 will receive NSD recognition credits.
- A special award will recognise the most instructive incorrect submission, based on the quality and instructional value of its reasoning.
Competition to Operate in Controlled Environment
CYBER KUSHTI 2026 will be conducted entirely in controlled environments provided by the organisers.
Participants will not be directed towards or permitted to interact with live systems, third parties or public infrastructure during any stage of the competition.
Final to Be Held Alongside NCCDFI 2026
The final of CYBER KUSHTI 2026 will take place during the 3rd National Conference on Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Intelligence (NCCDFI 2026) on October 9.
The two-day NCCDFI 2026 is being organised by NIELIT at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, on October 9-10. The conference brings together stakeholders from government, law enforcement, the judiciary, industry, academia, research and student communities.
About NIELIT
NIELIT is an autonomous scientific society under MeitY involved in skill development and digital empowerment in electronics and information and communication technologies.
The institute has 56 NIELIT centres, more than 700 accredited institutes and over 8,000 facilitation centres across the country. It has also been granted Deemed to be University status under the distinct category, with its main campus in Ropar, Punjab, and 11 constituent campuses.
The CYBER KUSHTI initiative adds a competition-based format to NIELIT’s broader focus on developing skills in emerging technology and cybersecurity.
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