Nandan Nilekani Asks ‘Why Do We Need A Question Paper?’, Suggests Last-Minute Generation After NEET Leak
Nandan Nilekani has suggested generating question papers at the last minute from a large question bank to reduce the risk of paper leaks. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, the Infosys co-founder also called for expanding computer-based testing centres as part of examination reforms following the NEET UG 2026 paper leak row.
Nandan Nilekani, Infosys co-founder and head of the High-Powered Task Force on Examination Reforms formed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has discussed the need for traditional question papers and suggested generating them at the last minute before an examination. The task force was formed after the NEET UG 2026 paper leak row and the subsequent re-conduct of the examination.
“Why do we need to have something called ‘a’ question paper? Because the moment you have a question paper, then that creates an economic incentive for that to be sold,” Nilekani asked during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026.
“So, the way to solve this is to really have a massive bank of questions, and only at the last minute generate the question paper for that day, and therefore the question of ‘a’ question paper goes away, and there’s no economic incentive for that,” he added.
Nilekani On AI-Generated Last-Minute Question Papers
Nilekani was asked whether AI-generated question papers should be created on the day of the test. In response, he said, “Yeah. Sure.Yeah.”
Nilekani further stressed the need to increase the number of examination centres. He added that expanding testing locations would also be among the issues addressed by the committee.
“The other thing is, of course, how to make sure all exams are done on a computer-based testing, and that requires a network of locations. We have 150,000 locations where a young boy or girl can take a test. That needs to be expanded. I think these are all systemic issues which we will address in our committee,” he said.
Speaking about the proposed reforms, Nilekani added, “the Prime Minister is very keen to implement our decisions.”
The Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026 brought together global leaders from business, government and innovation in New Delhi for a three-day programme, with participants from Australia, Canada, Italy, Qatar, Singapore, Switzerland, the United States and several other countries.
On July 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of a high-powered task force to be headed by renowned technology expert Nandan Nilekani. The task force includes former Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, former ISRO Chairman S Somnath, IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti, former Education Secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.
The task force was formed following the alleged leak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Undergraduate 2026 examination paper. The exam was originally scheduled for May 3 but was re-conducted on June 21, 2026.
Sahil Behl is an education journalist at Jagran with over a year of experience in journalism. Prior to joining Jagran, he worked as a Sub-Editor in NDTV’s Education department, where he was responsible for writing and editing education-related content as well as managing the department’s social media presence. At Jagran, he covers a wide range of education topics, including board examinations, school updates, admissions, and job notifications, while leveraging his editorial expertise and strong understanding of digital content strategy. Sahil holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and has also completed an eight-month certification program in Data Science. Passionate about emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, he closely tracks their growing role in journalism and explores how they are transforming shaping the future of the media industry.
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