Was invited to speak at IIT-Roorkee, Sam Pitroda clarifies after Centre refutes hacking claim

MoE refutes Sam Pitroda's claim of objectionable content at IIT-Ranchi, Pitroda clarifies speech at IIT-Roorkee event.

With the Ministry of Education (MoE) refuting his claims, Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on Thursday (February 27, 2025) said he was invited to speak at an IIT-Roorkee event via a video link when just minutes after his speech, a hacker infiltrated and began streaming explicit, inappropriate content.

Mr. Pitroda's remarks came a day after the MoE refuted his claims made during a webcast that objectionable content was played during his virtual interaction with "IIT-Ranchi students".

"It is hereby clarified that there is no IIT in Ranchi. Therefore, the statement made in that video is not only baseless but also reeks of ignorance. It is pertinent to state that there is an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Ranchi. But IIIT, Ranchi, has also confirmed that Sam Pitroda has not been invited by the institute to any conference/seminar to deliver a lecture, physically or virtually," the Ministry said in a statement issued late on Wednesday night.

In a post on X, Mr. Pitroda clarified on Thursday: "I was invited to speak at IIT Roorkee @iitroorkee during the Cognizant event on February 1, 2025, via Zoom with students and faculty."

"Unfortunately, just minutes after my speech, a hacker infiltrated the video link and began streaming explicit, inappropriate content. We immediately shut down the video and ended the event," he said.

The occurrence of such incidents, especially in academic spaces meant for learning and growth, is deeply disturbing, the Congress leader added.

Cyber security remains a critical concern and the incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of digital safety and vigilance, he asserted.