Explainer: Who are those 6 stalwarts, against whom the Modi government created a high-powered task force? It will be a big challenge to stop paper leaks

Amidst the questions raised regarding paper leaks and irregularities in many competitive examinations including NEET in the country, the Central Government has taken a big step towards making the examination system completely secure and transparent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted a high-powered task force for examination reforms, which will be headed by Infosys co-founder and Nandan Nilekani, chief architect of Aadhaar project Has been handed over to.

This task force is not just a team of technical experts, but it includes the country’s most experienced experts in technology, cyber security, intelligence, logistics and education administration. The government hopes that this team will prepare such a system so that paper leaks, fake candidates and irregularities in the examinations can be effectively stopped in future.

What is the biggest strength of this task force?

The biggest specialty of this team is that it includes experts related to every aspect of the examination system. Some are experts in digital security and some are experts in protecting against cyber attacks. Some have experience in building the country’s biggest digital platforms, while others are experts in intelligence and security systems. That is, improvement plans will be made at every stage of the examination process, from preparation of paper to release of results.

1- Nandan Nilekani

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and chief architect of the Aadhaar project, is leading this task force. Their experience in developing large digital platforms like Aadhaar and UPI can also be used in the examination system. Under his leadership, an end-to-end encrypted digital system can be prepared, which will protect the security of the question papers and the data of the candidates. It can also be easy to identify fake candidates through AI based biometric verification.

2- Prof. V. Kamakoti

Director of IIT Madras, Prof. V. Kamakoti can play an important role in making Computer Based Examinations (CBT) safe from cyber attacks. With their expertise, AI based dynamic question randomization can be implemented, whereby the order of questions will be different for every candidate. This can prevent incidents like screen sharing, local server hacking and question paper theft.

3- S. Somnath

Former ISRO chairman S. Somnath can suggest implementing the zero-defect methodology used in space missions in the examination system. From their experience, multi-layer verification can be implemented at every stage from question paper preparation, safekeeping, examination and declaration of results, which will greatly reduce the chances of human and technical errors.

4- Tapan Deka

Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Tapan Deka can help in developing a strong intelligence network to crack down on exam mafia and paper leak gangs. Systems like real-time cyber monitoring and identification of suspicious activities can be helpful in detecting leak conspiracies in time.

5- Amrit Lal Meena

Logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena can suggest measures to make the printing, storage and transportation of question papers more secure. With systems like GPS tracking, digitally locked containers and tamper-proof logistics, the possibility of question papers being leaked or stolen in transit can be significantly reduced.

6- Anita Karwal

Former Education Secretary and former CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal can give suggestions to make the examination process more transparent and student friendly. They can work on resolving objections on answer keys, grace marks policy, standard operating procedure (SOP) for examination centers and making the evaluation system more fair.

What can this task force change?

If the recommendations of this task force are implemented, then a major change can be seen in India’s competitive examination system. Digital security, AI based monitoring, secure logistics, strong cyber protection and transparent evaluation system together can help in curbing incidents like paper leaks to a great extent. The biggest benefit of this will be to crores of students, who will be able to get a fair and reliable examination system.