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By:

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.

PLAIN SPEAK

"We have no role to play beyond a facilitator (In the Indus Water Treaty). There's a lot of speculation in the media about how the World Bank will step in & fix the problem, but it's all bunk. The World Bank's role is merely as a facilitator.”

Ajay Banga, President, World Bank


"We congratulate the central government leadership and our armed forces for the decisive action taken under 'Operation Sindoor' against Pak-sponsored terrorists and their supporting ecosystem following the cowardly attack on unarmed tourists at Pahalgam. We totally agree that military action being taken against terrorists, their infrastructure and support systems in Pakistan is necessary and inevitable for the security of the country. In this hour of national crisis, the entire country stands with the government and armed forces in spirit and action."

Mohan Bhagwat, Chief, RSS


“Be it Kargil, Pulwama, Pahalgam or Pathankot, we have seen whenever there is a military action, it only treats symptoms, it does not treat the root cause of the problem. It doesn't bring any solution and doesn't help in maintaining permanent peace. Our country is emerging as a huge force in the world, the internal situation is not good in Pakistan. So, both the countries should attempt to have political intervention. Nothing can be achieved from military intervention.”

Mehbooba Mufti, Chief, PDP


“Everybody knows that for the last 30 years, Pakistan has used this (terrorism) as a means of sub-critical warfare against India. If the international community really wants to be able to look at this and worry about it, the simple solution is to tell Pakistan it has an opportunity for an off-ramp. These are things that the world should have compelled Pakistan to do 30 years ago, and to compel them to implement their promises about taking down this infrastructure. It has not done so. The logical solution would be, as we've said repeatedly, for Pakistan to take the opportunity of an off ramp, which we have made abundantly clear, including this morning, that if Pakistan stops attacking our military facilities, the matter ends there, but it is for them to decide.”

Vikram Doraiswami, Indian High Commissioner to UK


"We can't control these countries though. Fundamentally, India has its gripes with Pakistan. Pakistan has responded to India. What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit. But we're not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America's ability to control it. America can't tell the Indians to lay down their arms. We can't tell the Pakistanis to lay down their arms. And so we're going to continue to pursue this thing through diplomatic channels.”

J D Vance, Vice President, US


"The way civilians have been targeted, and the kind of attacks carried out in Jammu city – I don't think Jammu has been targeted like this since the 1971 war. This continuous escalation from Pakistan's side benefits no one. Pakistan gains nothing from this, nor will they succeed. They should silence their guns and help normalise the situation here.”

Omar Abdullah, CM, Jammu and Kashmir


“We support every necessary step taken for the defence and protection of the nation and its people and emphasises that in these critical times, the public, political parties, armed forces, and the government must come together to face these threats. There is absolutely no place for terrorism in Islamic teachings, globally recognised principles and human values. Therefore, countries should resolve their matters through bilateral dialogues and discussions. It is also a fact that war is not a solution to any issue.”

All India Muslim Personal Law Board


“The frame and the template in which we look at is the terror template. April 22 was the most heinous terrorist act. It is nobody's case to say that these terrorists should be given a free pass, and that's precisely what we did day before yesterday, held them accountable, brought them to justice. We are at war with the terrorists, and we will, as I said, bring justice to the victims and hold them accountable.”

Vinay Kwatra, Indian Ambassador to US


“India's strategic interventions and diplomatic leadership can play a transformative role in countering radical ideologies and promoting sustainable peace across South Asia. We must all act as custodians of the values that bind us as a diverse yet harmonious nation.”

Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, Grand Mufti of India

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