Congress Questions Intent Behind Nilekani Panel, Labels It PM’s Damage Control

The Congress on Thursday criticised the Centre's decision to set up a Nandan Nilekani-led task force to recommend reforms in India's examination system, calling it a "damage control exercise" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the government lacked the political will and seriousness required to implement earlier recommendations aimed at improving the examination process. In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh referred to the high-level committee headed by K Radhakrishnan that was constituted by the government following allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG examination in 2024.

He said the committee had submitted recommendations for strengthening the examination system but claimed that the Centre had failed to implement them effectively. Ramesh also pointed out that the government constituted another panel, a high-powered task force led by technology expert Nandan Nilekani, after concerns were raised again following this year's NEET-UG paper leak controversy. According to him, the creation of the new task force showed that the earlier recommendations had not been acted upon adequately.

Citing a newspaper analysis of the terms of reference of the Nilekani-led panel, Ramesh claimed that seven out of its nine mandates had already been fully addressed by the Radhakrishnan Committee, while the remaining two areas had been partially covered. He questioned the need for another committee when earlier recommendations were still pending implementation. The Congress leader alleged that the Modi government had not implemented even 27 of the 101 recommendations made by the Radhakrishnan Committee. He further claimed that the National Testing Agency (NTA) did not have a full-time Director General for nearly two years between the two NEET-related controversies.

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Ramesh argued that these issues reflected a lack of commitment towards strengthening the examination system. "The Modi Government showed no political will or sincerity in implementing the Radhakrishnan Committee Report. The Nilekani Task Force is simply a damage control exercise," Ramesh said, alleging that the government's response was aimed at managing criticism rather than introducing meaningful reforms. The Centre, however, has maintained that examination reforms require a comprehensive approach involving technology, security, infrastructure, and accessibility.

In its affidavit before the Supreme Court in a related matter, the government said the possibility of shifting NEET-UG from a pen-and-paper format to a computer-based examination system is under active consideration. The proposed Nilekani-led task force is expected to examine multiple aspects of India's examination framework, including technological solutions, cybersecurity measures, and improvements in the testing process. The government has said that the final approach will be decided after considering the recommendations of experts from various fields.

The issue of examination reforms has remained a major political and public concern after allegations of paper leaks and irregularities affected confidence among students and aspirants. While the opposition has accused the government of failing to protect the integrity of competitive examinations, the Centre has said it is taking steps to improve transparency and strengthen the examination system. The debate over the effectiveness of these measures is expected to continue as stakeholders await further decisions on implementing reforms.

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