Claim:
Congress leader Sam Pitroda claimed that he was invited to speak at IIT Roorkee on February 1, 2025, through a Zoom session attended by students and faculty. He further alleged that hackers infiltrated the video link and played explicit content, forcing the session to be shut down.
Fact:
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has not confirmed any such official invitation extended to Sam Pitroda by IIT Roorkee. The controversy follows a previous debunked claim by Pitroda, where he stated that a similar incident occurred at “IIT Ranchi”—a non-existent institution. The MoE dismissed his IIT Ranchi claim, clarifying that neither IIT Roorkee nor IIIT Ranchi had invited Pitroda to any session.
Analysis: What Really Happened?
- Sam Pitroda’s Claim:
- On February 27, 2025, Pitroda took to X (formerly Twitter), stating that he was invited to speak at IIT Roorkee’s Cognizant event via Zoom on February 1, 2025.
- He alleged that hackers disrupted the event by streaming explicit content, prompting an immediate shutdown of the session.
- Pitroda called it a “disturbing cyberattack” and highlighted the need for stronger cybersecurity in academic spaces.
- Ministry of Education’s Response:
- The Ministry of Education dismissed Pitroda’s earlier IIT Ranchi claim, emphasizing that no such IIT exists in Ranchi.
- IIIT Ranchi, the closest similar institution, confirmed that Pitroda was never invited to speak at any event, virtually or physically.
- The Ministry did not directly address the IIT Roorkee claim but emphasized that no official invitation was extended to Pitroda from any IIT.
- Verification Attempts:
- No official confirmation from IIT Roorkee about Pitroda’s participation in any event on February 1, 2025.
- No reports from students or faculty at IIT Roorkee corroborate the hacking claim.
- A search on the Cognizant event’s official website and social media pages yielded no mentions of Pitroda being part of the event.
Conclusion:
🔴 False. There is no evidence that Sam Pitroda was invited to speak at IIT Roorkee or that hackers disrupted his session. This follows his previously debunked claim about IIT Ranchi, further casting doubt on his statements. The Ministry of Education and IIIT Ranchi have already dismissed his claims about similar incidents.
This appears to be another misleading claim from Pitroda, possibly an attempt to gain attention or push a narrative about cybersecurity threats. Readers should verify information before believing or sharing such claims.