New Delhi: In a major administrative move to restore the credibility of the public examination system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the formation of a high powered task force. The committee will be headed by Infosys co founder and former UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani. The primary objective of this panel is to recommend comprehensive and technology driven reforms for the National Testing Agency.
The announcement comes closely on the heels of the recent NEET paper leak controversy and the subsequent nationwide protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party. The widespread agitation had recently culminated in the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In a video message shared on social media, Prime Minister Modi assured the nation that the government is continuously taking measures to safeguard the future of students. He stated that those who played with the future of the youth are currently languishing in jail. He also confirmed that fast track courts have been established and the government is moving towards enacting stringent new legislation in Parliament.
Emphasising the need for a reliable and transparent system, the Prime Minister noted that maximum use of technology is essential. He added that the Nandan Nilekani led task force will focus exclusively on examination reforms, and swift steps will be taken based on its report to ensure the integrity of upcoming competitive tests.
The multidisciplinary panel includes highly distinguished domain experts. Apart from Nilekani, the committee comprises 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.
The task force has been mandated to review the entire examination cycle. The panel will examine everything from the preparation of question papers to cybersecurity protocols, centre management and logistical planning. By plugging security gaps and reducing human intervention, the committee aims to build a foolproof and leak proof framework.
This decisive step marks the beginning of a massive structural overhaul of the National Testing Agency. The youth and student bodies across the country will now be closely watching how these proposed reforms translate into actual ground reality in the forthcoming examination seasons.