India PM Modi announces panel to overhaul exam system after protests

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on July 26 the formation of a task force aimed at overhauling the nation's examination system. This decision comes after several weeks of protests by young people concerned about widespread exam paper leaks.

The task force will be headed by Nandan Nilekani, a prominent tech entrepreneur known for his work on India's digital identity system, Aadhaar. Modi stated on Instagram that the examination system needs to be trustworthy, transparent, and leverage technology effectively. He also confirmed that new legislation to address paper leaks would be presented to Parliament on July 27, promising stricter laws and harsher penalties for those involved.

This announcement marks Modi's first public statement since Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25, following the protests. The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, which led the demonstrations, called off its protests after the government agreed to their demands. These included reforms to the exam system, dropping police cases against protesters, and compensating families of students who died by suicide after the leaks.

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Our examination system should be trustworthy, should be transparent and the system should make maximum use of technology.