No IIT in Ranchi, statement baseless: Ministry of Education slams Pitroda’s claims

The Ministry of Education has strongly refuted and condemned the claims made by Congress Overseas Chief Sam Pitroda, who alleged that his virtual interaction with students from IIT Ranchi was hacked, leading to the disruption of the event with objectionable content.

In a post on X, the Ministry clarified that there is no Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Ranchi, dismissing Pitroda’s statement as "baseless" and a sign of ignorance.

"It has come to the notice that Sam Pitroda shared a video on his X handle on Feb 22, 2025. He made a statement in that video that he was speaking at the IIT Ranchi to several hundred students, and someone hacked in and started playing some objectionable content, and thus, the event got disrupted," it said.

The Education Ministry’s response came after Pitroda posted a video on February 22, 2025, in which he claimed that during a virtual session with IIT Ranchi students, someone hacked into the meeting and played inappropriate content, causing the disruption.

"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 Institute to any conference/seminar to deliver a lecture, physically or virtually," the Ministry said.

The Ministry went on to stress that such a statement seemed to be an attempt to tarnish the image of prestigious institutions like IITs. "This institution has stood the test of time and produced some of the brightest minds in the country. Unlike such an uninformed person, IITs reputation is built on the merit, hard work, and achievement of many students, teachers, and academia,” the Ministry said.

Further, the Education Ministry condemned Pitroda's unfounded accusations, asserting that such statements would lead to legal repercussions. “Any such attempt to malign the image of the premier institution will face legal repercussions," the Ministry of Education said on X,” it concluded.

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