‘Exam system must be reliable and transparent’: PM Modi announces Nandan Nilekani-led task force after NEET row

In a significant move aimed at rebuilding confidence in India’s public examination system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the formation of a high-powered task force on examination reforms under the leadership of Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani.

The announcement comes amid growing calls for systemic reforms following the NEET paper leak controversy, which sparked nationwide debate over the integrity of competitive examinations. The development also follows a major reshuffle in the Ministry of Education, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

PM Modi announces major examination reform initiative

Sharing the update on Instagram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government has constituted the expert panel as part of its broader efforts to make India’s examination system more transparent, secure, and technology-driven.

The proposed task force is expected to study the existing examination framework and recommend comprehensive reforms that can strengthen the credibility of public examinations across the country.

‘Those who tampered with students’ future are in jail’

In his statement, PM Modi said the government has already initiated strong action against individuals accused of compromising the integrity of public examinations.

He noted that several accused are already behind bars and highlighted the government’s efforts to ensure swift legal action.

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The Prime Minister added that while action against offenders is essential, the long-term priority should be preventing such incidents through systemic reforms.

Technology to play a key role

Emphasising the importance of modernising the examination process, PM Modi said India’s future examination system must rely heavily on technology while ensuring fairness and transparency.”Our examination system needs to be reliable and transparent, and it must make maximum use of technology,” he stated.

According to the Prime Minister, the newly formed task force will examine existing challenges and submit recommendations aimed at restoring public confidence in competitive examinations.

Why Nandan Nilekani?

The choice of Nandan Nilekani, one of India’s leading technology entrepreneurs and the co-founder of Infosys, is seen as a strong signal that digital innovation will be central to the proposed reforms.

Nilekani has previously played a pivotal role in several large-scale digital governance initiatives and is widely recognised for his expertise in building technology-driven public infrastructure.

The government believes his experience will help design a more secure, transparent, and efficient examination ecosystem capable of reducing opportunities for malpractice.

Reforms expected after task force report

Announcing the panel, Prime Minister Modi said the government would act on the recommendations as quickly as possible to ensure greater credibility in upcoming public examinations.”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 said.

The formation of the task force marks the government’s latest effort to strengthen India’s examination system and restore confidence among millions of students preparing for competitive exams.