Who is IIT-Madras director V Kamakoti? Why did Priyanka Gandhi call him a ‘cow urine expert’?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of a task force on Sunday which will recommend reforms to make the exam system leakproof in order to prevent recurrence of such leaks that recently took the country by storm.

The taskforce will be led by Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of Infosys, and will have as its members former chairman of ISRO S Somanath, former director of the Intelligence Bureau, Tapan Deka, director of IIT Chennai, V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.

Among them, Kamakoti has found himself in the centre of a political storm after Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi, in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, questioned his inclusion in the panel and labelled him a "gaumutra (cow urine) expert".

V Kamakoti is the current director of IIT Madras, holding MS and PhD degrees in Computer Science and Engineering. He joined IIT Madras in 2001 and has expertise in Computer Architecture, Information Security, and VLSI Design.

Priyanka Gandhi labeled V Kamakoti a 'gaumutra expert' due to his claims about cow urine's health benefits, which sparked controversy and accusations of pseudo-science during a Lok Sabha session.

The task force aims to recommend reforms to make India's exam system leakproof, addressing vulnerabilities such as those exposed by recent exam paper leaks.

V Kamakoti emphasizes the importance of using advanced technologies like AI and rigorous vetting processes for paper setters to enhance the security and integrity of the examination system.

The task force faces challenges in rebuilding trust within the examination system, particularly ensuring the integrity of question paper setters and invigilators to prevent leaks.

On this note, let us take a look at at who is V Kamakoti and why Gandhi has called him a "gaumutra expert".

V Kamakoti is the current director of IIT Madras. He himself is a graduate of the institution, having received his MS and PhD degrees in Computer Science and Engineering.

Later, Kamakoti joined his alma mater's faculty in 2001 and was appointed its Director in Januaey 2022.

Computer Architecture, Information Security and Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Design are areas of his expertise. Kamakoti heads the Microprocessor Development Program and the Information Security Education and Awareness Program at the institution.

He is also a member of the National Security Advisory Board and has served as the Chairman of India's Artificial Intelligence Task Force, which has been constituted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Besides serving as the Director of IIT-M, Kamakoti has also served as the Chairman, JEE and as Associate Dean, Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research at the institution.

He has received numerous achievements for his scientific research, including the DRDO Academic Excellence Award, Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association Techno Visionary Award, 'Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship', ACCS Life-time Achievement Award, IBM Faculty Award and VASVIK Industrial Research award, as per the IIT Madras Heritage Centre.