Centre extends Nandan Nilekani-led exam reform panel tenure till January 2026

The Centre has extended the tenure of the Nandan Nilekani-led task force on exam reforms until January 2027. The decision, announced today, 1 November 2026, in New Delhi, aims to provide additional time for detailed stakeholder consultations and to finalize recommendations for strengthening India’s examination system and preventing paper leaks.

The task force, initially slated to submit its report by October 2027, was constituted in July following widespread student protests and the resignation of the then Union education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. The extension allows the panel to further refine its proposals amidst ongoing efforts to address examination irregularities.

Background to the Panel’s Formation

The high-powered six-member committee, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This announcement came a day after Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as the Union education minister, which followed massive student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 25. The protests were triggered by another paper leak for the medical entrance NEET this year, which led to widespread public concern.

The Nandan Nilekani-led task force is specifically tasked with recommending reforms to make the exam system leakproof. Other members of the task force include former chairman of ISRO S Somanath, former director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, IIT Chennai Director V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.

Consultations and Recommendations

The task force has actively engaged with various stakeholders, receiving over 50,000 suggestions from students, parents, teachers, academic institutions, subject matter experts, industry organisations, and exam-conducting bodies. A source stated, “The stakeholder consultations have been going on. The government has also submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court listing the progress made by the panel so far. The panel has now been granted time till January 2027 to submit its report.”

The panel has consulted former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, who headed a separate panel set up by the Centre following the 2024 NEET paper leak. The Radhakrishnan Committee, established in June 2024, submitted its recommendations in October 2024. Then, the Centre set up another panel, the High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC), also headed by Radhakrishnan, to monitor rolling out these recommendations.

Proposed Reforms and Future of NEET

Among the recommendations considered, Nandan Nilekani has suggested using AI for last-minute question generation as a measure to prevent paper leaks. Nilekani stated, “Using AI, last-minute question generation can help prevent paper leaks.”

In a related development, the Centre has announced that the NEET medical entrance exam will be conducted as a Computer Based Test (CBT) from next year. This aligns with advice from the Radhakrishnan Committee, which had recommended that the medical entrance exam should be conducted in phases and use a computer-based or hybrid mode instead of a pen-and-paper exam.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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