In a significant move to strengthen the integrity of India’s examination system, the Central Government has constituted a six-member high-level task force to recommend comprehensive reforms aimed at preventing paper leaks and enhancing transparency in public examinations. The panel will be chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and comprises experts from technology, education, security, administration and space science.
The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the government is committed to restoring confidence in the country’s examination system through structural reforms and greater use of technology.
Six Experts to Drive Examination Reforms
The newly formed task force brings together professionals with extensive experience in digital technology, public administration, national security, education policy and large-scale governance.
The six members of the task force are:
- Nandan Nilekani – Chairman of the Task Force; Co-founder of Infosys and architect of India’s Aadhaar digital identity programme.
- Dr S. Somanath – Former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), bringing expertise in large-scale technology systems and engineering.
- Tapan Kumar Deka (IPS) – Former Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), known for his experience in national security and intelligence operations.
- Prof. V. Kamakoti – Director, IIT Madras, and an expert in computer architecture, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
- Anita Karwal (IAS) – Former Chairperson of CBSE and former Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, with extensive experience in education policy.
- Amrit Lal Meena (IAS) – Former Chief Secretary of Bihar and former Secretary, Ministry of Coal, recognised for his administrative and logistics expertise.
Nandan Nilekani to Head Technology-Led Transformation
As chairman of the panel, Nandan Nilekani will lead efforts to identify technology-driven solutions for making examinations more secure and efficient. The task force is expected to examine ways to strengthen every stage of the examination process, including question paper security, candidate verification, digital monitoring and result processing.
His experience in building large-scale digital public infrastructure is expected to play a key role in shaping the panel’s recommendations.
Diverse Expertise to Strengthen the Examination System
Each member has been selected to contribute specialised knowledge in different areas.
Former ISRO Chairman Dr S. Somanath will provide insights into managing complex technology systems and large-scale engineering projects.
Former Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka (IPS:1988:HP) will contribute his experience in security, surveillance and intelligence to strengthen safeguards against examination fraud and organised paper leak networks.
IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti will support the task force with expertise in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, areas that are increasingly important in modern examination systems.
Former CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal (IAS:1988:Gujarat) will bring extensive experience in school education, examination reforms and implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).
Former Bihar Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena (IAS:1989:Bihar) will contribute his experience in governance, logistics and large-scale administrative management to improve operational efficiency in conducting examinations.
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Panel to Recommend Structural and Technology Reforms
The task force has been entrusted with preparing recommendations to make India’s public examination system more transparent, reliable and technology-driven.
Among the areas likely to be examined are:
- Strengthening question paper security.
- Improving digital verification systems for candidates.
- Enhancing cybersecurity across examination platforms.
- Modernising examination logistics and monitoring.
- Recommending reforms to improve the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
- Leveraging artificial intelligence and digital technologies to reduce malpractice.
The recommendations are expected to serve as a roadmap for long-term reforms in competitive and public examinations across the country.
Government Focuses on Restoring Public Confidence
The formation of the task force comes amid the Centre’s broader efforts to curb examination-related malpractices. The government has already introduced stricter legal provisions, faster investigation mechanisms and expedited judicial processes to tackle organised examination fraud.
With the newly constituted expert panel, the government aims to build a more secure, transparent and technology-enabled examination ecosystem that ensures fairness for millions of students appearing in competitive examinations every year.