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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Trust Reset

As the recent protests over the NEET paper leak showed, India’s examination system has reached a point where incremental repairs are no longer enough. The appointment of a high-powered task force on examination reforms, headed by technology pioneer Nandan Nilekani, is therefore not merely an administrative response to the NEET-UG paper leak crisis but a concrete attempt to rebuild confidence in one of the country’s most important public institutions. Examinations are gateways to opportunity,...

Trust Reset

As the recent protests over the NEET paper leak showed, India’s examination system has reached a point where incremental repairs are no longer enough. The appointment of a high-powered task force on examination reforms, headed by technology pioneer Nandan Nilekani, is therefore not merely an administrative response to the NEET-UG paper leak crisis but a concrete attempt to rebuild confidence in one of the country’s most important public institutions. Examinations are gateways to opportunity, social mobility and professional ambition. For millions of students across the country, a competitive examination represents years of sacrifice by families and the possibility of a better future. When question papers leak repeatedly, evaluation systems fail or allegations of manipulation emerge, the resulting damage strikes at the idea of fairness itself. The crisis surrounding NEET-UG exposed uncomfortable vulnerabilities in the country’s examination infrastructure. The resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the subsequent appointment of Pralhad Joshi with additional charge of the ministry underlined the political seriousness of the issue. But political accountability alone cannot fix a structural problem. That is why the composition of the new task force is a move on the right direction. It brings together expertise from technology, space research, intelligence, education administration and logistics. Nilekani’s appointment is particularly significant. The former Infosys chief executive and architect of Aadhaar has experience in building large-scale digital public infrastructure involving hundreds of millions of citizens. The Aadhaar project itself was born out of a similar challenge: how to create a reliable identity system in a country where leakages and duplication weakened welfare delivery. India’s examination system now requires the same kind of thinking. The committee’s mandate to examine the entire examination lifecycle - from question paper creation and distribution to candidate verification, evaluation and results - is the right approach. The problem lies in multiple weak points where human intervention, poor security protocols and outdated processes can create opportunities for malpractice. Technology will inevitably be central to the solution. Artificial intelligence can help detect unusual patterns, blockchain-based verification can strengthen record security and better data systems can improve transparency. But a secure examination system requires independent oversight, professional management, clear accountability and swift punishment for wrongdoing. India’s National Testing Agency was created to bring efficiency and standardisation to public examinations. Its credibility must now be restored through reforms that are visible and trusted by students. The Nilekani task force has been given the difficult job of repairing that trust. The government has chosen a committee led by people with experience of managing complex national systems. It is a sensible first step. The real test will now be whether its recommendations translate into action.

CDR bombshell deepens Maharashtra turmoil

Questions over who leaked Ashok Kharat’s call data records and why

Mumbai: Activist Anjali Damania’s disclosure on Monday of alleged call detail records (CDRs) tied to controversial godman Ashok Kharat has set off a fresh political crisis in Maharashtra. The records, she said, show an “unprecedented” spike in messages and transactions from a ‘Samata’ credit society on the day before and the day Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash. Her revelations have raised urgent questions about the source of the leak, the motive behind it and whether the disclosure is part of a larger political manoeuvre or a settling of private scores.


The disclosure prompted immediate political reaction. Opposition leaders demanded clarity on how Damania obtained the records and called for a transparent probe. Some legislators questioned the legality of circulating CDRs in public. Others speculated about selective leaks and possible political engineering. A section of commentators suggested the leak could be aimed at influencing intra party dynamics within the Mahayuti alliance, while Damania insisted the list includes names of BJP ministers such as Chandrakant Patil and Ashish Shelar, arguing the disclosure is not targeted at any single camp. Notably, both Patil and Shelar are not counted as close confidants of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.


CDR Leak

Several scenarios are plausible and none can be confirmed without forensic verification. One possibility is that a private investigator or data broker with informal access to telecom records passed the material to Damania. Such intermediaries sometimes obtain data through networks of former investigators or commercial channels that operate in legal grey areas.


A second possibility is an insider within the Samata society or Kharat’s circle who sought to expose suspicious financial flows.


A third scenario is a politically motivated leak from within the state apparatus or from rival political actors seeking to damage opponents or shift the narrative around the high profile death.


Finally, there is the chance that the records were compiled by an investigative source and shared with Damania to prompt official action.


Power Struggle

Questions about whether the leak is tied to power struggles within the BJP and the Mahayuti alliance have already surfaced. Some observers read the absence of many senior BJP names in the released list as suggestive of selective targeting. Others note Damania’s insistence that BJP ministers do appear, which would undercut claims of partisan bias. The truth may lie in a mix: political factions could be exploiting a criminal probe to settle intra coalition disputes, while private vendettas and financial rivalries add layers of motive. Until investigators verify the records, any attribution remains speculative.


Legal and ethical issues also loom large. CDRs are sensitive personal data. Their unauthorised circulation can violate privacy laws and compromise ongoing investigations. Forensic authentication is essential. If the material was obtained illegally, its admissibility in court could be challenged. At the same time, if the records are genuine, they may open new lines of inquiry into financial flows and communications that investigators have not yet pursued.


ED files money laundering case against Kharat
The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case against Ashok Kharat and will soon question him, officials said on Monday.

The federal agency’s Mumbai zonal office has filed an Enforcement Case Information report (ECIR) under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, they said.
Officials said the ED has taken cognisance of multiple FIRs filed by the Maharashtra Police against Nashik-based Kharat. He, along with some other individuals linked to him, will be questioned by the ED soon, officials said.

The self-styled godman-cum-astrologer was arrested in March after a married woman accused him of raping her repeatedly over three years.

The state police have registered a total of eight FIRs against him so far.

A subsequent probe uncovered a host of crimes, including sexual assault and financial irregularities linked to land, opening of accounts in some cooperative credit societies, and other properties.

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