IIT-Madras director V Kamakoti, named a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-powered task force on exam reforms, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, is now caught in the middle of a political storm, with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi questioning the inclusion of a “gaumutra expert” (cow urine expert) in the panel.
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She said, “In this new committee, there is one ex-IB chief, one IT company owner, and one gaumutra expert.”
Hitting back at Gandhi’s remarks, BJP leader Anurag Thakur said he was saddened by her remarks targeting one of India’s foremost scientists and professors.
He said that with an “innocent face and subtle smiles”, Priyanka Gandhi misleads people and tries to cover up the wrongdoings and failures of previous governments led by the Congress.
Thakur noted that Kamakoti is also a former chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force.
And as he made the remarks in the House, somebody from the Opposition side was heard saying that Kamakoti is from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
The BJP leader immediately countered the remarks and said, “Even if he is associated with the RSS, there is nothing wrong with that. You should also join the RSS, you will learn some values and start thinking about the country.”
Thakur said he thought that Priyanka Gandhi would be better than her brother, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
“In any examination system, two groups of people must be trustworthy. First, there are the question paper setters. They form the most critical group. Second, there are the invigilators at the examination centres. In my opinion, the biggest challenge is how we build and sustain trust among question paper setters,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Kamakoti added that cameras have already been introduced to ensure monitoring and proper invigilation. However, he said, the most important issue “remains the integrity and trustworthiness of the question paper setter.”
He noted that the 2024 NEET paper leak occurred during the transit of question papers after printing, and that the investigating agency stated the incident was contained and affected only about 40 to 50 students.
He highlighted that the case with the 2026 NEET paper leak was different. Kamakoti said the leak this year did not occur during distribution; it originated with the question paper setter.
“We need teachers whom we can trust, people who will set the question paper, maintain complete confidentiality, and faithfully discharge their responsibility without revealing its contents. This is the single biggest challenge we face,” he added.
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After the more than month-long protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party against NEET paper leaks and the resignation of former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, PM Modi on Sunday announced the high-powered task force to overhaul the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) examination system.
The panel, led by Nandan Nilekani, also includes former ISRO chairman S Somnath, former IB director Tapan Deka, IIT-Madras director V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.
Kamakoti Veezhinathan, with a Master of Science (MS) and a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT-Madras, joined the faculty of the very institution in 2001.
In January 2022, Kamakoti took charge as the director of IIT-Madras.
According to his profile on IIT-M, Kamakoti specialises in computer architecture, information security, and VLSI design.
He also leads the microprocessor development programme and the information security education and awareness programme at the institution, both funded by the ministry of electronics and information technology.
Kamakoti’s research team developed India’s first indigenous microprocessor, Shakti.
He is also a member of the National Security Advisory Board.
Kamakoti has also served as the chairman of the artificial intelligence task force constituted by the ministry of commerce and industry.
Additionally, within IIT-Madras, he has held the positions of Chairman, JEE, and Associate Dean, industrial consultancy and sponsored research.
Kamakoti has several honours and accolades to his name, including the DRDO Academic Excellence Award and the Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association Techno Visionary Award.
He has also been honoured with the ACCS Life-time Achievement Award, the IBM Faculty Award, and the VASVIK Industrial Research Award.
This year, V Kamakoti was conferred the Padma Shri award in the science and engineering category for his work in computer architecture research and national security.
Kamakoti also holds an Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship.
In her remarks during the anti-paper leak bill debate in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi questioned the inclusion of V Kamakoti, whom she described as a “gaumutra expert”, in the exam reforms task force.
“But after the remarks she made today about the IIT-Madras Director, I feel that the brother and sister are alike. They are on the same path, and perhaps they are consuming something that affects the proper functioning of the brain. Maybe they should consume gaumutra (cow urine) instead,” Thakur stated.
After being named a part of the Centre’s task force on exam reforms, V Kamakoti said the biggest challenge in conducting examinations was the integrity and trustworthiness of the question paper setter.
The IIT-Madras director said the number of students appearing for competitive exams has increased significantly over the last four decades, which makes technological intervention extremely crucial.
