Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Infosys co-founder and founding chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Nandan Nilekani, to head a new high-powered task force dedicated to overhauling India’s national examination system. The decision comes a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation.
Speaking on the announcement, Prime Minister Modi emphasized that the task force will focus on examination reforms to build a trustworthy, transparent, and technology-driven testing framework. To complement these structural changes, the government has also established fast-track courts and moved to introduce new statutory measures aimed at dealing strictly with examination malpractices.
The newly appointed multidisciplinary panel brings together expertise across technology, space research, national security, higher education, and logistics. Joining Chairman Nandan Nilekani on the task force are:
Dr. S. Sreedhara Panicker – Aerospace engineer and former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Tapan Deka – Former Director of the Intelligence Bureau of India
Prof. V. Kamakoti – Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras
Anita Karwal – Former Union Education Secretary
Amrit Lal Meena – Senior administrative official and logistics expert
The panel has been tasked with delivering a comprehensive roadmap to modernize the conduct of national examinations, leverage digital infrastructure, and prevent paper leaks across all public testing bodies.
