The blueprint for fixing India’s troubled examination system will take a little longer to arrive. The Centre has extended the tenure of the High-Powered Task Force on examination reforms, chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, to January 2027, giving the panel more time to consult states before it finalises its recommendations. The report had been expected by the end of October 2026.
According to a Times of India report on 1 November 2026, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) wants the task force to hear from chief ministers and chief secretaries so that regional gaps in testing infrastructure, internet connectivity and administrative readiness are reflected in a more complete reform roadmap. PTI, citing sources, said the government has also filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court setting out the progress the panel has made so far.
Why the panel was set up
The six-member task force was constituted in July 2026 after the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, which led to the cancellation of the original exam and a retest, large student protests at Jantar Mantar and the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Its brief covers the conduct, security, design and governance of public examinations, including those run by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Alongside Nilekani, the panel includes 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. It has received more than 50,000 suggestions from students, parents, teachers, institutions, subject experts, industry bodies and exam-conducting agencies. It has also held 18 internal meetings and around 40 consultations, including with former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, who led the committee formed after the 2024 NEET paper leak.
The technology questions on the table
- A national network of CBT centres: Centre and states would develop secure computer-based test (CBT) centres, with private investment, especially in districts that lack well-equipped venues. Funding, ownership and operating models are still to be worked out.
- A hybrid NEET-UG in 2027: Some stakeholders have suggested a mixed pen-and-paper and CBT format for 2027, with a full move to CBT in 2028 once capacity is in place. The Centre has already said NEET will move to computer-based testing.
- ‘Debundling’ the exam process: Question-paper setting, exam conduct, test-centre management and security would be handed to separate agencies, creating clearer accountability so that a lapse in one stage does not compromise the whole exam.
- Centres in every district and a common calendar: A shared schedule across the NTA, Staff Selection Commission, IBPS and Railway Recruitment Boards would avoid date clashes and make better use of testing infrastructure.
A parliamentary committee report in October also recommended secure, government-controlled testing centres across districts and a phased shift to CBT for NEET-UG, which adds weight to the direction the task force appears to be taking.
What it means for students and institutions
For the millions of candidates who sit national entrance and recruitment tests every year, the extension means another few months of uncertainty about how exams in 2027 and 2028 will be conducted. It also points to the scale of what lies ahead. Moving high-stakes exams such as NEET-UG fully onto computers depends on secure, well-connected centres being available well beyond metro cities, and on states being ready to run them. How the task force balances speed, security and equitable access to that infrastructure is likely to shape India’s testing system for years to come.
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