Rajasthan education department website hacked, message calls Pahalgam attack an "inside job"

Rajasthan education website

The official website of the Rajasthan Education Department was hacked on Tuesday, displaying a message that referred to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and the 2019 capture of Indian Air Force officer Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan.

The message claimed that the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed on April 22, was an “inside job”. It also mocked the Indian government by referencing the 2019 incident where Varthaman was captured after his MiG-21 Bison was shot down during a dogfight.

Soon after the breach was discovered, the education department took the website offline. State Education Minister Madan Dilawar said recovery efforts began immediately, and the issue was reported to cybersecurity authorities.

“The website has been temporarily shut down and the IT team is working on restoring it. We are also conducting a full check of our systems,” Dilawar said.

Officials confirmed that the Education Department portal was not the only government website targeted. On Monday night, websites of the Local Self Government Department, Department of Local Bodies, and the Jaipur Development Authority were also briefly taken down after similar disruptions. These sites were restored quickly.

Cyber teams from both state and central agencies are now examining the breach. Authorities are checking for signs of data manipulation or extraction. While no data loss has been confirmed, officials say the priority is to secure digital infrastructure and trace the source of the attack.