New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s newly announced examination‑reform panel as a “high‑powered attempt to fix the Pradhan Mantri’s irretrievably compromised image,” accusing the government of using the move to stem political damage after repeated examination failures.
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to advise on reforms for tests run by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
In a video posted on Instagram, Modi said the panel will recommend the “maximum use of technology” to build a robust and transparent examination system.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh reiterated the opposition’s criticism, noting that, “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.'”
He said the government had once again fumbled NEET-UG and other exams in July 2026 and has now gone ahead with another “High Powered Task Force,” he wrote on X.
Ramesh added the new body comes even though the government has not yet implemented the K Radhakrishnan Committee’s 101 recommendations.
He also accused the government of neglecting the NTA leadership, saying that, for much 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.”
“This is ultimately only a High-Powered attempt to fix the Pradhan Mantri’s irretrievably compromised image,” the Congress leader said.
The government said the task force will include specialists from various fields. Alongside Nilekani, it named former ISRO chairman S Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, IIT Chennai director V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Modi’s announcement came a day after a 36-day agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) ended with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
The prime minister said officials will work on the task force’s recommendations to set up what he described as a foolproof examination system.
He said the measures will aim to revamp NTA exams, focusing on technological upgrades and structural reforms.