Who Are the Members of the High-Powered Task Force on NTA Exam Reforms? Who Will Lead Them?
The Centre has constituted a six-member high-powered task force led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms to the National Testing Agency and India's examination system. The panel includes experts from technology, education, security and administration, with a focus on preventing paper leaks and improving transparency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the constitution of a high-powered task force to overhaul examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), naming Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to lead the multidisciplinary panel. The announcement came a day after a 36-day agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party ended with the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, following weeks of public anger over paper leaks and irregularities in national-level competitive exams.
Modi made the announcement in a video message, saying the task force would focus on maximum use of technology to build a robust and transparent examination system. He added that the government would act on the panel's recommendations to establish what he described as a foolproof examination process.
PM Modi Outlines Strict Measures to Tackle Exam Malpractice
HIGH POWERED TASK FORCE on examination reforms under the leadership of Shri Nandan Nilekani constituted.@NandanNilekani pic.twitter.com/mMpmPdIEL5
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2026
Who Is Leading the Task Force
Nandan Nilekani, best known as the co-founder of Infosys and the architect behind India's Aadhaar identity system, has been named chairman of the task force. His appointment signals a strong emphasis on technology-driven solutions, given his background in building large-scale digital infrastructure. Who Are the Experts in PM Modi's NTA Reform Task Force? Full List of Members Inside.
Who Are the Other Members
Alongside Nilekani, the task force includes five other members drawn from science, security, academia and administration:
- S. Somanath, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- Tapan Deka, former director of the Intelligence Bureau
- V. Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras
- Anita Karwal, former Union education secretary
- Amrit Lal Meena, a logistics expert
The panel brings together expertise in space technology, national security, computer science and public administration, reflecting the range of concerns the government hopes to address, from digital security to the physical logistics of conducting exams for millions of candidates. PM Narendra Modi Constitutes High-Powered Task Force Under Nandan Nilekani to Overhaul India's Exam System.
What the Task Force Has Been Asked to Do
The panel's mandate covers the entire examination lifecycle, from question paper generation and secure digital distribution to physical test centre management, candidate identity verification and evaluation protocols. It has also been tasked with exploring technological solutions such as artificial intelligence and blockchain-based verification systems to reduce human intervention and close existing security gaps.
The task force is expected to submit recommendations that the government has said it will act on to reform the NTA's examination process on a structural and technological level.
Background: Renewed Scrutiny of the NTA
The NTA, which conducts major national examinations including NEET-UG and various university entrance tests, has faced repeated criticism in recent years over paper leaks and irregularities. A separate high-level committee headed by former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan was set up in 2024 to review the agency's functioning after the NEET-UG controversy that year. The formation of the new Nilekani-led task force follows sustained protests calling for deeper reforms to the examination system, culminating in the recent change in leadership at the Education Ministry.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 27, 2026 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
