Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted a high-powered task force, headed by Infosys cofounder Nandan Nilekani, to recommend reforms aimed at making India’s public examination system more transparent, reliable, and resistant to paper leaks.
The announcement came a day after the Centre reached an agreement with student protestors, bringing an end to agitation over alleged NEET exam irregularities and paper leaks.
In a social media post, Modi said the government would implement the task force’s recommendations and extensively use technology to strengthen the credibility of examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
“Our examination system needs to be reliable and transparent, and it must make maximum use of technology,” the PM said.
“Keeping all these factors in mind, we have decided to constitute a high-powered task force under the leadership of the world-renowned technology expert Nandan Nilekani. This task force will focus on examination reforms, and based on its report, steps will be taken to ensure the credibility of upcoming examinations at the earliest,” he added.
Apart from Nilekani, the task force includes former ISRO chairman S Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.
Nilekani’s appointment underscores the government’s preference for a technology-led approach to addressing paper leaks and broader shortcomings in India’s examination ecosystem.
Why Nandan Nilekani?
Nilekani is widely regarded as one of the principal architects of India’s digital public infrastructure.
The Infosys cofounder stepped away from Infosys in 2009 to become the founding chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), where he led the rollout of Aadhaar. The platform has since become a key pillar of India’s welfare delivery, financial inclusion, and digital identity ecosystem.
Beyond Aadhaar, Nilekani has advised successive governments on large-scale digital public infrastructure initiatives, including projects linked to GST and digital payments. In 2023, he was appointed co-chair of the G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Transformation, Financial Inclusion and Development.
His work across governments led by different political parties has made him one of India’s most influential technology policymakers.
Government Tightens Focus On Exam Reforms
The announcement followed more than a month of protests, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, irregularities in the CBSE’s on-screen marking process, and wider concerns about the conduct of public examinations.
Following three rounds of talks, the Centre and the CJP reached an agreement on July 25 (Saturday). As part of the agreement, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.
Alongside the task force, the Centre has also stepped up its legislative response to examination fraud. It has established dedicated fast-track courts to hear cases under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
The government is also expected to introduce amendments in the Lok Sabha that would mandate fast-track courts in every state, require investigations to be completed within two months, and enhance penalties to up to 10 years’ imprisonment and fines of ₹50 Lakh for individuals convicted of examination-related offences. Organised paper leak rackets could face fines of up to ₹10 Cr.
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