Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening released another social media video in his now-familiar conversational style aimed at younger audiences, continuing the "Gen Z-style" outreach he has adopted in recent days. Addressing the issue of paper leaks, the Prime Minister announced the formation of a high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Mohanrao Nilekani to explore the use of technology in making India's public examination system more secure and transparent.
The task force will also comprise former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti, former School Education Secretary Anita Karwal, and Higher Education Secretary Amrit Lal Meena.
Modi said technology must play a central role in rebuilding public trust in competitive examinations, which have come under scrutiny following allegations of paper leaks and irregularities in exams such as NEET-UG and UGC-NET.
He said the panel would work on technology-driven solutions to strengthen the integrity of the examination process. The government is also preparing to introduce a new Bill in Parliament to curb paper leaks and impose stricter punishments for offenders.
FROM INFOSYS CO-FOUNDER TO INDIA'S DIGITAL ARCHITECT
Born on June 2, 1955, in Bengaluru, Nandan Mohanrao Nilekani is regarded as one of India's most influential technology leaders. He completed a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay before beginning his career at Patni Computer Systems in Mumbai in 1978.
In 1981, Nilekani joined N.R. Narayana Murthy and five other colleagues to establish Infosys, which went on to become one of India's leading IT services companies. After holding several leadership positions, he became the company's Chief Executive Officer in 2002. During his five-year tenure, Infosys' revenue increased sixfold to nearly $3 billion.
Following the departure of former CEO Vishal Sikka in 2017, Nilekani returned as the company's non-executive chairman and guided Infosys through a crucial leadership transition.
THE ARCHITECT OF AADHAAR
Although Nilekani is widely known for building Infosys, his most significant contribution to public administration came in 2009 when then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed him Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) with Cabinet rank.
As head of UIDAI, Nilekani led the development and rollout of Aadhaar, the world's largest biometric identity programme. Aadhaar has since become the backbone of India's digital governance framework, enabling direct benefit transfers, financial inclusion and identity verification for more than a billion residents.
While the programme has sparked debates over privacy and data protection, it is also recognised globally as one of the most ambitious digital identity initiatives undertaken by any country.
A KEY FIGURE IN INDIA'S DIGITAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
Nilekani also played a major role in shaping India's digital public infrastructure. He was instrumental in promoting the framework that eventually led to the creation of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which transformed digital payments across the country and later emerged as one of India's most successful technology exports.
Over the years, he has chaired government technology committees, served on the boards of prominent policy institutions, advised international organisations and invested in several Indian technology startups.
In 2014, Nilekani entered politics by joining the Indian National Congress and contesting the Lok Sabha election from Bengaluru South. He lost to BJP candidate Ananth Kumar and has since largely stayed away from active politics, focusing instead on technology, public policy and philanthropy.
WHY THE GOVERNMENT CHOSE NILEKANI
Nilekani's appointment comes as the Centre seeks to restore public confidence in competitive examinations after repeated controversies over paper leaks and alleged irregularities.
His experience in building nationwide digital platforms such as Aadhaar and contributing to India's digital payments ecosystem makes him one of the country's foremost experts in deploying technology at scale.
The announcement also comes alongside the government's move to strengthen the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 through proposed amendments aimed at tightening the legal framework against examination malpractice.
PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS ACT
The proposed amendments seek to accelerate investigations and trials while introducing tougher penalties for those involved in paper leaks and other unfair practices.
Key proposals include:
Increasing fines to as much as ₹10 crore and extending imprisonment up to eight years for serious offences.
Creating a Special Task Force (STF) to exclusively investigate examination-related crimes.
Mandating completion of investigations within two months of registering an FIR or issuing a notification.
Establishing Special Fast Track Courts to conduct day-to-day hearings and conclude trials within three months of filing a chargesheet.
Introducing a dedicated appeal mechanism requiring High Courts to dispose of appeals from Special Fast Track Courts within three months.
The proposed amendments aim to deter organised paper leak rackets, ensure time-bound investigations and trials, and rebuild public confidence in competitive examinations through stronger enforcement and greater use of technology.
With Nilekani leading the technology task force, the government has signalled that the next phase of examination reforms will combine stricter legal measures with digital systems designed to make public examinations more secure, transparent and accountable.
