Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday, 26 July 2026 announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted a High-Powered Task Force to drive technology-led reforms in national examinations, with the body to be chaired by Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and the architect of India's Aadhaar system.

Context

Rijiju shared the development on X, stating: 'When it comes to the future of our youth, there can be no compromise.' He added that the task force will work to 'drive technology-led reforms that strengthen the integrity, transparency and credibility of national examinations.' The announcement signals the government's intent to address long-standing concerns over irregularities in high-stakes competitive tests.

National examinations such as NEET and JEE — conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) — have faced repeated scrutiny over alleged paper leaks and procedural lapses in recent years, triggering widespread student protests and demands for systemic overhaul.

Policy Backdrop

The National Testing Agency was established in 2017–18 to centralise and professionalise the conduct of competitive examinations previously managed by multiple bodies. Despite that consolidation, incidents of question-paper leaks and examination malpractice continued to erode public confidence in the system.

The National Education Policy 2020 had called for examinations to become more flexible, transparent, and focused on conceptual learning. The new task force appears to be a direct operational response to that policy direction, with technology positioned as the primary lever for reform.

Nandan Nilekani brings formidable credentials to the role. As the founding Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), he oversaw the rollout of Aadhaar — a biometric identity infrastructure now linked to over a billion Indians. His appointment signals that the government intends to apply a similarly rigorous, tech-first approach to examination infrastructure.

Stakeholders and Impact

The task force's mandate directly concerns millions of students who appear annually for centrally conducted entrance examinations for medical, engineering, and other professional courses. Any reform to NTA's systems — from question-paper security to result processing — would affect the prospects of aspirants from every state and economic background.

Parents, coaching institutions, and state education boards also have a stake in the outcome. A credible, tamper-proof examination framework could reduce the advantage currently held by well-resourced candidates who benefit from leaked material, and restore trust in merit-based selection.

What's Next

The task force is expected to examine existing vulnerabilities in examination design, question-paper logistics, digital delivery, and result authentication. Observers will watch closely for its report submission timeline and any subsequent changes to NTA operations, examination rules, or new legislation introduced in Parliament. The Nilekani-led body's recommendations could reshape how India conducts national-level testing for years to come.