V Kamakoti Profile: The name of IIT-Madras Director V Kamakoti, who was included in the NEET exam reform committee, suddenly became a topic of discussion in the entire country. After Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘cow urine expert’ statement, everyone wants to know who is V. Kamakoti?
V Kamakoti: Amidst the continuously rising questions regarding NEET exam, the Central Government has formed a high-powered task force to improve the examination system. The command of this committee has been handed over to Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. The political debate intensified after the name of IIT-Madras Director V. Kamakoti was included in the same panel. Congress MP in Lok Sabha Priyanka Gandhi targeted him by calling him a “cow urine expert”, after which his name became a topic of discussion at the national level. In such a situation, people want to know who is V. Kamakoti and what is his identity?
Who is V. Kamakoti?
V. Kamakoti’s full name is Kamakoti Veezhinathan. He studied MS and PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT-Madras. In the year 2001, he joined the same institute as faculty and became the director of IIT-Madras in January 2022. His expertise is considered in areas such as Computer Architecture, Information Security and VLSI Design. He has also led the Microprocessor Development and Information Security Education Program supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Got distinct identity from ‘Shakti’ microprocessor
The team of researchers led by V. Kamakoti developed India’s first indigenous microprocessor ‘Shakti’. Apart from this, he is also a member of the National Security Advisory Board. He has also chaired the Artificial Intelligence Task Force of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. At IIT-Madras, he has previously held important responsibilities like JEE Chairman and Associate Dean of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research.
Have received many big honors including Padmashree
V. Kamakoti was awarded the Padma Shri in 2026 for his contributions in the field of computer architecture and national security. Apart from this, he has also received prestigious honors like DRDO Academic Excellence Award, IBM Faculty Award, VASVIK Industrial Research Award, ACCS Life-Time Achievement Award and Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship.
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Political controversy increased over Priyanka Gandhi’s statement
Speaking on the issue of examination reform in the Lok Sabha, Priyanka Gandhi described V. Kamakoti, who was part of the committee, as a “cow urine expert”. BJP reacted sharply to his statement. BJP leader Anurag Thakur said that such comments on the country’s eminent scientist and educationist are not appropriate. He also mentioned Kamakoti’s scientific contributions and his role in the AI task force.
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What is V. Kamakoti’s thinking on stopping paper leaks?
After joining the examination reform committee, V. Kamakoti said that the biggest challenge of any examination system is to ensure honesty and confidentiality of the question paper setters. According to him, monitoring and security can be strengthened through technology, but if the people preparing the question papers are not trustworthy then the entire system gets affected.
He said that in recent years, the number of candidates appearing in competitive examinations has increased significantly, hence it is necessary to create a reliable system along with technology. He believes that the most important link in the examination system is the people who prepare the question paper and maintain its confidentiality. Strengthening this trust is the biggest need of the future examination system.