Supreme Court seeks clarity on exam reform committee's role amid NEET paper leak

India's Supreme Court has requested clarification from the central government regarding the scope and influence of the Nandan Nilekani-led task force on the nation's examination system. The court is specifically seeking to understand if the Nilekani panel has modified or refined the recommendations previously made by the K Radhakrishnan committee.

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whether the Nilekani panel had modified or “nuanced” the recommendations of the K Radhakrishnan committee

The Radhakrishnan committee, established in 2024, primarily focused on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and strengthening the National Testing Agency (NTA). In contrast, the Nilekani panel, formed last month, possesses a broader mandate encompassing the entire examination ecosystem and the NTA's statutory framework. Its objective is to create an examination system that is "robust, secure, transparent, trustworthy and future-ready," incorporating advanced technologies like AI and blockchain.

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Its recommendations are aimed at making the examination system “robust, secure, transparent, trustworthy and future-ready”, with emphasis on technologies such as AI and blockchain.

The bench emphasized the need for the government to submit details on the implementation status of both sets of recommendations. Petitioners highlighted that the Radhakrishnan committee had identified the traditional pen-and-paper mode as a significant vulnerability due to logistical challenges in printing, transportation, and storage, advocating for a move towards computer-based testing.

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The court asked the Centre to place on record whether the Nilekani panel had modified or “nuanced” the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan committee and the stage of implementation of both sets of recommendations.

Earlier, the government had indicated in an affidavit that the decision to transition NEET-UG from its current format to a computer-based test was under active consideration, pending the outcome of the Nilekani task force's findings. Solicitor General Mehta informed the court that the government is evaluating whether a human-administered or a fully digital system would be more secure. The bench suggested that the committee should deliberate on this matter and provide its assessment.

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Let the committee reflect on it and tell us.