New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday criticised the Centre's handling of the examination paper leak issue, alleging that the government ignored the problem, acted against protesters and announced a reform panel only after sustained public pressure.

His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the constitution of a high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The panel has been tasked with suggesting greater use of technology to build a robust and transparent examination system.

In a post on X, Sibal said the government's approach was to initially deny the existence of problems, ignore them if they persisted, brand protesters as anarchists and subject them to police action before eventually constituting a task force on examination reforms.

"Then set up a task force for exam reforms!" the Independent Rajya Sabha MP said.

According to the government, the multidisciplinary panel comprises Nilekani, former ISRO chairman S. Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.

Prime Minister Modi announced the formation of the task force on Sunday, a day after the 36-day agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over the NEET paper leak concluded with the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The prime minister said the government would implement the panel's recommendations to establish a foolproof examination system and undertake structural and technology-driven reforms in NTA-conducted examinations.