Prof. Sandeep K Shukla has been nominated to serve as a Member of the Governing Council of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The nomination was made by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics & Information Technology, and Chairman of the C-DAC Governing Council.
This appointment has been made under the powers vested in the Chairman and is for a three-year term spanning November 2025 to 2028. Prof. Shukla’s inclusion in the Governing Council reflects his contributions to research, technology, and national initiatives in computing and cybersecurity.
Prof. Shukla has also been nominated to serve as a member and lead the newly constituted Technical Advisory Group (TAG) tasked with preparing a white paper on “Hardware and Software Security in CCTV/VSS for Sensitive Procurements.”
The formation of this TAG comes in response to growing concerns around the exploitation of hardware- and software-level vulnerabilities in CCTV systems—especially those sourced from untrusted suppliers—which pose significant national security risks. The group will identify such risks and propose mitigation measures to be incorporated into procurement processes for sensitive projects.
Proposed Members of the TAG
- Prof. Sandeep K Shukla, Director, IIIT Hyderabad
- Prof. Debdeep Mukhopadhyay, IIT Kharagpur — expert in hardware-level vulnerabilities, including PCBs
- Prof. Urbi Chatterjee, IIT Kanpur — expert in hardware authentication, physically unclonable functions, and hardware Trojans
- Prof. Venkatesan S, IIIT Allahabad — expertise in testing CCTV camera vulnerabilities
- Representatives from DRDO, SETS Chennai, and CSIR–CEERI
- Ms. Ruchika Jain, Joint Director, Intelligence Bureau
Terms of Reference
The TAG will focus on:
- Identifying active and passive components in CCTVs from a security vulnerability perspective
- Studying documented cases of embedded Trojan malware in CCTV components sourced from countries of concern
- Reviewing international certification standards and comparing them with Indian requirements
- Conducting detailed technical examinations of select CCTV models for vulnerability assessment
- Recommending certification and testing frameworks for identifying vulnerabilities
- Assessing risks associated with CCTV cloud technologies
- Providing policy guidance for secure procurement of CCTV systems
Prof. Shukla has been requested to lead the TAG and coordinate with academic members, while representation from DRDO, SETS Chennai, and CSIR–CEERI will be facilitated through the concerned authorities. The TAG is expected to become functional at the earliest, given the national importance of the initiative.
November 2025