New Delhi: Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani suggested doing away with setting traditional question papers for exams in India as a strategic measure to combat frequent paper leaks. Speaking at Bloomberg's New Economy Forum in Delhi, Nilekani heads the high-powered task force tasked with recommending comprehensive exam reforms.
Nilekani questioned the necessity of traditional question papers, noting that their existence creates an economic incentive for illicit sales. His remarks follow the significant controversy surrounding the NEET-UG exam leak earlier this year, which forced the cancellation of tests, impacted hundreds of thousands of medical aspirants, and sparked widespread student protests across the country.
As the head of the government-constituted panel formed in July, Nilekani proposed creating a massive digital bank of questions that would use technology to generate the actual test papers shortly before the exam begins. He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very keen on seeing these systemic suggestions implemented.
In addition to reforming question paper design, Nilekani highlighted the potential for expanding computer-based testing infrastructure. He stated that India currently has about 150,000 locations capable of supporting digital tests and emphasized that this network needs expansion to address the broader security and governance issues in public examinations handled by agencies like the National Testing Agency.
During the same forum discussion, Nilekani also addressed technological advancements, dismissing concerns that artificial intelligence would eliminate jobs as groundless. He argued that business transformation relies heavily on governance, change management, and proper guardrails rather than just coding, and predicted that AI will ultimately empower small businesses and generate demand for new skills.