Nilekani panel seeks ex‑ISRO chief’s advice on revamping NTA

UPDATE - follow-up to After court reprimand over paper leaks, Nilekani panel consults ex-ISRO head on NTA overhaul: Nandan Nilekani’s high‑powered task force on exam reforms has consulted former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, officials said Sunday. ## What Happened The task force, set up in July to suggest changes for exams run by the National Testing Agency, is preparing its first interim report, which the government told the Supreme Court will arrive by the end of September. It has invited ideas from students, parents, teachers, academic bodies, industry groups and exam‑conducting agencies, and has met NTA Director General Abhishek Singh and officials from the Department of Higher Education. "The HPTF is reviewing the exam processes and will recommend reforms to make the examination system robust, secure, transparent, trustworthy and future‑ready," a senior government official told PTI. The panel’s recommendations will focus on technology and draw on the 101 security‑related suggestions made by the earlier Radhakrishnan committee in 2024. ## Reaction The panel includes former ISRO chair S Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena. ## What’s Next The task force will examine the shift to computer‑based testing for NEET‑UG, assess the need for more secure centres and explore AI tools to spot fraud. ## Context Exam leaks have repeatedly forced the government to rethink testing security, prompting panels like this one to overhaul the NTA’s processes and governance.