Centre gives Nandan Nilekani-led exam reform panel more time, extends deadline to January 2027

Centre has extended the deadline for the Nandan Nilekani-led task force on examination reforms to January 2027, giving the six-member panel additional time to complete stakeholder consultations and finalise its recommendations on strengthening India's examination system.

The panel, constituted in July following a major controversy over examination irregularities and student protests, has received more than 50,000 suggestions from students, parents, teachers, educational institutions, subject experts, industry bodies and examination-conducting agencies, sources said.

Also read: NTA reforms: Panel proposes age, attempt limits and two-stage entrance tests after NEET cancellation


"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," a source, known to news agency PTI, said.

Panel draws on past NEET reform recommendations

As part of its consultations, the task force has also sought inputs from former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, who headed the committee constituted by the Centre after the 2024 NEET paper leak.

The Radhakrishnan Committee, set up in June 2024, submitted its recommendations in October that year. The government subsequently constituted a High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC), also headed by Radhakrishnan, to oversee the implementation of those proposals.

The education ministry was working on implementing the recommendations when another NEET paper leak this year triggered widespread criticism and student protests, eventually culminating in the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Also read: Nandan Nilekani calls for AI-generated question papers, nationwide computer-based testing

Six-member task force tasked with plugging exam leaks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of the high-powered task force a day after Pradhan's resignation, following large-scale student demonstrations at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on July 25.

Headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, the panel has been tasked with recommending measures to make India's examination system more secure and prevent paper leaks.

Its other members include former ISRO chairman S Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.

Separately, Centre has announced that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) will move to a computer-based test (CBT) format from next year.

The Radhakrishnan Committee had earlier recommended conducting the medical entrance examination in multiple phases and moving away from an exclusively pen-and-paper format in favour of a computer-based or hybrid system.

(With inputs from PTI)