India PM Modi launches exam system reforms after youth protests

India’s PM Narendra Modi announced on Sunday the creation of a task force headed ​by tech entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani to overhaul ‌India’s examination system, following days of youth protests about exam paper leaks, Reuters writes.

“Our examination system should be trustworthy, should be transparent and ​the system should make maximum use of ​technology,” Modi said on Instagram, adding that new ⁠legislation to deal with paper leaks would be ​introduced in parliament on Monday.

The measures would tighten the ​law and toughen the penalties for culprits, Modi added.

It was Modi’s first public comment since Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on ​Saturday following the protests by youth activists, who ​demonstrated for weeks demanding he quit over exam paper leaks ‌in ⁠May.

The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, which spearheaded the demonstrations, called off its protests on Saturday after ​its demands were ​met.

The immediate cause of the protests was public anger over alleged leaks of some of India’s most competitive entrance exams for medical colleges and government jobs.