NEET exam reforms: Nilekani-led panel consults ex-ISRO chief Radhakrishnan on leakproof system

In short

The Nandan Nilekani-led task force on exam reforms consulted K Radhakrishnan, who headed a previous committee on exam security.
The task force was constituted in July 2026 following widespread protests over a NEET paper leak this year.
Radhakrishnan's committee, formed in June 2024, made 101 recommendations for enhancing security in examination systems.
The Supreme Court had reprimanded the NTA and requested a report on the implementation of previous recommendations.
The Nilekani-led panel is reviewing exam processes and is yet to submit its report on future-ready reforms.

A high-level task force on exam reforms, chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, consulted former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan on September 29, 2026, in New Delhi. This consultation is piece of the task force’s mandate to recommend detailed reforms to make the examination system reliable, secure, transparent, trustworthy, and future-ready, particularly in the wake of recent NEET paper leaks.

The Nilekani-led task force, established in July 2026, is reviewing exam processes and using the latest technologies to address vulnerabilities. The Supreme Court had earlier reprimanded the National Testing Agency (NTA) for not learning its lessons following this year’s paper leak and requested a report from the Centre on the implementation status of previous recommendations.

Background to Exam Reforms

The current push for exam reforms follows a paper leak for the medical entrance NEET this year, which led to widespread protests and the resignation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the constitution of the high-powered task force, headed by Nandan Nilekani, a day after Pradhan’s resignation. The task force’s purpose is to study and recommend detailed reforms in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

This is not the first instance of a high-level committee addressing exam security. The Radhakrishnan Committee was initially set up in June 2024 by the Centre following a NEET paper leak in 2024. That committee submitted its recommendations in October 2024. Later, the Centre established another panel, the High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC), also headed by K Radhakrishnan, to monitor putting in place those recommendations.

Radhakrishnan Committee’s Recommendations

The seven-member Radhakrishnan Committee made 101 recommendations aimed at enhancing security controls for examination-critical systems. These recommendations covered various aspects of the examination process, including improvements in data security protocols and the structure and functioning of the NTA. The committee was of the opinion that NTA must restrict its scope strictly to higher education entrance exams.

The recommendations specifically targeted systems such as question paper generation, candidate registration, fee payment, admit card systems, computer-based testing platforms, OMR processing, normalisation engines, and result systems. The panel also recommended overhauling NTA’s governance, security, and digital infrastructure. A senior official stated, "The recommendations made by the previous panel are being studied by the new task force. The Supreme Court had also asked the Centre to submit a report on the status of implementation of the recommendations."

Nilekani Task Force’s Mandate and Consultations

The High-Powered Task Force (HPTF), chaired by Nandan Nilekani, former chairman of UIDAI, was established in July 2026. Its primary objective is to study and recommend detailed reforms for examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The task force is mandated to review existing exam processes and propose reforms to ensure the examination system becomes reliable, secure, transparent, trustworthy, and future-ready, says a senior official. The recommendations from this committee are expected to be anchored in the use and using of the latest technologies.

As part of its operations, the Nilekani-led task force is actively consulting various stakeholders. These involve students, parents, teachers, academic institutions, subject matter experts, industry organizations, and exam-conducting bodies. The HPTF has already held detailed discussions with the Director General of NTA and the Department of Higher Education. On September 29, 2026, in New Delhi, the task force consulted former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, who also chairs the High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC), which monitors deploying previous exam reform recommendations. The task force is yet to submit its final report.