India's Education Reform Commons

What is this?

A few parents' shared notebook on India's education reforms, which anyone can add to. It collects what people have actually seen, checks it against sources and objections, and writes up what survives. Overview

Who is behind it?

A few parents whose children will sit these exams. No organisation, no funding, no staff. "We" means us plus whoever turns up, working in the time we have — everything here is best effort.

What was announced?

On 26 July 2026 the PMO announced an examination-reform task force led by Nandan Nilekani. Its verified mandate is examination reform, not education as a whole. Membership and terms of reference are not yet public. Sources

Why look wider than exams?

An exam is downstream of everything else — what is taught, who teaches it, who can afford help. A secure exam still measures the wrong thing if the syllabus is dated. Exam proposals go to the task force; the rest is studied separately. Research agenda

What will actually be produced?

A brief on examination reform — with sources and objections — published here and sent to the task force, whether or not anyone replies. Beyond that depends on who shows up. Overview

What should I send?

Whatever is your idea for reforms. What happened in your school, your child's exam, your district is worth more than an opinion about India. How ideas get checked

What happens after I send it?

It gets read and filed with everything else on that question, including what contradicts it. You can choose how you are quoted, and ask how you want to be credited. What changed, and what is still disputed, gets published. How ideas get checked

What are the rules?

Be civil, and forward-looking: say what should change. Argue with what someone said, not who they are. Specifics beat grievance. No party politics. Charter

Is this official?

No — no connection to the task force or any government body. Not a survey either: nothing here is representative of India. Charter

Is it safe to write about my child, or my school?

Send nothing that identifies a student, and no exam credentials, leaked papers, or accusations about named people. Say "a school in Dharwad district" rather than naming it, unless it's your own workplace. Under 18? Talk to a parent or guardian first. Privacy

Can I reuse this work?

Yes, please do — CC BY 4.0. Quote it, republish it, translate it, put it in a report or a lesson. Just say where it came from:

India's Education Reform Commons, mahanu.com, CC BY 4.0

Nothing here is for sale and nothing needs asking for. You keep the copyright in your own words — you're lending them, not giving them away. If you'd rather they weren't published, say so and they're treated as background.