Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a high-powered task force on examination reforms led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani on Sunday [1, 2].
The move comes as the Indian government attempts to restore public trust in the national testing infrastructure. The initiative follows a high-profile NEET paper leak and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan [2, 5].
In a video statement from Delhi, Modi said, "I have announced a high‑powered task force on examination reforms, led by Nandan Nilekani" [2]. The prime minister said the primary goal is to make the examination system more reliable, transparent, and technology-driven [1, 3].
The appointment of Nilekani, a renowned tech entrepreneur, suggests a pivot toward digital safeguards to prevent future leaks. Modi said the report produced by the task force will be used to ensure the reliability of upcoming examinations [5].
This administrative shift follows a period of intense pressure from students and educators. Protests at Jantar Mantar recently concluded after the resignation of Pradhan [3].
Modi said the "future of students is our priority" [5]. The government intends for the new task force to identify systemic vulnerabilities and implement tech-based solutions to secure the integrity of competitive exams [2, 4].
“Future of students is our priority.”
The appointment of Nandan Nilekani signals a shift toward a 'technocratic' solution for India's systemic exam failures. By leveraging Nilekani's experience with large-scale digital identity and infrastructure projects, the government is betting that technological hardening can replace the failed human-led oversight that allowed the NEET leaks to occur.
