India news: Modi announces task force to reform exams
Deutsche Welle · LC · trust 58/100
The prime minister's announcement comes after the resignation of his education minister in the wake of student-led protests organized by the Cockroach Janta Party.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HlzD Modi said in a video posted on social media his administration decided to set up a high-powered task force [FILE: July 20, 2026] Image: Altaf Hussain/REUTERS Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Modi announces task force to reform India's examination system
Here are the biggest headlines from India on Sunday, July 26:
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07/26/2026 July 26, 2026 Modi announces exam reform task force after protests Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a special task force to overhaul the country's examination system after days of student-led protests over alleged exam paper leaks.
"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.
Modi added the government would set up a "high-powered task force" focused on examination reform.
The panel will be led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani.
The demonstrations drew thousands to New Delhi's Jantar Mantar site and became one of the largest anti-government protests in India in recent years.
The movement, organized by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party, led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Protest organizers called off the demonstrations on Saturday following his departure.
07/26/2026 July 26, 2026 Vessel with 4 Indians struck at Ukraine's Odessa port A merchant vessel named MG AVN Ragnar, carrying four Indian nationals, was struck at Ukraine's Port of Odessa, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine said on Sunday.
Two of the four Indian sailors were confirmed safe but information was awaited on the other two, the statement said.
"Search and rescue operations are underway. The Embassy is in constant touch with the concerned authorities," it read.
On Saturday evening, Kyiv's transport minister Mykola Kalashnyk said on Telegram that Russia had twice hit a civilian vessel carrying almost 2,800 tons of corn as it left the port of Odessa. While he did not mention the name of vessel, he said it was a Palau-flagged ship — the same as the MG AVN Ragnar.
The ship caught fire and seven crew members and a Ukrainian pilot had to be rescued, but two other crew members were missing, he had said.
The port has frequently come under attack since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Meanwhile, India's Ministry of External Affairs released an advisory for "Indian nationals undertaking employment on commercial vessels operating in Black Sea region."
The advisory asked Indian sailors to asses the risks before accepting contracts there.
07/26/2026 July 26, 2026 Prahlad Joshi takes charge as India's new education minister 63-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party veteran, Prahlad Joshi, takes charge as India's new education minister on Sunday.
The minister accepted the responsibility "with a deep sense of duty," he said in a post on X, which included images of him attending a meeting.
Joshi was appointed yesterday, within hours of Dharmendra Pradhan's exit.
Joshi was already India's minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution — and for new and renewable energy — prior to taking on a third and more senior portfolio as of Saturday.
He is a five-term member of the Lok Sabha parliament and Hindu nationalist known for his activism on the disputed region of Kashmir in his younger days.
He is known as a behind-the scenes organizational leader, who has been integral to BJP's journey in Karnataka. He was also the southern state's BJP President from 2014 to 2016.
Joshi was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, according to the BJP webiste, which is a large network with millions of followers.
The RSS presents itself as the guardian of Hindu values, while critics widely classify it as a paramilitary organization. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who himself has deep roots in the RSS, its influence reaches to the highest levels of political power.
100 years of RSS, India's Hindu nationalist movement To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
07/26/2026 July 26, 2026 Scenes from the protest site, late last night At about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, the Cockroach protest site at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi was dwelling in residual euphoria.
Hours earlier, the education minister had resigned and soon after the protest had been concluded. The instant celebration had been loud. Now, many had left, some remained and others walked in.
For some working youths, who had been banking on the weekend to show their support, the news of Pradhan's resignation came a little too early. Robbed of their chance to be a part of the movement, they had decided to witness the last of the celebrations.
At one end of the site, volunteers dismantled the stage where activist Sonam Wangchuk had been on hunger strike for over 20 days. It was the same stage where students sat in protest when Wangchuk had been removed without his consent, where CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke broke down in tears and where he first heard word on Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
A few meters away, people formed little circles around those who still danced in celebration. On the sides, protesters with witty placards proudly posed for those taking pictures, showing their creativity once more before putting it away.
Beyond the barricades, some congratulated strangers with water, words or hugs. Others leaned over ice cream carts which had finally made their way in.
And about two hundred volunteers still worked tirelessly, either…
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