UPES alumna at the National Human Rights Commission

A silver medallist of her batch (2012-18), Rachiyta Jain pursued her B.Tech. (Hons.) Computer Science and Engineering with LL.B. in Cyber Law from UPES. She was conferred with the ‘Mahila Shiksha Suraksha’ award by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2015, along with several other recognitions for spreading awareness about cybercrime. This is her story

‘Fate is only an armour we protect ourselves with during a downfall; destiny only intends what you hustle for.’

As both computer science engineering and law were my areas of interest, I joined the B.Tech. Computer Science Cyber Law batch of UPES in 2012. The course allowed me to add to my skills in ways that I could not have imagined. In 2014, I was one of the 36 interns selected for a summer internship under the guidance of Mr. Rakshit Tandon at the Gurgaon Police Cyber Cell. That is when I learnt the ground reality of cyberspace and cybercrimes and realized the lack of awareness about the issue among the public. This further encouraged me to contribute in this field.

In December 2014, my friend sent me a message that he was starting a blog on cyber awareness and that I could edit his blogs and maybe contribute with my posts for the same. That is when we co-founded The Cyber Blog India, which went on to win several national and international accolades.

Initially, when we offered to conduct workshops for schools for free, we were turned down. However, that never stopped us. Our constant efforts paid off and we began conducting training for law enforcement officials of several states and teachers, parents and students of various schools and colleges. We were invited for a session at BITS Pilani and as guest speakers at the Annual Conference of Principals of Schools in UP and Uttarakhand, Gorakhpur Mahotsav. With time, our team grew and we involved many of our juniors with us. The blog flourished and we started India’s first WhatsApp helpline for providing pro bono consultation to victims of cybercrime. We also made the helpline a medium to disseminate information.

The then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh conferred upon me with the ‘Mahila Shiksha Suraksha Award’ for my contribution. I was also appointed as the Cyber Cell Ambassador of Saharanpur for the year 2015 by SSP Mr. Nitin Tiwari. I went on to become a Consultant for the Cyber Peace Foundation and conducted training in collaboration with Google, UNICEF and numerous other organisations. In that role, I also designed the Law Enforcement Training Manual for police on how to investigate child-related cyber offences. Presently, I am working with the National Human Rights Commission in Delhi as a Junior Legal Research Consultant.

Message for the alma mater:

I am extremely thankful to UPES for offering industry-aligned courses that stand out from the ordinary. The institution provides an atmosphere for the overall development of an individual. My faculties have constantly supported me in all the ventures I undertook, both during and after college. I cannot thank the entire UPES community enough for providing me with the resources and infrastructure that helped in shaping my dreams and introducing me to the best classmates, guides and mentors. I have seen the University grow exponentially – new blocks came up, the School of Design opened, law and management shifted to the Kandoli campus and what not. It was like the two of us grew together. UPES is the home I left behind, always longing to return to. I am certain that even a decade later, the beautiful drive to the college would bring back the same nostalgia bitten smile and I will find myself silently thanking my parents for sending me to UPES.  

(The author is a Junior Research Consultant at the National Human Rights Commission.)