The Government of India has thrown open one of the country’s most sensitive public debates: how to make national examinations fairer, safer and more student-friendly.
A High-Powered Task Force (HPTF) chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani has invited suggestions from students, parents, teachers, exam bodies, technologists, industry groups and civil society on comprehensive reforms to public examinations, including those conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The panel is looking at the full pipeline — how tests are designed, how they are conducted, how they are secured, how institutions are governed, and how candidates are treated before, during and after the exam. The stated goal is a system that is “robust, secure, transparent, equitable and future-ready.”
The invitation is unusually wide. Suggestions can cover:
- Conduct and security of exams
- Design and assessment methods
- Governance and accountability
- Prevention, detection and redress of malpractices
- Technology, including secure computer-based testing
- Exam infrastructure
- Inclusion across social, economic, regional and linguistic groups
- Transparency, grievance redressal and communication
- Student well-being throughout the process
- Any other idea that could improve the system
Inputs can be sent in English, Hindi or regional languages by *September 13, 2026 through:
- Website: https://examreforms-taskforce.dopt.gov.in
- Toll-free: 1800-180-4747
- WhatsApp: send “hptf” to +91 78270 42830
- Email: ExamReformsTaskforce@dopt.gov.in
The Task Force says public consultation will shape its recommendations to the government. After years of anxiety over paper leaks, centre-level irregularities and last-minute cancellations, the message is clear: those who sit the exams — and those who run them — are being asked to help rewrite the rulebook.
Whether the exercise produces lasting change will depend on how seriously the inputs are taken. For now, the door is open. The deadline is three weeks away.
