diff --git a/.env.template b/.env.template
index 2450354..35647c5 100644
--- a/.env.template
+++ b/.env.template
@@ -28,4 +28,4 @@ DISCORD_TOKEN=""
 CAS_LINK="https://cas.my-org.com/login"
 DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=""
 DISCORD_SECRET=""
-SECRET=""
+SECRET=""
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bot/main.py b/bot/main.py
index 027682b..ae09349 100644
--- a/bot/main.py
+++ b/bot/main.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 from config_verification import read_and_validate_config
 
 load_dotenv()
+
 TOKEN = os.getenv("DISCORD_TOKEN")
 MONGO_DATABASE = os.getenv("MONGO_DATABASE")
 MONGO_URI = os.getenv("MONGO_URI")
@@ -55,7 +56,11 @@
 BASE_URL = f"{PROTOCOL}://{HOST}{_PORT_AS_SUFFIX}{SUBPATH}"
 SERVER_CONFIG = ConfigParser()
 
-bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix=".")
+intent = discord.Intents.default()
+intent.message_content = True
+bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix=".", intents=intent)
+# to get message privelege
+
 db: database.Database = None  # assigned in main function
 
 
@@ -82,7 +87,9 @@ def get_realname_from_discordid(user_id):
 
 async def send_link(ctx):
     """Sends the base url for users to reattempt sign-in."""
-    await ctx.send(f"<{BASE_URL}>\nSign in through our portal, and try again.")
+    await ctx.reply(
+        f"<{BASE_URL}>\nSign in through our portal, and try again.", ephemeral=True
+    )
 
 
 def get_config(server_id: str):
@@ -160,8 +167,9 @@ async def post_verification(ctx, user):
     server_config = get_config(server_id)
 
     if server_config is None:
-        await ctx.send(
-            "This server is not authorized to work with CAS-bot. Read the instructions to invite the bot in the project README"
+        await ctx.reply(
+            "This server is not authorized to work with CAS-bot. Read the instructions to invite the bot in the project README",
+            ephemeral=True,
         )
         await ctx.guild.leave()
         return
@@ -172,12 +180,15 @@ async def post_verification(ctx, user):
     try:
         await set_nickname(user, server_config)
     except discord.DiscordException:
-        await ctx.send("Bot should have a role higher than you to change your nickname")
+        await ctx.reply(
+            "Bot should have a role higher than you to change your nickname",
+            ephemeral=True,
+        )
 
-    await ctx.send(f"<@{user.id}> has been CAS-verified!")
+    await ctx.reply(f"<@{user.id}> has been CAS-verified!")
 
 
-@bot.command(name="verify")
+@bot.hybrid_command(name="verify")
 async def verify_user(ctx):
     """
     Runs when the user types `.verify` in the server. First tries to find the user in the DB.
@@ -198,23 +209,25 @@ async def verify_user(ctx):
             await send_link(ctx)
             await asyncio.sleep(60)
         else:
-            await ctx.send(
+            await ctx.reply(
                 f"Sorry <@{user_id}>, could not auto-detect your verification. \
-                    Please run `.verify` again."
+                    Please run `.verify` again.",
+                ephemeral=True,
             )
 
 
-@bot.command(name="backend_info")
+@bot.hybrid_command(name="backend_info")
 async def backend_info(ctx):
     """For debugging server info; sends details of the server."""
     uname = platform.uname()
-    await ctx.send(
+    await ctx.reply(
         f"Here are the server details:\n"
         f"system: {uname.system}\n"
         f"node: {uname.node}\n"
         f"release: {uname.release}\n"
         f"version: {uname.version}\n"
-        f"machine: {uname.machine}"
+        f"machine: {uname.machine}",
+        ephemeral=True,
     )
 
 
@@ -227,7 +240,7 @@ def is_academic(ctx: commands.Context):
     return server_config.get("is_academic", False)
 
 
-@bot.command(name="query")
+@bot.hybrid_command(name="query")
 @commands.check(is_academic)
 async def query(
     ctx: commands.Context,
@@ -241,10 +254,13 @@ async def query(
     user = db.users.find_one({"discordId": str(identifier.id)})
     if user:
         await ctx.reply(
-            f"Name: {user['name']}\nEmail: {user['email']}\nRoll Number: {user['rollno']}"
+            f"Name: {user['name']}\nEmail: {user['email']}\nRoll Number: {user['rollno']}",
+            ephemeral=True,
         )
     else:
-        await ctx.reply(f"{identifier} is not registered with IIIT-CAS.")
+        await ctx.reply(
+            f"{identifier} is not registered with IIIT-CAS.", ephemeral=True
+        )
 
 
 @query.error
@@ -253,10 +269,10 @@ async def query_error(ctx, error):
     For the `query` command, if the server is not academic, replies with error message.
     """
     if isinstance(error, commands.CheckFailure):
-        await ctx.reply("This server is not for academic purposes.")
+        await ctx.reply("This server is not for academic purposes.", ephemeral=True)
 
 
-@bot.command(name="roll")
+@bot.hybrid_command(name="roll")
 @commands.check(is_academic)
 async def roll(
     ctx: commands.Context,
@@ -272,10 +288,13 @@ async def roll(
     user = db.users.find_one({"rollno": str(identifier)})
     if user:
         await ctx.reply(
-            f"Name: {user['name']}\nEmail: {user['email']}\nRoll Number: {user['rollno']}"
+            f"Name: {user['name']}\nEmail: {user['email']}\nRoll Number: {user['rollno']}",
+            ephemeral=True,
         )
     else:
-        await ctx.reply(f"{identifier} is not registered with IIIT-CAS.")
+        await ctx.reply(
+            f"{identifier} is not registered with IIIT-CAS.", ephemeral=True
+        )
 
 
 @roll.error
@@ -284,7 +303,7 @@ async def roll_error(ctx, error):
     For the `roll` command, if the server is not academic, replies with error message.
     """
     if isinstance(error, commands.CheckFailure):
-        await ctx.reply("This server is not for academic purposes.")
+        await ctx.reply("This server is not for academic purposes.", ephemeral=True)
 
 
 @bot.event
@@ -310,6 +329,11 @@ async def on_guild_join(guild):
 async def on_ready():
     """This is executed when the bot connects to a server."""
     print(f"{bot.user.name} has connected to Discord!")
+    try:
+        synced = await bot.tree.sync()
+        print(f"Synced {len(synced)} commands.")
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(e)
 
 
 def main():
diff --git a/bot/requirements.txt b/bot/requirements.txt
index 8a9447b..3affe6d 100644
--- a/bot/requirements.txt
+++ b/bot/requirements.txt
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-aiohttp==3.7.4.post0
-async-timeout==3.0.1
+aiohttp==3.9.5
+aiosignal==1.3.1
+async-timeout==4.0.3
 attrs==23.2.0
-chardet==4.0.0
-discord.py==1.7.2
-dnspython==1.16.0
-idna==3.6
+chardet==5.2.0
+discord.py==2.3.2
+dnspython==2.6.1
+frozenlist==1.4.1
+idna==3.7
 multidict==6.0.5
-pymongo==3.13.0
+pymongo==4.7.2
 python-dotenv==1.0.1
-typing_extensions==4.10.0
+typing_extensions==4.11.0
 yarl==1.9.4