A major data privacy scandal has struck Nagpur, causing a ripple across the city's education community. A BARTI official and a well-known coaching service called Pyramid Tutorials are under investigation for allegedly leaking students personal information and using it for personal gain.
Following the initial breach, both the BARTI official and the a coaching service were put under surveillance as investigators began to look into the data breach.
This breach in confidentiality places every student at risk of scams, identity theft, or abuse of personal information beyond a breach of privacy. If their personal information is used for unscrupulous purposes, personal information could be used for false application for admission, phishing messages, and identity theft.
Along these lines, some parents even expressed intense need for a push on data privacy laws in an educational setting.
Social media in Nagpur is full of comments like “If student data isn't safe from government entities, who can be trusted?”
How It All Started
It began when news emerged that the data of some students from BARTI, a state-sponsored entity, was transferred to Pyramid Tutorials without consent at least a few months before the scandal broke. The data included names, phone numbers, addresses, and academic information and reportedly was used to contact students with offers of admission and a discount. Naturally, students were a bit suspicious as to why their private information was disclosed to the company without their consent.Who’s Involved?
The scandal is centered upon one BARTI official that allegedly provided the data for Pyramid Tutorials. Investigators believe that the data was shared for the purposes of targeting students and soliciting them regarding business.Following the initial breach, both the BARTI official and the a coaching service were put under surveillance as investigators began to look into the data breach.
Consequences
In today's world, data is an ancillary to value. When you complete forms to enroll in schools or scholarships, or when you enroll in your training program, you expect the data gathered to be confidential. This case shows how quickly this confidentiality can be breached.This breach in confidentiality places every student at risk of scams, identity theft, or abuse of personal information beyond a breach of privacy. If their personal information is used for unscrupulous purposes, personal information could be used for false application for admission, phishing messages, and identity theft.
Government Action
The state cybercrime department is currently looking into the incident. Investigators are looking for the following:- How Pyramid Tutorials obtained the data from BARTI.
- If there were any accomplices or organizations that cooperated.
- What kind of protective and security measures BARTI had.
Public Reaction
Both parents and students are feeling upset and shocked by the news. Many may feel like they have been failed as the institutions they trusted were also unable to protect their private information.Along these lines, some parents even expressed intense need for a push on data privacy laws in an educational setting.
Social media in Nagpur is full of comments like “If student data isn't safe from government entities, who can be trusted?”
Protecting Yourself
As students of Nagpur or parents of students in Nagpur, here are some things you can do:- Remain cautious of unknown calls or messages relating to coaching or scholarships
- Don’t share personal documents or IDs unless absolutely necessary
- Ask schools and institutes about their practices regarding how your data is handled—it’s your right to ask.