Who is Nandan Nilekani, Infosys Chairman and Founder of Aadhaar Set to Lead PM Modi’s Examination Reforms Task Force?

AFTER WEEKS OF YOUTH-LED PROTEST led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding education reforms in India, the central government has finally caved in. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his position on Saturday, July 25, 2026, amidst growing calls for his removal over the NEET exam paper leak and other exam controversies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced a series of reforms meant to prevent future paper leaks, such as setting up fast-track courts and the introduction of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. 

The latest initiative in this regard is the formation of a high-powered task force to recommend reforms in India's examination system. On Sunday, July 26, 2026, PM Modi announced the decision and informed that the task force will be headed by Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and the founder of Aadhaar. 

Who is Nandan Nilekani?

Nandan Nilekani is an Indian entrepreneur. After completing his schooling and college from Karnataka, Bangalore, Nilekani went on to attain a bachelors’ degree in electrical engineering from IIT, Bombay.

Nilekani’s professional journey began with an interview by Narayan Murthy for a job position at Mumbai-based firm, Patni Computer Systems. However, Nilekani, along with Narayan Murthy and five others, left the company to launch their own firm: Infosys, in 1981. In March 2002, Nilekani assumed command as Infosys’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a position he held till April 2007. After relinquishing the CEO command to his colleague Kris Gopalakrishnan, Nilekani became co-chairman of the board of directors. 

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Nandan Nilekani: The Founder of Aadhaar

Nandan Nilekani left Infosys in July 2009, and made his way into the Indian bureaucracy. That year, he was hand-picked by the then Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh to create Aadhaar, the nation’s first digital public infrastructure platform. He was the Founding Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in the rank of a Cabinet Minister from 2009-2014. 

As UIDAI chair, Nilekani was responsible for implementing the envisioned Multipurpose National Identity Card, or Unique Identity card (UID Card) project in India. This initiative aimed to provide a unique identification number for all Indian residents and was used primarily as the basis for the efficient delivery of welfare services. Under his chairmanship, Aadhaar was created, the Indian biometric ID system that was the government database of the entire population of India. During this time, he also played a key role in the development of Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Additionally, Nandan Nilekani is a member of the board of governors of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), and also the president of National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).

In March 2014, Nandan Nilekani stepped into politics, and contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections from the Bangalore South constituency on a Congress ticket, but didn’t win.

In 2017, he returned to Infosys as a chairman after the then CEO Vishal Sikka’s departure from the firm.

In January 2023, he was appointed as the co-chair of the “G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Transformation, Financial Inclusion, and Development.”

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About PM Modi’s Task Force for Examination Reforms

A day after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his position as Union Education Minister, PM Modi announced the formation of a “high-powered task force” that will focus on examination reforms in the country and submit a report of their recommendations. Based on that, said the PM in a video message, the government will act on the basis of the panel's report to ensure the credibility of upcoming examinations.

Helmed by Infosys Chairman and founder of Aadhaar Nandan Nilekani, the task force has been established to revamp the National Testing Agency's (NTA) exams. It is a diverse team of subject matter specialists that will assist in updating NTA exams, especially from a technological standpoint, and suggest systemic changes. 

Who else is in the Examination Reforms Task Force with Nandan Nilekani?

The members of the examination reforms task force, along with technology expert Nandan Nilekani, are former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somnath, former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti, former Education Secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.

(Proofread by Anshika Verma)

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