The Congress party has strongly criticised the Modi government's latest move to form a new committee on exam reforms, alleging it is a diversionary tactic while previous recommendations remain unimplemented, raising questions about the future of examination integrity in India.
Key Points
- The Congress party has criticised the Modi government's new exam reforms committee, calling it a diversionary tactic.
- The Opposition pointed out that 101 recommendations from the K Radhakrishnan Committee, formed in 2024, are yet to be fully implemented.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new high-powered task force, led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, to enhance transparency and technology in NTA exams.
- Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh labelled the government's committee formations as "high-level hawabaazi" and "high-powered jumlebaazi."
- The new task force announcement follows the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amidst public agitation over exam bungles.
The Congress on July 27, Monday, took a swipe at the Modi government over the announcement of a committee on exam reforms, alleging that it was aimed at diverting the attention of people.
The opposition party said the Modi government has still not finished implementing the 101 recommendations of the K Radhakrishnan Committee formed in 2024 after "it bungled multiple examinations including NEET-UG".
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared on X two video clips -- one of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announcing in 2024 that the government would set up a high-level committee to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations; and another of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announcing the constitution of a high-powered task force on exam reforms.
While Ramesh captioned the Pradhan video clip "high-level hawabaazi", he gave the caption of "high-powered jumlebaazi" to PM Modi's video. "'Committee banao, dhyaan bhatkao' (Form a committee and divert attention)'," Ramesh said in his post in Hindi on X.
Congress Slams Government's Committee Strategy
PM Modi on Sunday announced the constitution of the high-powered task force, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, for reforms in the examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The task force will give suggestions on maximum use of technology for setting up a robust and transparent examination system, Modi said in a video message posted on Instagram.
Reacting to the development, Ramesh said on Monday, "Friends, in June 2024, after it bungled multiple examinations including NEET-UG, the Modi government constituted a high-level committee of experts headed by Dr K Radhakrishnan to 'ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations'.
"In July 2026, the Modi government bungled the NEET-UG and other exams and has now constituted another "high-powered task force'," he said on X.
Ramesh said the new committee comes even as the Modi government has still not finished implementing the K Radhakrishnan Committee's 101 recommendations.
For most of the two years between the 2024 and 2026 paper leaks, it didn't even appoint a full-time director general for the National Testing Agency, he said.
"This is ultimately only a high-powered attempt to fix the Pradhan Mantri's irretrievably compromised image," the Congress leader said.
Modi Announces High-Powered Task Force
According to the government, a multidisciplinary group of domain experts will be a part of the task force.
Besides Nilekani, its other members are former chairman of ISRO S Somanath, former director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, director of IIT Chennai V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.
Key Members Of The New Task Force
The prime minister's announcement came a day after the 36-day agitation, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), ended with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the education minister.
The prime minister said the government will work on suggestions of the task force to establish a foolproof examination system. It will help revamp the NTA exams, especially from a technology perspective and for structural reforms in the system, he said.
