Nilekani proposes last-minute papers to prevent exam leaks

NEW DELHI Nandan Nilekani, Infosys Chairman and head of the high-powered task force on examination reforms, has proposed generating question papers at the last minute to prevent leaks. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Delhi on Tuesday, he said creating a large bank of questions and preparing papers shortly before examinations could reduce the incentive to sell them illegally. Nilekani explained that having a fixed question paper creates opportunities for people to obtain and sell it before the examination. He suggested maintaining a massive question bank and generating the paper for each examination only at the last moment. He said this approach could help address the root causes of paper leaks and make examinations more secure. The six-member task force was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25 following student protests at Jantar Mantar. The committee was given three months to submit its report. Although Nilekani did not reveal its recommendations, he said Modi was keen to implement the panel’s suggestions. The task force has held about 18 panel meetings and 40 consultations, receiving more than 50,000 suggestions from students, parents, doctors’ groups and examination agencies. Nilekani also called for expanding the network of computer-based testing centres. He said around 1.5 lakh locations currently conduct examinations and that the number should increase. Moving towards computer-based testing would require better infrastructure, including secure facilities, information technology tools and reliable internet connections. At present, examination centres are leased to vendors, raising questions about security and accountability. A parliamentary committee report on strengthening the National Testing Agency has also recommended improving computer-based testing facilities, particularly for students in remote and marginalised communities. It called for at least one examination centre in every district to reduce travel costs and stress. The report also raised concerns about privately operated centres and suggested that governments own and operate all examination centres. Nilekani said paper leaks could be solved by addressing their underlying causes systematically.